< —="" epilogue–=""> (2)

After summer ended, the cool autumn wind began to flow in . When it reached the month of the d.u.c.h.ess' due date, the ducal residence went into full-scale preparation for the delivery .

The Royal palace sent a skilled doctor, a seasoned midwife who had delivered royal descendants for decades, and a.s.sistants . As the number of residents in the mansion grew, the extensive ducal residence felt crowded .

Everyone's attention was focused on the d.u.c.h.ess . They were in a state of alert, waiting for the signs of the labor pains that could come at any moment .

Nowadays, Lucia was unable to be alone, anywhere . She felt uncomfortable being watched intently all day, but she endured it when she thought of the baby .

“Ah…”

Lucia put her teacup down, held her stomach and frowned . Starting from a few days ago, her stomach felt stiff and her lower belly ached softly . However, since she woke up this morning, a tingling pain climbing up her waist came frequently . It came earlier and now it started again .

“Are you having pain?”

The midwife checked the hourgla.s.s by the window . The intervals were still far apart but they were regular .

“I think the labor is starting . Please escort the Madam to the bedroom . ”

Suddenly, everyone began to move frantically . Jerome, who was serving the tea, blanched white . He blankly watched the maids help the Madam out of the receiving room, then he regained his sensed with a start . He remembered the first thing he had to do . He moved to inform his master of this news .

A carriage dashed into the ducal residence . Before the servant could open the doors from the outside, Hugo opened it personally and jumped out of the carriage .

Jerome sent a messenger to the palace to inform Hugo, but at the time, Hugo was in an important national conference . Two hours had already pa.s.sed when he got the news after the meeting .

Hugo flew up the stairs, burst open the door to the bedroom, then he suddenly stopped . The bedroom was quiet, and when his wife saw him, she smiled sweetly at him from her spot on the bed .

Hugo approached her bed with confusion; he had run home, prepared to face a pandemonium .

“You've given birth?”

Pfft .  Lucia burst out laughing and the people standing around, waiting on her, turned their heads away to laugh . Lucia gestured for everyone to leave and they emptied the room .

“They say it's still starting . Mysteriously enough, I'll be fine one moment, then the next, my stomach suddenly hurts a lot . And then I'm fine again . ”

“If it is the start…how long will it take?”

“The midwife said that because it is my first delivery, it will take a long time . The baby will probably be born by tomorrow . ”

She looked relaxed and carefree . He had been worried about the delivery since he had a vague concept of it, but if it was like this, then it was no big deal . As soon as Hugo thought that, Lucia grabbed her stomach in pain and curled her body .

She couldn't even speak, her face had gone white and she was breathing hard . Seeing his wife like this, blood drained from Hugo's face . He was thrown into disorder, fluttered around like a confused mess, then he screamed at the door .

“Is anyone outside?!”

The door opened, and people flooded in . The midwife quickly came to the bed . She began to stroke Lucia's back and advise Lucia on how to breathe . As Lucia followed the midwife's instruction, taking in deep breaths and exhaling, her expression gradually relaxed .

Although only a short period of time pa.s.sed, beads of sweat had formed on Lucia's forehead .

When Lucia finally settled down, the people waiting on her withdrew again . The bedroom became quiet again as if the commotion from earlier was a lie . Hugo felt helpless because he couldn't do anything but just watch .

“Now I'll be fine again for a bit . It comes regularly . ”

He wanted to ask his wife, who was smiling sweetly as if nothing had happened: How could she smile like that after feeling such terrible pain, even if it was just for a moment?

'She had to undergo this process until tomorrow?'

He was already stunned silly .

However, the situation worsened beyond his expectations . The labor intervals became shorter, the pain grew more severe, and from around midnight, Lucia began to scream while holding her belly and rolling around .

Hugo couldn't ask her if she was okay . She was obviously not okay!

As Hugo listened to his wife scream, he grasped onto the midwife .

“She will get really hurt like this . Do something . ”

“This is the process of entering childbirth . ”

“She could die at this rate!”

“With Your Grace the Duke being restless here, the Madam cannot concentrate . ”

The midwife completely chased out the Duke who was pestering her . Hugo was kicked out under the pretext of it being done for the Madam's sake, and he was unable to utter any complaints .

Staring at the firmly closed bedroom door and listening to the screams coming from within, Hugo's face was as pale as someone standing at death's door . He would later remember this as the worst night of his life .