Chapter 65: FTRJ: Chapter 65

“How dare you snoop through someone else’s things?!” Erza snatched the manuscript from Finn’s hands.

She then began reading it with evident enjoyment.

Finn facepalmed. “Aren’t you doing the same thing?”

Erza stated matter-of-factly, “I took it from your hands.”

Natsu, deep in thought, muttered, “If this were a normal day…”

“This is MY room!!” Happy, somehow sporting a Lucy mask, mimicked Lucy’s usual indignant tone.

“That’s probably what she would say,” Erza mused, stroking her chin.

The scene took an increasingly bizarre turn.

“What are you all even thinking?!” Finn exclaimed, feeling like he was becoming Lucy 2.0—the designated voice of exasperated commentary.

“Hmm?” Finn spotted a sheet of paper hidden under a bottle of ink on the table. He picked it up and read it.

“A letter to Mom?”

A small note lay beside the letter.

“What is it?” Erza asked, approaching.

“Look at this,” Finn handed her the note.

“This is…” Erza read the message aloud: “I’ve gone home.”

Only those few words were written.

“What?!” The others reacted with expressions of disbelief.

…

Standing before an incredibly opulent and expansive mansion, Lucy remained silent, her gaze fixed on the imposing structure.

Lucy knew her father didn’t care for her. His lavish expenditure in hiring Phantom Lord to retrieve her must have served a hidden purpose.

In Lucy’s eyes, her father was a man who prioritized his work above all else, even on her birthday, completely disregarding the carefully prepared rice balls she had presented him.

He would shout at her for interrupting his work, never once inquiring about her desires or feelings.

Composing herself, Lucy entered the mansion.

In the courtyard, a woman hummed a cheerful tune as she swept the grounds.

“Mrs. Spetto,” Lucy called out.

The familiar voice caused Mrs. Spetto to freeze, her eyes widening in recognition as she looked at the familiar figure before her.

“M…Miss Lucy…you’ve finally returned,” Mrs. Spetto said, tears welling up in her eyes.

Her call alerted the nearby servants.

“Miss Lucy…” they rushed towards her.

“Thank goodness you’re safe, I…” Mrs. Spetto embraced Lucy, weeping with relief.

Lucy offered a gentle smile. “I’m sorry for causing you so much worry.”

The servants and staff members engaged Lucy in cheerful conversation, expressing their deep affection and concern.

“Miss Lucy, Master is waiting for you in his study,” a servant announced, hurrying towards her.

“Runaway daughter finally returns, and all he says is ’I’m in the study’? That man hasn’t changed a bit,” Lucy muttered wryly to herself.

Before a large mirror, Lucy, surrounded by her attendants, was dressed in an elegant princess gown and adorned with expensive jewelry.

As she felt the dress might be a little snug, Lucy realized she had grown considerably during her time away.

————

“Father, it’s Lucy. I’ve returned,” Lucy announced, knocking on the study door.

“Come in,” a cold, detached voice replied.

Lucy entered the study. Behind his large desk, a man in a sharp business suit stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze fixed on his long-lost daughter, his expression devoid of any warmth or emotion.

“Leaving home without a word was wrong. I deeply regret it,” Lucy said, bowing slightly.

“You’re showing some sense at last. If you had stubbornly remained with that guild, I would have used my influence and wealth to crush them without mercy,” Lucy’s father, Jude Heartfilia, stated coldly.

Lucy remained silent, her expression unreadable.

“It seems you’ve truly matured, Lucy,” Jude said, nodding in apparent satisfaction as he observed his daughter.

“Now you understand the immense trouble your impulsiveness caused everyone. Consider this a valuable lesson,” Jude said, his gaze drifting towards the window.

“You are my daughter; you belong to a different world than those people.”

“The reason I’ve summoned you back is to inform you that I’ve finalized the marriage contract with the young master of the Junelle family.”

Lucy let out a soft laugh, a self-deprecating sound that hinted at the absurdity of the situation.

Jude continued, “Once you marry the Quarenyll heir, the Heartfilia assets will expand into the southern territories. And you must bear a son to inherit the Heartfilia legacy.”

Jude’s words were as cold and calculating as if he were arranging a business transaction rather than discussing his daughter’s future.

“That’s all I have to say. You may return to your room.”

Lucy took a deep breath, steeling herself. “Father, you’ve misunderstood something. I’ve returned to tell you of my decision.”

Jude seemed genuinely startled, his head snapping towards Lucy in surprise.

“I admit leaving home without a word was wrong, as it was essentially running away,” Lucy said, meeting his gaze directly.

“And so, I am clarifying my intentions before leaving this house again,” Lucy’s voice was firm and resolute.

“Lucy…” Jude seemed momentarily speechless, struggling to comprehend his daughter’s unexpected declaration.

“I will forge my own path. Please do not presume to dictate my marriage,” Lucy’s voice grew stronger, more assertive.

“And…” Lucy raised her hand, the Fairy Tail mark prominently displayed, pointing directly at her father.

“You will never again lay a finger on Fairy Tail.”

Jude was left speechless, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief.

Lucy grabbed the expensive dress she was wearing and ripped at it forcefully, as if tearing away the shackles of her constrained life.

“If you ever dare to attack Fairy Tail again, then I…and the entire guild…will consider you our enemy!!” Lucy’s declaration echoed through the silent study.

“You…you dare speak to me like that?” Jude stared at Lucy, his voice laced with disbelief and a hint of rising anger.

“You hurt the people I cherish. We can never have a calm conversation again,” Lucy turned and walked towards the door. “What I truly need is not money or beautiful clothes.

“It’s not a predetermined fate. I don’t need the empty title of ’Heartfilia heiress.’ I need a place that accepts me simply as Lucy.”

“Fairy Tail is my other home, a place far warmer than this. Though saying goodbye to Mrs. Spetto, Grandpa Pelo, Mr. Ed, and everyone else breaks my heart,” Lucy paused, turning back to face her father.

“But…but if Mother were still alive, I believe she would have said, ’Go and do what you want.’”

“Leila…” Jude froze, momentarily envisioning the familiar figure of his late wife standing beside Lucy, gently embracing her daughter.

“Goodbye, Father,” Lucy said, using a far less formal address than she ever had before.

At Lucy’s mother Leila’s grave, Lucy stood alone, seemingly lost in silent remembrance and mourning.

“Mother, goodbye.”

“Lucy———” A familiar voice called out from behind her.

“What?!” Lucy’s eyes widened in surprise as she turned to see Finn and the rest of the Fairy Tail members approaching from behind.

Happy, his face streaked with tears, rushed into Lucy’s embrace, sobbing uncontrollably.

Lucy, seeing the worried expressions on their faces, explained the reason for her return.

“Haha, it seems we overreacted a bit. Let’s just pretend we were here to escort you home,” Finn said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

“I’m so sorry for causing you all so much worry,” Lucy apologized sincerely.

“Don’t worry about it. We were a bit too hasty ourselves,” Erza said, shaking her head, but her hand discreetly pinched Finn’s side, a silent gesture of playful reprimand.

It seemed to say, “This is all your fault.”

Finn looked completely bewildered. He recalled that Erza had immediately set off with the others to find Lucy after reading the note. Their hasty actions had stemmed from their concern for Lucy’s well-being.

“Looks like we were worrying over nothing,” Gray said, his hands casually tucked into his pockets as he watched the sun slowly begin to set.

“Happy was crying the whole time,” Natsu said, his head bowed low as he walked at the front of the group.

“I’m truly sorry,” Lucy said apologetically, a sheepish smile on her face.

“Speaking of which,” Gray remarked, “this town is incredibly huge, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s bigger than most towns I’ve ever seen,” Finn said, closing his eyes to enjoy the gentle caress of the evening breeze.

Erza, arms crossed, commented, “Isn’t this idyllic countryside scenery lovely?”

“Ah, no, this is actually our family’s courtyard. The entire mountain over there belongs to us,” Lucy pointed towards the mountain peak in the distance.

“I think we just heard something rather incredible,” Finn said, his body stiffening as he turned to look at Erza and the others.

“She’s a real heiress!!” Gray exclaimed, his voice laced with envy.

“Such casual bragging!!” Natsu also expressed his envy…

“Natsu and Gray were defeated. Erza, your assessment?” Happy asked in a playful tone.

“Ah…the sky is so blue…” Erza replied, seemingly oblivious to Happy’s question.

“Erza was also defeated!” Happy shouted at the top of his lungs, before scurrying over to Finn, who was muttering to himself. “So, Finn? Your assessment, please?”

Finn ignored Happy, continuing his low mutterings. Happy leaned in closer to listen, his eyes widening in surprise at what he heard.

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