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The whole household was in chaos indeed as their mistress went into her fourth labor.

“Get a bucket of water! Get everything, quick!” The three personal attendants of Duchess Akasa ordered everyone around.

“No one can come through the door, you understand?” Esa reminded one of them. “The Duchess’ labor is sensitive, we cannot afford to get anything wrong!”

They also served as Duchess Akasa’s midwives because of the family’s paranoia towards outsiders and possible assassins.

Labor was a very vulnerable moment for them after all, so they only had these three that they could trust to do it every time. Even physicians were only called out at the direst moments, and these three were forced to study some medical aid as well.

Ronin just walked slowly with his small feet amidst the chaos. Maellan was being taken care off by a young maid about his age, his already blue face made black and blue by his Father’s beatings.

Zeuxis meanwhile looked pale and lost his smugness. It was the first time he saw a pregnant woman’s water break and somehow that completely unsettled him.

Not only that, but he now knew how babies come into this world unlike when he was a child….

And it was not them appearing inside an actual rosebud as people told him when he was 5.

Thinking about it made him disgusted. He puked at a nearby potted plant, unable to handle it anymore.

Duke Taevas meanwhile had his hands wrapped in bandages as he paced back and forth. Ronin went within 5-meter range to read what’s on his mind.

(Please make it a healthy boy. Please. I do not know why you signed the agreement, but I did everything to serve you. Do not abandon me this time.)_.

He sounded like he was praying. Ronin knew immediately who he was praying to when he said ‘signed the agreement’.

‘He’s praying to a God of War, Violence, and Destruction for the safe labor of his child? Ah, he really is just a hopeless dumbass.’ Ronin thought amusingly.

(Vesuvius, ever since you appeared to me in a dream….. I thought I would have been free. I thought that with your sword, I would have the life I have always wanted. I would have the life that my family could only imagine.)

(Help me, once more. I will give as many offerings to you… just help me.)

The Coal child raised an eyebrow at this. ‘He saw a god in his dreams?’

(After my endless days of misfortune, you were the one who gave me hope. But my misfortunes are returning again.)

(Does that mean that you have left me? Your most devoted follower, who prayed to no one, not even to the god of this Kingdom…. but only to you?)

He wanted to learn more, but Duke Taevas seems to have sighed as if giving up. He went away to go upstairs to his room and Ronin followed after him without being seen.

But once he reached the bedroom door of his Father, Duke Taevas turned to him.

“What do you want?” He said in a gruff tone.

Ronin just blinked at him blankly, thinking of what to say now.

“I’m…. scared.” He said without sounding scared at all.

“There’s a lot of things to be scared of, cursed boy.” Duke Taevas often called him that. “But you’re a man, so you have to face all that without acting scared at all. I’m not like your Mommy that will hug and comfort you just because you are scared.”

“Can I go inside?” Ronin asked.

“For what?” Duke Taevas scowled at him.

“I don’t want to hear Mommy’s shouts.” He reasoned badly again.

‘Curse this childish body, I don’t really have much options here besides to appeal through cuteness.’ He grumbled internally.

And as expected, his father rejected him. “Go hide in your room, not mine. You’re adding to my annoyance.”

He slammed the door at this small three-year-old, who just stood by the door without moving at all.

He tried to be as close as he could to the door, so he could hear his father’s thoughts. But Taevas was either no longer in 5-meter range or he had fallen asleep.

Ronin gave up and went to the library again. Waiting for the new baby’s arrival while reading some more books.

This time, he chose to read books about gods. Particularly on Vesuvius.

While he was engrossed in his studies, there were suddenly shouting and wails!

“Duke Taevas! Duke Taevas, please come here!” He heard Axi’s nasally tone calling out.

As Ronin left the library door, he saw his father ran past him. Who obviously had been disturbed from his sleep with his messy hair. “What is it!? What happened to the child!?”

“The child is alright, Duke Taevas…. But….” Even spunky Rea’s voice was shaking. “Please come quickly before it’s too late.”

Duke Taevas’ cerulean eyes widened at this, and all of them made haste to the duchess’ room. Maellan and Zeuxis followed as well, and Ronin tried to move quickly with his tiny little feet to see what was going on.

The whole family plus the three attendants were now in the room, and….

A sleeping Duchess Akasa was on the bed. She looked worse than just sleeping, her breathing was weak and heavy. Everyone can tell immediately…..

She was slowly losing her life.

“Mother!” Maellan went by her side, holding her hand. “Blessed lightning, grant to me a little of your infinite power to reignite my Mother’s Flame—“

“Maellan, you are safe.” She said weakly, and placed a hand on his head. “How…. did your Triannum test go? Did you get accepted?”

“I did, Mother. I will be a doctor like I told you.” He said tearfully. “Now let me heal you, Mother.”

She doesn’t seem to register half of what was being said, and turned her head with her eyes still closed. “Where is Taevas? That evil man, where is he?”

“I am here.” Taevas said with gritted teeth. “Do not leave this world before a physician is called. You three useless girls, why didn’t you—“

“I asked them not to, Taevas. It’s futile, useless….” She said.

“I am tired of you. I am tired of trying to keep this family together as much as I can, and yet it keeps on being ruined by you. This is the last favor I will ever do for you… Are you quite satisfied?”

‘Even when she’s on the verge of death, her tongue is as sharp as ever towards her husband.’ Ronin thought.

“In return, I am easy to satisfy as well. Just keep my Maellan, my Zeuxis… Cough….”

She breathed like it physically hurt her. “And of course, my Ronin and this new child…. safe. Do not hurt them, they are my children.”

“Mother…..” Zeuxis was crying now, all his malicious mischief gone.

Ronin just stayed quiet. The people interpreted that he was either too young or too sad to say anything.

“Taevas, I entrust them all to you now. If you have any sympathy for me at all…. From the times we spent before I married you….. Then just keep my children safe. That is all I ask.”

Duke Taevas remained quiet for a long time, until he eventually said.

“….. Fine. I promise.”

Hearing this seems to be her only reason to breathe, and once those words were spoken…

She left this world at last.

Duke Taevas was completely somber, and went to the crib where his new child was.

“Is he healthy?” He asked the attendants. “No deformities?”

“None, sire.” Axi answered with her head bowed down. “But…”

Rea delivered the truth for her. “It’s a she, Your Grace.”

Duke Taevas took the baby and sighed. “Of course, another misfortune. I knew the moment I saw you. You are too beautiful and weak like her.”

“I suppose she’d like you to have some silly, fanciful name like Belladonna. Beautiful lady.”

So he says, but Ronin saw a single teardrop fall from his eyes.

And so, that was how Belladonna Zafeiri was born. As a bringer of misfortune.