Creed hesitated for a moment before slowly burying his head in Navia's shoulder.
"I found mother's diary."
"I see."
With a gentle touch, Navia tenderly stroked his hair.
'Don't hurt, Creed.'
If your heart must ache, let it be just a little.
She repeated this to herself over and over, listening intently to his words.
Creed's body trembled slightly. His adam's apple moved prominently as he struggled to swallow his tears.
"The diary was hidden."
He had accidentally knocked down a bookcase while checking his mother's belongings in a narrow space.
The old bookcase, not made of particularly fine wood, shattered completely. Surprisingly, a diary popped out from the case that had seemed empty.
A diary was hidden under a board that was added to the bottom of the case.
"Mother must have known where I would look, what I would rummage through. She knew everything..."
She knew everything.
That statement meant more than just the diary. It implied she had a clear understanding of her own fate and the fate of her son.
"Yes, I knew everything."
Empress Estelle, like Camilla, must have seen countless futures over and over again in an effort to save her son.
How frightened must she have been when she realized she could not exist in the future she found?
How terrible must Creed's inevitable childhood suffering have been...
Creed, with his eyes now moist, lifted his head and extended the notebook he was holding to Navia.
"Want to look at it together?"
"Is it okay?"
He smiled faintly as if it were obvious.
"Of course. I'd really like it if we could see it together."
They sat side by side, closely leaning against the wall.
Navia didn't know much about Empress Estelle, other than that she was Camilla's childhood friend.
But as they read through the diary, the nuances of her speech and her personality began to reveal themselves.
The way Estelle listed the day's events in a dry, concise style showed that she was not particularly sentimental.
"Reading the diary, I feel like I can understand what kind of person the Empress was. Especially here, where she concisely writes down her tasks with numbers assigned to them."
Creed's gaze lingered on those minor details for a long time. It was as if he was talking to the letters themselves.
"Mother, what kind of person were you? I'm very curious."
Then the diary replied:
The royal family has always been precious with their hands.
Although the children are well cared for, there have been many cases of death due to excessive magical power surges.
Thanks to that, even while I am suspected of treason, I am enjoying the luxury of eating seasonal fruits.
I threatened to demand the fruits, saying that if I, as a royal family member, didn't eat them, it felt like I would miscarry right away. I might as well eat well and die looking good.
Next time, I'm thinking of asking for peaches.
"......"
With a slightly embarrassed expression, Creed turned the page of the diary.
Finally, I was trapped in the cold palace. It seems I did well to hide the diary and pen here before I was imprisoned.
The power of foresight doesn't always tell me the exact time.
Sometimes it's uncanny how everything falls into place as if I had planned the future, and other times it's so uncertain that it makes me wonder why I am shown such things.
Fortunately, Creed's future was quite clearly foreseen, which is a relief.
I'm truly glad to see a way to save this child.
The diary briefly mentioned Camilla as well.
What could Camilla be doing now? I couldn't see her and Duke Eseled's story very clearly.
Yet, it still pained my heart. It was heartbreaking to think our lives would end this way.
I only hope she finds happiness.
Navia, swallowing her trembling breath, barely managed to speak without shedding tears.
"They two must have been really good friends."
Creed nodded in agreement as if to confirm.
The diary was mostly short and concise, quickly moving from one entry to the next. I found myself re-reading sections, reluctant to see the pages dwindle.
But eventually, the end came.
At the last, instead of a diary entry, there seemed to be a letter written by Empress Estelle to Creed, as if she had foreseen what he would discover.
Navia felt she needed to ask for Creed's permission before reading this part.
"Can I also take a look?"
Creed wrapped his arms deeply around Navia's shoulders and spoke.
"I don't think this is just my own matter."
Navia understood exactly what he meant.
This wasn't each person's individual matter; it was 'our' matter. It was something that had arisen because their fates were entwined.
So, Navia showed him all of Camilla's letters and videos when she felt he could fully understand.
Navia gripped Creed's hand that was wrapped around her shoulder.
"Let's read it together."
Creed had already read the letter several times.
But thinking about reading it with Navia made it feel new again.
"Yeah. Let's read it together."
They looked at each other with tearful, choked-up eyes, then simultaneously shifted their gaze to the letter.
The first paragraph of the letter went as follows:
My dear son, Creed.
If you have found this diary, you must already be an adult.
Indeed, it was a greeting befitting a future-seeing sorcerer.
Seeing the future isn't always a pleasant thing, but at this moment, I'm quite pleased with my power. I know about your adorable childhood and all the way up to your grown-up self.
It would have been better if I could see it with my own eyes.
The style, which had been consistently dry in the diary, had instantly changed into an indifferent yet playful tone.
Moreover, each sentence radiated a gentle affection towards Creed.
The corners of Navia's lips naturally curved into a tender smile as she read the letter.
Sometimes, I wonder what kind of events would unfold while raising you.
Imagining myself reading fairy tales to you when you don't want to sleep seems like a fun thing to do.
It's also about lifting you up swiftly when you fall while playing mischievously and brushing off the dirt, crying loudly.
Or even the interesting task of offering you warm milk when you return home sullen after a fight with a friend, gently asking, 'Are you going to make up with your friend?'
It's a pity I can't experience these wonderful moments, but I'm also happy that you've come to find me and allow me to at least imagine these lovely scenarios.
But I did see your romance in a future vision. How could Navia and Camilla look so strikingly similar?
It's not surprising that you fell for that child. Camilla was a really cool and good friend.
Her daughter, Navia, seems to be just as cool and nice.
Navia wiped away the tears that had been flowing unconsciously and pointed to the part she had just read.
"Look here. Your mother said I'm a good child."
Then Creed replied.
"Because my noona is a good person."
Navia looked up at him and chuckled softly.
"You're a very good person too, Creed."
They turned their eyes back to the diary.
It's amazing to write and see this in a letter.
I didn't know I was the type to feel happy or moved by such things. In fact, I thought I could never be a mother in my lifetime.
But then you came to find me and made me a mother.
You're the one who taught your mother that such happiness exists, Creed.
Even though the time when I'm writing this letter and when you are reading it is different, I still want to think that I'm always with you.
Thank you for coming into my unhappy life, and I love you.
Convey my thanks to Duke Eseled for this wonderful result.
Take care, my future son.
Waiting for your birth, I am a mother who loves every moment of you.
Creed gently stroked the part that said 'every moment of you' with his finger.
How immense must a mother's affection be, to love every version of him that she saw in different futures, including the present?
How vast, that he could feel his mother's love so profoundly in this moment, long after they had parted?
He finally realized it.
That he had been loved in every living, breathing moment.
That she had been watching over him.
Creed bowed his head as if collapsing.
"Creed."
His mother's voice calling him was still clear in his ears.
"...Mother."
He whispered in a voice as soft as a breath.
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