I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 242

Three days later.

The entire Robeheim Castle was on edge due to the sudden labor pains of Ariel.

“Guh…!”

Ariel squirmed in bed, gripping the blanket tightly.

Eventually, Yulken, unable to bear it any longer, grabbed the doctor’s arm and asked. After all, they had already been administering medication for quite some time, and it felt like this couldn’t go on much longer.

“Can’t we use a stronger medicine?”

“No, we can’t do that anymore. There’s a high risk of jeopardizing the fetus’s condition.”

The doctor replied as calmly as possible, despite breaking out in a cold sweat.

They had already used up the medicine they could. Ariel’s mana was so robust that she had managed to endure strong medications until now, but she couldn’t take any more. The biggest factor was that they couldn’t expect much effect anymore.

“Are you saying we just have to watch her in so much pain?”

“We have no choice. From here on, it’s solely up to the mother to endure…”

The doctor knew how powerless this sounded. But genuinely, there was nothing else they could wish for.

If anything could surpass the power of medicine, it would be magic. However, when it came to childbirth, it was still hard to rely on magical powers. The safety of the baby inside was difficult to guarantee.

In that regard, magic is versatile, but still not omnipotent. The magicians are constantly exploring that gap and moving forward towards greater things.

“Ed, are you there…?”

In the midst of excruciating pain, Ariel called for her husband when she found a brief moment of respite.

Edgar quickly held her left hand and leaned in close enough for her to see his face, knowing better than anyone that sometimes, when the pain is severe, one can’t even see what’s right in front of them.

“Yeah, I’m here. Can you see me?”

“Uh-huh… I can see you a little now.”

Ariel let out a laugh that wasn’t quite like her. Just moments ago, everything had faded to white and she had been terrified, but once she confirmed her husband was there, a smile of relief spread across her face.

“You’d better drink some water first.”

Edgar grabbed the water cup handed to him by the maid, and with a supportive hand on her back, helped her sit up.

Since she had been sweating so much, it seemed like hydration was the priority.

Gulp, gulp.

Edgar was worried she might not even be able to drink water properly, but thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case. Ariel quickly downed the water in the cup as if she had been waiting for it and carefully lay back down.

“I think the real labor pains will start this evening.”

When the doctor cautiously said this, Yulken’s face crinkled again. He didn’t remember Helene being in this much pain, but whether it was because of the twins or something else, Ariel’s case was quite severe.

“You mean it’s going to get worse than this?”

“Yes, you should probably prepare yourself mentally…”

“…Huff, I guess there’s no choice.”

The doctor was trying his best in his own way. After all, a child is a gift from the gods, and yelling about it wouldn’t help at all. Now, all they can do is accept the situation and take care of their daughter as best they can.

“That’s right. Right now, you just need to hope Ariel can do it.”

“You’re right. I’ve let my emotions get the better of me.”

Helene also approached and took Yulken’s arm, and he finally sat down, taking a breath. It was his first time seeing his daughter struggle this much, and as a father, he had become frustrated.

Seeing his son-in-law, who was much younger than him, handle things so calmly made him feel embarrassed.

Feeling pathetic, Yulken shook his head slightly and ruffled his hair.

“I fully understand how you feel. When we heard our son had returned as a corpse, my heart sank.”

Ransel seated himself next to Yulken and offered comfort. Although the analogy wasn’t perfect, he could empathize with the worry that comes from being a parent, fearing something might go wrong with their child.

Meanwhile, Katria quietly approached the bed where Ariel lay and took her hand, which was glistening with tears.

“Hang in there. I, too, went through a similar process, as did the lady. It’s just a fleeting moment. Nothing will go wrong.”

Katria noticed the meaning behind Ariel’s tears and encouraged her.

Even Katria had been fearful just before giving birth. Would the overwhelming pain break her? Would something happen to the babies inside if it hurt this much? Countless thoughts that wouldn’t normally enter her mind flooded in.

They say the more you hurt, the more negative you become. And the greatest pain a woman can experience in her life often comes during childbirth. Therefore, during that time, they can feel psychologically overwhelmed, regardless of how strong they might be.

But especially at such times, one must stay strong. If the mother falters, the danger is heightened for the child within as well.

“Our son will watch over you for a lifetime, so trust and calm your heart.”

“Just as you say, mother. I won’t budge an inch until I see the children.”

With the encouragement passed between mother and daughter, Ariel finally smiled. Just having Edgar by her side filled her with strength, but Katria’s words also provided her significant comfort.

‘Right. Nothing will go wrong.’

Just as she wished, two adorable children would be born and surely grasp her finger with their wrinkled hands.

They would definitely cry too. But she thought that wouldn’t matter since they would be her own children.

“…!”

Then, as another wave of agonizing pain surged, Ariel’s body convulsed.

Gulp, gulp. As she made those sounds, the doctor quickly summoned his assistants to her side.

It had been said that the evening would be the crucial point, and now it was already approaching.

The lonely battle of motherhood that the mother must fight last was beginning.

* * * * * * *

As the event officially began, the steps of the users grew busier.

Wet towels, cloths, and various other tools were needed. They had to keep fetching items as required by the doctor.

“Ugh…!”

“Daughter, just hang in there a little longer!”

Ariel had already let out countless pained cries during the birthing process, but the words that Yulken and the others could offer were limited.

Still, it was fortunate that Ariel was managing her breath well thanks to the guidance from the doctor and Katria.

Many experience difficulties breathing during labor due to pain, but the determination to do it for the sake of her children allowed her to endure it.

“Just a moment longer, your grace! We’re almost there!”

“Quick, bring more cloth! She’s losing too much blood!”

“Yes!”

There wasn’t much left. The doctor and everyone else moved around even more busily to ensure they could wrap everything up neatly.

As soon as the baby’s head appeared, the doctor immediately attempted an incision.

Fortunately, thanks to the encouragement from those around her, the mother was not overly tense, allowing the delivery process to proceed swiftly.

This time was much shorter than usual birth processes by far.

The problem was that since Ariel was pregnant with twins, she had to go through this process twice.

For the mother, it had to be a hair-raising situation.

“Your grace, breathe slowly. This is the critical moment.”

“Ha, huff. Ha, huff.”

As those including the doctor matched their breaths to help time her breathing, Ariel also began to inhale and exhale in tandem with them.

And finally, the first princess made her appearance.

The newborn, while not the cutest of appearances, was an infinitely adorable sight to those around her.

“It’s a daughter!”

“Guhhhh-!”

As the amniotic fluid and foreign substances were quickly taken away, the baby began to cry.

Thus, there was no need to spank her bottom.

After handing the first baby to an assistant, the doctor immediately proceeded to the next task.

“This is the last one. Just hang in there a bit more, okay?”

“Huff…!”

Edgar firmly grasped Ariel’s hand as he encouraged her, and though she couldn’t answer, she nodded her head in response.

About five more minutes passed, and the last protagonist, the baby boy, was finally revealed.

This time, unlike his sister, he didn’t cry right away, which made those around him struggle a little, but thankfully they could complete the delivery safely.

“Well done. You endured well. Our daughter.”

“Uh-huh… Yes.”

Only after confirming the faces of the two children now in the world did Helene approach Ariel.

She wiped the cold sweat from her precious daughter’s forehead with her own hands and shed tears.

There was a different kind of overwhelming feeling compared to when she had given birth to Ariel herself.

How should she describe this?

The feeling of seeing her daughter, whom she had brought into this world, now giving birth to a new life, witnessing the whole process with her own eyes.

“Ed, you should hold them, too. Isn’t it a newfound experience?”

Katria encouraged her son to hold the two children wrapped in cloth.

Edgar smiled faintly and shook his head.

“I’d rather let Ariel hold them first.”

“…Yeah, I suppose that’s fair.”

After all, the one who suffered the most was Ariel.

Thus, Edgar thought that the right to hold their child first belonged to her.

Even after the birthing, the labor pains would continue for a while, so during that time, he sat next to her silently, watching over her.

Even amidst the pain, she managed to smile and make a peace sign with her fingers, which he found truly admirable.

It seemed the title of the Northern ruler was not something obtained just by luck.

“Heh… Did I do well?”

“Of course. Who’s your husband?”

“Stroke my hair more. It still hurts.”

“Absolutely.”

If that could ease her pain even a little, he would do it all day.

Edgar gently brushed her hair and, noticing the pain had lessened, carefully brought the children closer.

“Hold them.”

“Are they ours…? Hehe, they’re not as cute as I thought.”

“It’s just how they look when they’re born. You and I were the same way, right?”

Starting with an unexpected critique of their precious children’s appearance, Edgar couldn’t help but laugh at his wife’s absurdity.

He knew she was joking, but still.

“How are they?”

“They’re warm. Maybe a bit cute.”

“Apparently, parents see their children as beautiful. My parents told me that.”

“Seems to be true. They’re so wrinkly… Pfft.”

Ariel smiled warmly at her son and daughter lying side by side.

It was a curious feeling.

Just looking at someone was enough to fill her with warmth, something she hadn’t felt since Edgar.

While she found Sonia to be adorable and charming, it hadn’t brought her such a profound sense of fulfillment.

Is it because they share her blood?

Ariel felt as if she had discovered a truth about the world.

And so, from that day forward, the number of beings she must cherish grew.