Reincarnation with AI (Unemployment-Free)

With Rudyus's comforting words, Senis gradually stopped crying.

During this time, the room gradually darkened, and Lilia lit the candlestick on the table.

The candlelight flickered on the somber faces of the group.

Rudyus was embraced by Senis.

"What are you planning to do?" Senis broke the long silence, asking expressionlessly.

"I would like to resign and leave after helping Madam give birth smoothly," Lilia replied calmly, sitting opposite Senis.

Since Senis is pregnant, she needs a midwife, which is why Lilia was hired as a maid in the first place.

In this remote and impoverished rural area, it's impossible to find a better professional than Lilia.

However, according to the darker side of thinking, is this just a way to stall for time?

Or is he genuinely thinking of Senis?

Could it be all of them?

But which one has a larger proportion?

If you were to place your life and everything else on opposite ends of a scale, which side would be heavier?

Rudius didn't know; all he knew was that if he were in that situation, he would probably also choose to stall for time.

Paul sat huddled on the edge of the table.

It seems we can't count on this man's sense of responsibility for the time being.

He really didn't have much of a say in this matter.

"What about the child?" Senis pressed.

The two women became pregnant around the same time, and after Senis gave birth, Lilia should be due to give birth soon as well.

There is no option to abort the child.

From the perspectives of social status, religious ethics, and medical technology, there is no option to abort a child.

Abortion is considered a serious crime.

Rudius might have a way to abort the child. For example, he could have Paul strike Lilia's abdomen and then treat her with healing magic to see if the abortion can be successful.

But this method is just a thought and cannot be put into practice.

Moreover, the key issue is not the child, but that Lilia will be kicked out of the house after betraying Senis.

Even if I stay at home, there's no option in this world where pregnancy is so difficult that I don't need to work for the time being.

In order to continue to make a living, Lilia needs to provide her labor.

The cold, hard truth is that after giving birth, Lilia, who was employed as a maid, may not be able to perform the duties of a maid.

Her physical strength and energy will inevitably decline after giving birth.

This could very well turn her from a caregiver into a person being cared for.

Lilia herself probably can't accept this.

Moreover, would Senis want to see the children of two traitors hanging around in front of her?

Would you want to raise this child?

Senis has no obligation to raise the child.

Lilia, who believed she was in the wrong first, shared the same view.

As for Paul, he had no say.

"I plan to give birth in the territory of Fituia and then bring the baby back to my hometown to raise."

"Your hometown is in the south, right?"

"Yes."

"You just gave birth, are you sure you can get back safely?"

"...Maybe, but I have nowhere else to turn."

The territory of Fituya is located in the northeastern part of the Kingdom of Asra.

To reach the southern region of the Kingdom of Asra, even with multiple transfers by public carriage, it would take nearly a month.

The Kingdom of Asura is a very prosperous country with vast arable plains that keep it free from hunger, resulting in excellent overall security and climate.

However, it is still extremely dangerous for a woman who has just given birth to travel with her baby.

The journey will likely result in the death of the baby and severe damage to Lilia's health.

This is assuming we don't get targeted by bad guys.

In places with high foot traffic, such as public carriages, it's safe to assume that criminal gangs will be present.

It might be okay in the countryside, but once you get to a big city, there are bound to be criminal gangs' informants everywhere.

The flow of people is a hunting ground for criminal gangs; they are like a pack of hungry wolves, constantly searching for weak individuals within the crowd.

If Lilia were to appear with a baby, it would be like a fat sheep being delivered into the wolf's mouth.

Newborn babies are impossible to conceal, and without strong protection, they will almost certainly be targeted by criminal gangs.

The above assumes that you have the money to use public transportation.

Even if they are kidnapped by a criminal gang and will inevitably face a tragic fate, it cannot be said that there is no chance of survival.

However, the reality was far more brutal. Because she had sent all her money back to her hometown, Lilia didn't have enough to take a public carriage.

This meant she had no choice but to walk back to her hometown with the baby.

Carrying a newborn baby who is in a rapid growth phase and frantically consuming nutrients from the mother...

Rudius knew that the baby at that time was no different from a fertilized egg that had just implanted in the mother's uterus.

Essentially, the two sides can be considered to be in a physically hostile relationship.

In order to survive, new life will stop at nothing to obtain everything it can.

During the implantation stage, the mother's immune system can still protect the embryo through multiple layers of defense, and the energy supplied is not much.

During the newborn stage, normal mothers, driven by familial affection, will give their babies whatever they want and will not have any concept of resistance or abandonment.

In such a case, the physical relationship between mother and child is one of unilateral exploitation.

They have no money on them, and might bring some dry food, but it certainly won't be enough.

There are no wild fruits or vegetables to eat in winter.

That's right... If you calculate the time, it will be winter when Lilia gives birth, and Lilia will have to face an extremely harsh natural environment.

Carrying a baby, they walked home through the heavy snow, with no possibility of hunting.

Ideally, you'd encounter kind people along the way and earn some food by doing manual labor.

Even so, once on the road, nutrition will inevitably become an issue.

The already difficult journey will become even more arduous due to the heavy snow, not to mention the baby who keeps "draining" your system...

This... you could say that the moment you step out of your house, it's a countdown to death.

Most likely, they won't encounter any bad guys and will just die on the road by sheer luck...

Rudeus considered Lilia's situation, thinking that if he did as she suggested, the result would be certain death...

Both Paul and Senis have adventurer experience.

A moment of silence fell over the room.

Clearly, everyone here is aware of this.

Although Senis was angry about Lilia's betrayal, she was not so angry that she wanted Lilia to die.

Most of her anger stemmed from Paul breaking his promise to her.

"Then...that...the child's mother..." Paul hesitated before speaking.

They don't even dare to say "darling" anymore.

"shut your mouth!"

Paul curled up into a ball again amidst Senis's angry rebukes.

This incompetent father... Lilia will die.

Rudeus felt Senis's grip on him tighten.

Perhaps she's struggling with this internally.

Rudius realized he had to intervene to prevent things from getting worse.

But should I really interrupt?

From a child's perspective, his actions of comforting Senis were clearly beyond the level of a child his age in terms of his thinking.

A six-year-old child in this situation obviously wouldn't understand what the adults were arguing about.

When adults fight, they're usually still trying to figure out who's the good guy and who's the bad guy.

Rudius, however, skipped the understanding phase and went straight to comforting Senis.

However, the three adults present would not notice this detail.

They wouldn't think about it that way; they would only think that Rudius really loved his mother.

As long as they demonstrate their wisdom through hugs and simple words rather than through calm analysis, they will not realize Rudius's maturity.

So what about now?

Should I really help Lilia?

Lilia is indeed pitiful, and Rudeus also believes that she has not done anything too wrong, but does that mean he can ask her for help?

No.

Everything should be done with Senis in mind.

Once you open your mouth, it will involve taking sides.

This will provoke Senis.

When the family crisis occurred, Rudyus directly comforted Senis, which Paul saw as taking sides.

Between Paul and Senis, he chose Senis.

Paul won't have any problems because he also thinks he was wrong, and seeing Rudius comforting his mother might even bring him some relief.

Rudius wouldn't feel any psychological pressure facing Paul, because he also believed that Senis was the one who was hurt, and that Paul was at fault first.

Under these circumstances, even if Paul were truly a scoundrel father and put pressure on Rudius, Rudius had anticipated this and was mentally prepared accordingly.

So now, facing Lilia's question, it's another matter of choosing sides.

Even if Rudeus only saw the other person's pain and wanted to help them, Senis saw it as taking sides.

Even an explanation or clarification from the exporter is insufficient.

You say you're not on her side, but you're still helping her, aren't you?

Therefore, Rudeus could do nothing; he could not help Lilia.

This war was destined to wound everyone, and Rudius could only build a warm sanctuary for the one who was wounded the most.

Faced with an unsolvable problem, the room fell silent once again.

I sat quietly in my mother's lap, letting time pass by.

Rudius began to feel sleepy, but he couldn't just leave like that. If he continued to wait, it wouldn't be good if he accidentally fell asleep.

Rudeus then looked up at Senis and said, "Mother."

"What's wrong, Rudy?" Senis tightened her embrace around Rudyus and pressed her face against his cheek as she asked.

"I'm sleepy, let's go to sleep."

"Hmm...that's true..." Senis, whose mind was gradually relaxing, also felt tired.

After saying that, Senis picked up Rudeus and headed towards the bedroom.

Noticing that Lilia wanted to get up, Rudeus looked at her and gestured with his eyes for her to stay seated.

At the same time, Rudius also noticed that Paul's body stiffened slightly.

In a direction he couldn't see, Senis gave Paul a cold look.

That was the look in Paul's eyes that made him wonder if Senis would tear him in two with her bare hands.

The mother and son left the restaurant.

Only Paul and Lilith remained sitting at the dinner table, listless.

……

After removing their extra clothes, Rudeus used magic to create hot water for the two of them to wash up.

Lilia usually prepares this hot water.

Even though Rudeus could easily use magic to make hot water, Lilia still diligently completed her work and never made any requests of Rudeus.

After changing into his pajamas, Rudius nestled into Senis's arms and lay down.

The mother and son fell silent...

Rudeus could sense that Senis was different than during their usual mother-son time.

Usually, she's the one who's acting cute and seeking Senis's warmth.

When he asked for help, his mother pulled back the covers and let him snuggle in her arms.

But this time, it is Senis who needs Rudius's warmth even more.

Rudius had just crawled into bed when Senis hugged him tightly.

Senis pressed her nose and mouth against Rudeus's head, inhaling his scent.

So Rudeus was held obediently in Senis's arms, without moving.

I couldn't fall asleep, and even in Senis's arms, it was a bit uncomfortable to stay in one position.

Senis probably couldn't sleep either; how could she possibly sleep in this situation?

Rudius pondered the current situation.

Perhaps, this isn't so bad?

There's still a long time before Lilia gives birth, and things can still turn around before the worst happens.

As for how to handle this matter, putting it aside for now is probably the best option.

Life is full of unsolvable problems. Unlike Rudeus, Senis did not prepare in advance and knew what she should do.

Her mind must have been a complete mess at that moment.

If Lilia's life isn't in danger, kicking her out of the house will allow us to continue resolving the issues with Paul.

However, since Lilia is going to die, things can no longer proceed.

The problem with Paul is no longer just between the two of them; after all, a third party is still living in the house, and it's impossible to pretend not to see her...

As Rudius maintained the same posture for longer and longer, he felt he could no longer hold on.

When held in her arms, Rudeus would instinctively not fully relax his body, instead pressing all his weight onto Senis's arms.

Rudius paid particular attention to this as his body grew and his weight increased accordingly.

Paul is fine; Rudius won't feel any psychological pressure sleeping with his head on Paul's arm. There's no need for Rudius to worry about Paul's muscular physique.

However, Senis, as the healer in the adventure team, wasn't that strong, which meant that Rudeus had to silently exert his strength to support his body while being held in Senis's arms.

Try not to press down on Senis's arm.

Rudius twisted his body, adjusting his posture.

Senis adjusted her sleeping position to match Rudeus's wriggling, but still didn't let go of Rudeus's arms.

Hmm... Rudeus couldn't refuse when his mother wanted a hug.

When sleeping, it's inevitable to adjust your sleeping position several times from lying down on the bed to falling asleep, especially when you're cuddling with someone.

Rudeus figured that no matter how careful he was not to press down on Senis, he would eventually relax from exhaustion and fall asleep.

It's simply a matter of adjusting your position a few more times before falling asleep.

Senis hugged Rudius and rubbed her head against his head twice.

"Rudy...should Mom forgive Lilia?" Senis asked after kissing Rudyus on the forehead.

Do you forgive me?

Although he desperately wanted Senis to forgive Lilia, Rudeus couldn't make the decision for Senis.

"I don't know, Mom."

Rudius returned the kiss to Senis's neck, followed by a series of affectionate rubbings.

Rudius felt like a puppy begging for food from its mother, licking her mouth and pleading for her to share the food with him.

Rudeus recalled the scenes from the animal world he had seen in his previous life, and following that impression, he hugged Senis back, nuzzling against her neck repeatedly.

Acting coquettishly has become a habit.

"Rudy...it's so itchy..." Senis complained.

Despite saying that, Senis still held Rudeus tightly and did not push him away.

In the warm and affectionate interaction, Rudius could sense that Senis's body seemed to gradually relax.

Mammals are so amazing; a hug is worth a thousand words. The steady heartbeat during an embrace is the best comfort you can give to the other person.

This is a solace for the pre-linguistic world.

It's a comforting way of soothing grief that even a baby can understand—it's what Senis taught Rudius when he was a baby.

"Alright, alright... Rudy, stop fooling around..." Senis pressed Rudyus's head down and pulled him into her arms.

Rudyus then nestled into Senis's arms.

She's back in her comfort zone of being affectionate.

No longer needing to worry about pressing down on Senis's arm, Rudeus buried his face in Senis's arms and snuggled against her, inhaling her familiar scent.

After that, the two adjusted their sleeping positions several more times.

It's unclear how much time passed before the mother and son both fell asleep...