“How long has it been?” The Elder of the family asked the maidservant in question.

“Almost a month, Elder,” the girl answered as respectfully as she could while lovingly rubbing her slightly swollen belly.

Inside her womb was the child of her Master, and their child was growing rather quickly. It was unbelievable but she was already reassured by the family’s healer. The child was fine and she was as healthy as any expecting mother could be. The only reason her stomach seemed to have grown overnight was that her child was incredibly special.

Now she could literally feel it brimming with mana while the child’s father was too occupied with his unfathomable projects. She tried to hint at him a few times but her slightly dense master didn’t get it every single time. He was so engrossed with his project that even Mistress Bella, a woman many times more beautiful than her, was complaining about it.

The morning sickness hadn’t been helping but it was tolerable. This was what she wanted all this time as the child was a ticket to her freedom from the enormous debt. Selfish it may be but it was her only road to true happiness.

A life for a life.

Lily still would love to continue to serve her adoring young Master after gaining her freedom, if he would still have her. A young master who was willing to accept a mothered maidservant was unheard of. All of them simply chose another when they heard about the pregnancy, but Lily could still hope for a miracle.

Other maids advised her to accept the reality as it was but they didn’t know him. None of them had spent a minute with him in bed or when he was most vulnerable. She wished that the father of her child wouldn’t suddenly change, as this child was a chance for her to finally call him by name. A chance to be somewhat equal to her loved one.

Yes, she shouldn’t have but she still had fallen in love with the father of her precious child. She knew this because she didn’t think any other man could replace him or come close to it.

“Does he know about this?” asked another Elder.

“No, I don’t think he is aware,” Lady Anaxandra answered on her behalf and Lily nodded.

The lady too had a swollen belly, if not more developed than her. She too was unable to choose who the would-be father was, so Lily could relate to her. Somewhat. Lily wondered what if their children had the same father. What would happen then? Would they be good siblings?

“And this past month, he hadn’t touched any other than the two?”

“No, only the two,” Lady Ana confirmed.

The secret meeting went into a silent discussion between the Elders. The Elders were worried about the given answer as it contrasted with the rumor. Lily also heard something about Mistress Bella's inability to carry a child but she wasn’t trying to snoop.

She was more worried about her Master, the baby, and herself. The news of the [Lightbringer] insatiable appetite had spread between the maidservants, and quite a few had tried their luck with the young man. Lily was sure that even the Elders had heard the rumors and his actions would have puzzled everyone else but herself.

It wouldn’t look good for her Master, but no one knew the real truth. Lily’s face warmed up as she recalled the morning routine as her Master had never failed to ask her to lock the doors. It was mostly all her doing, but with her master’s blessed mana, it sometimes lasted until noon.

She thought that she would grow tired of it, but to her great shame, Lily only wanted more of his torturously loving touch. Lily couldn’t bear to admit that her Master who had been trying to satisfy her, as revealing that would have tarnished even more of his reputation.

A very picky young master was already troubling news for the Elders. An insatiable but picky young master would be the worst combination but it was still tolerable. However, a young man who took pleasure from the suffering of a woman wouldn’t be acceptable even if it was just a misunderstanding.

No man wanted any sorts of ill rumors to go around. Lily would rather die than let anyone learn the truth of what was happening between her and young Master Adrin.

‘No one will ever know,’ she promised herself.

“The child's affinity to mana is incredible, there is no doubt about it,” said one of the more senior Elder, “even sitting from here I can feel it pulling the mana in this room. He will grow fast but be warned, the child will demand as much as he grows.”

‘He? A boy?’ Lily gasped before she closed her mouth.

“I’ll arrange everything for Lily and the child,” Lady Ana said as she reached to hold Lily’s shaking hands.

She was very thankful for the consideration. Even standing here, in the fabled meeting room, had her knees shaking uncontrollably at the beginning.

The only other reason a maidservant was called to this room was when she had done something unspeakable. Not every maidservant had accepted their ill fate. Lily knew why she was called here but her doubts still haunted her all night.

“The chosen child of mana will grow much faster than a normal child,” the young Matriarch said, almost whispering to her. “It is normal for those without the mana to not know as this child was rarer than the Moon-Blossom.”

“Your Matriarch is right,” affirmed the first Elder. “A chosen child doesn't even appear even after one a century apart. At least, we know how to look for a century-old Moon-Blossom.”

The Elder was hinting at it but Lily was better than that. She didn't need to do anything but act oblivious to the statement.

“The child will be the very pillar of the next generations,” added another Elder. “This child alone had paid off Bella's blatant gamble on the family’s assets if not more.”

“Getting the half-elf healers is the right call, but they are exorbitantly expensive,” commented the Elder in charge of the family’s treasury. “Our five-century-old coffers almost halved.”

“Yes, but I can’t imagine what we would be discussing right now if any other family had collected what we would have thrown away,” said another who followed with a nervous chuckle.

“If not for the stubborn, childish woman, we will look like fools, decrepit old idiots,” an old man shook his head.

“Don’t dwell on the past,” ordered the mostly quiet second Elder. “Learn from it and move on,” she demanded and the rest nodded along.

“When will you be due, Ana?”

The question suddenly turned towards the Matriarch.

Lily almost jumped on her feet hearing such a question after the discussion about her child and the [Lightbringer]’s. Everyone turned towards the Elder who had asked in surprise before they caught up with what the Elder meant.

“Yes, due to the deception of the father’s family, the child is unfortunately lacking, am I right?” One of them said but Lily wasn’t looking at who was speaking anymore.

Lily was looking at the floor while glancing at the young Matriarch’s fist turning white and shaking as it clenched. Her other hand was placed as if trying to protect the child in her belly.

“Of course, none of this is yours or anyone’s fault, Anaxandra,” said another Elder. “We were only ill-informed of Zander’s disgusting and depraved addiction to the mana fruit. They hid it all too well. Getting rid of him will take some time, you know how it is.”

“But this is my child too,” the young Matriarch said between her teeth.

Lily's instinct was to back away from the brimming anger. Besides, who is she to offer the lady comfort? She was just a mana-less maidservant, a tiny ant to these giants.

“We understand, Ana, or do you forget who we are before we become Elders?” the First Elder said in a patronizing tone. “But the child is less than a five-month-old, the growth is much slower than a normal child is, and the healers had checked, yes?”

“I’ll use my own coffers to raise him or her if that is your concern, First Elder.”

The second Elder sighed, “do you really want to let the child suffer the moment the child is born until the day she or he eventually dies? Or do you suddenly forget that this world is an unforgiving one? Mark my word, the child will not survive on its own. Think about it as your decision will only cause the child to suffer throughout all its life.”

“But this is my child!” The young Matriarch finally loses her cool and slammed her fist onto the table. She broke it into two with red glowing embers flying off everywhere. “I have the right to let it live however I want!”

The meeting went quiet again for some time after the outburst.

“How many?” asked the quiet Elder.

“How many of what!?” snapped the angry mother.

“How many other lives will you sacrifice other than your own?” the Elder softly said. “How many will fall under your order to save a child who can’t even lift a finger towards the monsters roaming the land. Money, gold, and treasure we could find, Ana, but able lives are precious.”

“But why must I choose?” demanded the mother of the questioned child. “Why my child must-” Her words caught in her throat.

“Because you are the Matriarch,” said the first Elder. “Your children are the family’s future.”

The second Elder nodded solemnly. “We, the Elders, might decide who the father will be, but when the time comes, our very lives are in your hands, Anaxandra. We just can hope for you to give us an order that is worth dying for.”

Lily was barely able to catch the young lady as she collapsed onto her knees. Anaxandra was devastated by the reasoning the Elders had given her. Their decisions were cruel, but as they had said, this was a very cruel world.

Lily knew it all too well. She was sold into slavery just to feed her other siblings and just because she was the prettiest one among others. Lily was sure the price paid for her whole livelihood also had paid her father’s large debts.

She could only hope the man had learned his lesson. A loaned magical equipment would never return a profit, no matter what the merchant might have claimed. Lily sighed weakly inside but kept her back straight while her face down.

“Double standard they may be, the Church still will not stand with anyone who uses the [Lightbringer] like a tool. We can’t let this chance pass while he is still with us. You are to make yourself available and presentable as soon as possible, Anaxandra,” the First Elder said. “This is our decree.”

Ana snapped her head towards the Elder but she stayed her words.

The girl who had remained stoic later cried onto Lily's shoulders after all the Elders had left. It was understandable as she was about to lose her beloved child. Lily had no idea what to do other than to lend her shoulder and gently patted the young Matriarch’s back, but even such a gesture felt inappropriate.

Lily knew it was cruel to think this way, but at the very least, her Master’s child was safe. All her nightmares were just that, nightmares.