Although it was daytime, the room remained dim with the doors and windows closed. Several candles were lit for illumination. Inside, the room echoed with the sounds of painful groans, causing Jose, pacing outside, to feel increasingly uneasy. He had skipped meals from noon until now. The sounds from inside were getting weaker, and as Jose watched the servants pour out basin after basin of blood water, his heart clenched.

However, more anxious than Jose was Selena. Originally, her mother still had half a month before giving birth. Her health had been good, but unexpectedly, she went into labor prematurely. The newly prepared home was not ready for occupancy, so...