Maximus was sitting beside her wife's bed while holding Britannia was turning cold hand, giving his warmth to his wife.
Britannia was pushing the baby out of his stomach. When the baby girl went out of the womb, the midwife immediately held her and cleaned it before putting it beside the Duchess.
Brittania's eyes were half close. Her sweat was visible all around her face from giving birth and she could feel her heartbeat slowing down with heavy panting.
"My b-baby..." Brittania looked at their daughter, lovingly in her arm. She was panting non-stop and Maximus thought that she was just tired but later on, the Duchess said something that broke his world into pieces.
"I-I love you, Max. I do. But... I-I think, I cannot make it anymore-"
"What are you saying, Bri?! Do not spout nonsense!" but the Duchess only smiled at him forcefully while her eyes started to close slowly.
"P-please, l-love them equally..." Britannia told him on her dying breath until the Duchess' eyes finally closed and soon after, her heart stopped from beating.
The Duke wanted to cry while holding his wife's cold hand but he did nor. He just lowered his head and gave her wife's a last peck on the forehead before glancing angrily to the new member.
His vision was being clouded with darkness while looking at little Maxine. His mind shrouded with evil thoughts and he felt like someone was whispering to his ears.
'Hah. Impudent.' was what the Duke thought of the newborn for the first time. He put her wife's hand down carefully in her gut before picking up the baby from her arm in an unruly way.
The baby started crying aloud of the sudden move.
The midwife stopped him but he did not listened at all because Maximus could not see anyone but the child so the midwife ran out to call for help.
Maximus was fuming mad. How could this child kill her own mother? After taking care of the unborn child for 10 long months and making its mother suffer from giving birth to her, she dare to take Britannia's life away?
The child should not live anymore. She should also die just like how she killed his mother.
Maximus held the baby out of the window using one hand and only holding the cloth wrapped around. He could not bring her to his arms. That child killed his wife so why would he love that disgusting little thing.
The time Maximus held her outside the window, the door of the room bursted out open and emerged his four sons with a shock expression except for Maxillary who did not have any idea what was going on.
Amo and little Maxlein was surprised and even the great Maximillian who took after his father's coldness at such a young age widened his eyes on what they saw.
Their father has gone mad!
Maximus looked at his new arrived sons inside the room and the people with them, the midwife who helped Britannia to deliver the baby, the Butler, some servants and Knights.
"Oh my Graces!"
"Duke!"
"Your Grace!"
"Dad! What are you doing?!"
They shouted in horror when they saw the Duke's position who was ready to throw the newborn baby out of the window.
"Brother, what is going on?" Maxillary asked in a drowsy state while tugging his Brother Maxlein's clothes who was standing beside him. Maxlein did not know what to answer and so he decided to ignore the youngster's question.
Maximus acted like he had not heard a single thing from the people who rushed in. Instead, he let go his grip while staring grimly at the crying face of the baby. He threw her just like it matters nothing.
"NOOOOOOO!!!!!" all of them shouted in horror. The old aged servants who saw what happened fainted because of shock.
Suddenly, the Duke saw his wife's face with a sad smile plastered on the baby he threw out of the window.
His sanity suddenly came back. He moved to grab the baby back but it was too late to do that. He had not touched anything from her.
This who did not fainted ran towards the window to look outside the window and see what happened to the child.
It only matters of inches before the baby completely fell off from the ground when a woman in a few defensive armor attached to her body dashed quickly from nowhere and caught the falling baby.
She even jumped to dive in just to catch the newborn in her strong arms, not minding the wounds she would get.
Most of them reached for their chest and as if the felt like they wanted to follow those who fainted. They felt relieved as they were on the cliff of death a while ago.
The let out their breaths that they unconsciously held. Their heart was beating so fast, mostly the the brothers of the child. While Maximus sweat in silent nervous when not too long ago, he did not care about the baby.
"Is that not Aunt Brisian?" Maxillary exclaimed. He was the only one who saw the woman that saved their sister's life clearly.
Maximo and Maxlein started crying and Maxillary only copied them. They suddenly cried for no reason and all they know were they felt great fear and nervous.
At that time, they were still all young to contain their emotions.
They went out of the room with tears on their eyes and went down to see their new sibling. Few of the maids followed them while the others stayed on the room to manage the Duchess' dead body.
Her skin was still warm but it was slowly turning cold and it reflected the sadness on the servants' eyes.
Maximus held onto the windowsill and reached for his temple using his other hand. He felt like his balance would leave him any moment from now.
He must be really insane. How could he do that to their newborn baby?
His wife's death was the turning point that he almost killed his innocent daughter.
His mind surged with many thoughts that he did not even know what to think first.
Maximillian only stared at his father whose face was in a grave guilt of insanity. He was unconsciously gripping in his suit when his father looked at him.
"M-Millian-" Maximus was about to touch him but the child unconsciously stepped back. Maximillian looked at his father with disappointment and despair before turning his back to him.
Maximillian took few steps before pausing after seeing his mother being taken care of. He continued walking towards her mother who only looked like sleeping.
"Mother..." the 7-year old Maximillian called with despair while standing beside his mother. He tugged his mother's hair behind her cold ears. Now, her mother did not look like a mess anymore. She looked like a sleeping angel.
In such a young age, Maximillian already know what happened inside that room and he would never forgot that time.
Maximus only stared at his son's back as his son stared to his breathless mother. His chest tightened at the sight of his wife's peaceful face as if Britannia died happily and again, he felt guilty.
How could he do that to his own daughter? How could he think of killing her? He was not a good father to his daughter.
Britannia would surely hate him for what he did to their youngest child.
Maximus mind was in a mess and did not know what to do.
Maximus' mind went back to the present when Maxine moved and changed her position to face him.
He looked at his daughter with a sad smile plastered on his face. He got up from his chair and leaned closer to kiss his daughter's forehead as he whispered "Sorry" so sincerely.
He should have said it long ago but he could muster it.
He stood up steadily and left the room. He went to his office and called for the Butler to brew him some tea.
He needs to distract his self with the paper works because he just remembered that painful scene again.
Half of the lights in the second floor where the bedroom chambers were already turned off.
Maximillian was lying on his bed for too long but he still could not sleep and only stared at the ceiling of his room. He could not sleep whatever position he already tried so he decided to take a walk in his pajamas and put on an overcloak.
The air outside the house was freezing so he refrained from taking a stroll outside.
It was still early from their usual sleeping time so there was no worry if he would not sleep early.
When he took a turn on the hallway of the stairs, he saw his father emerged from his three younger sibling's hallway and descended on the stairs.
Just in time that he saw his father. Maybe he could talk about Maxine with his Dad more. His father might be able to help him to approach Maxine without being hesitant. He did not want to repeat what happened and what he did in the botique. He did not want to avoid his sister anymore.
Maximillian was aware that he should be saying sorry but he could not put it in words. He was not good at apologizing with sincere words. He only apologized to his mother quite a few times when she was still alive and barely with his father.
Maximillian followed his father until Maximus entered his own office. The Butler went out of the room just after the Duke had enetered to bring a tea.
The Butler was immediately frightened after seeing the Young Master standing infront of the office. The old man jerked in surprised.
"Good evening, Young Master. Do you need anything?" the Butler asked after he moved on from the shock. He bowed infront of Maximillian.