After months of eerie and gloomy atmosphere of the Woldtor's estate, there was a hurry in the outer mansion. Amid hurried footsteps, a low groaning sound filled the air, emanating from the mistress' room—drawing everyone towards it.

As the sun set and that day's ominous red moon emerged, the low groans turned into pained grunts. Servants ran through the corridors—some carrying basins of hot water, others bringing clothes to the lady's room. Soon after the servants' haste subsided in the corridor, a rhythmic clacking sound approached the mistress' room.

"Everyone out," a voice cutting through the grunts ordered the servants present in the room. It was the Housekeeper, followed by three female servants.

As the mistress' eyes fell upon the Housekeeper, she clenched the sheets under her. Her breaths were long gasps from the continuous contraction. Her bosom heaved as she barely said, "Venet..." with hopeful eyes.

Looking at her lady with softened gaze, Venet said, "Don't worry...it'll be fine," with an assuring voice. As she moved to the other side of the bed, the red moonlight fell upon her crinkled skin. Her eyes squinted and she ordered, "Close the curtains."

One of the servants behind Venet walked to the window and dropped the curtain. As the curtain closed, the room filled with a warmer, more yellow light than the previous orange.

A sudden cry echoed through the room. The pregnant woman's body arched, and veins stood out on her neck. Venet sat beside her and took her hand—gently caressing it, while placing her other hand on the stomach. "Put a warm cloth there," she ordered in a low voice.

"Lady, gently try to push."

After hours of continuous, but gentle pushing, Lady's body arched for the last time and a high-pitched cry echoed in the room. A slick, silent form slid into a servant's waiting hands. A moment later, a continuous cry of the newborn filled the room. The servant exclaimed "It's a boy!"

The expression of all three servants present in the room changed from tense to joyful. Bright smiles broke on everyone's face. Venet looked at her lady, who was gasping in relief from the continuous pain. The newborn's mother returned her gaze—her eyes shimmering with tears they held. With a bright smile, she said, "Venet..." while gasping. After a few gasps, she felt dizzy and fainted.

With a firm smile on her face, Venet gently squeezed Lady's hand for a moment. She tittered, before ordering, "Greta, clean the baby and then Lady Ivene."

Greta's hands quivered as she held the newborn in her hands. "Me...?" she asked.

"Yes. Also stay here and see if Lady or the newborn wants anything. Everyone else, leave. Let Madam rest."

The other two servants replied, "Yes!" in unison and left the room.

"I'll do my best," Greta said. Her words trembled but her face was earnest.

"Okay, then." With the last word Venet also left the room.

The corridor, now quieter after the evening's hurried noises, once again echoed with the clacking sounds of Venet's footsteps. The white walls of the corridor and the wavy-patterned floor marble tinted red from the moonlight coming through the windows. Just as Venet was about to take a turn, the rhythmic clack of her footsteps were abruptly interrupted by the sound of another's approaching from the corner.

Aware of an unknown presence on the other side of the corner, Venet took the turn. In front of her, about twenty steps away, stood a woman of similar height, differing by only a few inches.

With a slight smile, the woman, Crof Mathus standing in front of Venet, said, "Mrs. Bennymark,".

Venet's eyes narrowed for a moment—the smile that the woman gave wasn't normal. It held a little hint of smirk. But it didn't bothered Venet, with a firm smile, she replied, "Oh, Mrs. Marthus. You..."

"Yes," Crof replied. With a moment of pause, she added, "I came to see how Lady Ivene is doing."

"She fainted, but she is okay and resting right now."

"Hmm...and the childbirth?"

"It went by without any difficulties."

"Oh..." Crof sighed in relief.

Venet asked, "By the way...how's Lady Ceres doing?"

"She's doing fine. Her baby is expected in about a fortnight," Crof replied. Then, she lowered her gaze. Her expression looked as though she was thinking something. After a moment, with a flicker of unease, she added, "If only it had been the same for Lady Ivene. Even if just by a day...instead of today..."

For a moment Venet's gaze tensed in response, but soon softened. "Your concern is understandable, but...the labour is natural. No one can do anything about it. Besides, the newborn is healthy, so there's no worries."

"Yes...but still." Crof's eyes looked nervous. "...you know what catastrophe the previous child born of the Red Moon brought, right?"

"But it's also well known that his birth on the Red Moon was just a coincidence."

"But not everyone believes in that," Crof said. Her gaze fell over the ground as she mumbled, "...I don't know what others will say..." After standing there in an awkward silence for a moment, Crof said, "Okay, then. I'll take my leave. Lady Ceres sent me to check how Lady Ivene is doing. Now that I know she's fine, I'll relay it to the Lady."

With that, Crof was about to turn and take leave, but she stopped and asked, "Who's with Lady Ivene right now."

"Greta."

Hearing Venet's answer, the concern, Crof's face held for Lady Ivene's newborn was gone. Her eyes squinted and hands clenched. "That girl?" she asked curtly.

"Yes."

Crof fixed her panto-shaped glasses from the middle of the frame with the index and middle finger of her left hand. The movement of positioning her glasses reflected the red moonlight into Venet's eyes—causing her to squint reflexively. Then she turned and started walking. Her previous graceful rhythmic clacking sound of footsteps were now tensed and heavy.

Venet shook her head in disbelief. Her eyes drooped from the day's exhaustion. Letting out a yawn, she started walking slowly, making sure not to cross the one walking ahead of her.

With the corridor now vacant, newborn mother's room was the only place with slight movements.

Greta laid the baby on a firm linen covered bench. She gently wiped his body with cloth soaked in warm water. As she wiped, the warm sensation soothed the crying one and he slipped into sleep. She was wrapping the child in another soft, furry blanket, when a low groan sound came from her back. The sound cut through the silence of the room—which only held sounds of nocturnal creatures' hooting and screeching. Greta's breath hitched, and she startled. The movement awakened the baby, who filled the quiet of the room with his crying.

Greta looked back and saw that the lady had awakened. "Don't move Lady Ivene," she said.

"How's the child..." Ivene asked in a low, trembling voice. With a pause, she struggled to move upward to get in a reclined position.

Looking at that, Greta exclaimed, "Wait, Milady! I'll help."

Greta hastily wrapped the cloth around the child, and put him on the cradle prepared beforehand in the room. The hasty movements caused an escalation in the child's cry. But ignoring him, Greta hurriedly went to her struggling Lady, and helped her to get in a reclined position—leaning her back on the headboard.

"Bring him to me...let me see," Ivene said in a low voice.

After tending to her Lady, Greta followed her orders and brought the child to her. Looking at her child, a bright but exhausted smile broke across Ivene's face. As if recognising his mother instinctively, the baby also quieted down as he went into her hands.

Looking at the child's face, Ivene's eyes got wet, and a single tear slipped through her cheek, and dropped over her gown. Looking at her Lady, Greta asked in panic, "L-lady Ivene, why are you crying?...D-does it hurt somewhere? Here, let me take young master. You rest."

She was about to take the child from her Lady's hands, but Ivene squeezed her newborn in her embrace and shook her head. She chuckled softly at Greta's frantic reactions and said, "It's nothing. I'm fine...It's just...my eyes got watery..."

Ivene's words still trembled, showing her weakness. Still believing in her Lady, Greta replied, "O-okay, then..."

As Ivene dandled the child gently in her hand, a thought crossed her mind. If-if only you were here, too. To see our child together.

Before long, coddled in his mother's hands, the child went back to sleep. Greta peeked at the sleeping one and, in a low voice, almost a whisper, said, "...let me put Young Master in the cradle, Lady Ivene...I also have to clean you."

With her eyes crinkled, Ivene gave a last smile to her newborn before passing him to Greta. 

As Greta put him in the cradle, the child whimpered. But swinging it for a bit, made him go back to sleep.

Greta went back to get warm water and cloth, but seeing that the water had cooled, she said, "Lady Ivene, water is cooled down. Let me go and bring a new basin with warm water." After saying that, she left and came back shortly after with the new basin. She put the basin on the side table of the bed, and started wiping the lady.

As she was wiping, Ivene asked, "When is the Anthor's expedition team coming back?" It wasn't apparent, but her voice had a hint of concern.

"I...don't know," Greta replied. "But I've heard that it'll take about a month."

"Hmm...," Ivene replied. The joy she had a moment ago in her heart was now tempered by the realisation that she would have to wait for a month before she could introduce her child to his father.

Greta let out a yawn as she completed cleaning Ivene. With a soft breath out, Ivene said, "You should be exhausted too, take some rest..."

After laying her Lady and covering her with a silk blanket, Greta sat on the couch that was in the room's corner and went to sleep.