SPECIAL SIDE STORY TWO
Side Story 2-4
“Even though we’ll see Little Wiggly in two weeks anyway, I find myself especially eager to meet our child today.”
“Me too, Rien.”
Kylus carefully agreed. Alice smiled and spoke to Little Wiggly.
“Since both Mommy and Daddy feel the same way, does our Little Wiggly want to come into the world soon?”
Alice joked with a smile, about to add, “But not yet.” If only her stomach hadn’t suddenly started hurting intensely.
“Oh!”
It was pain on an entirely different level from the Braxton Hicks contractions she’d felt that morning. Before she could even catch her breath, another wave of pain seized her abdomen as if wringing it.
“Ugh…!”
Alice instinctively curled her body. Kylus looked up in alarm as Alice suddenly withdrew her feet.
“Rien!”
Seeing Alice’s concerning state, Kylus hastily rose to his feet.
But Alice, experiencing this tremendous pain for the first time in her life, had no chance to gather her thoughts. As she clutched her stomach and groaned,
“Rien, can you hear me? Rien! I’ll call for a doctor.”
Just as the urgent Kylus was about to move, the contraction briefly subsided. Alice exhaled heavily and momentarily regained her composure.
“Haah… Ha, Kylus…”
“Yes, Rien.”
Kylus quickly leaned in to listen to Alice.
With a trembling voice, Alice said:
“Little Wiggly… seems to be coming…”
This is real labor. The baby truly wants to come early.
She felt it instinctively.
“What?!”
Kylus’s eyes widened.
“The baby’s coming? But the due date is still— No, more importantly, a doctor…!”
Kylus momentarily lost his composure. He had never been so shocked in his life.
Even when ambushed during war, even when told he had to die for the sake of the world, he hadn’t been this flustered.
The baby coming earlier than expected terrified him. He feared something might go wrong with the baby or Alice.
As he was beside himself with worry, Alice took his hand.
“Kylus, let’s go to the temple.”
Her warmth snapped Kylus back to his senses.
She was right. This was no time to waste in the banquet hall.
“It will be alright, everything will be fine, Rien.”
Quickly lifting Alice into his arms, Kylus rushed straight toward the banquet hall entrance.
“The baby is coming, so we must leave first! Your Majesty!”
Kylus’s loud declaration echoed through the banquet hall, and the wide-eyed Emperor and Empress promptly ended the banquet and followed after him.
Alice’s birthing chamber was prepared not at the Dearrut ducal residence but at the Helios Temple.
This was because Alice wanted to give birth near Helios.
Helios was like a father figure to Alice.
Alice thought that having Helios nearby would make the significant event of childbirth somewhat less frightening.
So now, Alice was giving birth in a specially prepared birthing chamber at the temple. She was holding the hand of Helios, who had manifested for her.
Helios had manifested as soon as he heard that Alice had arrived at the temple to give birth.
“Lord Helios…”
Alice called to Helios with a trembling voice, as if afraid of the rapid labor.
Unlike his usual tsundere-like demeanor, Helios smiled gently and stroked Alice’s hair.
[It’s alright, it’s alright. I, the god of this world, am by your side. Both you and the child will be safe.]
Alice smiled faintly at Helios’s words, but soon her water broke, and the intensifying contractions made it difficult to maintain her composure.
“Aaaagh!!”
The intervals between contractions shortened, and the pain grew increasingly severe.
As time passed, Alice became more exhausted, and Helios’s face grew tense. He could only watch as Alice suffered.
No matter how omnipotent a god he was, he couldn’t eliminate the pain of childbirth.
[To think there would be a moment more painful than being struck by lightning with a bare body.]
If possible, he would have gladly taken a thousand lightning strikes again to remove Alice’s pain.
But all Helios could do now was firmly hold Alice’s hand and comfort her.
Helios stroked Alice’s sweat-soaked forehead and spoke softly.
[Just a little more strength, my child.]
“Rien…”
Kylus, holding Alice’s hand from the opposite side of Helios, spoke with a trembling voice.
Feeling guilty that he couldn’t share the pain of childbirth, Kylus couldn’t even bring himself to say “hang in there.”
He could only hold her hand tightly and pray. Pray that Little Wiggly would be born quickly. And that there would be no siblings for Little Wiggly.
But as time stretched on, and Little Wiggly stubbornly refused to emerge, just as resentment began to build, the midwife shouted:
“I can see the baby’s head! Holy Maiden, push harder!!!”
Alice gathered her scattered consciousness and, with a final cry, exerted all her remaining strength.
Soon, waaah—a powerful cry resounded through the birthing chamber.
“You’ve given birth to a healthy daughter, Holy Maiden!”
As the midwife announced, Helios stroked Alice’s limp head.
[Well done, my child. Congratulations on your safe delivery.]
Bright light flowed from Helios’s hand, permeating Alice’s body and rapidly healing the damage from childbirth.
Alice smiled at her refreshed body and reached out toward the baby.
“I want to see the baby.”
The midwife placed the baby in Alice’s arms. Wrapped in a pure white cloth, Little Wiggly was truly tiny and adorable.
“Hello, Little Wiggly. Nice to meet you.”
Alice greeted her like a whisper. Then, as she turned her head to tell Kylus to greet the baby too, she paused.
“Kylus, are you crying?!”
Alice was startled by his tears, which she had never seen before, but Kylus didn’t deny it.
“Yes.”
Right now, Kylus was experiencing the most profound emotions of his life.
Remorse and gratitude toward Alice, the emotion and joy of meeting his baby. Overwhelming feelings surged within him.
But he couldn’t show an unseemly face to Alice, so Kylus composed himself with a deep breath and kissed her forehead deeply.
“You really… worked so hard. Rien, I’m sorry and thank you.”
Kylus’s intense emotions were conveyed directly to Alice. With a profound smile, Alice showed the baby to Kylus.
“This is our daughter, Kylus.”
Kylus suppressed his rising tears once more and greeted his tiny daughter, whose mouth was making small movements.
“Thank you for being born healthy, Little Wiggly.”
After Little Wiggly finished greeting Kylus, Alice held her close to her chest and turned her head back to Helios.
The most important task remained.
“Lord Helios, please name our Little Wiggly.”
Helios’s eyes widened slightly, as if this was unexpected. But from the moment Alice discovered she was pregnant, she had resolved to receive the name from Helios. She had already discussed this with Kylus.
Although Kylus couldn’t see Helios, he could guess where he was. Looking in the direction Alice was facing, he said:
“Please grant us a beautiful name, Lord Helios.”
Helios looked back and forth between Alice and Kylus, then gazed at the tiny baby.
Though still wrinkled and honestly not objectively beautiful, strangely, Helios found her cute.
She seemed to resemble Alice.
Is this what humans call unconditional love?
Helios smirked at the ridiculous notion that he had become a doting father like a human.
But soon he gazed at the newborn with a serious expression.
His deliberation was brief. As soon as he saw the child, a perfectly fitting name came to mind.
Helios smiled gently and said:
[Stella, meaning ‘shining star.’ Become a radiant person like your mother. Stella.]
Helios bestowed a divine blessing upon Stella. From now on, Stella would be able to use holy power and see Helios, just like Alice.
As the bright light faded, Alice beamed and shared the name with Kylus.
“Kylus, our daughter’s name is Stella.”
“Stella… A beautiful name. Thank you, Lord Helios.”
After respectfully bowing in the direction where he knew Helios stood, Kylus put his arm around Alice’s shoulders as they gazed at Stella.
Helios watched them contentedly before returning to the divine realm and showering sacred light throughout the capital.
Announcing to the whole world that the Holy Maiden’s daughter, a child who shines like a star, had been born.
THE END.
