The Villain Who Robbed the Heroines
chapter-261

"Doctor──!"

May 2nd.

Late dawn.

The sudden news abruptly awakened the doctors belonging to the Brutein family, each scrambling out of their beds.

The situation was urgent, but it wasn't entirely unexpected.

They could roughly predict the baby's due date by calculating back from the date Euphemia got pregnant.

However, this world’s medicine paled compared to the Modern Medicine of Seo-Jin’s world.

Therefore, the estimated due date had a margin of error of about a month.

In preparation for that, they had a nurse with a lot of midwifery experience accompany Euphemia, so the doctors immediately got ready upon hearing the news and headed to the annex of the Brutein family estate.

“Her water just broke!”

In other words, if they didn't quickly arrive at the annex of the Brutein family estate and assist with Euphemia's delivery, there was a very high possibility that both the baby and the mother would get infected.

The family doctors, who watched over Ferzen since he was a child, were terrified of him.

……They didn’t know what fate would they suffer if something bad occored to his wife and newborn child.

Of course, just in terms of the delivery process, the nurse who had assisted with many pregnant women's deliveries──who would be by Euphemia's side right now──would be sufficient…

But they couldn’t rule out any other scenarios.

Moreover, with the mother being Ferzen's wife Euphemia, the doctors were running so fast their mouths tasted metallic, assuming the worst-case scenario.

That way, they could deal with the situation right away without faltering.

Please...

If the amniotic fluid ruptured before labor, there was a possibility that the fetus' hand or foot could slip out of the uterus along with the flow.

It would be fortunate if it was a hand, but if it was a foot, there was a high possibility of the mother's uterus rupturing during the delivery process.

Even if they somehow induced labor, the umbilical cord could get wrapped around the fetus' neck, or the neck itself could get caught in the uterus.

They would have to perform a cesarean section right away, but most of the doctors were honestly not confident in that surgery.

But not many doctors in this world could say they had experience with such measures.

Aside from the Imperial Family’s personal doctor, the esteemed Dr. Greenwich, only a handful of others were capable of such a procedure.

Amidst such complex thoughts, the doctors who hurriedly entered the annex of the Brutein family estate immediately opened their bags, disinfected their hands, and changed into clean clothes.

No matter how much a sterilized environment could be created through magic, the most important thing was the cleanliness of the doctors who would perform the surgery if needed.

With their preparations complete, they took a step forward.

*****In front of the room that had been prepared in advance for Euphemia's smooth delivery.

There, Ferzen sat without even thinking of changing his clothes that were completely soaked with her amniotic fluid.

Just a few hours ago, she had been sleeping soundly next to him, but then she complained of pain, and the sight of her panicking as her water broke was vivid in his mind.

Knowing that if he panicked too, she would become even more anxious, Ferzen forcibly maintained a calm demeanor, but he couldn't do so on the inside.

……He was seriously considering opening the Gates of the Underworld.

Fortunately, the nurse who had been on standby and had a lot of experience assisting with childbirth quickly took action and began preparing for delivery.

So, when he tried to follow the doctors, the woman turned towards him and even had the courage to yell at his face.

Perhaps her strong professionalism allowed her to voice such words without being intimidated.

That voice was still vivid in his ears.

「Count. I understand your worry. But I cannot allow you to come in.」

「Why…?」

「While life can be beautiful. Birth is anything but.」

「......」

「I have seen many husbands, who, as you Count, watched their wife’s childbirth process, suffered from severe trauma, and couldn't have relations with said wife for a long period. 」

If he had been stubborn, the nurse would have reluctantly let him in.

However, as Ferzen thought about his past OCD that had been partially cured, he had no choice but to accept the nurse’s words.

"......"

And Laura, who sat next to Ferzen, not knowing what to say, stared blankly at Ferzen's haggard complexion.

In the Genova Marquisate, pregnancy meant the sin of passing on a curse to the bloodline.

Therefore, the very process of carrying the child of a beloved man and giving birth to that child was all unfamiliar to Laura.

Moreover, premature rupture of membranes was a fairly common case in the medical field, and it wasn't even higher in risk compared to other cases.

Nevertheless, seeing the man in front of her trembling slightly and clasping his hands together, she received a new feeling.

If...

If, by any chance, she were to become pregnant herself.

Would he refrain from making the wrong choice and somehow try to find a solution?

Yes, looking at Ferzen's current state, the vague thought that he would do so settled in Laura's mind.

But rather, that was precisely why Laura hoped that she would never conceive Ferzen's seed in her womb.

After all, even after being reincarnating, she couldn’t break free of her curse.

That’s why she didn’t want to burden Ferzen with the difficult decision of what to do with her child.

"Young master."

"You're here..."

"Don't worry. We will do our best."

"Honestly, whatever I say to you now will only come across as a burden. So if you face the worst-case scenario, don't hesitate to call for me."

That was all Ferzen could say to the doctors who had arrived, and soon after, the doctors awkwardly opened the door with their feet and entered.

If they grabbed the doorknob with their disinfected gloves, the disinfection would become meaningless.

──Aaaaargh!

During that brief moment, Euphemia’s pain-filled scream passed through the gap.

If Yuriel wasn’t already inside the room, creating a sterile environment with her magic, Ferzen would have already jumped inside.

But right now, there was no one anywhere to lean this uneasiness on, so Ferzen stood up with his staggering body.

No, he did glance back at Laura sitting behind him, but…

For some reason, his fragile self-esteem didn't want to rely on Laura.

In fact, she was no different from projecting himself in a mirror, only with a different gender.

Was that why?

Ferzen slowly took a step forward, not wanting to show his greatly weakened self.

Maybe getting some fresh air would make it better.

Seeing this, Laura tried to follow right behind him, but Jeremiah, the head of the Brutein family and Ferzen's brother who had arrived at some point, stopped her.

“Let him go. Since he refused to rely on me as well….He probably doesn’t want to show his weakness right now.”

"......"

At Jeremiah's words, Laura sat back down, but for some reason, those words made her heart ache considerably.

I'm not... a stranger, am I...?

Even as a concubine, she had abandoned the Rosenberg name and shared his name.

They had laid together multiple times by now.

They shared unspeakable secrets, so in a different sense, her relationship with Ferzen could be said to be close to the point of being clingy.

But despite such self-consolation, Laura ultimately couldn't follow Ferzen.

She thought that a half-baked wife who couldn't bear his child would be utterly unable to comfort his current troubles.

*****As Dawn approached,

Ferzen stopped, after walking aimlessly under the quiet night sky.

Once upon a time, Ferzen believed that Euphemia’s pregnancy was a means to an end.

Rather than feeling joy after discovering she carried his child, he was happy to simply realize that Euphemia was now thoroughly conquered.

But,

Now those thoughts didn’t matter at all to him.

That’s why he found his past actions rather pathetic.

Creak.

"......"

"......"

Suddenly feeling a presence, Ferzen turned his head.

He saw Lizzy, controlling a corpse that pushed her wheelchair.

She looked up at him and then smiled.

"Even someone like you shows this side sometimes."

"......"

“You know…Seeing you like this, I think it might be better If I had a miscarriage, than giving birth to your child.”

“Lizzy…”

“That foolish woman probably didn't conceive your child through an act of affection…So you’re going to have the same reaction to the child I’ll bear for you.”

Creak.

Lizzy pulled the wheelchair closer and took Ferzen's hand, bringing it to her cheek.

"I hope that woman... safely gives birth to your child. Seeing that child growing up receiving abundant love from their mother and father, I wonder how my child, who will grow up hating their father, will feel. Will you consider them a troublesome sprout of an aftermath, like how you erased my family, and personally kill them with your own hands?"

"......"

"If you truly want to be human, you shouldn't only learn about the emotion called happiness, right?"

A curse-like remark that didn't match her gentle touch.

After spewing her venom, Lizzy led her wheelchair away.

And Ferzen stared at her retreating back as his feelings stormed within his heart.

*****"Hah... Hah... Ugh! Ah! Aaaaah!"

"Just a little, a little more...!"

Euphemia regulated her breathing and pushed with all her might, following the guidance of the experienced midwife nurse.

Over an hour had already passed, and Euphemia's stamina began to rapidly decline.

But since she had almost reached the end of the delivery, the nurse continued to encourage Euphemia.

Although pain relief medication had been administered beforehand, its effect was less significant than expected.

Administering too strong of an analgesic could cause respiratory depression in the delivered fetus.

Yuriel, who had made the environment of this room close to sterile through a vacuum state, sat quietly to one side, watching Euphemia giving birth.

Ferzen's attitude and proficiency in dealing with her as a pregnant woman stemmed from his learning through her.

Therefore, while Yuriel was happy with Ferzen's gentleness, she also felt a strange displeasure in one corner of her heart.

Her husband's changes originating from another woman, not herself.

How great would it have been if all of it had originated from her?

Yuriel had frequently thought such thoughts whenever she fell asleep beside Ferzen.

But at least in this moment, she suppressed that ugly jealousy and inwardly cheered for Euphemia, even if only a little.

Her own due date was between the end of this year and January of next year.

Therefore, the image of herself clearly overlapped with the woman over there, who was striving and would soon become a mother to a child.

Eventually...

"Waaaah!"

The baby's cry, heralding the throb of life, spread out.

A cute and lovely voice that could hardly be called resounding.

"Ah, baby..."

And despite being greatly weakened, Euphemia reached out her trembling hands and flailed at the baby's cries that wouldn't stop easily.

The nurse skillfully cut the baby's umbilical cord, wrapped the baby in a cloth, and placed the baby in Euphemia's arms.

"Congratulations... She's a truly beautiful princess."

"Ah..."

A tiny living being that couldn't even open its eyes properly, wriggling busily inside the cloth.

But upon hearing the leisurely beating heart sound placed on her chest, the baby gradually stopped crying, and this time, Euphemia shed tears.

As if she had completely forgotten the pain of nearly two hours of labor, a deep maternal love was etched in her beautiful golden eyes.

"Co-come here..."

She had inwardly hoped for a boy before giving birth.

But now that she had actually given birth, she felt that such gender didn't matter, and Euphemia gently kissed the baby's forehead.

Smooch.

A treasure.

Something special.

The child she had carried in her womb.

Now she would hold onto her little treasure for a lifetime,

Yes.

On May 2nd.

Euphemia El Lauren Louerg.

Became a mother.