Chapter 29
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Resort Opening (2)
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"Didn't they say Mrs. Owen still has about two months until her due date?"
"To be precise, it's a month and a half!"
The employee replied in a quiet but urgent tone.
"Midwife and healer?"
"They're already in the room tending to her. We've followed the procedures we practiced in advance."
"Priest?"
"He rushed over first thing."
"Good. Glad everything's under control despite the chaos. Let's go, hurry."
"I'll lead the way."
Dominic and the resort staff quickened their steps.
"Ahh... ugh!"
A groan of suppressed pain slipped through her lips.
"Ma'am, breathe out long and slow. One, two. Good, you're doing great."
"Hoo, hoo! Hah!"
"It's okay. Perfect. One more time, one, two!"
Baroness Owen was completely caught off guard by the sudden onset of labor pains.
When she received the resort invitation, she had planned to relax in this quiet spot and then head to her family's estate in Sinclair territory as her due date approached...
'What if something goes wrong?'
Anxiety began to creep in.
She worried the premature birth might mean the baby wouldn't come out healthy.
"Focus on your breathing right now. That's what makes it easier for the baby too. Try again. One, two!"
"...Hooo. Hooo."
"That's it, well done."
The experienced midwife seemed to know exactly what fears plagued the mother, reassuring her with a gentle voice.
Whoosh—.
At that moment, a soft breeze like a gentle zephyr swept in, wiping the sweat and tears from the laboring woman's face.
Vitality returned wherever the wind passed, like magic.
"The Goddess of Life and Birth is here with us—fear not!"
In one corner of the birthing room, a young priest was pouring all his healing power into aiding the mother.
Feeling the unfamiliar yet comforting presence beside her, the mother began to muster her strength.
'Yeah, what's there to be scared of? There's a midwife and a priest here. If I push through, our baby will come out just fine.'
Baroness Owen bore down again.
Though she felt on the verge of blacking out, she clutched the baby booties she'd been knitting right up until her water nearly broke, holding onto her fading consciousness.
"Nngh!"
She drew in a deep breath and pushed with every ounce of strength she had left.
Her mind went white, and a piercing beeeep like a warning alarm rang in her ears.
Then, a brief silence.
"Waaah, waaah!"
The silence shattered with the baby's lusty cry.
Outside the birthing room, Baron Owen—who had been pacing anxiously—closed his eyes and collapsed to his knees at the sound of new life arriving.
"Gods, thank you!"
"It's a boy!"
"Congratulations, ma'am!"
"You did wonderfully!"
At the midwife's permission, the maid who had accompanied the baroness quickly took the baby and gently bathed him in the warm water they'd prepared.
"Baby, my baby!"
Wrapped in a white cloth and already asleep, the infant was wrinkled from the amniotic fluid, but to his new mother, he was more precious than any gem in the world.
Tears streamed from the baroness's eyes.
Whether from the unprecedented pain or the relief of a safe delivery, she couldn't tell.
"Baroness Owen had a safe delivery, right?"
"What joyous news!"
"Tell me about it."
That evening, noble ladies gathered in groups at the resort restaurant, chatting about Baroness Owen and her son.
"But is it true they had a midwife and priest ready in advance?"
"Apparently so. I asked a staff member, and they said they have care protocols for prenatal and postnatal care. Some expectant mothers come here after hearing about it."
"Oh my!"
"I subtly asked the maids over there, and get this—they even block outsiders from entering during birth, cover the lower area with cloth so only the midwife, priest, and healer can see. Can you imagine?"
"Really?"
Envy flickered in the eyes of some ladies.
In this world, childbirth was an embarrassing ordeal for women regardless of status.
Under the pretext of blessing the new life, anyone who wanted could watch the birth as if it were a spectacle.
Mothers writhed in agony—an utterly ungraceful process—exposed to unwanted eyes.
Even refusing visitors brought suspicion: 'Don't you want the baby blessed by everyone?'
When Dominic heard about these customs, he vowed to change this one thing at least.
'What is this, Louis XIV? Right to know? Ridiculous. Some things don't need sharing.'
He had no intention of mimicking France's Sun King, who let crowds watch even the queen give birth in her bedroom.
To him, birth was no spectacle.
[We're here to bless the child. Mind if we come in?]
[No entry allowed.]
[What? You're refusing my blessing? Is this Baroness Owen's wish?]
[This is a guest room. No one enters another guest's room without permission.]
[...Fine, then ask her consent.]
[The guest is in labor, so a response is difficult right now.]
[What do you mean by that?!]
Trained rigorously by Dominic, the staff held firm against the gawkers who arrived at the first news of labor, citing 'no entry to other guests' rooms' and never opening the door.
The rebuffed ladies initially fumed at the perceived insult, but upon reflection in their own rooms, envy began to stir.
Lady Noella felt the same.
Though she had no children yet, she had heard plenty about childbirth.
'They call it noble, but no one really wants to show it off...'
Even if pain left no room for shame, it was still unwelcome.
'If I stayed here to give birth, could I keep it private like Baroness Owen...?'
The peaceful resort now felt like a protective temple to her.
The other ladies thought similarly.
Through their lips, word of the resort began spreading in high society.
"Heh heh. At this rate, we'll pay off the debts in no time."
"Does that make us rich now?"
"Why are you trying to mooch off? I'm the rich one—why 'us'?"
"Tch. Cold bastard."
With the resort stabilized, Dominic stopped his daily rounds and lounged in the kitchen, killing time.
Despite his slacking, bookings via the information guild kept pouring in—autumn slots nearly filled.
"All these numbers are money?"
"Yes."
"Whew. No wonder—my wife said both families, their friends, even retainers all came to stay."
"They probably wanted to see the baby."
"You charged them all?"
"I'm not forcing anyone. If there's room and they ask, why refuse? It's business."
Kallon burst out laughing.
"Handing you the village chief position was the second best decision of my life."
"What's first?"
"Marrying my wife."
"Ugh, too sappy."
"Heh heh."
"Anyway, looking at bookings, lots of expectant mothers inquiring about giving birth here. Maybe we should seriously consider building a Goddess of Life temple in the village."
"A temple?"
"The priests say aiding births deepens their faith. They seem keen on it."
The two resident priests had been hired with hefty donations to their temple.
Lately, they subtly nudged Dominic: more siblings would ensure safer births.
"No downside. But do we have the funds? Temples cost a fortune."
"Actually, the temple handles it."
"Huh? They do? Why?"
"Our guests are all wealthy. They tipped the temple generously for the birth assistance."
"Ah, so they train, network with nobles, and earn cash?"
"Pretty much."
"Then approve it now—what're we waiting for?"
"It's for the village, so we should check with everyone."
"They'll love it. The Life Goddess folks aren't pushy evangelists."
"Proceed?"
"Yeah."
Dominic still consulted Kallon on village matters.
"You trust the old chief?"
"Of course."
"I heard he's no scholar."
"Some wisdom defies book learning—it's called experience."
Soon after, Kallon grabbed snacks for the seaweed factory and left. Ian spoke up.
"Stubbornness and wisdom are a hair's breadth apart. Age and experience don't guarantee sound judgment."
"You're right, knight. Elders don't always decide wisely."
Dominic replied nonchalantly while working.
"But to you, does Kallon seem stuck in his ways, blind to change?"
"Well..."
"He doesn't, right?"
"True. Flexible man."
"Exactly. Listen to elders whose minds stay open, even if they're illiterate, bad at math, or mannerless."
"......"
"In a group of three on the road, one always has something to teach. Someone better or worse than you. Learn from the superior; use the inferior as a cautionary tale."
Confucius said it, so it must be true.
Dominic lectured breezily, as always.
"Learned something from you again today."
Ian was ever the humble student.
"Not a half-bad teacher, huh?"
"...Means I learned humility."
Though merciless to arrogance.
"Whatever, after all that chit-chat... check this out."
Dominic showed Ian a scribbled paper.
"Cooking only with vegetables in their most natural, unaltered state?"
The flyer had arrived.