When I Took Back My Beloved Child Who Had Been Taken From Me, My Husband's Obsessive Love Began. Why? - Episode 0

In this world, magic is everything.

Those with strong magical power will rule the country. They will rule the world.

Because such unwritten rules had existed since ancient times, many great battles using magical power—magic—occurred all over the world.

As a result, several countries were established, leading to the present day.

Even so, those in power were still required to possess strong magical power.

Women require magical power to some extent during childbirth, so it eventually came to be believed that women with greater magical power would give birth to stronger children. Among the upper class, the size of a woman’s magical power began to determine her marriage prospects.

Therefore, those in the upper class would teach their daughters simple magic as part of their basic education when they were young, but once they reached adulthood, they prohibited the use of magic to avoid consuming their magical power.

Of course, even if you consume magical power through magic or childbirth, it usually recovers gradually, just like physical strength.

Even so, those with strong magical power—among the nobles, the use of magic by adult women had become taboo.

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“What are you talking about? You’re joking, right?”

“Unfortunately, I’m serious.”

“Don’t say stupid things! Why… why do you think I would give up on this child!?”

Lucienne looked straight at her attending physician, Aman, who had just finished the examination, and pleaded.

Recently, Aman was so worried about the severe anemia that he conducted a more thorough examination than usual.

The result was unbelievable.

Aman explains it carefully once more without averting his gaze.

“Under normal circumstances, this would be impossible, but it seems that the child in Lucienne’s womb requires an enormous amount of magical power for its development. At this rate, Lucienne’s magical power will be depleted.”

“I don’t really mind.”

“Please don’t say such foolish things. The depletion of magical power means death, you know?”

“Yeah, so what? I will definitely give birth to this child safely. I don’t care if I die afterwards.”

Princess Lucienne of the Herzok Empire firmly refused the doctor’s proposal.

I can feel the strong determination to absolutely protect the child of my beloved Crown Prince—Craig.

Aman thought while rubbing his brow.

If you’re going to take the abortion pill, you need to hurry; there’s no time left.

This will put too much strain on the mother as well.

Indeed, it seems that a fetus requires a certain amount of the mother’s magical power during its growth, but Aman had never heard of a case where so much of the mother’s magical power was consumed outside of childbirth.

Otherwise, the birth of Craig, at the level of the strongest in history, would not have been possible.

Craig’s mother—Aurelia—was clearly weaker in magical power than Lucienne.

This time, Lucienne’s pregnancy progress was nothing short of extraordinary, and it seemed that there was no other way to prioritize the mother’s health than through an abortion.

“Lucienne-sama, it’s not too late. It is still possible to conceive again—”

“There’s no one else like her! No one can replace this child!”

“There is no one to take Lucienne-sama’s place!”

Aman, who had inadvertently raised his voice, was taken aback.

Lucienne has a wounded expression.

Aman, who hurriedly tried to apologize, was met with Lucienne’s trembling voice as she murmured.

“Yes, there is… Someone to take my place…”

“Lucienne-sama…”

Aman tried to deny it, but foolishly, he couldn’t come up with comforting words right away.

In fact, there is someone who can replace Lucienne.

Lucienne was chosen from among the many candidates for the position of empress because she had an impeccable status, education, and above all, her magical power was exceptionally strong compared to the other candidates.

It was rumored that Craig would actually choose Claudine, his cousin who was the same age as Lucienne.

Lucienne lost her parents at a young age, and since the Marquess Armand, who is Claudine’s father, took her in, the two were raised more like sisters than cousins.

Those two often spent time together in the imperial palace as candidates for the position of empress, frequently in the company of Crown Prince Craig.

Perhaps because Craig had possessed powerful magical abilities since childhood, he had an aura that kept people at a distance, but he would smile only at Claudine.

It was clear to anyone observing that Claudine had feelings for Craig, and it was believed that in the future, these two would rule the Herzog Empire together.

The few selected candidates for the role of consort would simply be keeping the decision pending until they reach adulthood, following tradition.

Therefore, when Craig easily chose Lucienne, whom the temple priest recommended for her strong magical power, a great shockwave ran through the imperial palace.
Since Lucienne and Claudine are cousins, there was no change in the fact that Marquis Arment was the guardian of the future empress, which was fortunate for the courtiers. However, the miscalculation was that they had been trying to win over Claudine by giving her gifts.

Compared to Lucienne, who was reputed to be intelligent but had a quiet and plain impression, the bright and cute Claudine was loved by everyone.

Even now that Craig has married Lucienne, Claudine’s popularity shows no signs of waning.

Lucienne bit her lip without thinking.

Regardless of the opinions of those around them, Lucienne had expectations for Craig at the beginning of their marriage.

I didn’t expect Craig to shower me with sweet words or affection, but I still thought he might show at least a little interest in Lucienne.

I didn’t go so far as to wish for Craig, who was extremely busy, to spend more time with me.

It was undeniable that Emperor Bertrand was on his deathbed and Crown Prince Craig was quite busy.

Because he is reforming the national policies that Bertrand had been neglecting, one after another, to fit the current era.

Lucienne was worried that perhaps she was just rushing too much.

Even so, if only there were a bit more conversation during the time they spent together—perhaps during meals as a couple, which Craig’s secretary had thoughtfully arranged—if only he would smile at her just a little, Lucienne wouldn’t be suffering like this now.

Craig chose me because he surely didn’t want to put Claudine in danger during childbirth…

Even when Lucienne confessed her pregnancy to Craig, nothing changed to the extent that she thought it would.

With a face beaming with joy, hugging me and saying “Well done”—I dreamed of such a reaction, and while I dismissed it, thinking it was impossible, I still hoped for it.

Since discovering her pregnancy, Lucienne had been eagerly anticipating when to share the news, her heart swelling with excitement. As she waited for the moment they would be alone together in the bedroom at night, she nervously revealed that she was expecting.

At that moment, Craig, who had been reaching out to Lucienne, abruptly stopped his hand and widened his eyes in surprise for just a moment, but quickly returned to his usual expressionless demeanor.

And then, stepping away from Lucienne and getting out of bed, they calmly conveyed simple words of congratulations and encouragement, telling her not to overdo it, and then left.

Since then, I haven’t met Craig outside of our scheduled appointments, and even when we do see each other, he only asks about my health—words of concern for the baby in my womb.

Therefore, Lucienne had no choice but to force a smile and say, “The baby is doing well,” even though she felt unwell.

“Aman, please. All that’s being asked of me is to give birth to this child. More than anything, I want to give birth to this child.”

“……Understood. Perhaps the absorption of magical power is only temporary at this stage. Let’s bet on the possibility that it will stabilize once the child develops a bit more. In the meantime, please follow my instructions properly.”

“Thank you! Aman is the best doctor!”

Seeing Lucienne finally smile again, Aman also smiled.

Prioritizing the patient’s feelings over their physical condition might make me unfit to be a doctor.

Even so, knowing that Lucienne had deeply loved Craig since childhood, she couldn’t refuse.

Craig is very reliable as the crown prince, but to Aman, he feels so cold that it seems like he has no emotions, so it was puzzling why he attracted Lucienne so much.

However, it is precisely because I have known them since childhood that they have some kind of charm.

Anyway, Aman steeled himself to work hard not to meet everyone’s expectations, but to fulfill Lucienne’s wish to have a child with the person she loves.

However, despite Aman’s optimistic expectations, Lucienne’s magical power continued to decline.

As much as possible, I eat food that is said to be good for magic power generation and expose myself to sunlight, but I am weakening day by day.

I couldn’t even take a light walk, and by a month before the due date, I was unable to get out of bed.

Regarding Lucienne’s diminishing magical power, it has been kept secret at her strong request, and even her husband Craig has only been told that it is merely a result of her pregnancy-related health issues.

Because I feared that if those who still support Claudine were to find out the cause of Lucienne’s distress, they would question my qualities as a mother.

Above all, Lucienne feared being suspected of having a problem with her child.

However, it backfired, and rumors started spreading about Aman, who was almost always holed up in his room.

――Isn’t the Crown Princess too close with her attending physician?

The reason for this is that only the maid Ritte, who has been serving since before Aman married, is allowed into the bedroom.

Of course, if her husband Craig wanted to visit, there was no choice but to let him in, but after Lucienne had declined his visit once, he never came to her room again.

“Aman, thank you for everything until now. I’ve been selfish, and I’ve caused you trouble.”

“What are you talking about? We’re just getting started. As Lucienne’s primary physician, I intend to receive my full salary.”

Of course, although they were not in the kind of relationship that people gossiped about, there was a solid friendship between them, not one of doctor and patient.

To such a man, Lucienne speaks as if it were a farewell.

If we proceed with the delivery as it is, Lucienne’s life will be in danger.

However, Aman had read past literature and found one possibility.

I just have to persuade Lucienne to agree to it.

“Lucienne-sama, will you please listen to what I am about to say until the end?”

“Yes, of course.”

“If Lady Lucienne proceeds with the childbirth as it is, her life will be in considerable danger.”

“The child!? Is this child okay!?”

“……perhaps”

“Then, I don’t mind.”

Seeing Lucienne’s nonchalant answer, Aman gritted his teeth.

Truly, Lucienne would not hesitate to sacrifice her own life for her child.

Feeling inadequate as a doctor, Aman continued.

“Then, after you give birth, please move to the detached palace as soon as possible to be separated from the child.”

“Right after giving birth? Can you hold the baby?”

“Unfortunately, that is not possible. Additionally, moving will consume a significant amount of magical energy and physical strength, which will further burden your body and put your life at greater risk. However, if Madame Lucienne wishes to watch over her child’s growth, she must temporarily be separated from her child.”

“Why is that…?”

“The bond between mother and child is very strong. If you stay by their side after giving birth, Lucienne-sama’s magical power will be absorbed by the child. To avoid this, the only option is to physically separate.”

“……Leaving this child…… How long will it be?”

Lucienne stroked her enlarged belly with trembling hands.

That gesture was that of a mother who loves her child, and Aman took a moment to respond.

“…about a year, I suppose.”

“A whole year!?”

“Please endure, Lucienne-sama. For the sake of safely giving birth and witnessing your child’s growth, please make your decision!”

“……I understand. But, please keep all of this a secret.”

“Even after giving birth!? If that’s the case, His Imperial Highness will misunderstand you even more!”

“I… I don’t want to be a hindrance to you, Your Highness. If I can be the mother of this child, that’s enough for me.”

Lucienne was troubled by the fact that while she said she didn’t want to be a hindrance, it was nothing but an excuse.

It is true that Craig, who is busy working on various reforms, does not want to be bothered with his own problems, and it is also true that Lucienne thinks so.

However, in the back of my mind, I was scared that if Craig lost interest in me and ignored me, it would be terrifying.

Aman, seeing Lucienne smiling sadly, could no longer say anything.

I don’t know what Lucienne is thinking, but as a doctor, the patient’s wishes come first.

After Aman exchanged farewell greetings, he secretly continued preparations with the servants who admired Lucienne.