Liz’s diary entries made Johan’s hands tremble and tears well up in his eyes.
Jared was surprised by his father’s reaction but silently waited without a word.
After some time, his father, having read everything, handed Liz’s diary to Jared without wiping away his tears.
Before being told to, Jared began to flip through the diary.
There, he discovered his mother’s truth.
“This is everything about Mother…”
“Yes, there was a hidden door behind the bookshelf. That’s where this diary was kept.”
“… I had no idea it was there. I just found out now.”
“I apologize for searching the house without permission and for reading the contents before Father-in-law.”
Olivier bowed deeply to Johan, but Johan, who had been wiping away his tears, stopped her in a hurry.
“Please, don’t. I’m grateful to you, Olivier, so please don’t apologize. But why did you think Liz was hiding her diary? No, the truth?”
Olivier glanced at Jared and then smiled faintly.
“Father-in-law said Liz resembled Jared. Jared doesn’t often show his true feelings. I thought he was a lot like Father-in-law, and perhaps Liz was the same. Also, the Liz I heard about from Jared didn’t match the Liz Father-in-law described, so I presumed she might be rather clumsy.”
Her assumption was correct. After all, Olivier had managed to find her mother’s hidden diary.
“Jared, these are your mother’s true feelings. Read them carefully.”
Nodding, Jared continued reading the diary. After skimming through it, he let out a sigh.
“What can I say? My mother was a troublesome person.”
Olivier chuckled at his unintended remark.
The diary revealed truths hidden not only from Johan but also from Jared.
Liz Murphy had not loved Johan Daum. She had merely wanted an exceptional heir, combining her own magic power and talent for magic with the exceptional bloodline of a combatant from the Daum Barony.
However, everything changed with Jared’s birth.
She decided to support Johan as his wife, as he had said he wouldn’t mind if they could be together without love. She encouraged him to take a consort and advised him to marry someone he truly loved. As a result, Karina became his consort. Annette’s involvement seemed to be a matter of factional alliances.
When she became pregnant with Jared, Johan’s overjoyed expression surprised her. Despite knowing he didn’t love her, his genuine happiness about the child filled her with guilt.
She kicked Johan away multiple times when he became bothersomely attentive during her pregnancy. With the help of Karina, who became a consort, she safely gave birth.
By then, she had developed feelings for Johan. The man she only needed for childbirth had earned her affection.
But Liz Murphy was clumsy. She was so clumsy and troublesome that her son was exasperated.
She was happy that Johan’s unwavering affection continued despite her inability to confess her love now, and she adored Karina, who treated her like a dear younger sister. For Liz, who had only known a harsh life, this was the first time she experienced happiness and comfort.
She also knew that Johan had lied about Jared’s lack of talent with a sword. She found it endearing that Johan had lied because of his love for her and his concern for Jared.
By then, she no longer wanted a talented child. She only wished for him to grow up healthy.
Roik was born, and she believed their happy times would continue. All that was needed was for her to be honest.
But that was not to be.
She discovered her body was being consumed by illness after Johan lied about Jared’s talent and began to distance himself. She knew he felt guilty, but she pretended not to notice his lie, unable to say anything.
The illness continued to ravage her body. Congenital magic power deficiency. In the era when magic was more prevalent and the quality of magicians was far superior to today, this was a rare illness that affected a small percentage of people born with extraordinary magic power. It was not incurable in that era, but there was no remedy in modern times.
She considered asking her father for help but decided against it. She believed it was all fate.
Born into Waalthe, she had lived freely, defying her father. She thought she would never love anyone, yet she found a family to cherish.
That alone was enough happiness.
She understood she had less than six months to live. Strangely, she felt no fear. However, she worried about the still young Jared, her husband who believed he wasn’t loved, and her dear “little sister”.
Around that time, her younger sister poisoned her. Of course, her father had built up her resistance to poison, so she didn’t die. Her tongue felt a little numb. Karina, who confessed everything through tears after failing to kill her, revealed that her younger Roik was taken hostage and she had been threatened by Annette to kill her. Liz even considered killing Annette and everyone else. However, she no longer had the strength. Merely acting as if nothing was wrong each day was all she could manage.
So, Liz thought. She would use her death for someone.
She suspected that by drinking all the poison Karina had retrieved, her weakened body would succumb.
She hesitated. Despite her selfish behavior, she felt sorry for Johan, who still loved her. Leaving behind the still young Jared tore at her heart. But she could save Karina and Roik.
Ultimately, Liz Murphy decided to end her life, entrusting her beloved husband and son to Karina without ever revealing her true feelings to Johan.
“…What a foolish woman.”
At the end of the diary, apologies to her family were written. Tears had clearly fallen before the writing continued. She must have been weeping as she wrote.
And then:
— I wanted to spend time together happily as a family, always. Please, be blessed with much happiness.
Her wish was written there.
Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face. She couldn’t stop crying at the thought of her clumsy, self-centered, and utterly selfish mother’s wishes.
“She truly was a foolish woman. But thank you for giving birth to me, thank you for loving me, Mother.”
