"Your Majesty."
“Go on.”
“However...”
“There is nothing but luggage.”
“...”
“This woman has no mother or sisters.”
The doctor bowed his head. He turned his gaze away from him and looked at Else. Else had difficulty remaining still even for a moment. He had her grab the long cloth hanging from the ceiling instead. Else grabbed him as if he were a rope and tried to hold him in her arms. Sibyl held her round head and stroked her flushed cheek with the back of his hand.
"Your Majesty..."
Suddenly, a rustling sound was heard. The door was half-open, as if the maid had failed to block the entrance. Sibyl looked up and saw a shadow reflected in the bedroom.
“Isn’t this a delivery room that’s already a mess?”
It was Princess Gretchen. Else trembled at the low, refined voice. Sybil, who had been watching the shadows moving, let go of her for a moment and stood up. Princess Gretchen glared at her niece with gleaming eyes.
“What’s going on?”
“It is said that His Majesty went into the bedroom that was turned into a delivery room to see the babies that were to be born.”
“Get out.”
“What are you worried about in a maternity hospital that has become a noisy and chaotic battle?”
Sibyl closed his lips. Else, who had been whining alone, screamed in agony as if she couldn't stand it anymore. Sibyl narrowed his eyebrows.
“I am just guarding the child’s mother to see my child being born.”
“There is no such rule in etiquette. No matter how lowly an illegitimate child they may be, they are the firstborn of His Majesty. They are also the first babies of the royal family to be reborn after uprooting the rebellious traitors.”
“I will tear down that law.”
“Even so, wouldn’t it be a valid law for now?”
Gretchen raised her voice and pulled the corners of her lips. Sybil’s face hardened fiercely. Perhaps it was because she had been watching him since he was young. Gretchen was unwavering in the face of his spirit that would make even the most skilled knights tremble.
“Let’s go out.”
Finally, Sybil left the bedroom. Gretchen followed him innocently. The thick door closed, and the bedroom, which had been rumbling for a while, became quiet. Sybil stared blankly at the circle of light. The intermittent crying sound continued without stopping.
It seemed as if she was desperately searching for him. Sibyl could not breathe and endured it all. Else had nothing. Even if he had not ruined everything, Else would have had no one to be with her at this moment. It would have been the same even if this were Lugdun, not the palace. Else would have been searching for him.
“Ahhhhh!”
The sporadic screams came out of the bedroom door. He felt his hair stand on end at the screams that pierced his ears. He slapped his cheek with his hand, turning his dry skin red... The corners of his lips trembled slightly. Gretchen narrowed her eyebrows at the screams. There was contempt in her eyes as if she was glaring at the bottom without a sense of humor. Sybil clenched his fists, feeling the urge to gouge out the woman’s blue eyes.
Else gave birth to a boy at the crack of dawn. Sibyl went back into the bedroom to cut the umbilical cord and looked down at the woman. Her face was so pale and sweaty that it wouldn’t have been strange if it had crumbled and scattered at any moment. He cut the umbilical cord of his son, who was crying loudly, with trembling fingertips.
The midwife immediately wrapped the boy in a dry cloth. The midwife wrapped the child tightly, who seemed to be struggling, and placed him in Sibyl's arms. The newborn baby cried, "Woah, woah." It was the first time he had heard such a small child cry. The heat that had warmed his head slowly disappeared, and a chill came over him. A strange grunt bit the corners of his lips.
“Easy... our baby...”
The boy who had been crying loudly at Sibyl's hum opened his eyes with a start. Vivid bluish green. The lush greenery pulsated in the blue paint. The black hair soaked in amniotic fluid and the bluish skin were so comical that they made him laugh.
"Baby..."
He, who had been laughing quietly, looked at Else, who was shedding tears incessantly. Then, something surged up in his mind. When he saw her white, dried lips and bloodless face, he wanted to throw away the child he was holding so dearly.
“Baby, baby...”
He handed the swaddle to Else, who was looking for the child. Else's trembling fingertips lifted the swaddle. The squeaking lump of blood stopped crying and stared at his mother. At that moment, an emotion he couldn't suppress engulfed him.
'Child.'
The creature they had woven together through countless nights of intertwining. The seed he had sown in Else's womb. His son, who had sprouted while he was away from Else... Indescribable emotions came rushing in like a tidal wave. Else, who had been examining the baby with her blurry eyes, looked at Sibyl in surprise at the pain that was coming back to her.
Sybil stroked her pale face. He had not told her that they were twins. He had not told her that there was another baby in her womb... And he had not told her that the baby was in danger. The female doctor sent to Lugdun had examined Else and immediately said that one of the fetuses was in danger. The pulse was irregular, and there was a high possibility that it would be stillborn. She had relayed to Sybil first any information she learned during the examination, as the Count de Loper had instructed her.
Sibyl did not tell Else that the children in her womb were twins. She was already a very nervous and fragile woman. He could not have predicted how it would sound to her that one of her two children was in danger. Else trembled and looked at him.
“Ugh... My stomach, my stomach...”
“Twins, Elsie.”
He calmly held her hand and whispered. Else burst into tears with eyes filled with fear. He kissed her forehead and nose bridge, which were soaked with cold sweat, and then held her hand tightly. Else screamed as if squeezing the pain that was rushing in. Her nails dug into the back of his hand. Her round and shiny nails were completely ruined from how many times she had grabbed the ceiling cloth.
“Ah, ugh...”
Else, who had been groaning, grabbed his shoulder. For the first time, he felt strength in Else’s hand. He gave his shoulder to Else so that she could squeeze it to her heart’s content. Three hours passed like that. When the blue twilight that colored the sky began to fade into the morning light, a blue-haired girl emerged from between Else’s legs.
The faces of the midwives turned pale as they saw the baby, who, unlike the boy, could not even cry and was only breathing hard. The doctor who was looking under the curtain picked up the baby and lightly slapped its bottom. Then the baby let out a weak cry.
The doctor handed the baby back to the midwife. The midwife wrapped the baby in a tight, blue wrap, just as she had done with the son, and placed it in Sybil’s arms. He held his daughter in his arms, just as he had held his son. The seething vibrations slowly engulfed him from the tips of his toes.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
The midwife, the maid, and the doctor knelt before him. He looked down at his daughter, who was crying softly like a kitten, trying to calm his rumbling stomach. Unlike his son, the girl, who had not opened her eyes even when her father patted her, wrinkled her nose as she went over to her mother. She was like a kitten.
The doctor, who had been kneeling, stood up and listened to the servant waiting outside the door. He got up at the sound of the screams that had stopped and the baby crying, and looked at the servant. The servant coughed with a solemn face.
“The two babies born today by Lady Roate are healthy Prince and Princess, and they brighten up this morning as two pillars supporting the Royal Family of Riccarlo.”
At the solemn declaration of the chamberlain, the twelve knights guarding outside the bedroom knelt. Liena and Henrietta, who had been clasping their hands together behind Gretchen, also knelt and listened to the solemn voice of the chamberlain.
Only Gretchen stared blankly at the bedroom, thinking of the woman who had borne the King's young children. A young woman who had given birth to a newborn. A woman who was born weak and always seemed to be scattered without passion. She knew that face even though she had never met her.
Rosaline. If she were the daughter of the woman whose husband hanged himself... She could tell without even meeting her.
Henrietta had a gloomy face. Not one, but two. And she had given birth to a son and a daughter at the same time. Did they say the King burst into laughter? The ground beneath her feet sank when she heard that the emotionless King had laughed out loud at the sight of his children. Count Duanen said there was nothing to worry about, and that a sinner could dare covet the position of Queen...
“Fortunately, she was born with a weak body. She was so weak and useless that even her father did not treat her well.”
The woman who was stirring black tea with sugar and milk with a spoon stared at Henrietta. Henrietta hesitated, not knowing what to say. Count Duanen, who was beside her, also did not respond and just looked out the window.
“Even if a lowly being gives birth to a child... She would not dare to covet the position of Queen. The same goes for the position of the eldest son. Isn’t that right? Count Duanen.”
“Yes.”
Liena answered monotonously to the Princess, who was urging her to respond. She thought of the King's indifferent face and reminisced about the newborn's loud cries. Even before he received the title of Prince, the lump of blood was the King's son. One of the many titles the King held would be inherited. Even if he was not born of the Queen's womb, he was the hand of a woman who was favored by the King. He would grow up to be overflowing with preciousness. Could Henrietta endure that?
“I heard that you consulted His Majesty about a national wedding.”
"That..."
Henrietta pursed her lips. Her face was pale with fear. Gretchen looked at Liena again.
“It is the time when the first royal babies were born. His Majesty wanted to spend time solely as a father.”
“Go on.”
“However...”
“There is nothing but luggage.”
“...”
“This woman has no mother or sisters.”
The doctor bowed his head. He turned his gaze away from him and looked at Else. Else had difficulty remaining still even for a moment. He had her grab the long cloth hanging from the ceiling instead. Else grabbed him as if he were a rope and tried to hold him in her arms. Sibyl held her round head and stroked her flushed cheek with the back of his hand.
"Your Majesty..."
Suddenly, a rustling sound was heard. The door was half-open, as if the maid had failed to block the entrance. Sibyl looked up and saw a shadow reflected in the bedroom.
“Isn’t this a delivery room that’s already a mess?”
It was Princess Gretchen. Else trembled at the low, refined voice. Sybil, who had been watching the shadows moving, let go of her for a moment and stood up. Princess Gretchen glared at her niece with gleaming eyes.
“What’s going on?”
“It is said that His Majesty went into the bedroom that was turned into a delivery room to see the babies that were to be born.”
“Get out.”
“What are you worried about in a maternity hospital that has become a noisy and chaotic battle?”
Sibyl closed his lips. Else, who had been whining alone, screamed in agony as if she couldn't stand it anymore. Sibyl narrowed his eyebrows.
“I am just guarding the child’s mother to see my child being born.”
“There is no such rule in etiquette. No matter how lowly an illegitimate child they may be, they are the firstborn of His Majesty. They are also the first babies of the royal family to be reborn after uprooting the rebellious traitors.”
“I will tear down that law.”
“Even so, wouldn’t it be a valid law for now?”
Gretchen raised her voice and pulled the corners of her lips. Sybil’s face hardened fiercely. Perhaps it was because she had been watching him since he was young. Gretchen was unwavering in the face of his spirit that would make even the most skilled knights tremble.
“Let’s go out.”
Finally, Sybil left the bedroom. Gretchen followed him innocently. The thick door closed, and the bedroom, which had been rumbling for a while, became quiet. Sybil stared blankly at the circle of light. The intermittent crying sound continued without stopping.
It seemed as if she was desperately searching for him. Sibyl could not breathe and endured it all. Else had nothing. Even if he had not ruined everything, Else would have had no one to be with her at this moment. It would have been the same even if this were Lugdun, not the palace. Else would have been searching for him.
“Ahhhhh!”
The sporadic screams came out of the bedroom door. He felt his hair stand on end at the screams that pierced his ears. He slapped his cheek with his hand, turning his dry skin red... The corners of his lips trembled slightly. Gretchen narrowed her eyebrows at the screams. There was contempt in her eyes as if she was glaring at the bottom without a sense of humor. Sybil clenched his fists, feeling the urge to gouge out the woman’s blue eyes.
***
Else gave birth to a boy at the crack of dawn. Sibyl went back into the bedroom to cut the umbilical cord and looked down at the woman. Her face was so pale and sweaty that it wouldn’t have been strange if it had crumbled and scattered at any moment. He cut the umbilical cord of his son, who was crying loudly, with trembling fingertips.
The midwife immediately wrapped the boy in a dry cloth. The midwife wrapped the child tightly, who seemed to be struggling, and placed him in Sibyl's arms. The newborn baby cried, "Woah, woah." It was the first time he had heard such a small child cry. The heat that had warmed his head slowly disappeared, and a chill came over him. A strange grunt bit the corners of his lips.
“Easy... our baby...”
The boy who had been crying loudly at Sibyl's hum opened his eyes with a start. Vivid bluish green. The lush greenery pulsated in the blue paint. The black hair soaked in amniotic fluid and the bluish skin were so comical that they made him laugh.
"Baby..."
He, who had been laughing quietly, looked at Else, who was shedding tears incessantly. Then, something surged up in his mind. When he saw her white, dried lips and bloodless face, he wanted to throw away the child he was holding so dearly.
“Baby, baby...”
He handed the swaddle to Else, who was looking for the child. Else's trembling fingertips lifted the swaddle. The squeaking lump of blood stopped crying and stared at his mother. At that moment, an emotion he couldn't suppress engulfed him.
'Child.'
The creature they had woven together through countless nights of intertwining. The seed he had sown in Else's womb. His son, who had sprouted while he was away from Else... Indescribable emotions came rushing in like a tidal wave. Else, who had been examining the baby with her blurry eyes, looked at Sibyl in surprise at the pain that was coming back to her.
Sybil stroked her pale face. He had not told her that they were twins. He had not told her that there was another baby in her womb... And he had not told her that the baby was in danger. The female doctor sent to Lugdun had examined Else and immediately said that one of the fetuses was in danger. The pulse was irregular, and there was a high possibility that it would be stillborn. She had relayed to Sybil first any information she learned during the examination, as the Count de Loper had instructed her.
Sibyl did not tell Else that the children in her womb were twins. She was already a very nervous and fragile woman. He could not have predicted how it would sound to her that one of her two children was in danger. Else trembled and looked at him.
“Ugh... My stomach, my stomach...”
“Twins, Elsie.”
He calmly held her hand and whispered. Else burst into tears with eyes filled with fear. He kissed her forehead and nose bridge, which were soaked with cold sweat, and then held her hand tightly. Else screamed as if squeezing the pain that was rushing in. Her nails dug into the back of his hand. Her round and shiny nails were completely ruined from how many times she had grabbed the ceiling cloth.
“Ah, ugh...”
Else, who had been groaning, grabbed his shoulder. For the first time, he felt strength in Else’s hand. He gave his shoulder to Else so that she could squeeze it to her heart’s content. Three hours passed like that. When the blue twilight that colored the sky began to fade into the morning light, a blue-haired girl emerged from between Else’s legs.
The faces of the midwives turned pale as they saw the baby, who, unlike the boy, could not even cry and was only breathing hard. The doctor who was looking under the curtain picked up the baby and lightly slapped its bottom. Then the baby let out a weak cry.
The doctor handed the baby back to the midwife. The midwife wrapped the baby in a tight, blue wrap, just as she had done with the son, and placed it in Sybil’s arms. He held his daughter in his arms, just as he had held his son. The seething vibrations slowly engulfed him from the tips of his toes.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
The midwife, the maid, and the doctor knelt before him. He looked down at his daughter, who was crying softly like a kitten, trying to calm his rumbling stomach. Unlike his son, the girl, who had not opened her eyes even when her father patted her, wrinkled her nose as she went over to her mother. She was like a kitten.
The doctor, who had been kneeling, stood up and listened to the servant waiting outside the door. He got up at the sound of the screams that had stopped and the baby crying, and looked at the servant. The servant coughed with a solemn face.
“The two babies born today by Lady Roate are healthy Prince and Princess, and they brighten up this morning as two pillars supporting the Royal Family of Riccarlo.”
At the solemn declaration of the chamberlain, the twelve knights guarding outside the bedroom knelt. Liena and Henrietta, who had been clasping their hands together behind Gretchen, also knelt and listened to the solemn voice of the chamberlain.
Only Gretchen stared blankly at the bedroom, thinking of the woman who had borne the King's young children. A young woman who had given birth to a newborn. A woman who was born weak and always seemed to be scattered without passion. She knew that face even though she had never met her.
Rosaline. If she were the daughter of the woman whose husband hanged himself... She could tell without even meeting her.
***
Henrietta had a gloomy face. Not one, but two. And she had given birth to a son and a daughter at the same time. Did they say the King burst into laughter? The ground beneath her feet sank when she heard that the emotionless King had laughed out loud at the sight of his children. Count Duanen said there was nothing to worry about, and that a sinner could dare covet the position of Queen...
“Fortunately, she was born with a weak body. She was so weak and useless that even her father did not treat her well.”
The woman who was stirring black tea with sugar and milk with a spoon stared at Henrietta. Henrietta hesitated, not knowing what to say. Count Duanen, who was beside her, also did not respond and just looked out the window.
“Even if a lowly being gives birth to a child... She would not dare to covet the position of Queen. The same goes for the position of the eldest son. Isn’t that right? Count Duanen.”
“Yes.”
Liena answered monotonously to the Princess, who was urging her to respond. She thought of the King's indifferent face and reminisced about the newborn's loud cries. Even before he received the title of Prince, the lump of blood was the King's son. One of the many titles the King held would be inherited. Even if he was not born of the Queen's womb, he was the hand of a woman who was favored by the King. He would grow up to be overflowing with preciousness. Could Henrietta endure that?
“I heard that you consulted His Majesty about a national wedding.”
"That..."
Henrietta pursed her lips. Her face was pale with fear. Gretchen looked at Liena again.
“It is the time when the first royal babies were born. His Majesty wanted to spend time solely as a father.”
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