Chapter 62: To You Without a Name (2)

Late at night, under a Magical Lamp.

The Imperial Princess Consort's fountain pen scratched across her notebook.

=================

[To You Without a Name]

[Preface]

Right after my pregnancy was confirmed.

Lord Nihilrit recommended a notebook.

He called it a Maternity Notebook.

He said to record my bodily changes every day,

without leaving out even the most trivial things,

He told me to record everything: what I ate, when I slept, when I woke up, if my body felt heavy, if I felt nauseous.

I heard it was best to write in it as meticulously as a Royal Scribe records National History.

That way, at my next medical check-up, his lordship could be sure not to miss anything happening in my body.

I was a little worried.

What if I missed something?

What if something happened to our baby because of me?

I was scared, but His Highness said he would help me.

So I was able to find courage.

=========================

[ 1st Regular Check-up ]

Date: Imperial Calendar Year 1047, October 14th

Gestational age: 4 weeks, 2 days

Mother's Blood pressure / Body weight: 108/66 // 52kg

Proteinuria / Edema: (-) / (-)

Fetal heartbeat: Auscultation impossible (4 weeks, normal)

Fundal height: Measurement impossible (4 weeks)

Blood spots progress: No change

Medication being taken: Aspirin 100mg, 1x/day (continue), Heparin 5000 IU, 2x/day (start today)

Coagulation time: 62 seconds (within target range)

───

Doctor in charge's medical finding:

Pregnancy confirmed. Heparin administration to begin today. Mother's condition is good.

───

[ Maternal Diary Section ]

[6:12 AM]

Waking up.

The moment I opened my eyes, I felt my body temperature was slightly higher than usual.

I immediately ordered the head maid to measure my temperature. It was 0.2 degrees higher than normal.

Could it be a prelude to a fever?

(Must ask Lord Nihilrit at the next check-up.)

[10:15 AM]

A walk in the greenhouse.

The left side of my lower abdomen pulled with a very faint sensation, like an ant crawling.

I immediately stopped walking and took three deep breaths. The pain disappeared after a minute.

(Must ask Lord Nihilrit at the next check-up.)

[12:37 PM]

...

=========================

[ 2nd Regular Check-up ]

Date: Imperial Calendar Year 1047, October 28th

Gestational age: 6 weeks, 2 days

Mother's Blood pressure / Body weight: 110/68 // 52.3kg

Proteinuria / Edema: (-) / (-)

Fetal heartbeat: Auscultation impossible (6 weeks, normal)

Fundal height: Measurement impossible (6 weeks)

Blood spots progress: No change

Medication being taken: Aspirin 100mg, 1x/day (continue), Heparin 5000 IU, 2x/day (continue)

Coagulation time: 58 seconds (within target range)

───

Doctor in charge's medical finding:

Morning sickness has begun. Progress is normal. Maintain Heparin dosage. Ensure sufficient fluid intake. Provided guidance on how to keep the maternity notebook.

Advised against the mother's obsessive recording as it can cause stress.

───

[ Maternal Diary Section ]

I was scolded sternly by Lord Nihilrit.

After flipping through the notebook I had meticulously filled down to the minute and second for the past two weeks, his lordship let out a sigh.

He said that too much information could cause him to miss the truly important signs.

Furthermore, he strictly warned me that such obsessive recording only causes fatigue for the mother.

Even His Highness, overwhelmed by his lordship's vigor, dared not take my side.

Afterward, his lordship carefully organized the things I needed to record in the notebook.

He also gave me some advice about morning sickness.

To stop drinking milk for the time being.

To drink ginger tea.

To avoid warm soup and eat cold fruit instead.

The strangest advice was to eat dry bread in bed right after waking up in the morning.

But surprisingly, it all had an effect.

From that day on, my stomach felt much better.

Since then, I have instructed the head maid to place dry bread at my bedside every morning.

=========================

[ 3rd Regular Check-up ]

Date: Imperial Calendar Year 1047, November 11th

Gestational age: 8 weeks, 2 days

Mother's Blood pressure / Body weight: 112/70 // 52.1kg

Proteinuria / Edema: (-) / (-)

Fetal heartbeat: Auscultation impossible (8 weeks)

Fundal height: Measurement impossible (8 weeks)

Blood spots progress: Fading slightly.

Medication being taken: Aspirin——, 1x/day (continue), Heparin ——, 2x/day (continue)

Coagulation time: 60 seconds (within target range)

───

Doctor in charge's medical finding:

Morning sickness ongoing but progress is normal. Slight weight loss is judged to be due to morning sickness, not at a concerning level.

Folic acid and Iron intake status confirmed.

Reinforced dietary guidance. Strongly recommended daily consumption of liver, spinach, and egg yolk.

Recommended calling the baby by a fetal nickname for the mother's emotional stability.

───

[ Maternal Diary Section ]

His lordship was particularly strict today.

He is always meticulous, but today he was more meticulous than ever.

He asked me about everything I had eaten for the past two weeks, one by one.

He asked about bread, meat, vegetables, liver, spinach, and egg yolk.

I thought I was going to be scolded again.

Fortunately, he wasn't scolding me.

His lordship explained that this is the most important time when the baby's head and spine are forming.

That was why he had to check so thoroughly, because certain nutrients are absolutely necessary.

— Iron / Folic acid

He told me to memo this and make sure to eat well.

And today, there was one more thing.

We decided on a fetal nickname.

It's a name His Highness and I decided on after discussing it.

Stelle.

My Star.

When I told his lordship, he nodded and wrote it down in the notebook.

He said it was a good name.

=========================

[ 6th Regular Check-up ]

Date: Imperial Calendar Year 1047, December 23rd

Gestational age: 14 weeks, 2 days

Mother's Blood pressure / Body weight: 114/72 // 54.0kg

Proteinuria / Edema: (-) / (-)

Fetal heartbeat: Auscultation impossible (14 weeks)

Fundal height: 12cm

Blood spots progress: Almost disappeared

Medication being taken: Aspirin ——, 1x/day (continue), Heparin ——, 2x/day (continue)

Coagulation time: 61 seconds (within target range)

───

Doctor in charge's medical finding:

Progress is good. Fundal height within normal range. Blood spots almost disappeared.

Mother's anxiety symptoms observed. Guidance for emotional stability is needed.

───

[ Maternal Diary Section ]

In two weeks, it will be 16 weeks.

It was around this time that the bleeding would start.

And I would have to let the children go.

I place a hand on my belly. It's too quiet.

Anxiously, I press my lower abdomen with my fingers.

There's no reaction.

During the day, his lordship got angry, telling me not to poke my belly carelessly and that it was natural for the movement to be irregular at this stage, but I can't stop.

Just one time, if it would just give a little nudge, I would have no other wish.

December 25th

Stelle is not responding.

Could it be because my blood clotting time was one second longer than usual this time?

December 27th

I'm so scared.

Please, just move once.

December 28th

Last night, we finally did it.

My husband, who was even paler than I was, sent the knights of the Annex Palace in the middle of the night and had Lord Nihilrit, who was sound asleep, brought over in a manner that was almost a kidnapping.

His lordship, who was summoned with only an overcoat thrown over his pajamas, checked my belly first.

And after letting us confirm the heart sound with a stethoscope, he sat us, the married couple, side by side on the sofa and gave us a harsh scolding.

He said that if the mother is this anxious, the baby will become anxious too.

The mother's body is the baby's home, and if that home shakes, the baby inside will shake too.

His Highness was also scolded.

When his wife is this anxious, why is he getting anxious with her instead of comforting her and telling her it's okay?

If the husband also becomes agitated in front of his wife, where can the mother turn to for support?

In the end, we were scolded by his lordship for an hour.

But it's a strange thing.

After being scolded by him that day, I was no longer anxious.

Come to think of it, the feeling of being scolded by Lord Nihilrit was somehow familiar.

It was similar to the feeling of being scolded by the venerable elders from my paternal family when I was younger.

I know his lordship is not even twenty years old.

But for some reason.

I felt like I was being scolded by an elder who was over fifty.

=========================

[ 9th Regular Check-up ]

Date: Imperial Calendar Year 1048, January 20th

Gestational age: 20 weeks, 2 days

Mother's Blood pressure / Body weight: 112/70 // 56.8kg

Proteinuria / Edema: (-) / (-)

Fetal heartbeat: 152 beats/min (normal)

Fundal height: 18cm (normal)

Blood spots progress: Disappeared

Medication being taken: Aspirin ——, 1x/day (continue), Heparin ——, 2x/day (continue)

Coagulation time: 58 seconds (within target range)

───

Doctor in charge's medical finding:

Pregnancy week 20.

Both mother and fetus are very healthy.

Fetal heartbeat audible with a regular stethoscope.

First fetal movement confirmed. Permitted a light celebratory banquet to relieve mother's stress.

However, excessive overeating is forbidden.

───

[ Maternal Diary Section ]

A miracle happened.

The 16th to 20th weeks, which tormented me so, passed without incident.

There was no bleeding from below, and my belly did not grow cold.

My belly is growing rounder by the day.

And a few days ago, I was lying down and reading a book.

From inside my belly, I felt a strange sensation, a squirming, like a small fish swimming.

It was Stelle, giving me a greeting for the first time.

Today, a very small party was held at the Annex Palace.

=========================

[ 15th Regular Check-up ]

Date: Imperial Calendar Year 1048, March 17th

Gestational age: 32 weeks, 2 days

Mother's Blood pressure / Body weight: 116/74 // 62.5kg

Proteinuria / Edema: (-) / Slight (+)

Fetal heartbeat: 144 beats/min (normal)

Fundal height: 30cm (normal)

Blood spots progress: Disappeared (maintained)

Medication being taken: Aspirin —— 1x/day (continue), Heparin —— 2x/day (continue)

Coagulation time: 57 seconds (within target range)

───

Doctor in charge's medical finding:

Progress good. Slight ankle edema but within normal range. Fetus active. As of this session, entries in the maternity notebook are to be recorded voluntarily at the mother's discretion.

───

[ Maternal Diary Section ]

Stelle's kicks are getting fiercer by the day.

This morning, too, she kicked my right ribs so hard that I gasped.

She must take after His Highness.

His Highness seemed pleased, saying that Stelle will become a great knight.

But I am thinking it would be nice if Stelle became a mage.

+

At today's check-up, Lord Nihilrit said there would be nothing left to write in the notebook.

But since I've come this far, I plan to fill this diary to the end.

Because when our Stelle learns to read, I want to show her how much fuss her mother made to protect her.

As it happens, there is one more thing to write down.

A strange rumor has been circulating in High Society lately.

It's a rumor that His Highness and I having a child was not purely due to Lord Nihilrit's treatment, but because we borrowed the power of a medicine.

The culprit was His Highness.

It seems he had a bit too much to drink at the 20-week celebration.

In a good mood, he said this and that in front of his subordinates.

Without anyone's coercion, with his own mouth, everything.

A bizarre rumor has spread through High Society that His Highness had acquired a 'tremendous Elixir of the Night'.

We were worried that Lord Nihilrit's great accomplishment and effort would be buried by such a low-class rumor.

So, whenever we went to a social gathering, we grabbed people and explained.

But no one believed us.

Rather, the more we explained, the more outlandish details were added to the rumor.

Is that why?

Lately, it's said that carriages and cars are frequently loitering near the Merkur Trading Company Headquarters.

I must offer my sincere apologies to his lordship.

=========================

[ 19th Regular Check-up — Final ]

Date: Imperial Calendar Year 1048, May 12th

Gestational age: 40 weeks, 1 day

Mother's Blood pressure / Body weight: 118/76 // 66.2kg

Proteinuria / Edema: (-) / (+)

Fetal heartbeat: 140 beats/min (normal)

Fundal height: 34cm

Blood spots progress: Disappeared

Medication being taken: Aspirin — stopped 2 weeks before childbirth, Heparin — stopped 48 hours before childbirth

Coagulation time: 48 seconds (returned to normal range)

───

Doctor in charge's medical finding:/———/

───

[ Maternal Diary Section ]

This is the last page of this notebook.

From dawn, my belly began to tighten regularly.

At first, I thought it was just Stelle's kicks again.

But this time was different.

A wave-like pain that tightened, released, and tightened again.

It was the kind of pain his lordship had warned me about.

The head maid immediately called for his lordship.

His lordship arrived in 30 minutes.

This time, he was not in pajamas, but in formal wear.

It seems he was on standby as it was near the due date.

His lordship finished his examination and nodded.

I was immediately moved to the room.

The maids moved busily according to his lordship's instructions, but from then on, the pain was so severe that I don't remember much.

And then.

I heard a cry.

His lordship told me it was a boy.

Stelle.

It seems I won't be able to use that name.

As it happens, I had another name prepared.

Your name is—

===================================

"So it's Aster. That's a good name."

Thud.

At the bedside of the peacefully sleeping Imperial Princess Consort.

I placed her Maternity Notebook down and muttered.

It seems she wrote in her diary right after childbirth.

Her mental strength was incredible.

I wanted to read more.

But from that point on, it wouldn't be a medical examination, so I closed it.

The only reason I opened the Maternity Notebook now was because the Imperial Princess Consort wanted me to.

She had asked me to fill in the final doctor's notes section, so I had simply filled in yesterday's delivery record as I remembered it.

I closed the notebook and stood up from my seat.

The Imperial Princess Consort was fast asleep, holding the baby.

As I was about to leave the room quietly, I saw Edmund waiting in the hallway.

His eyes were red and swollen.

He seemed to have cried so much yesterday.

It looked like the swelling from crying hadn't gone down yet.

"Lord Yulian."

Edmund stood before me.

And he firmly grasped both of my hands.

"Thank you."

"I only did what I had to do."

"Even so, I am truly grateful. If it weren't for you, I would have had to part with Vi without even getting to hold this child."

Come to think of it.

This pregnancy held a very important meaning for the married couple.

Due to four miscarriages, rumors were even circulating that the Imperial Court was planning to cast out the Imperial Princess Consort.

For such a healthy child to be born in that situation meant they could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Is there anything I can do to help? Tell me anything."

"In that case, you can keep the promise you made at last year's Founding Festival."

"If it's about lending my name for the medicine, that's no problem. But will that be enough?"

I nodded.

An interesting rumor was circulating in High Society these days.

It was the rumor that Sildenafil played a decisive role in the pregnancy of the Imperial Princess Consort and the Imperial Prince.

In fact, it was half-correct.

The treatment I performed was to prevent another miscarriage 'after' the baby had been conceived.

Therefore, the credit for the baby's conception belonged to Sildenafil.

In this situation, for the Imperial Prince to endorse this Sildenafil?

'When else would I get to use the Imperial Court's name?'

Whatever I might imagine, the effect would surely be greater than that.

Especially for the nobles of the Empire, who are sensitive about successors.

But Edmund, a sincere soldier, was oblivious to my wicked plan and kept trying to do more for me.

"This alone is not enough to express my gratitude. Ah, I hear the Head of the Nihilrit family is competing for a promotion these days. I will lend him my name."

"My father would not want to be recognized for his skills in such a way, Your Highness."

"Is that so? Hmm... this is difficult. It's a chore to prepare a reward for a friend who is so without greed."

"This is enough for me, Your Highness."

Imperial Prince Edmund laughed heartily and patted me on the shoulder.

"Very well. I will gladly lend you my name. I don't know if this will be a proper reward for you, but since you say so, I have no choice. Still, if you ever need me for something in the future, just let me know."

"Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness."

Just as I was about to release the handshake and turn away, Edmund grabbed my sleeve.

And he whispered,

"Ah, but Lord Yulian. Just in case... could you secure some stock for me before the launch?"

"...How much do you need?"

"A one-month supply, please."

*

A few days after that.

It was decided that the Merkur Trading Company would officially launch Sildenafil.

The product name was Viagra.

Even before the medicine was launched, we began to advertise it through the newspapers.

The full-page advertisement, which ran in major daily newspapers throughout the empire, read as follows.

===================

Courage comes in many forms.

The courage to step onto the battlefield.

The courage to fight sickness.

And the courage to break the silence.

'ED (Erectile dysfunction)' is by no means a brand.

Consult with your healer.

— Merkur Trading Company

=====================

The advertisement didn't mention the name of any medicine.

It was closer to a public service announcement than a commercial advertisement.

I was the one who pushed for this type of ad.

The board and the Guild Master expressed their concerns about such an advertisement.

[Director Schun. Are we really going to advertise like this? Aren't there other ways?]

Inside the communication crystal orb, the Guild Master was wringing his hands, looking restless.

I spoke to our President, who still couldn't shake his nouveau riche ways.

"The name Viagra is already spreading widely through backchannels. Right now, it's more effective to break down the barrier to entry than to publicize the name."

With the Imperial Prince's rumor added on top of it.

I could no longer expect much of an advertising effect from just making the name known.

So, despite the board's timid opposition, I pushed the advertisement through with my strong insistence.

And the public's response was explosive.

— "Did you see the Viagra ad?"

— "Viagra? Ah, you mean that medicine?"

The citizens and nobles immediately understood what medicine the gentle text was referring to.

The prevailing opinion was that the non-explicit advertising method, which was considerate of the patient, felt more mature and trustworthy.

— "The ad was pretty good, wasn't it?"

— "Seeing that made me think about meeting with a healer. Healing Magic might be one thing, but medicine isn't that expensive, right?"

— "Maybe I should go too..."

Above all, the term ED (Erectile Dysfunction) broke down people's psychological barriers.

In this era, male functional decline was referred to with the term Impotence.

But once the clinical term ED took root in the public consciousness, men were no longer afraid of the brand.

Even if they couldn't be open about it, their perception improved to the point where they would secretly seek out a healer.

And though it wasn't my intention, the first ad being like this also changed the medicine's image.

It could have easily become 'a drug that promotes a promiscuous sex life,' but in the public's mind, it was established as 'the last resort for suffering men.'

In the end, even the board, which had looked upon my ad with suspicion, had no choice but to shut their mouths.

"You see?"

[If you're also good at business acumen, then why am I even in this position...]

"I was just lucky this time. You are far more skilled at managing the trading company than I am, Guild Master. By the way, how much stock do we have?"

[We've prepared plenty of that.]

"That won't be enough."

[?]

There was a minor problem.

The trading company was still underestimating the demand for this drug.

A respectable newspaper ad on the front end.

Rumors about the Imperial Prince on the back end.

Our board of directors was underestimating the power of these two combined.

'Well, even if we run all our factories, we probably won't be able to keep up with demand.'

Referring to my previous life, I had heard that the number of prescriptions for this drug in its first week of release in the US exceeded 300,000.

In this world, there was every reason for the demand to be greater, not less.

But this was not a part I could do anything about even if I explained it, so I just let it be.

[100,000 pills should sell out in a week. Huhu...]

I also just let the Guild Master be, as he still couldn't predict the coming upheaval.

A few days later.

Viagra (Sildenafil) was finally released to the public.

And it was sold out in a single day.

[What? How did this happen? Huh?]

The board of directors became very busy in many ways, but that was none of my business.

I am a person who develops medicine.

Production infrastructure is outside my domain.

That's a job for those folks to figure out.

And the next morning, a line of carriages long enough to wrap around the trading company headquarters three times had formed,

The day after that, it began to be traded on the black market for five times the official price,

And the day after that, a major crackdown on the black market and hoarding was carried out.

The subsequent 'Great Sildenafil Upheaval' was recorded as one of the most chaotic weeks in the Empire's commercial history,

But that was a story that had nothing to do with me.