Beneath the Surviving Princess's Joyful Facade - Side Story 16

“Good. That’s all I need.”

Miesa nodded, reassured by his words. If both she and her father had been raised by someone like Eirik, they would have turned out with completely different personalities.

However, Eirik’s expression grew increasingly serious.

“I think I need to call the doctor again tomorrow.”

“He just came yesterday and said everything was fine.”

“……”

The reason for his concern was that Miesa’s belly was larger than expected for her due date.

“Eirik, it’s fine. The baby must be big like you.”

“No, I think I’ll call a different doctor tomorrow.”

Eirik was adamant. He couldn’t stand the thought of her delicate body struggling.

But the answer came from an unexpected place. It happened on the day her maternal grandfather, Viscount Miretta, came from southern Halieti upon hearing news of Miesa.

“We lost them to an illness, but Amie had a sibling.”

Miesa’s grandfather explained with a faint smile on his wrinkled face.

“It was a twin sibling. Perhaps even Your Majesty—”

“Miesa.”

“Margravine—”

“Grandfather, please call me Miesa.”

“Miesa might be carrying twins.”

“Really? Twins?”

Hearing this, Eirik, who was sitting in the drawing room, put a hand to his forehead. Miesa, who had just finished the pie in front of her, widened her eyes.

“Why? Twins are a good thing. You said it was a good omen.”

Eirik shook his head. “No, it is good news. It’s just… alright.”

Unsure whether to believe it, silence followed, and her grandfather quietly pushed his untouched plate towards Miesa. When he smiled with his wrinkled eyes, she returned his smile with a bashful grin and eagerly accepted, using her fork with vigor.

“Grandfather, let me get you a new one.”

She didn’t forget to take care of him either. As she watched the maids quickly move about, her grandfather spoke again.

“Well then, now that I’ve seen the Margravine in good health, we will—”

“Miesa,” she corrected her grandfather once more.

Eirik interjected, “Viscount, unless there’s an urgent matter that requires your attention, please stay a while longer.”

Eirik treated Miesa’s grandfather and his small entourage with utmost hospitality, hoping they would stay until the baby was born, and perhaps even longer. He even offered the finest guest room to her grandfather.

Initially, Viscount Miretta thought it was mere courtesy, but with Eirik’s persistent invitations, he eventually decided to stay.

Thus, Miesa was able to spend a lot of time with her grandfather. Most afternoons, they would sit in the garden and talk about various topics.

“Amie was a bit of a tomboy. She once fought with a servant’s son using her fists when she was young.”

“Really? Mother did that? I can’t believe it.”

Miesa had reached a point where she could hear stories about her mother without much emotional turmoil, largely thanks to her grandfather’s calm manner of recounting.

“She would climb trees whenever no one was watching… but she did calm down quite a bit as she grew older.”

Rubbing her swollen belly, Miesa nodded as she listened to her grandfather’s story.

“Grandfather, until I got pregnant, I used to climb that tree in the back for fun.”

“…After the royal wedding?”

“Of course. How would I have come here before the marriage? Back then—”

Chatting away, Miesa suddenly fell silent. Her grandfather, who understood what she was about to say, also sat quietly, reflecting on the past.

An unseasonal breeze playfully rustled the late autumn leaves. After a long moment, Viscount Miretta reached out his stiff, aged hand and grasped Miesa’s.

“Miesa, I am so glad… to see you happy.”

The elderly man, who had never been good with words, continued clumsily, “The margrave… No, the whole family, the entire country, cherishes you so dearly. Seeing you live well like this, I…”

Miesa hesitated briefly before curling her lips into a faint smile. “Yes. Everyone is good to me. No matter what I do, they all understand.”

“…Yes.”

Her grandfather, still longing for his departed daughter, held back his boiling emotions, swallowing his sorrow before speaking again.

“When I mentioned the possibility of twins, the margrave turned pale. Instead of celebrating like most men would, he worried, which shows just how much he cares for you and your well-being.”

It was hard to imagine Eirik celebrating loudly, but Miesa nodded silently.

“He is cautious and prudent, yet he still manages to show the utmost respect, even to a countryside old man like me.”

“That’s right. There’s no one like my husband. He’s truly a wonderful person.”

Her grandfather looked at her with teary eyes as she spoke proudly.

One day in January, a month earlier than the doctor had expected, Miesa tried to stand up after having lunch with Eirik.

“Ugh…!”

An intense, unfamiliar pain shot through her belly. Miesa clutched her stomach, barely able to breathe.

“Miesa!”

Eirik pushed the table aside and rushed over to her. Sitting down in the chair, Miesa took shallow breaths, and as soon as the pain subsided, she muttered in disbelief.

“…Does it hurt this much?”

“Miesa, are you alright?”

The pain had come suddenly and faded quickly, but Miesa knew that labor pains would start sporadically and then come in quick succession. She was taken aback.

“Miesa?”

But seeing Eirik’s pale face brought her back to her senses. She looked at his face and composed herself.

She couldn’t let him see her fear. It was she who had first wanted the child; she couldn’t now express fear or pain because of that child.

“…It seems the baby is coming.”

She spoke calmly to Eirik, who was kneeling on one knee beside her. Thankfully, it was before the next contraction came.

“We’re going to meet our baby soon. And we’ll find out if there’s one or two. Right?”

He said nothing, but Miesa nodded firmly.

“It shouldn’t take more than half a day, so we’ll meet them soon.”

With a tense face, Eirik silently supported her to the birthing room. Fortunately, the next contraction came just as she was being helped onto the bed.

“……”

Miesa gritted her teeth without uttering a sound of pain. Not until the midwives, who had been waiting, escorted Eirik out of the room.

“Madam, you’re incredible.”

“You’re doing wonderfully, even though it must be so painful.”

The midwives marveled at her strength, noting that many women would be cursing by this point. But she couldn’t even deny it—the pain was so overwhelming that her tongue felt numb, unable to form words.

Miesa held back her groans, worried that the sound might escape through the closed door, adding to Eirik’s worries. However, as the seemingly endless first labor dragged on, and the afternoon sun began to soften, she could no longer suppress her moans.

“Huuu…”

“You’re holding up well.”

One of the midwives wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. But as the birthing room grew dim and candlelight began to illuminate the space, Miesa found herself letting out nonsensical sounds.

“How… much longer…?”

“Not much longer now, my lady. Just a little more.”

The midwives’ voices seemed to drift in and out of her consciousness like a mirage.

Why isn’t the baby coming out yet?

What if the reason her belly had been so large was because something else was inside? Even if that wasn’t the case, what if something was wrong? Doubts and fears surged like a tidal wave, her vision darkening and then reddening. At some point, she distinctly heard Eirik’s voice, piercing through the distance and settling in her ears.

“What good is tradition now? My wife is fighting for her life!”

Immediately after, the great madam’s voice followed, though it was muffled and distorted by the walls and doors.

“Enough! Move aside!”

But Eirik’s shout was crystal clear. Despite her disoriented state, his anxiety and anger were palpable to her.

“Miesa has been suffering alone until this hour.”

His gritted words reverberated in her ears. Miesa tried her best to stay focused.

She had Eirik. And she had the baby. She wasn’t suffering alone.

She would be alright.

“I told you to step aside.”

Just then, a searing pain, as if her body was being torn apart, shook her entire being like a lightning strike. Miesa trembled silently, her mouth wide open.

Even so, she would be alright. She had chosen to accept this pain gladly. Unlike all the meaningless pain she had endured before, this pain would bring her the most precious family.

Unlike the purely destructive suffering of the past, this was different. She fought to stay conscious.

“Madam, I can see the baby’s head!”

“Madam, push!”

With the determination to show the baby the world and to ensure they receive unconditional love.

“More, more, more, more, more!”

When the baby sees something amazing, I should share in their surprise and joy. And we should talk about how it feels.

“Just a little more!”

When the baby feels scared or troubled, I must hold them tightly.

And I must tell them that they are not alone—that they have a mother and father who treasure them more than anything in the world.

“You’re doing well. Push.”

The embrace I had longed for from my mother as a child, I would give to my baby without fail…

“More, more!”

At the moment the most experienced midwife’s voice tore through the room, she could feel her first baby slipping out of her body.

Though the room was bustling with activity—cutting the umbilical cord and other such movements—the sound she was waiting for didn’t come. Just as Miesa opened her dry lips to say something, thankfully, a loud cry filled the once silent birthing room.

“Congratulations. The first daughter of the Cladnier family has been born.”

The midwives moved over to wash and care for the baby, but a couple of them stayed close, keeping a close watch on Miesa.

“Ugh…”

As Miesa’s face contorted once more, the experienced midwife took her place as before.

“Madam, you must push once more.”

This time, there was no time to think of anything else. Miesa used all her remaining strength, trying desperately not to lose consciousness.

Several times, the midwife’s sharp commands echoed in her ears. Miesa, too, fought fiercely to hold on to her fading awareness.

The struggle continued for a while, and eventually, she felt another baby leave her body. This time, a cry followed immediately, and the vigorous wails of the two babies filled the quiet room.

“Congratulations. The first son of the Cladnier family has been born.”