The Abandoned Princess, Yet She Is Loved - Chapter 118

“Ah… Ah… Aaaagh!”

Grace’s bedroom had been filled with agonized screams for hours on end. Her cries, now growing weaker, suggested she no longer had the strength to even scream properly. Standing guard right outside the birthing room, Frederick’s face darkened more and more as he listened.

“Is something wrong with Grace?”

Every time Grace screamed like she was dying, Frederick’s heart shattered. Deep down, he wished he could bear that pain in her stead—or at least share some of it. But all he could do was wait, wracked with anxiety.

“Someone—anyone—get in there and check on Grace’s condition!”

“Your Grace, childbirth naturally comes with pain. If the madam were in danger, the physician would have come out to inform you immediately.”

When Frederick barked the order while pointing toward the room, Dorota—unusually firm—held him back. Having gone through childbirth herself, Dorota remained relatively calm.

Still, Frederick’s expression didn’t ease.

“Not all mothers are in labor this long!”

When the physician first explained things to him, he said some women delivered after only an hour or two of mild labor. Why couldn’t Grace be one of those cases? Frederick fumed silently, the helpless rage bubbling up inside him.

“I really think I should go in and check…”

“Every mother experiences labor differently. Please, Your Grace, I beg you!”

Dorota blocked Frederick with all her strength. He looked as if he’d barge into the room any second. But the last thing Grace—already in such pain—needed was an uncomposed Frederick bursting in.

“I myself was in labor for over a day before giving birth. Of course, the madam is struggling, but please hold on just a little longer.”

“…Haah.”

Frederick, so unlike his usual composed self, made the nearby servants deeply uneasy.

‘He’s usually so calm and collected… What’s gotten into him today?’

“Waaaaah! Waaaaaah!”

Just as everyone stood frozen, unsure of what to do, the newborn’s powerful cries rang out from the room. Grace’s screams had finally stopped.

“Your Grace! Congratulations!”

As the door opened, the physician and maids inside hurriedly emerged and bowed deeply to Frederick. With a bright smile, the physician announced:

“The baby has been delivered safely!”

“How is Grace?”

“She’s fine—just a bit exhausted, but otherwise in good health.”

Frederick immediately rushed into the room to check on Grace. His steps were swift, like wings carrying him.

“Grace! Grace!”

He called her name the moment he entered.

Grace was sitting up slightly in bed, catching her breath. Without hesitation, Frederick ran to her and wrapped her in his broad embrace.

She was soaked in sweat, but he didn’t mind in the slightest. All he felt was overwhelming relief that she was alive and conscious.

“Fre…derick…”

“You did so well. Truly, you’ve done so well.”

Frederick gently kissed her forehead. Grace smiled, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Even pale and weary, she looked beautiful to him. Holding her close, he asked the physician:

“Where’s the baby?”

“One of the maids is holding her over there. A very healthy and lovely young lady.”

“…A girl?”

A soft gasp escaped Frederick’s lips before his entire face lit up like sunshine.

So, a beautiful daughter who takes after Grace.

In truth, it didn’t matter whether it was a boy or a girl. The only thing that mattered was that the child had been born safely.

‘Oh, God… thank You for this blessing.’

Though not a devout man, Frederick found himself praying silently with heartfelt gratitude. Grace was safe, and the baby had been born healthy.

Soon, one of the maids brought the swaddled newborn to him. His heart pounded in his chest like a drum as he gazed at the little life before him.

“Would you like to hold her?”

Frederick carefully took the baby into his arms. The tiny being nestled into his chest. She moved her little hands, lips puckering as if something bothered her.

“…Haah.”

A breath of wonder escaped him. Her flushed face, her wrinkled body fresh from the womb—objectively, she was far from conventionally “pretty.” But to Frederick, his daughter was more radiant and beautiful than anything in the world.

He smiled at the child, feeling as though he could look at her forever.

“I have a daughter now…”

“Have you chosen a name?”

“Yes. We decided on Emily.”

He answered without hesitation. He and Grace had discussed names some time ago.

If it was a girl, they would name her Emily—in honor of the person dearest to Grace. It was a way of cherishing the memory of the woman who had loved and cared for her.

“Your Majesty, shall we place the lady in the madam’s arms now?”

The physician asked to hand the baby over to Grace. She reached out without a moment’s delay.

Frederick carefully placed the baby into Grace’s arms. The child had stilled now, sleeping like an angel.

Her tiny face, with its delicate features still puffy from birth, was nestled peacefully against her mother. Soon enough, those features would smooth out and show their true beauty.

“She’s already so lovely. Perhaps she takes after her father?”

“No, I think she’s beautiful because she takes after you.”

To both Grace and Frederick, this child was infinitely precious. Together, they gazed at their daughter with love-filled eyes. The joy of welcoming a new life into their family overwhelmed them.

Frederick placed a gentle kiss on his daughter’s cheek and smiled.

His beloved Grace. Their darling daughter. He felt like he couldn’t possibly want for anything more.

Though he was born of noble blood and possessed exceptional talents, he had never felt his life was truly fulfilling. He’d grown up amidst the stench of blood on the battlefield. Even when he earned glory, the wary gazes of noble peers only reminded him of how hollow and meaningless it all was.

That’s why he never had any expectations when it came to love. He never once believed he could fall in love with someone.

Even the woman who would become his wife—he had always seen her merely as a vessel to continue the family line.

But then Grace appeared—like fate. It wasn’t love at first sight. But as they spent time together, something changed.

He found himself thinking about her more than he expected. She surprised him. She was endearing. She made him laugh when he hadn’t thought he could.

The comfort and happiness she gave him were irreplaceable. Frederick silently vowed again to dedicate his life to protecting their little family.

“…”

Grace looked up at her husband.

Seeing the happiness radiating from Frederick’s face, her own heart swelled with emotion.

He had everything—status, power, skill—but he had always seemed lonely and cold, somehow unreachable. And yet she had come to love him.

Just as her own painful life had changed since meeting him, she hoped he, too, had been changed by her.

Thankfully, with time, the shadows on his face had faded. He smiled more. And though he sometimes still wore a worried expression when it came to her, he no longer seemed lonely.

Now, with the child born from their love in their arms, all that remained was to build a bright future together.

From now on, they would walk forward—loving one another even more with each step.

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