Chapter 79
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Childbirth - 1
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After that, Tom and Petra joined us, and together we built a Baltoare-style washing machine.
"Clia, could you grab the ashes we've been saving at home?"
"Ashes?"
"Yeah!"
"Got it!"
We had accumulated a lot of ashes to use as detergent, thanks to the long winter.
I dumped the laundry and ashes together into the washing machine.
The rotational force from the falling water started washing the clothes inside the wooden tub on their own.
"The rotation speed can't be adjusted, so fragile fabrics might get ruined if you run them."
"Yeah, it does look that way."
"Is the dehydration mallet ready?"
"Yep, made it just like you said."
We used the power from the waterwheel to lift a huge wooden mallet that pounded the laundry to squeeze out the water.
After running a test cycle and finishing the wash, everyone started nodding in approval.
"So we won't have to wash clothes by hand anymore?"
"That's right."
It couldn't compare to modern washing machines, but compared to hand-washing days, it was a huge leap forward.
Vivian was especially thrilled.
In the north, they probably washed with cold water, so she couldn't help but be moved by this new invention.
"But Sian, shouldn't we charge for using it?"
"A usage fee? I haven't really thought about it."
We already had plenty of saved money, and considering the massive sum from Helen, fiddling with small change from washing machine fees wasn't worth the hassle.
Elsia would faint in shock, but I didn't want to waste manpower on something like this.
"No need to charge. It's for everyone to use, and collecting fees every time would be a chore."
"If that's how you feel, then fine."
"Just know that if it breaks while you're using it, it's on you."
"That's obvious. I'll let the Village Chief know."
"Thanks."
And with that, the washing machine was complete, and we headed home.
Clia, who had just been watching the whole time, tugged at my sleeve and asked,
"Oppa, can I play in the water inside the washing machine?"
"Clia..."
Clara let out a sigh at the ridiculous question.
Seeing her sister about to scold her, Clia hid behind me like I was a breakwater.
"You can play in the water in the wooden tub if you want."
"Really?"
"But it's dangerous alone, so play with friends if you can."
"Okay!"
"Ugh, Clia, stop thinking only about playing. You're basically an adult next year."
"Tch, I know."
Clia whined at Clara's nagging before darting off toward the house first.
"Haa... that brat."
"Don't scold her too much. Clia's still young."
"Young... she's almost an adult."
Clia would turn seventeen next year.
To me, that was prime school playtime age, but apparently not to Clara.
"Good thing you came along, Sian. That fool only knows how to play—she can't do housework properly or even cook. I worry if she'll ever manage marriage."
"Haha..."
I could only give an awkward laugh at Clara's anger-tinged words.
Well, Clara had it rough.
With no man in the house, she'd shouldered the role of eldest daughter, which even led her to the battlefield.
From her perspective, her carefree little sister must be a real thorn in her side.
'Still, I can't just let this slide.'
This might even be Clara's wound.
An indelible scar on her heart.
As the man who loved her, I couldn't stand by.
"Clara."
"Yeah?"
I carefully pulled her into a hug.
"It's good that you feel responsible, but I wish you'd relax a bit more."
"Sian?"
"Clia's just going through a phase. She's got her own worries, so don't be too hard on her."
"Tch... saying it like that makes me sound like the bad guy."
"You're a bad girl to me. You make my heart race like this."
"...Idiot."
Clara's face flushed as she spoke, but she didn't seem to hate it. She looked up and kissed me.
She bolted off like she was fleeing, probably embarrassed by the public display of affection.
Her innocent reaction was utterly adorable.
"Hm? What's up, Vivian?"
As I watched Clara run away, Vivian, walking beside me, tapped my shoulder.
Then she held out both arms.
"Want me to carry you?"
Vivian nodded at my question.
She must have been jealous when I hugged Clara so casually.
Yeah, if she asks to be carried, I should.
...
A month flew by in no time.
We had to tend the fields, hunt to keep the village safe, and gather hides and meat as needed.
We also started work on the stone ice storage for preserving foraged fruits, and that wasn't all—we had to instruct the young couple on managing and charging for the waterwheel.
Before we knew it, childbirth was right around the corner amid all the frenzy.
...
"Sian... come down."
Sylvia shouted up at Sian, who showed no sign of descending from the watchtower.
"Dinner's ready!"
"......"
"Uncle Tom, Sian's been like this the past few days."
"Heh heh, that's because..."
Clara, worried since he spent half the day up there, brought Tom over, knowing he was close to Sian.
Tom cautiously shared his thoughts while observing Sian's odd behavior.
"He's probably anxious, that's all."
"Anxious?"
Clara couldn't fathom Tom's words at first.
Who was Sian?
He roamed the Dark Forest—designated an imperial danger zone—like it was his own backyard.
The idea that he was so anxious he couldn't control himself was unbelievable.
"That's exactly why he's more anxious. Childbirth is something men can't do a damn thing about. He's overwhelmed by this new sense of helplessness."
"Ah..."
Only then did Clara understand Sian's feelings.
Childbirth was a sacred event, the miracle of life—but it came with grave risks.
A single mistake could endanger not just the baby, but the mother too.
In such a critical moment, being powerless must be tearing him apart.
Especially in Lugeron Village, where hygiene standards were practically nonexistent.
Still, he was holding it together in front of Chloe because he knew she was even more anxious.
"Don't worry too much. It's just growing pains every father goes through."
"You went through it too, Dad?"
Petra, who'd tagged along, asked her father Tom.
She'd imagined he'd been nonchalant, totally unlike Sian—but no.
"Of course I was anxious. Guys who haven't had kids don't get it."
"I see."
Petra scratched her head and looked away at the unexpected answer.
At least it wasn't an illness—Sian's family was relieved by that.
But as days passed, everyone's anxiety began to bubble up.
"What do we do? What do we do? What do we do? What do we do?"
"Sylvia, you're getting on my nerves—calm down."
"How can I calm down?!"
Sylvia, scarred by her past miscarriage, grew more tremulous as the due date neared.
She clearly hadn't overcome her trauma yet.
Elsia pressed her on it.
"Don't act up in front of your daughter. You're just stressing out the mother-to-be."
"Elsia... your hands are shaking too."
"......"
Elsia hadn't shown it outwardly, but she was anxious too.
She'd given birth once, but her experience as a midwife was zilch, even if she had the knowledge.
Of course she'd be swamped with worries.
But she couldn't show it in front of the fretting family.
"I can handle it, so don't worry."
"Elsia..."
Though her hands still trembled uncontrollably.
"Vivian, how do they do childbirth in the north?"
"It's not any different just because it's the north."
"Have you ever helped with a birth?"
"Of course not."
"Right?"
Sylvia desperately asked Vivian, grasping at straws, but the woman—who'd been a virgin before meeting Sian—had no such experience.
"Mom! There's a guest outside."
In the midst of the despair, Clia—blissfully excited about her new niece or nephew—called for Sylvia.
"A guest?"
"Yeah! Oppa ran out."
"Who is it?"
"Dunno, but they were wearing the same pure white robes as those people before! And shorter than me!"
...
The upcoming birth had me more worried than I could say.
Hygiene was my biggest concern.
No matter how much we managed, we lacked the tech and environment to fully control invisible germs.
'It's par for the course here.'
But knowing better, I couldn't help fretting over infections.
'If only we had a midwife at least.'
For some reason, Lugeron Village had no experienced elderly women for births.
We'd asked the ones who seemed most capable, but they all refused, lacking confidence.
They probably feared being solely blamed if something went wrong like a stillbirth.
With my rising influence in the village, they were wary of that.
"Hm?"
Lost in my worries, I spotted three figures approaching our house.
Their robes were pure white, and they were a bit shorter than Clia.
Above their heads, spinning disks of different colors hovered like antennae.
"No way?"
I bolted down from the watchtower to greet the guests.