Chapter 16
Childbirth was an extremely difficult task, even in 21st century Korea.
Especially in the Almania continent, where medicine and nutrition were not developed.
With a bit of exaggeration, one could say that out of 10 childbirths, one would result in death.
"Whether noble, merchant, or serf, everyone must be sensitive to childbirth, right?"
Even if one safely overcame the life-threatening childbirth, the mother's body was prone to becoming drastically weakened.
Whether noble or poor, seeing a weakened mother would be a cause for concern.
At times like these, seaweed soup was effective for postpartum care.
"It will surely be well-received. Why else would some extreme postpartum care centers serve seaweed soup three meals a day?"
Sitting in a chair near the hearth, he watched the bubbling soup.
The unique savory and salty smell of seaweed.
If you mix it with rice made from rice grains, it's a complete meal.
It's a pity there's no kimchi, but just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
"My lord, no, young master. Let me do the cooking. You should rest."
Originally, a noble young master, or rather a high-born person who is the lord of a village, doesn't cook.
Well, even if they do, it's just some eccentrics who go hunting, butcher the caught animal, and grill it over direct fire.
"No, Chloe."
In our entire continent, I'm the only one who can cook seaweed as a dish.
It's been about 20 minutes since I started boiling it. Should I take it out and try it?
"Bring two bowls and two spoons from over there."
"Aren't you the only one eating, young master?"
Usually, high-ranking people eat delicious things alone as a matter of course.
But rice is best eaten with someone else.
Especially if that someone is a beauty.
So, in informal settings, I try to let Chloe eat delicious things with me under the pretense of cherishing her.
Of course, I'll treat her as comfortably as possible in other ways too.
As a result, Chloe had started to speak to me in a slightly more comfortable tone than before.
'If I always live thinking about making money and developing products, my head will explode...'
"Let's eat together."
As I ladled the seaweed soup into the bowl, its unique sea smell rose up.
To me it was a fragrant smell, but Chloe had a slightly wary expression.
Born as a serf, she probably couldn't afford to be picky about food.
But that doesn't mean she wouldn't be cautious about unfamiliar food.
"It's a bit of a strange food, isn't it?"
Chloe nodded in agreement to my words.
"It looks strange with lots of thin green cloth-like pieces floating. It's like, like..."
She couldn't say it because it was food I made, but I could guess what she was trying to say.
It probably looked like something only heathens would eat.
Seaweed soup is something that only Koreans and Japanese find delicious, while other foreigners find it so strange-looking that they're shocked just by seeing it.
People who don't know might disparage it as soup with green plastic pieces floating in it.
If I don't package this with appropriate words, I can clearly see what kind of treatment I'll receive.
Other nobles would surely call me a monster selling strange ingredients.
Of course, anticipating such remarks, I had prepared sufficient countermeasures.
"Actually, I heard that this seaweed is used as a very special medicinal ingredient in the East."
"This weed-like thing from the sea?"
Chloe tilted her head.
"When I was young, I saw in my father's study that there's an edible seaweed between rocks by the seaside. In a country called Joseon, they use this as a tonic for mothers who have given birth."
In the Albania continent, many people held curiosity and mysticism about the unknown world, the East.
So they say that somewhere in the east, there's a person called Prester John who rules a kingdom that believes in Deus.
Stories like a fantasy city where the entire palace and royal castle are made of gold are believed to be true.
As a result, it's said that there's no noble who hasn't been scammed regarding medicinal ingredients, artworks, or jewels said to be from the East.
Chloe also lowered her guard at the mention of a tonic eaten in the East.
"I was hesitant because it looked like a strange weed, but to think it was medicine. That's surprising."
Taking a spoonful, it tasted just like the seaweed soup I knew.
Ah, it might have been better if I had added some dried fish.
"It tastes good and savory. Chloe, you try it too."
She hesitated, her spoon not readily going to the unfamiliar food, but she took a spoonful and put it in her mouth.
At first, she squinted her eyes as if expecting a strange taste.
"It's savory and delicious?"
One spoon, two spoons.
She started eating continuously, as cute as a squirrel eating acorns.
"I thought it would be bitter because it's Eastern medicine, but it's really delicious."
Hearing that the first Korean food I made after transmigrating to this other world was delicious, my shoulders involuntarily puffed up.
"They say it's even more delicious if you mix in this rice made from rice grains."
I scooped up some rice with a rice paddle and mixed it in.
A smile appeared on Chloe's face as she tasted the warm rice and seaweed soup.
"You should try it too, young master."
That combination can't help but be delicious.
The savory taste of seaweed, rice made from pure white rice.
It's bound to be popular with Tuscans too.
I took a bite too, and it was so delicious that the word "crazy" almost came up to my throat.
"At this rate, the nobles will surely like it too."
The problem is that it looks a bit ferocious on the outside, but if we say it's a famous medicine from the East, there will be plenty of people lining up to buy it.
Famous medicine from the East, good for postpartum mothers, very rare.
All three things that drive nobles crazy are gathered, so if we just prove its effectiveness, there's no way it won't sell.
"Then now we should see how effective this medicine is."
They say strike while the iron is hot.
We should start experimenting on the postpartum mothers in this village right away.
**
In Bio village, everyone was very interested in the new lord.
In a world without even newspapers, their usual interests were mostly limited to stories like how neighbor Pigione's barn collapsed, but still.
Fabio was clearly different from other lords from the start.
Being different was in itself a distinguishing topic of conversation, and Maria, the newlywed native of this village, was naturally very interested in stories about the lord.
"Our lord seems to be a really good person."
Even kings were cursed when they're not around.
So it wouldn't be strange if there was gossip about the lord, but…
"Right? There's no one else who takes care of lowly beings like us except him."
"I don't know why he provides so much food just for giving birth."
For Fabio living in 21st century Korea, it might be different, but in the Tuscan Empire, giving birth wasn't really a big deal.
Whether noble, merchant, or serf, if you're a woman, or more precisely, someone's wife, you give birth to at least 5-7, or up to 10 children in your lifetime.
"He's just handing out salted meat, wheat flour, barley flour and such."
Fabio's support was limited to mothers who were more than 9 months pregnant or women who had given birth less than 2 months ago.
These people were supplied with enough salted meat, wheat flour, barley flour, and other food to feed four people.
The reason for providing enough food for four people to support one pregnant woman was...
If you didn't give this much, the pregnant woman wouldn't get enough nutrition before and after childbirth.
"How was it when that woman gave birth?"
Maria looked at her slightly swollen belly and asked.
"It's nothing special, just extremely painful on the day you give birth, that's all."
The woman counseling Maria chuckled.
"There's nothing to be afraid of, you know? Everyone does it. And these days, is it because the young master has the midwife and us all scrub thoroughly with lye water when giving birth? No one even dies anymore."
"I haven't heard of anyone dying while giving birth recently."
Without exaggeration, stories of women dying while giving birth were very common in this village.
Because one out of every 10 births would definitely result in death.
So in the small church in the village, a funeral for a mother who died while giving birth was held about once every two weeks.
"And that seaweed, no, seaweed that the lord said was a precious medicine eaten only in the East, it's amazing."
That seaweed that the villagers only ate when they really, really had no choice.
Mothers nearing childbirth had to eat it at least once a day.
"When you give birth, it's hard to go to the bathroom, but if you eat that, you can go to the bathroom without problems, and your body condition improves quickly. I got up and about in just two days, you know?"
Of course, Fabio never saw this with his own eyes.
Mothers who had given birth less than two weeks ago were made to rest at home no matter what.
"It might be partly because of eating well, but that seaweed, which is said to be medicine from the East, seems amazing. Your body recovers quickly after giving birth. I'm thinking of secretly setting some aside to give to my husband later."
"I see..."
"So Maria, you should eat it too. It's good for mothers' bodies."
Fabio had intended to sell seaweed as an expensive medicine good for postpartum mothers, like in Korea.
But within the village, it had already started to be regarded as a cure-all medicine.
And Fabio immediately went to see the Duke.