#14

When Varia experienced her first Braxton Hicks contraction:

‘This feels like smooth sailing!’

‘You were crying your eyes out just a moment ago, though.’

‘Rio, you cried, didn’t you?’

‘That wasn’t crying, I just squatted down for a moment.’

Ferio gave his wife a highly skeptical look. She seemed to have conveniently forgotten how she clung to his hand, wailing in fear and pain.

‘Anyway, bring it on!’

‘Have you been spending too much time with Leo?’

Varia had gained confidence, thinking if this was what contractions were like, she’d deliver Muscley with no trouble.

And today—

‘This is no joke.’

Varia regretted her past arrogance.

The moment she felt the first real contraction, she instantly knew the pain ahead would be in a completely different league from those earlier false alarms.

Her hands and feet began to tremble with fear, and cold sweat gathered on her forehead.

‘Will I be able to do this?’

She had heard that once true labor started, the pain got intense.

‘Will I be able to deliver Muscley safely?’

‘What if something goes wrong?’

The moment they had waited and prepared for over and over again had finally come—but instead of joy, what filled Varia was overwhelming fear. She was scared that something might happen to her or the baby.

“Lady Varia!”

Scandia called out loudly.

“Are you alright?!”

“......”

“I already called for help a moment ago.”

Scandia had rushed out to get someone. By chance, Connie, Leonia’s personal maid, was passing by. When she heard Varia’s condition, she sprinted toward Ferio’s office.

“The Duke and Leo will be here soon.”

He gripped her hand tightly, assuring her he would stay with her until then.

“......”

Varia, who had been staring blankly at him, raised her other hand—and slapped her own cheek.

Scandia flinched in surprise.

‘Pull yourself together!’

If she didn’t get it together now, both she and Muscley could be in serious danger. Her stinging cheek helped calm her down a little.

‘First, I need to get to the birthing room...’

Varia quickly recalled the steps she needed to take. The careful preparations she had made until now came to mind, and the fear began to ease a little.

That’s when hurried footsteps began to approach.

“Varia!”

“Mom!”

Father and daughter came running from the office, faces drained of color. At first glance, you’d think they were the ones about to collapse.

“Are you okay, Mom?”

Leonia’s eyes were wide with fear as she looked back and forth between Varia’s face and belly.

“Did your water break? Does it hurt? Are you dying?”

“It’s not that bad.”

At that moment, the contraction had eased a bit and Varia was in a relatively calm state.

“It’s okay right now, so don’t—”

“Why are you always like this, Mom?!”

Leonia suddenly yelled. Varia flinched, startled by both the shout and the tears forming in her daughter’s eyes. Leonia sniffled, lips pressed tight in frustration.

“Stop saying you’re fine all the time!”

She cried, saying being too kind just made it harder for others to watch.

Tears fell from her black eyes.

‘But I really am fine...’

Varia felt conflicted.

Now was the perfect window to get to the birthing room while the contractions had paused. But with Leonia this distraught, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything more.

On top of that, the sight of her daughter all teary-eyed and sniffling was so incredibly cute.

‘It’s the first time I’ve seen her cry.’

Her chest ached, yet laughter kept bubbling up.

She glanced to the side and saw Scandia watching Leonia with a deep, serious expression—he seemed to be having the same thought.

“Leo.”

Ferio, who had silently been monitoring Varia, finally spoke.

“If you panic like that, it’ll make Varia even more anxious.”

“But Mom, she’s clearly not okay and she keeps ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) saying she is... hhhk...”

“Mom really is okay.”

He quickly assessed that Varia was in the latent phase of labor.

“Honey...!”

Varia was moved. What she needed right now was that cool-headed clarity.

“Dad, will Mom be okay?”

“Of course.”

Ferio answered firmly.

“If all else fails, we’ll deliver the baby right here.”

Ferio had studied childbirth techniques, including delivery and postnatal care, just in case something like this happened.

“......”

Varia felt a chill of foreboding.

“So trust me. You can give birth right here. You’re already feeling contractions, so delivery should be soon.”

“Holy hell, Dad’s amazing!”

Leonia exclaimed.

“Varia, are the contractions coming at regular intervals?”

Ferio took off his outer coat and placed it under her back.

“Dad, I’ll help too!”

Leonia rolled up her sleeves to her elbows.

“Hot water, clean cloths... what else do we need again...?”

She began recalling all the things necessary for childbirth. She had been with Ferio when he was reading those books on birth and retained quite a bit.

‘...This is bad.’

Seeing her overly calm yet chaotic husband and daughter, Varia strangely felt herself growing calmer. She began analyzing the situation more coldly than ever.

Perhaps it was a mistake to call those two here.

Because as soon as the real contractions hit, their frantic energy would only get worse.

“...Ugh!”

And just as she feared, the next contraction surged through her. It was even stronger than before. Without thinking, Varia reached for Ferio’s arm and grabbed it.

She could still endure it, but the fact that this was the real thing now scared her all over again.

“...The baby must be coming now.”

Ferio said calmly—and completely misjudged the situation.

No!

It hurt, yes, but it wasn’t that urgent yet. Still, Varia couldn’t say anything—the pain had robbed her of her voice.

“Duke Voreoti, Lady Leonia.”

At that moment—

“Thanks to the two of you, Madam must feel very reassured.”

Varia stared at Scandia in disbelief. Reassured? She was terrified that she might actually give birth on the floor at this rate. Her anxiety was snowballing by the second.

“But the birthing room would definitely be more comfortable for her.”

Just outside the indoor garden was the birthing suite, fully prepared with a sanitized bed and everything needed for delivery.

“M-My dear son-in-law...!”

Hope lit up in her betrayal-stricken green eyes.

“I checked the intervals between contractions—it still seems to be in the first stage.”

When the Voreoti family studied pregnancy and childbirth, Scandia had joined them and learned everything from the books.

“I think it would be best to move her once this contraction passes.”

Knowledge he had quietly absorbed was finally paying off today.

“......”

“......”

The beastly father and daughter finally realized their mistake. They had prepared so diligently and waited for this day, only to completely fall apart when it arrived.

But there was no time to feel ashamed.

Just then, Varia’s pain eased again.

“Are you feeling better?”

“I’m okay now.”

“Then hold on just a bit more.”

Though his words came out short from nerves, Ferio’s movement was careful—almost reverent—as he slid his arms under her back and knees and lifted her.

“Duke, I’ll open the door ahead.”

Scandia stepped forward and opened the door. Leonia rushed ahead and waited at the birthing suite’s entrance. As soon as Ferio reached her, she opened it wide.

Inside, everything was ready.

“...Waaaaaah!”

As soon as the soft blankets touched her, Varia burst into tears.

“I really thought I was going to have the baby right there! You dumb, adorable husband!”

She sobbed loudly, asking why someone normally so cool had completely lost his mind earlier. Clearly, what happened in the garden had left her shaken.

“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

Ferio just held her hand and kept apologizing.

“Why were you the one trying to catch Muscley?!”

“It’s my child. In an emergency, a father should be able to do that...”

“I can’t even watch the delivery myself—why would you watch it?!”

While the strange argument continued, the physician examined Varia.

“It’ll still be some time before the baby is born.”

“Will it hurt? A lot?”

“Duchess, don’t worry—we’ll be here with you.”

The physician offered comfort, but it didn’t comfort her at all. After all, they never actually said it wouldn’t hurt.

“I’ll be right here too.”

Ferio gently tucked her hair behind her ear.

“If it hurts, just say it. Scream if you need to.”

“Screaming drains your strength. If she does that, she might not have enough energy to push when the time comes.”

The physician cut in.

Ferio glared at the doctor with clear displeasure. But since the man had a point, he let it go.

“...You’ll stay by me, right?”

Varia sniffled.

Ferio, as if it were obvious, placed a kiss on her forehead.

“I’ll stay with you until the baby is born.”

“Not the baby... call them Muscley, please...”

“......”

Ferio had no idea why she’d ask that. But he couldn’t say no to her at a time like this.

“Muscley will be just fine. And so will you, Ria.”

Ferio spoke the baby’s nickname without protest.

Only then did Varia finally smile.

***

After Ferio and Varia entered the birthing room, Leonia and Scandia were left behind in the hallway. They slumped down outside the door. A passing maid, shocked by the sight, soon brought them chairs, blankets, and cushions.

“Are you alright?”

Scandia draped his blanket over Leonia’s shoulders as he asked.

“I was kind of dumb earlier, huh?”

Leonia gave an awkward laugh. Scandia shook his head.

“How could worrying about your mother be dumb?”

“You can be honest.”

“I actually thought it was amazing. No one else would’ve been able to do that.”

Sure, the beastly father and daughter had been ridiculous just moments ago. They’d looked like complete fools.

But who else would study and prepare so thoroughly, just in case, to help deliver the baby of the woman they loved and the mother they cherished?

Scandia found himself respecting Ferio even more—and falling even harder for Leonia.

‘Besides...’

Putting all that emotion aside—

Scandia couldn’t forget the sight of Leonia crying.