Chapter 521
After the class rivalry ended, the academy was surprisingly peaceful.
It was truly bizarre. The echoes of cheering, mind games, and the bench-clearing brawls still lingered in the air, yet the students were laughing and chatting as if nothing had happened.
‘Were they just bored or something?’
At this point, reasonable suspicion kicked in. Maybe they didn’t care about national pride and just took the opportunity to unleash their craziness and stress in a legally sanctioned environment?
Thinking that way made me feel oddly conflicted. Because of their antics, I found myself in a position I never signed up for as a mercenary-clown! If Ainter hadn’t dared to step in front of the students on Erich’s whims, the academy wouldn’t have been engulfed in madness, even if the students had been a tad more restrained.
But the very ones who escalated the situation were now back to enjoying their peaceful lives.
‘Damn kids.’
So, they had their fun and were done, huh?
‘At least it ended without a hitch.’
I took a swig of my iced coffee to calm myself. The situation was a mess, tension-filled, and absolutely chaotic, but thankfully, the outcome was decent.
First off, foreign dignitaries like Rutis, Lather, and Tannian were unharmed. Considering how passionately even the regular students participated in the events, the biggest injury was Erich getting forcibly subdued – by me, no less!
Most importantly, the Empire emerged victorious in this national pride competition. The noblefolk who had taken a keen interest in the class rivalry were nodding their heads in satisfaction.
– “Though it wasn’t entirely a student victory, the Minister didn’t break any rules to participate, did he? The situation pleases His Majesty, who delights in the Empire’s rightful triumph.”
“I’m truly honored to have brought joy to His Majesty.”
The process was a bit muddled, but a win is a win. Just like the Emperor said, I hadn’t claimed any rules or traditions out of thin air. I legally competed in a 4-man match two years ago, after all.
‘Why do I even have that kind of experience?’
It was enough to make me want to cry. A guy with no academy experience whatsoever had participated in a 4-man tournament not once but twice? There are passionate students who wouldn’t reach such records!
‘I deserve an honorary diploma for this.’
Or maybe just an honorary teaching certificate.
Anything, seriously, just give me something. If I graduate empty-handed, I might lose it.
The remaining schedule of the semester was flowing by smoothly, as if paying back for the annoyance of being hit by a falling pile of autumn leaves.
Honestly, after the chaos of the class rivalry, if any other incidents occurred, wouldn’t that be a divine curse? Thankfully, instead of curses, it seems I’ve received abundant blessings this year.
‘…Blessings, and yet this happened?’
Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine. If this is what happened despite the blessings, what on earth would have occurred without them? Would the royals be bleeding, limbs severed? Or perhaps fall into a coma from severe wounds?
Imagining such a grim future had me urgently replenishing my mood with cookies. If I kept peeking into the realm of bad outcomes, my mental state would undoubtedly crumble. I had too many responsibilities to my family to just fall apart like this.
‘Just hold on a little longer.’
So, I forced myself to think positively. The class rivalry, which was arguably the only event of the second semester, was over, so graduation was just around the corner. If I could just hang in there a bit longer, I’d be completely free from pain.
‘Huh?’
Just as I was about to channel my inner veteran counting down to discharge, the communicator in my pocket began to glow.
I instinctively frowned, wondering if it was the Minister again. Ever since he caught wind of my participation in the 4-man match swinging swords at the kids, he’d been calling me every day, laughing at my predicament.
Damn old man. If he were in my shoes, he’d have swung his fists at his own students.
– “Master!”
“Is that you, Housekeeper?”
As soon as I confirmed it wasn’t the Minister but the Housekeeper, my frown shifted to one of concern.
Something felt off. The fact that the Housekeeper initiated communication, and that too urgently before I even spoke, was an ominous sign—
– “M-Madam! The first lady is experiencing labor pains!”
“Huh?”
My head went blank at the alarming news.
*
While it was my first time experiencing pregnancy, I didn’t feel too anxious about it.
Whenever I craved something, there was always Kal to fetch it for me, and my sister or younger siblings, who might get green with envy over my first pregnancy, were taking care of me as if it were their own business. The staff in the mansion were all thrilled about the prospect of a little master being born, making the calm days feel almost surreal for a first-time pregnancy.
“Lady, do you have any discomfort?”
“No, not at all. Thank you.”
Even in the empress’s palace, when her majesty was carrying the crown princess, she had sent a few maids to assist. With capable, noble-born handmaidens there to aid her, it seemed like nothing could possibly go wrong.
Even now, they were giving gentle massages to my aching limbs while I was heavily pregnant. Since I had been struggling to move comfortably ever since our little one started growing, they quickly noticed my discomfort.
The massages were just the right pressure, making me feel like I could drift off to sleep. Should I sneak a nap while waiting for Kal to finish work?
“Ugh—!”
“Madam!?”
“Lady!”
Suddenly, the soothing sensations turned into sharp pain, snapping me awake.
After that, I barely remembered what happened. The maids were struggling to lift me as I groaned like some tortured soul, the servants were bustling around, and the Housekeeper was hastily grabbing the communicator. I could only catch fleeting glimpses of their actions, the words barely registering in my ears.
But there was one thing I clearly heard.
“Lady, the little lord is about to be born! Get the doctor, the priest, anyone you can find!”
Oh, so our little one is a bit too eager to join us.
‘It’s not yet the right time, though.’
It seemed our first child would be arriving soon.
Even amidst the pain, a smile crept onto my face as those thoughts crossed my mind.
*
We hastily summoned the family’s mage from Tailglehen County. Since Trixie was in class, we needed him to teleport over.
“I’m out of it right now, so you two deliver the message.”
“Of course, Your Grace. You needn’t worry at all.”
I quickly turned to the mage who had dropped me off at the mansion; he nodded resolutely in response.
The fact that our first child, First Snow, was trying to break free was a significant piece of information that needed to be delivered to my parents. But in my current state of mind, there was no way I could communicate that properly; my hands were still trembling in nerves.
So, I left the info relay up to the mage. Once he returned to our family, he’d report to my mother, who would inform my father, and then he would pass the news to my father-in-law.
“Master!”
Anyway, the moment I stepped inside the mansion, the Housekeeper came rushing to me.
“W-Where is the first lady?”
“She’s still in class, so I came ahead. I left a message on the communicator, and she’ll come as soon as her class ends.”
Seeing the Housekeeper’s startled demeanor, I comforted her shoulder, and she nodded repeatedly.
This was the first time I’d seen the Housekeeper so agitated since Trixie’s pregnancy was confirmed. She always got flustered over matters concerning my child like it was her own. I couldn’t help but feel grateful for such a loyal servant.
But despite the emotional support the Housekeeper provided, the tension was palpable and couldn’t subside.
‘It’s still mid-November.’
I licked my dry lips as I racked my brain. Before the first semester began, Mar had been at 4 weeks pregnant, which meant the expected due date was roughly at the end of November.
But, since a human body isn’t a machine, a baby wouldn’t necessarily be born exactly at ten months. It could just as easily arrive by the end of October without any issues. That obvious fact had been momentarily overshadowed by the class rivalry.
…No, that was an excuse. How could I, as a husband and soon-to-be dad, forget about the delivery? I had let myself fall into a false sense of security, entranced by the notion of it being November.
“Is Mar okay?”
“As soon as the contractions started, we summoned the best personnel. We have maids sent from the empress’s palace, so preparations are going smoothly.”
At least I breathed a sigh of relief hearing that the environment was top-notch. When I first heard people were sent from the empress’s palace, I thought it might have been overkill, but it had turned out to be a stroke of genius.
‘Thank you, Your Majesty.’
She surely was a person of considerable merit, unlike those yellow-bellied folks living elsewhere.
“Well then, I’ll go in now—”
“You can’t go in yet.”
The Housekeeper’s firm declaration made my mouth clamp shut.
“If you enter the room, it could put undue pressure on the medical team and create variables. Also, you just came from the academy, so there’s the cleanliness issue.”
“Am I dirty…?”
“You’re cleaner than me, but an expectant mother’s situation is different from that of a mere commoner.”
Her every word rang true, so I nodded solemnly. At this point, it wouldn’t help at all to be beside Mar; I’d likely be more of a bother than a help.
“Everything will be alright, right?”
Still, understanding something and worrying about it are two completely separate issues. My voice trembled as I spoke again, and the Housekeeper nodded confidently.
“There must be blessings from Enen. After all, it’s the children of two blessed individuals.”
That did ease my mind a little.
But not entirely.
“───! ───!!”
“──!”
I bit my lips at the faint cries that filtered through the door.
Anxiety swelled within me. Was everything really okay? Was it progressing as it should?
‘It’ll be fine.’
After pushing away my worries, I reassured myself. The Second Manager and the Emperor have both seen their children safely delivered. I would too. Our First Snow would safely enter this world.
As the Housekeeper said, a child born from two blessed beings would surely be looked after by Enen.
‘Please.’
If Mar and our First Snow are healthy, I’ll build a church of cathedral size in Weiridia, I swear.
“Kal.”
“…Trixie.”
I raised my gaze at the gentle touch caressing my hand.
“Don’t worry. Everything is fine.”
I almost cried at Trixie’s declaration, who had been silently standing by the door.
Trixie was someone who could feel mana. If she asserted that both she and the baby were healthy, it must be true.
At least for now.
“And I don’t know who the doctor and priest inside are, but the mage knows his stuff. There’s no one better when it comes to childbirth.”
I nodded quietly at her stream of comforts.
Nightfall came.
Liège and Lynn, who ought to have been at the academy, and even the enslaved Erich and Penelia from the administration, gathered at the mansion.
“Count!”
Just as I felt myself bordering on panic, the tightly shut door opened.
The maid emerged from the room and started to say something, but I couldn’t catch it. There was no need to catch it.
“Uwaaaaaah!”
The wailing coming from inside explained everything.
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