Camilla's farewell, looking happy, made Navia and Lark, crying over the ended video, seem out of place.
Accepting the immense revelation and preparing for an eternal farewell, one hour was far too short.
But it had ended.
Painful yet happy, an hour passed, and the time for those left behind continued.
Navia, tears streaming, asked, "What about the ring...?"
Lark picked up the ring box on the table.
Opening it revealed a platinum ring with a blue diamond, clearly an extraordinary and historically significant item, likely a traditional piece from the Vladina family.
Lark removed the wizard's contract ring he wore on his left ring finger, shifted it to his index finger, and slid the wedding ring into the vacant spot.
"A perfect fit."
He gently stroked the ring, then cautiously kissed the blue diamond, as if venerating Camilla's blue eyes.
"Congratulations on your marriage to mom, dad."
Navia, sobbing, teased him, and Lark chuckled.
Then he kissed her forehead.
"Thank you, my daughter."
Navia embraced him tightly.
What is the feeling of losing a loved one?
Having lived nine lives, Navia, still unsure what love is, couldn't fully comprehend Lark's emotions.
But he needed comfort.
Navia consoled him in the best way she knew.
Lark momentarily crumbled in his child's small embrace, then composed himself.
They resumed the video when calmer, crying and laughing at the same segments, replaying it whenever it ended.
By the fifth farewell, Navia's stomach growled. It was already late evening.
Lark then realized he must regularly feed his child, feeling inexperienced despite his long life.
He scooped up Navia as if a major event had occurred.
"Let's eat."
"I can walk."
"Your legs are short."
'Not short, just small because I'm eight.'
Determined to grow taller in this life, she thought, 'I'll be the tallest.'
"First, let's wash our faces."
They laughed at each other's disheveled appearances. Washing seemed necessary.
Navia felt her eyes swollen from tears.
Lark, having cried together, showed little change except reddened eyes.
'Are my eyes puffy like a goldfish's?'
Wondering if her mother had goldfish eyes when crying, Navia recalled Camilla's unfamiliar yet similar appearance.
She chuckled while washing her face.
'Mom with goldfish eyes, hard to imagine.'
"What are you thinking about?"
Lark asked, tapping her head.
"Just, if mom looked like me with puffy eyes when she cried."
Lark burst into laughter at Navia's swollen eyes.
"Ah, definitely alike. Mother and daughter with goldfish eyes."
"Chi..."
Navia, surprised at her own childish sulking, thought, 'I've fallen for such a petty trick.'
Always perfectly masked, surviving in high society?
...A bit shocking.
"Chi? What's that?"
Lark pinched her nose and grinned.
"Now, let's really go eat, goldfish."
Navia, not wanting to react but feeling an urge to retort to Lark's teasing, was scooped up and taken to the dining room.
Though mealtime had passed, soup, bread, chicken dishes, and pies were ready.
Charlotte, serving food, brightened upon seeing them.
"Just warming the food, you've arrived at the right time."
Lark, followed by the young maid, commented, "Too good to be just a maid. From today, work as housekeeper."
Navia, a returnee, having chosen her, made further evaluation unnecessary.
Charlotte gaped at the rapid promotion.
In this world, ability wasn't everything. Birthright, then connections, were crucial.
Even with these, youth hindered advancement.
Lark's statement was not just surprising but radical.
Navia, sitting beside him, added, "Charlotte will do well."
"Ah, Miss..."
Charlotte felt a surge of emotion.
Until now, the sense of belonging to a good place was all. But now, she felt an unprecedented sense of responsibility.
"I will do my best not to tarnish the family's honor."
Unlike Charlotte's solemn declaration, Lark responded indifferently.
"Honor? It's a family without such things, so it doesn't matter."
Navia thought differently.
"It will come back."
With two returnees, both capable, it was only natural that they would surpass the past glories and make the family great again.
Lark shrugged his shoulders.
He had no desire other than playing with Navia.
"Do what you want. That's all I want to do."
So, he decided to help Navia create the world she wanted.
"You are my only heir and the next head of the Eseled family."
Navia, who was spooning soup into her mouth, paused.
She had never dreamed of becoming the head of a family.
Even just a moment ago.
'Can I do well?'
Can she really excel as the head of the family?
Yet, excitement overtook her worries. Her heart pounded uncontrollably. Her blood boiled.
Her wings, which she had folded, thinking she couldn't fly yet, spread wide open.
The sky was visible. The endless sky, which she dared not even look at.
Ah... She felt like she could fly there now.
Charlotte, with a strangely moved expression, bowed respectfully.
"I will serve you with all my heart, Young Master."
Strangely, Navia felt like she was finally in her place.
No, actually, she was.
'Because this is my real home.'
Because it's where her family lives.
So, she intended to make sure no one could ever look down on or underestimate Esseled.
Navia looked down, feeling something touch her leg.
"Ah, Cesare."
The rabbit doll, Cesare, given by Lark, was raising its arms, asking for a hug.
"Sorry. I forgot about you."
Cesare, snug in Navia's arms, patted her shoulder as if to say it's okay.
Navia, stroking Cesare, asked Charlotte.
"What about Duke Vladina and Ricardo?"
"They have been taken to the guest room upstairs. They've finished their meal."
Then she asked Lark.
"Dad, how about we all have dinner together at the banquet tomorrow?"
Lark, busily cutting and spreading meat for Navia, nodded casually.
"Anyway, we have to talk to Erkin, so let's do that. Now, eat."
Navia didn't have much appetite, but as Lark kept feeding her, she ended up eating more than usual.
"I'm full now."
If she ate any more, it would be hard to breathe.
So she said she was full, but Lark pushed another piece of meat toward her mouth.
"Just one more bite."
Navia reluctantly took it and chewed slowly.
Charlotte looked on, unable to hide her pleasure.
'When the young lady is with the master, she looks just her age.'
That's why Charlotte hoped Navia would always be with Lark.
After the meal, Navia, holding Cesare, returned to the heir's room, now fixed up.
After preparing for bed with Charlotte's help, she naturally headed to the opposite room.
Lark, as if he knew Navia would come, had left a space next to him on the bed.
Navia, carrying the music box on the table, headed to the bed. Lark chuckled.
"Let's watch the video again later, and sleep for now."
Navia, though disappointed, obediently climbed into bed and handed him the music box.
"Then keep this for me, Dad. I'll look at it when I miss Mom."
She thought it was right for Lark, who had clear memories of Camilla, to keep the music box.
Even to Navia, who didn't know love, Lark's longing was more than ordinary.
'How much love is needed to keep returning to the same time to meet one person?'
Lark had done that in the future Camilla had seen.
Navia couldn't even fathom the size of that heart.
"Good night, Navia."
Lark made a pillow with his arm and meticulously covered her with the blanket.
He had to pour all the love he hadn't given her so far.
In fact, without such a resolution, Lark already found his daughter the cutest and most lovable in the world.
Was that all? Navia was talented and intelligent, even smart.
'Just like her father.'
Of course, 'her father' was himself.
Navia, unaware that Lark was flattering himself, yawned long and smiled.
"Good night to you too, Dad."
"Yeah."
Pat, pat.
Feeling the tender touch, Navia closed her eyelids.
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