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The birthing room was filled with a pungent odor.
As Hedy approached, she could smell the familiar scent of blood and hear the agonizing groans of the woman in labor.
Lorenzo was anxiously pacing near the partition, calling out loudly, "Clarice—"
Maidservants were coming and going, carrying hot water, all looking bewildered and helpless.
Hedy immediately washed her hands thoroughly and entered the semi-enclosed room.
A pale-faced woman was seated on the birthing stool, swaying dangerously, almost about to collapse.
"I'll handle this," Hedy said, instinctively pushing aside the strange silver hook someone had brought out, and went to check on the lady.
The baby's head was already visible, but its shoulders were stuck inside.
Thankfully, it wasn’t a more complicated problem.
Clarice had exhausted all her strength and was now gasping for breath, wanting nothing more than to lie down and rest.
The midwife was shouting commands, and someone even swung a whip, attempting to frighten her into exerting more force.
"Put away the hook and the knife—what do you think you’re doing to the child?!" Hedy snapped, not caring about her position, and added angrily, "Quick, come help me lift her legs!"
Having given birth to two children in her past life, she remembered the process clearly—no matter how many births she'd experienced, it would always be unforgettable.
She helped Clarice sit up, instructing her to hold onto her thighs, which would reduce spinal curvature and expand the pelvic outlet.
"Give her some pain relief medicine—wasn’t there some when someone got hurt earlier?" Hedy continued, gently rubbing her back and speaking softly to calm her down. She glanced at the midwife. "Or at least bring a warm compress?"
"No, my lady..." the midwife replied, a little surprised.
"Why not?"
The midwife looked at her in disbelief. "Because it’s God’s punishment for women... easing the pain during childbirth would be desecrating the divine!"
"Fuck—" Hedy muttered under her breath. Seeing the cold sweat covering the woman’s forehead, she snapped, "Bring her hot soup at least, or give her something to eat!"
Hedy instructed another maid to support the exhausted Clarice from behind, while she herself continued to press on the pubic bone, gently guiding the baby’s head out.
Why couldn’t this man just practice birth control?!
Did he have to keep fathering an entire football team of children?!
The squatting position to assist with childbirth, combined with pressing on the front shoulder, seemed to be working well. The baby slowly emerged, covered in blood.
An elderly woman grabbed a pair of scissors to cut the umbilical cord, but Hedy stopped her sharply.
"The scissors—have they been sterilized?"
"No, they need to be heated over the fire!"
Hedy knew how important it was for those scissors to be clean—any carelessness could lead to a risk of tetanus infection for both the mother and the baby, possibly even resulting in death.
Everyone knew her status, and all of them responded with utmost respect and caution, following her instructions exactly.
The baby was finally brought out, quiet and still.
"It's a boy—My lord!" someone announced.
