Jude paused, surprised that Lucy had guessed that much.
"No..."
He lowered his head in shame, hesitated for a long moment, then finally mustered the courage to look up and meet Lucy's eyes.
"If it's not too much to ask... could you call me 'Dad'? The way you used to call Layla 'Mom'?"
Hearing a gentle tone she had never heard from her stern father before, Lucy froze. Then, her eyes began to sting and grow wet uncontrollably.
Seeing this, Jude—so used to being formal—flushed red and waved his arms in panic.
"D-Don't misunderstand! I just meant that—"
"The things you love to do, do them freely. By your own will, Lucy—not as the heiress of the Heartfilia family."
"I thought... if Layla were still here, she would have said something like that, don't you think?"
But rather than comforting her, those words only made Lucy's tears flow harder. They streamed down her delicate face and dripped onto her tightly clenched hands resting on her lap.
Lucy felt as though she was suffocating, wrapped in a dreamlike unreality. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Scenes of her father's understanding and support—how many times had she dreamed of them?
She was terrified that this was just another fleeting dream, that if she opened her eyes, she'd find herself alone in an empty room...
"D-Don't cry, Lucy! It was all my fault before. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."
Jude, who hadn't seen Lucy cry in years, panicked instantly. He rushed to his daughter's side, only to freeze, unsure of what to do. All he could do was apologize over and over.
His sincere words grounded Lucy in reality.
Carefully opening her eyes, the moment she saw Jude standing before her through her tear-blurred vision, the emotions she had been suppressing finally burst forth.
"Waaah! Dad!!"
She threw herself into Jude's arms and sobbed like a child.
"I'm sorry, Lucy. I'm sorry. Nothing like that will ever happen again. Even if I have to give up the Konzern, I'll support you—"
After a brief pause, Jude extended his arms and gently held Lucy close.
His own vision, too, blurred with tears.
A gentle breeze blew, sunlight streamed down, casting the shadows of the father and daughter tightly embracing into long, slender forms.
Jude's unfinished redemption after bankruptcy, Lucy's unresolved regrets after returning home—all the sorrows dissolved in that embrace.
Meanwhile, Stellar, Ribbon, Lisa, and the other servants eavesdropping outside the door were also crying their eyes out.
After a long while…
Lucy, her emotions somewhat calmer, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and couldn't help but ask, "Father—I mean, Dad—why did you suddenly... change your mind?"
She actually wanted to ask why he suddenly seemed human.
Jude clasped his hands behind his back and walked slowly to the study's floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the vast land and sky beyond the mansion.
"Lucy, you're very lucky. You have a good brother."
He paused, then added in a grave voice, "Of course, that's my good fortune as well."
"Brother? Chase?!"
For some reason, Chase's face immediately came to mind.
And Jude's silent acknowledgment confirmed her suspicion.
"But... how could Chase have—"
"He gave me quite a lesson, too," Jude said, shaking his head with a wry laugh.
"Ah?! Did you or Stellar get hurt? Which room of the mansion did he tear down? Or did he blow the backyard mountain to smithereens?!"
Lucy's face contorted in horror. Deep in her mind, she pictured Chase transforming into a demon king, blowing the Heartfilia family's property to bits.
Her reaction wasn't unreasonable—Chase was exactly the type to do something like that, if it was for her or for their guildmates.
"I see. So that's the image he has in your mind."
Jude turned, startled, and saw that Lucy was genuinely panicked. He couldn't help but laugh. "Relax. We just sat down and had a few words. We got along quite pleasantly."
"Oh, and he said the tea here was very good."
Lucy hung her head in shame. "Ah ha... ahahaha..."
She knew very well how reckless Chase could be and how stubborn and arrogant her father was. She was certain the whole thing hadn't been nearly as simple as he made it sound.
But since her father herself didn't want to talk about it, asking would be useless. She'd have to wait until she got back and ask Chase.
And then... properly thank him...
KABOOM!!
An explosion from the front courtyard startled both Jude and Lucy.
Ignoring Stellar and the others crouched by the door, the head of the mansion's security ran in, his face tense.
"Mr. Jude, Lady Lucy—several mages claiming to be from Fairy Tail are attacking!"
"Fairy Tail mages?"
Lucy glanced toward the front courtyard, where flames and ice were intermittently erupting. "Is it a flame idiot, a perverted nudist, an incredibly strong female mage, and a cat?!"
"Y-Yes, my lady. How did you know?" The security captain looked utterly bewildered.
"It really is Natsu and the others!"
Lucy gasped, shocked but also deeply movedd. Just as she was about to go stop them, Jude stepped forward first. "They are honored guests of the Heartfilia family. Do not obstruct them. Escort them to the reception hall—and be polite!"
Strange. Didn't Mr. Jude hire Phantom Lord to deal with Fairy Tail? The security captain was confused. That was precisely why he'd ordered his men to stop them.
After all, everyone in the mansion had mysteriously passed out not long ago. Caution was warranted.
"Understood!"
Despite his doubts, he followed Jude's orders without question.
Soon, Natsu and the others were respectfully escorted into the Heartfilia family's grand reception hall.
Erza included—these country bumpkins, who had never seen such splendor, were left speechless by the magnificent, opulent space.
When Lucy and Jude appeared, after a brief interaction confirmed that Jude wasn't the irredeemable villain they'd feared, the The group finally relaxed completely.
And then...
Natsu and Gray—who had already stripped off his shirt—began wandering around with clear consciences, peeking and poking at everything.
Happy, acting like he owned the place, excitedly sharpened his claws on a marble pillar, repeatedly marveling at how rich people lived.
Even the normally serious Erza, upon learning that everything within several kilometers—including several mountains—was merely Lucy's "backyard," short-circuited completely, muttering "the sky is so blue" over and over.
The whole scene descended into utter chaos.
Lucy hid her face in her hands, too embarrassed to watch.
Jude, however, smiled and remarked that the children were quite adorable. He was genuinely happy that Lucy had such wonderful comrades.
***
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