I, Who Was Betrayed By The People I Loved Most - Chapter 15

I was in my final month of pregnancy—any day now, the baby could arrive.

And then, without warning, it began. The pain surged over me like crashing waves, stealing my breath.
Each time I felt myself fading, I bit down hard on my lip to stay conscious.

A dull, crushing ache gripped my lower back. Cold sweat poured from my body, soaking my clammy skin.

—Never did I imagine childbirth could be this brutal.

“S-Someone… please… help me… wipe my sweat…”

Even to my own ears, my voice sounded pitifully weak. The maids stood outside my bedchamber—but none of them came in. Only the awkward silence beyond the door told me they were there at all.

Every servant in this mansion had once loved and respected Aunt Leticia.
Now that she was gone, and I had taken her place— They treated me with nothing but coldness.

Eventually, Marie returned from an errand and began tending to me in a rush.
But her expression was unmistakably sour, her mouth drawn in displeasure as she reluctantly handed me a damp towel.

“I’m only doing this because the lady asked me to.
Otherwise, there’s no way I’d take care of the likes of you!”

Her rough hands yanked at the bedsheets, far from gentle.
I clenched my teeth, enduring both the pain and the humiliation.

—Why?
I’m the Duchess, aren’t I?
I’m about to give birth to Uncle Oswald’s heir, and yet…
Why won’t anyone stay by my side?

So what if things happened the way they did—
Right now, I’m the duchess. Isn’t that all that matters?

The doctor arrived shortly afterward—
But he didn’t even glance at my face.

“Contractions are steady.
Well… as long as the baby’s born safely, that’s all that matters.”

He muttered the words like a dismissive afterthought,
Then began giving curt instructions to the midwife.

There was no respect. No kindness.
Only detachment.

Uncle Oswald?
He wasn’t there either.

He refused to be present and had locked himself in his study, claiming he was busy with work.

—This was the same man who once hovered over Aunt Leticia day and night when she caught nothing more than a mild cold.

Overcome with pain, I cried out—
The midwife glanced down at me and scoffed softly through her nose.

“My, what a loud voice.
Must be your upbringing.
Lowborn bl00d really does show in moments like these, doesn’t it?”

Her words struck like a blade to my chest.

—Even the midwife…
Even she’s mocking me…?

Tears welled up from frustration.
My body gave out, and my vision blurred.

Somewhere in the distance, I heard the faint wailing of a newborn.
But I couldn’t even grasp that it was my own child.

“It’s born,” the doctor said plainly.

But no one said “Congratulations.”

There were no words of praise, no kind acknowledgments.
Nothing.

It was as if they’d just completed a scheduled task—
And that was it.

—I risked my life to bring this baby into the world.
Can’t someone… say something?