Well, she supposed that was possible.

Whatever else he might be, he was still the father of her child. For that reason alone, maybe she had been unable to completely let go.

In any case, Camilla’s eyes as she looked at Jishua remained as cold as ever.

I’ve never seen a single decent person among men who act like their wives and children are none of their business.

[Tia... kept this ring all this time......]

“This really isn’t the time for you to be getting sentimental.”

What exactly are you reminiscing for? Do you think you have the right to?

[I know that better than anyone... That I have no conscience, and no qualification whatsoever as a husband or a father.]

Good. Glad you know.

[Her death was all my fault too.]

What was he talking about?

Camilla’s eyes narrowed further and further.

[If I hadn’t left... Ravi, that child turning out with such a prickly personality, that’s all my fault too... In the first place, someone like me... someone like me...]

“......”

There was one thing she could admit.

That man really is Ravi’s father.

He had the exact same talent for digging himself into a hole. She had wondered who Ravi had inherited that pitifully miserable streak from.

Camilla let out a soundless sigh and shook her head.

“So what are you going to do now?”

Was he planning to keep hanging around Ravi’s side like this?

[There was only one thing I wanted when I came here.]

But contrary to Camilla’s concern, Jishua shook his head at once. A bitter smile hung at the corner of his lips.

[I just wanted to see him once.]

To see how Ravi had been living.

[And I wanted to leave him at least one thing.]

The dragon grimoire, the last trace he could call his own.

At the very least, he had wanted to make sure Ravi received that.

When he learned that Ravi, like himself, was walking the path of mana, he had been happy, yet terribly heartsick at the same time.

[If I had still been alive...]

If that had been the case, he would have been able to do much more for Ravi, that child. They could have discussed magic together. They could have researched together.

It was heartbreaking. And then heartbreaking all over again.

[Still, I’m relieved.]

“About what?”

[That child isn’t alone, at least.]

A faint smile appeared on Jishua’s face as he looked at Camilla.

[Because you’re being his family.]

“...Because I am his family.”

At Camilla’s short reply, Jishua’s smile deepened.

[I want to give you something too.]

“You already did last time.”

[That was simply payment for granting my request. Hmm...]

He looked thoughtful for a moment. He had already found everything he possessed and handed it over to Ravi, so what exactly did he think he had left to give her?

[Ah! Then how about this? Since I wandered around all over the place, I happen to know a few mines with some very decent minerals buried in them.]

Another mine?

Was it because of how ghosts were? Since so many of them preferred dark, damp places, an unusual number of them ended up bringing her information about mines.

“No, it’s fine. I may not look it, but I already happen to own quite a few mi—”

[It’s a mineral people seem to like a lot these days. What was it called again? Diamonds?]

“Father, would you like a cup of tea? I happen to make tea unbelievably well!”

[...Father?]

“If you’re Brother Ravi’s father, then that makes you my father too.”

Beaming brightly.

What? Why?

Did I say anything wrong? We’re all one family, aren’t we?

A diamond mine!

Who cares about a form of address! With that face, I could even call you big brother. If that’s what you want, I can call you big brother!

[......]

Jishua stared at her as if she were absurd, and Camilla answered by flashing him an even brighter smile.

*****

“Brother.”

“What?”

“Aren’t you going to the magic tower? Is it really okay for you to loaf around like this every day?”

“Loaf around? I’ve been researching my heart out!”

Ravi had been obsessively digging through the grimoire Jishua left behind for over a month now.

If Camilla had not forcibly made him eat and rest, Ravi’s name would certainly have been added to the list of mages who researched themselves to death.

Does he really like it that much?

What was so enjoyable about looking at such a difficult grimoire? In contrast to how haggard he looked on the outside, his eyes alone were sparkling brilliantly.

“Take this.”

“What is it?”

“Mother’s keepsake.”

“What?”

Unable to take his eyes off the grimoire, Ravi finally lifted his head a little for the first time.

“Mother’s keepsake? Where did you get that?”

“While cleaning out the storeroom.”

“It’s a ring?”

It was an emerald ring with an old-fashioned design. He felt like he had maybe seen their mother wearing it when he was young.

“Did you deliberately turn it into a necklace?”

“It wouldn’t fit your hand if it was something Mother used to wear.”

“It’s fine. You keep it.”

Even if it was something their mother had left behind, he could not see why he needed to go so far as to make a necklace out of a ring he could not even wear on his finger.

Rolling the ring around in his palm a few times, Ravi indifferently gathered the necklace chain. He had every intention of handing it back to Camilla.

“Your biological father gave it to Mother.”

“...What?”

Ravi’s lips parted slightly.

He looked again at the necklace in his hand with new eyes. This was a ring his biological father had given?

“How do you know that?”

“There was a letter next to the ring. It said it was their wedding token.”

“A letter?”

“Yes. But it was so old it tore. I wanted to show it to you too... Sorry.”

She obviously could not say she had heard it directly from her dead brother’s father, so she just made up a rough excuse.

“......”

Ravi’s gaze fell to the ring again. Why had he never noticed something like this before?

He wondered that for a moment, but he did not find anything particularly strange about Camilla’s explanation. In the first place, he had never truly paid much attention to their mother’s belongings.

“Hmm...”

Wearing a slightly awkward expression, Ravi put the necklace around his neck.

The only trace his biological father had left behind...

Somehow, it felt strange.

All he had ever heard was that the man died not long after he was born. He did not even know his father’s name.

Because Mother never wanted to talk about Father.

Whenever the subject of his father came up, Mother would hastily change the topic or her expression would visibly harden. Seeing that, Ravi too had stopped bringing him up.

“His name was Jishua.”

“...Jishua?”

“Yes.” 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

“Jishua...”

Repeating the name of the father he was learning for the first time, Ravi stared at the ring with a slightly wistful expression, unable to look away easily.

[......]

Jishua’s face, as he watched Ravi, was also filled with a tangle of emotions.

What was he thinking now as he looked at that ring?

Resentment toward him? Or perhaps... longing?

Though he knew it was a ridiculous thing to hope for, his chest still ached for no reason.

[...Thank you.]

After some time passed, and after confirming that Ravi had turned his eyes back to the grimoire, Jishua offered Camilla his thanks.

At that thanks, Camilla understood immediately. Like the others, he too was preparing to leave.

[......]

Jishua did not leave behind any words asking her to take good care of Ravi.

No, he could not.

Because he knew perfectly well that he had no right to say such a thing.

[Take care.]

After giving Camilla that final farewell, he was slowly wrapped in light and swiftly vanished from the spot.

“Hey, what are you staring off at like that?”

“Good question. What am I looking at?”

“......!”

When Camilla kept staring into empty air with that very strange smile on her face, Ravi’s expression instantly froze.

“You, you! Don’t tell me...!”

...He really never changed. It almost took talent for a person to be that consistent.

Camilla enjoyed Ravi’s face as it gradually turned pure white for a moment, then looked toward the place where Jishua had disappeared.

Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of my brother.

Sending that belated goodbye inwardly, she smiled faintly.

*****

Bzzzz— Bzzzz—!

“Hm?”

Reading the grimoire in his workshop with his usual life-or-death intensity, Ravi turned his head at the sound of the communication orb ringing.

“What now?”

Thinking perhaps his master was contacting him, he looked for the communication orb, then slowly furrowed his brow when he saw the color of the orb that identified the caller.

“That color is...”

It was unfamiliar, but not a color he did not know.

The problem was that there was absolutely no reason that color should be connecting to his communication orb.

Bzzzz—!

With the communication orb continuing to ring without pause, Ravi finally accepted the connection with a displeased expression.

“Ravi?”

“What is it?”

As expected, it was the Duke of Esclara’s voice.

He knew the man contacted Camilla from time to time, but this was the first time he had ever contacted him directly.

Ravi blinked, wondering what this was about, when the other side pressed his face even closer to the video communication orb.

The way he stared so hard made Ravi uncomfortable, and he leaned back a little. From the other side, the man started muttering some nonsense about being disappointed.

What was wrong with that man, seriously? Had he eaten something strange?