Feasting Lord in Another World

#Resort Opening (2)

"Didn't Mrs. Owen mention that she still has approximately two months remaining before her due date?"

"It's actually a month and a half!"

The staff spoke in a hushed but urgent tone.

"What about the midwife and the therapist?"

"They're in the room tending to Mrs. Owen, following the procedures we practiced."

"What about the priest?"

"He was the first one to hurry here."

"Very well. It must have been quite chaotic. Let's go quickly."

"I'll lead the way."

Dominic and the other resort staff hastened their steps.

**

"Ah-huh!"

A cry of pain escaped her lips.

"Ma'am, take a deep breath. One, two. Excellent. You're doing well."

"Hoo, hoo! Haak!"

"You're okay. Good. Once more, one, two!"

Lady Owen couldn't find her composure due to the sudden onset of labor pains.

She had originally planned to go directly to her family's mansion in Sinclair when her due date approached after some rest in a tranquil setting...

'What if something goes wrong?'

Anxiety began to steadily take hold.

She fretted over the potential complications during childbirth that might hinder the baby's safe delivery.

"Concentrate on your breathing now. It will benefit the baby. Again, one, two!"

"...Hoo-. Hoo-."

"Good, you're doing well."

The experienced midwife appeared to understand the mother's anxiety and offered reassurance in a compassionate tone.

Whoosh-.

Then, a gentle breeze, reminiscent of a light mountain wind, swept in and caressed the mother's face, which was damp with sweat and tears.

Life seemed to return to the path the wind had crossed, as if it were an illusion.

"Don't be afraid; the goddess of life and birth is here!"

In one corner of the delivery room, a young priest stood, channeling all his healing powers to aid the mother.

Sensing a peculiar yet comforting energy beside her, the mother began to summon her inner strength.

'Yes, why should I be afraid? The midwife is here, and so is the priest. I need to be strong so our baby can be born comfortably.'

Mrs. Owen exerted her strength once more.

Clutching the baby socks she had been knitting until her water broke, she clung to her fading consciousness.

"Ueup!"

She took a deep breath and gave it her all, akin to the determination of a baby nursing.

Her vision blurred, and she felt as if she heard a 'beep-', like a warning signal.

Then, a brief moment of silence.

"Wah, wah!"

Breaking the silence was the hearty cry of a newborn.

Sir Owen, who had anxiously paced outside the delivery room, closed his eyes and sank to his knees.

"God, thank you!"

"It's a son!"

"Congratulations, madam!"

"You did well, you did very well!"

As soon as the midwife granted permission, the lady's maid, who had accompanied her, swiftly took the baby and gently bathed him in the warm water they had prepared.

"My baby, my baby!"

Wrapped in a white cloth and soon drifting into slumber, the baby appeared puffy from the amniotic fluid, but to the new mother's eyes, he was more precious than any jewel in the world.

Tears welled up in the lady's eyes.

Whether it was due to the pain she had experienced for the first time or the relief of having safely given birth, she couldn't discern.

***

"Did Mrs. Owen have a safe delivery?"

"What a joyful occasion!"

"Who wouldn't say so?"

That evening, groups of women gathered at a restaurant within the resort, discussing Mrs. Owen and her newborn son.

"Is it true that they had a midwife and a priest prepared in advance?"

"Yes, it is. I inquired with the staff, and they mentioned that protocols for prenatal and postnatal care were put in place. Apparently, some of the mothers had heard about this beforehand."

"My goodness!"

"I discreetly asked their maids, and they even took measures to prevent outsiders from entering during childbirth. They used a cloth to shield the lower area so only the midwife, priest, and healer could witness. Truly remarkable!"

"Is that indeed the case?"

Envy flickered in the eyes of several women.

In this society, the process of childbirth was regarded as a private matter for women, irrespective of their social standing.

It was deemed customary for anyone interested to witness the childbirth under the pretext of offering blessings.

This prevailing atmosphere compelled mothers to expose their laborious, far-from-elegant ordeal, even to those they would prefer not to.

Declining visitors often led to suspicions like 'Don't you want the baby to receive blessings from many people?' making it a challenging situation to manage.

Upon hearing about this childbirth tradition, Dominic pledged to change it in some way.

'Am I supposed to be like Louis XIV, allowing people to witness this? Absurd. No need to share that.'

He had no intention of emulating France's Sun King, who permitted visitors to witness even the queen giving birth in her chamber.

He believed that the moment of birth should never become a spectacle.

[May we enter to offer blessings?]

[You cannot.]

[What? You're denying my blessings? Is this Mrs. Owen's wish?]

[This is a guest room, isn't it? You can't enter someone else's room without their consent.]

[...Then I will seek consent now. Please inquire.]

[The guest is currently in labor, so it's challenging to obtain a response.]

[What nonsense is this?]

Under Dominic's firm instructions, the staff resisted opening the door to inquisitive visitors, stating, "You cannot enter someone else's room."

Initially indignant, the ladies who were denied access later felt envious when they considered the situation.

This included Lady Noella.

Even though she had not yet experienced childbirth, she had heard much about it.

'Everyone says it's a noble act, but you still wouldn't want to display it...'

Pain leaves no room for concern about others' gazes, but disliking something is still disliking it.

'If I were to give birth at this resort, could I, like Mrs. Owen, refrain from showing the childbirth to anyone?'

Lady Noella felt that the resort, where she was peacefully resting, seemed like a sanctuary protecting her.

The sentiments of other ladies were no different.

News of the resort began to circulate within their social circle through word of mouth.

**

"Hehe, we can clear all our debts in no time."

"Are we wealthy now?"

"Why are you acting like you contributed? I'm the wealthy one, not us."

"Tsk, you're so cold."

As the resort gained stability, Dominic stopped his daily commutes and returned to idling in the kitchen.

Despite his inactivity, resort reservations continued to pour in through the Information Guild, nearly filling up until the fall.

"Is all of this money?"

"Yes."

"Phew. Well, judging by what you're saying, it seems like everyone from both our families to acquaintances stayed here to see the baby?"

"They would have wanted to see the baby."

"And did you charge all of those people as well?"

"I didn't even have to push it, and if there were available rooms, would you turn them down? Are you a businessperson or not?"

Calron burst into hearty laughter at that remark.

"Passing the position of village chief to you is the second best decision I've ever made in my life."

"What's the first?"

"Marrying my beloved wife."

"Ah, you're too much."

"Hehe."

"Anyway, looking at these reservations, there are many inquiries from expectant mothers who wish to give birth at the resort. And they are seriously considering constructing a temple for the Goddess of Life in our village."

"A temple?"

"In discussions with the priest, I learned that assisting with childbirth deepens one's spiritual connection, and they are quietly hopeful about this as well."

The two priests who had been permanently stationed at the resort were brought in with a substantial donation.

Lately, the priests had subtly suggested to Dominic, "If more siblings come, the safety of the mothers will be assured."

"That doesn't sound bad at all. But do we have the funds for it? Constructing a temple can be quite costly."

"Oh, the temple will take care of that."

"Huh? The temple will? How come?"

"The people who stay at our resort are all affluent. They've been quite generous in compensating the temple for their assistance during childbirth."

"Aha, so from their perspective, it's an opportunity to train, connect with nobility, and earn money?"

"Exactly."

"Then let's get started without delay. Why wait?"

"We still need to gather the opinions of the villagers since a temple will be established in the village."

"Everyone will likely welcome it. It's not like we're dealing with people deeply involved in proselytization."

"Shall we proceed then?"

"Yes, let's."

Until now, Dominic had always consulted with Calron when handling village matters.

"Do you trust the former village chief?"

"Absolutely."

"He doesn't sound highly educated."

"There are things that can't be taught through education alone; experience has its own value."

A little later, as Calron left for the seaweed processing plant with his hands full of snacks, Ian offered a comment.

"Stubbornness and wisdom can sometimes blur the line, can't they? Just because someone is older and more experienced doesn't guarantee they'll always make the right decision."

"You're right. Age doesn't automatically equate to making the right choices."

Dominic, as always, carried out his duties calmly while responding to Ian's remark.

"But let me ask you, does Calron strike you as someone stuck in his ways and unable to adapt to change?"

"Well..."

"It wasn't like that, was it?"

"True, he's quite adaptable."

"I think so too. We should always lend an ear to the words of the elderly who aren't rigid in their thinking, whether they can read, do math, or adhere to proper etiquette."

"..."

"When three people walk down a path, there's always something to learn from at least one of them. There will definitely be someone who does something better or worse than me. We should seek to learn from those who excel and use those who fall short as examples of what not to do."

These words echo Confucius's wisdom, so they must hold merit, right?

Ian, who was listening to Dominic's speech comfortably, added, "I've learned something from you today as well."

Ian was indeed a humble learner.

"Doesn't that make me a pretty good teacher?"

"...It means I've learned to be humble."

Excessive pride found no place in this lesson.

"Even after all this talking... never mind, take a look at this."

Dominic showed Ian a piece of paper he had been scribbling on intently.

"Cooking with only the most natural and unmodified vegetables?"

It was the appearance of a flyer.