Of the 40 days the Marquis had set as a deadline, 21 had already passed.
It was early morning; there were only about three hours left until sunrise. The sky was cloudy, but the light of the full moon shone through the clouds.
Mart was walking down one of the mansion's hallways.
Iristel had been in labor for hours.
The door opened and the midwife came out; sweat beaded on her face, but her gentle expression suggested that everything had gone well.
"Congratulations, Marquis—you're the father of a healthy baby girl."
Mart Sevec nodded.
He was happy, though he seemed calm.
The midwife sighed; she was exhausted.
Like her, he had shown discretion, so Mart hired her permanently, and she had been entrusted with assisting each of the marquis's wives during childbirth.
Now, she was a wealthy midwife who didn't have to worry about the shadow of war looming over the continent.
Mart entered and saw Iristel smiling warmly as tears streamed down her beautiful face.
