After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 208
Chapter 208: Ayaka-san’s Third Daughter
“Lord Lutz, please hurry!”
“Yeah, but wait just a second!”
Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I found myself racing through the streets of Stuttgart. Why? Because Ayaka-san was about to give birth to her third child.
In the Dark Clan, childbirth typically occurs in a sparsely used delivery room or, worse, a storage-like area. It’s said that the mother clings to something like a coarse rope hanging from the ceiling, enduring labor pains in silence. It’s a tough process.
However, when I assisted with Clara and Beato’s deliveries, my magical power seemed to ease their pain to some extent. So, I wondered if I could help Ayaka-san in the same way.
When I shared this idea, the Dark Clan’s reaction was unexpectedly enthusiastic.
“Oh! As expected of Lord Lutz! The thought of a husband watching over his wife during childbirth had never occurred to us!”
“Surely, milady will be pleased as well!”
Both the men and women marveled at this concept of “attending childbirth,” which is common in modern Japan, and they quickly made arrangements. By the way, since Ayaka-san and I held our wedding ceremony at a shrine dedicated to Hinokagutsuchi-sama, her title within the Dark Clan changed from “Milady” to “Madam.” As for me being called “Lord Lutz,” I’ve given up trying to correct it.
When I arrived, slightly out of breath, at the inner quarters of the manor, Ayaka-san was gripping a rope, her forehead glistening with sweat as she silently endured the pain. I recalled reading that, even in Edo-period Japan, it was considered improper for a laboring woman to lie down or make noise. Akitsushima’s culture really is reminiscent of medieval Japan, even in this regard. But now’s not the time to marvel at that. Forcing women in this world to endure such harsh practices is unacceptable.
“Can someone bring a futon for her to lie down on?”
“But according to tradition—”
“Yeah, traditions are important, but I want to make this as easy as possible for Ayaka-san.”
The women of the clan exchanged hesitant glances, unsure how to act. Then, a girl around my age with a healthy tan suddenly stood up, quickly bringing a long cushion and a light blanket to cover Ayaka-san’s lower body. She seemed unusually energetic compared to the typically pale and quiet women of the Dark Clan. But I didn’t have time to dwell on that. I was here to help Ayaka-san, not get distracted.
Ayaka-san was lying slightly reclined on her back, still sweating. Even though this was her third time, childbirth is always a monumental task for a woman.
I tightly held her delicate, pale hand and infused my magical power into her. Though I still couldn’t feel the flow of magic myself, she reacted immediately.
“Ah… Lord Lutz’s power is flowing into me. My body… feels so much lighter.”
“That’s a relief.”
“The baby is moving so actively now… I think it’s happy to receive your magic. Ah, again!”
I was glad to see Ayaka-san feeling better, but was my magic working like a labor-inducing drug? Both Adel and Beato went into labor immediately after I touched their bellies to channel magic, so this wasn’t new.
“Madam, it’s almost time!”
“The head is crowning!”
What? That was insanely fast!
In the end, Ayaka-san gave birth to our third daughter less than thirty minutes after I intervened. I had been worried, since I heard that our eldest daughter, Kaori, was a very difficult birth, and even our second daughter, Honoka, had been tough. But this labor was even shorter than Adel’s smooth delivery, leaving me a bit stunned.
“Thank you, Lord Lutz. I never thought giving birth could be so easy.”
“Uh… so it really is because of my magic…?”
Hmm, it felt like my strange cheat ability had come into play again. I wasn’t entirely comfortable with it.
“Of course! As expected of the husband revered by the Dark Clan.”
“But… I was holding Beato’s hand the entire time when she gave birth, and that still took all night. I don’t think easy childbirth is because of my power.”
“No, I can tell. The difference in my body and the baby’s movements before and after you touched me was dramatic. There’s no doubt this was your power. Perhaps your magic is more effective here because it aligns closely with the Dark attribute.”
Oh, right, they mentioned something like that before. My mysterious resistance ability is weak against Light but incredibly strong against Darkness. Whatever, as long as it helps Ayaka-san.
“If Beato’s labor still lasted so long even with your presence, doesn’t that mean it would have been much more dangerous without your magic?”
Ugh, she’s right. Franziska was a very large baby. Beato, who’s especially petite for this era, must have been under enormous strain.
“I’ll need you by my side for the next delivery, too.”
Even though she had just accomplished such a major task, Ayaka-san was already worrying about the safety of the royal family. Her dedication was truly admirable.