#997 Maternity Rhapsody 6: The Commoner Wife’s Counterattack

My name is Batemy.

A woman who’s lived quite the rollercoaster of a life.

I was born in a remote village near the border of the Demon Kingdom, where the old human army attacked and scattered my family.

Young and alone, I joined the Demon King’s Army to survive, quickly climbing the ranks to become an aide to one of the Heavenly Four.

But then, trouble knocked on my door again.

Heavenly One Astres lost a power struggle and was deposed. Naturally, I got caught in the fallout and was effectively ousted from the army, too.

Eventually, Lady Astres made a comeback and even became the Demon Queen, but I took the opportunity to formally retire from the army.

It was time to chase my childhood dream.

I wanted to be a clothing designer.

Creating clothes, designing them, and crafting them myself.

Also known as a designer.

Why did I choose to become a designer? Well, my parents back in my hometown were also clothing makers.

Of course, it was just a small job in the village, mending everyday clothes for the villagers, but young me watched with admiration.

I saved up quite a bit while serving in the army, and now I had the luxury to pursue my dream, which took off like a rocket.

My clothes were a massive hit in the heart of the Demon Kingdom...the Demon Capital. They sold like hotcakes, and my brand became famous and respected.

...

Looking back, my life has been one wild ride after another.

The highs and lows are so extreme; it feels like mountains and valleys keep appearing out of nowhere...

Well, right now, I’m at the peak, so I can look back and reflect calmly.

Reaching this pinnacle was thanks to a stroke of luck not mentioned above.

If I hadn’t encountered the farm, my life wouldn’t be this smooth.

I’m eternally grateful to the farm and Lord Saint.

At least more so than to Lady Astres.

And my life reached even higher peaks.

Not just in my career as a designer but in my personal life, I had a momentous celebration.

I got married.

I was in a relationship with Olba, a fellow aide from my army days, but it took us a while to finally tie the knot.

There were many reasons, including social status and my career, but recently, all those issues were resolved, and we finally made it to the altar.

My career as a designer continued smoothly, and I felt I had everything I wanted—a peak of happiness.

Being so happy, I sometimes worry if a big setback is coming. But now, there’s more good news.

I’m pregnant.

I’m expecting our first child with Olba.

Yes!

When I first noticed changes in my body, I worried it would affect my work. But finding out the reason was a joy instead.

Of course, I’m thrilled to be having a child with my beloved husband...

...

...and also because of the immense pressure we’ve been under.

Olba comes from a noble family in the Demon Kingdom.

As his partner, I became a noblewoman, a big step up from my humble beginnings.

Being of different social status was the main reason our marriage was delayed.

And even after tying the knot, that issue lingered...

Noble families, as you’d expect, have certain expectations, especially regarding heirs.

Olba has a family lineage to uphold, and it must be passed down to the next generation.

So, the first thing I need to do is create an heir from scratch.

In short, having offspring.

And since I’m Olba’s partner, that responsibility falls on me too.

Olba’s family is a branch of one of the Four Holy Sword families in the Demon King’s Army.

Among several similar branches, his family is mid-tier in status.

It’s such a high-class family, so you can imagine the constant badgering: “When are you having kids? Are you having kids yet?”

You could call it the fate of an esteemed family, but seriously, the pressure to produce an heir is through the roof.

Every family gathering, his relatives would ask, “Are you pregnant yet?” as if it was a casual greeting. Saying, “Not yet,” brought obvious disappointment.

The stress was overwhelming, and their indirect nagging was even more annoying.

Still, no one outright told me to quit my job and focus on making babies.

After all, my clothing brand is now the top in the Demon Kingdom, even favored by Demon Queen Astres.

My reputation boosts the family’s status, attracting powerful people seeking connections through my work.

So, they don’t say, “Stop making clothes,” but instead, they suggest, “How about a concubine?” which is just not helpful.

And that suggestion came just three months after our wedding.

What were they thinking, anyway? Ridiculous!

Luckily, Olba’s mom—my dear mother-in-law—has a heart of gold and always shields me from the rest of the family's nasty comments.

She, too, received her fair share of criticism from relatives back in the day for only having one child, Olba.

Like, what’s the big deal?

One kid is more than enough, especially when he’s a great heir!

Some people just love to complain, no matter what.

Despite being surrounded by such irritating people, my loving husband and mother-in-law kept my creative spark alive.

But then, the workshop days came to a dramatic end!

Why, you ask? Because I finally got pregnant!

Take that, you nosy relatives! The heir you’ve been begging for is right here, in my belly!

Got a problem with that? Huh, do ya?!

So yeah, I’m on cloud nine these days!

Some might say it’s the early pregnancy hormones, but hey, my needlework is in top form, and I’m stitching up new creations like there’s no tomorrow!

Right now, I’m pouring my heart into making maternity dresses.

Apparently, there’s a baby boom going on, with everyone around the world suddenly getting pregnant.

Even some of my friends are expecting, and Lady Astres, despite her title as Demon Queen, is pregnant with her third! The whole Demon Kingdom is in a celebratory mood.

Celebrations = good business.

So, the clothing industry is experiencing an extraordinary boom. We’ve got a huge demand for comfy clothes for expecting moms and a skyrocketing need for baby clothes.

And who’s at the center of this boom? Yours truly!

I’m juggling my own pregnancy while diving headfirst into these new demands!

I’ve already got revolutionary designs for maternity dresses and baby clothes popping up in my head!

The reason these ideas are flowing endlessly is probably because I’m pregnant, too!

When it comes to myself, I can visualize everything more vividly and create even more detailed designs!

Olba and my mother-in-law worry, “Don’t overdo it in your condition…” but I’ve got this!

I’m no delicate flower—being a commoner has made me tough as nails!

So, here I am, playing the noblewoman by day and an inspired creator by night!

By next week, I need to deliver five maternity dresses for royalty! And a hundred and twenty baby outfits!

Once those are done…!

I’m diving into making my own maternity dress!

This is my once-in-a-lifetime pregnancy!

I want to enjoy every bit of it in style!

One of the perks of being a hotshot is getting to do practice runs to create the ultimate masterpiece!

I shouldn’t say this too loudly, but all the clothes I’ve made so far are just prototypes for the real deal I’m going to wear myself! Hahaha!!!

Then, just as I’m basking in my creative glory, we get a visitor at Olba’s estate.

It’s those pesky relatives again.

After barely congratulating me on the pregnancy, they get straight to business.

“Is that dress we asked for ready?”

“Excuse me?”

What dress?

Oh, right, they did come by before I knew I was pregnant, loaded with snide remarks about not having an heir, and then asked me to make them a dress.

Something about “If you’re useless for an heir, at least be useful for this.”

I bet they wanted to use my dress to cozy up to some bigwig…

But I smiled sweetly and said, “I haven’t even started it.”

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! That’s unacceptable! We promised to deliver the finest dress tomorrow!!!”

Not my problem.

But I saw my chance for sweet revenge and flashed my biggest smile.

“I’m so sorry, but with the baby on the way, I’ve been too unwell to work much. I wouldn’t want to risk a miscarriage and disappoint the whole family, right? I’m sure you understand.”

Obviously, that’s a total lie—I’m brimming with creative energy—but they don’t need to know that.

“Or are you suggesting I should risk my health and the heir’s for your dress? I thought the heir was the family’s top priority?”

“Ugh…!”

Hah! Take thattttt!

Did you see that? This lady knows how to hit back, just like in my days as a Demon Army officer!

Turning their attack back on them feels so good!

What a perfect comebackkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!

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got hit by a storm this week. actually, two of them...

i hope everybody is okay where they are