Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“I-It huuuurts!!”

She screamed.

The pain was overwhelming—far beyond anything she remembered.

“What—?! What is this!? It hurts, it hurts! What!?”

All she could see was white.

People in white clothing surrounded her.

“Madam, please stay with us! You must not fall asleep!”

“Breathe—breathe out! Keep your eyes open!”

Madam? …Who?

A crushing pain tore through her lower abdomen. Her pelvis felt like it was splitting in half, her body felt like it was being ripped open.

She knew this pain. The most agonizing pain known to humankind.

“Ah—aaAAAAAH!!”

She had no choice but to scream. If she didn’t scream, she would definitely lose consciousness.

And then—suddenly—the pain receded for a moment.

Panting wildly, she quickly scanned her surroundings.

A luxurious canopy bed. She was lying on it, and around her stood five women in white clothing.

“Water!”

Her throat burned. She reached out, and water was instantly placed into her hand. She drank it all in one gulp.

“Madam, grip this. Don’t thrash around. It will be soon.”

“‘Soon’ what!?”

She knew the answer, but she had to ask.

“You’ll be meeting your child very soon!”

Of course. Of course—this pain, these contractions.

She never thought she would experience childbirth again. The feeling was almost nostalgic.

“How many minutes?”

“Eh…?”

“The contractions! What’s the interval? How many minutes until the next one!?”

“Ah—three minutes apart, and… fifty seconds until the next.”

One woman, apparently acting like a timekeeper, glanced down at the antique-style clock in her hand.

Just a little longer then!

“Can I push?”

“Eh—um—”

Hurry up and answer! She didn’t have time for hesitation.

“I can push now, right!?”

She had given birth three times already—she knew exactly what she was feeling. The splitting pain in her pelvis, the indescribable pressure of something enormous forcing its way down.

He was already right there.

“It’s here—ahh, aaAAH, it huuuurts!!”

She’d always been called a “quiet” woman in labor. Yet here she was, screaming her head off.

But this was too sudden. She deserved forgiveness.

“Madam, you’re doing wonderfully! Continue—keep pushing!”

“UuUUUHHH!!”

She bore down with all her strength, enough to make it feel like her blood vessels would burst. She was absolutely determined—this child would be born in one push. She refused to feel this pain over and over.

“Nooooo!!!”

And then—

Slip—

The baby’s head was out.

“Madam, the head is out! Relax your body, please. Exhale!”

She squeezed the hand she was holding and desperately released the tension in her lower body.

“Ow—ow, ow! Be more gentle!”

At this point, she had regained enough clarity to complain.

“—Yes! He’s out! The child is born!”

The loud announcement came from someone who seemed more like an old-fashioned midwife than a modern nurse.

“Ngyaa… nn—ngyaa…”

A raw, animal-like cry—an infant’s cry.

He was born. He was alive. He was crying.

“Congratulations, Madam! A healthy boy!”

“Ah… yes… ah—ow—ow…”

She was still in agony. Her breath was ragged. Her stomach felt suddenly hollow, the pain throbbed throughout her body, her muscles trembled, her entire form drenched in sweat.

She had given birth.

And then—

Before she could even process any of it—

Darkness swallowed her vision again.

“Madam!? Madam!! Stay with us, Madam!”

“She’s bleeding—!”

“Get a healer! Stop the bleeding!”

Voices echoed from far away.

Am I… going to die again?

She drifted in and out of consciousness for days after that.

She knew she was lingering on the edge of life and death.

Her entire body felt heavy, painful, and numb with exhaustion. She couldn’t tell reality from dreams. She repeatedly called the names of her family from her previous life, delirious.

But no one answered.
That silence made her cry—Ah… so I died after all.

Sometimes she regained awareness, but her body was too weak to move. All she could do was lie in bed.

While she floated in that haze, another set of memories surfaced—fragmented at first, then slowly becoming part of her.

Had she been reborn?

If so—why was this new body so immobile?

People visited her bedside one after another, and then left.

She had no idea how many days passed. She simply lay there, recovering, for what felt like an eternity.

When she finally managed to stay awake for an entire day—

Her memories merged. Her new identity settled into place.

Cynthia Pencilnia.

That was her name now.

Cynthia Pencilnia.

That was the name of the villainess in the fantasy novel she had borrowed from her daughter to pass the time while hospitalized in her previous life.

Cynthia was the mother of the story’s protagonist.

The first princess of the Fandrag Kingdom, born with white hair and golden eyes, a bearer of Light Magic. At seventeen, she was married off to the Kingdom of Pencilnia and its duke for her magical value and royal lineage.

At eighteen, she fulfilled her “duty” by giving birth to a son.

That was this moment.

Her marriage was cold and strained. Her husband rarely visited the estate. Behind his absence, she abused and neglected her son.

Her son, Aidan Pencilnia, awakened a Light Magic far surpassing hers at age fifteen.

He inherited the dukedom swiftly and became the leading figure in the Demon Lord’s subjugation.

The first half of the story was filled with Aidan’s suffering.
If she remembered correctly… Cynthia was eventually killed by her own son.

Today, she felt better than usual.

She managed to sit up and drink some soup.

Magic existed in this world—medical treatment was done with magic, and nutrition could even be supplemented through magical means.

But nothing compared to eating with her own mouth.

Her hands trembled so badly she could barely hold the spoon, but even so—sitting up and eating a meal on her own was a first.

“Princess… This is wonderful. You’ve recovered so much…”

The one assisting her, eyes filled with tears, was her personal maid Maia.

A middle-aged woman with dark hair streaked with blue, she had served Cynthia since childhood.

“I’m sorry… for worrying you.”

Her voice was faint, but she managed the words.

“No, no… Your Highness’s health is what matters most.”

“I feel better today.”

“Yes. You will continue to improve. The healer said the same.”

She learned she had endured three days of labor, then suffered massive bleeding afterward. Her life had truly been in danger.

Shockingly, she’d been bedridden for half a year.

“Maia… where is my husband?”

“The Duke… is staying at the royal palace.”

Of course. She hadn’t seen him even once.

Even through delirium, she would have recognized his face.

In all her foggy memories, her husband—Lias Pencilnia—never appeared.

Unbelievable.

He left his wife, who had risked her life to give birth, unattended for six months?

Trying to recall details made her head hurt slightly.

Cynthia’s memories still felt strange and unfamiliar.

“What about the baby?”

“He is well. The wet nurse is raising him.”

“I see. …I want to see him.”

“Eh—!”

Maia’s voice jumped an octave.

“Y-You needn’t push yourself—”

“I couldn’t even sit up yesterday, but I feel fine today.”

Her own child—she hadn’t even seen his face.
Was he really all right after half a year without her?

Yes, he was an important heir and surely raised properly by the wet nurse, but still—

“Has his name… been decided?”

“Ah… no…”

No? What do you mean, no?

“My husband?”

“He said he would follow Your Highness’s wishes.”

Haaah!?

Unbelievable.

Half a year—and not even a name?

True, the Cynthia in the original timeline… yes, that Cynthia would have been furious if anyone dared name the child without her.

But still—

“Bring him to me.”

“Princess—”

“Now.”

Her firm tone made Maia falter, but after a moment, she bowed and hurried out.

I was bedridden. Shouldn’t he at least have named his own child? Shouldn’t he have cared for the baby in his sick wife’s stead?