A look of shock mixed with fear flashed across Lucy's face. She stood frozen, speechless.
Hearing the word "Heartfilia" again stirred memories she'd worked so hard to bury. Painful memories. And the suddenness of Chase's quiet revelation left her completely unprepared.
She lowered her head, confusion flickering in her eyes, her hands unconsciously gripping the hem of her skirt.
I thought… I thought I could keep it secret a little longer...
"I'm sorry, Brother Chess," she finally whispered, her voice soft and fragile, almost swallowed by the room. "I deceived everyone."
Chase raised an eyebrow and gave a casual wave of his hand.
"Hey, what's the big deal?" he said easily. "Except for Natsu that idiot who can't shut up about Igneel everyone in the guild has something they don't talk about."
He leaned back with a small grin. "Don't worry, I'm probably the only one who's put the pieces together. And even if someone else finds out, it's not like they'd care about something so minor."
Lucy looked up slightly, her grip on her skirt finally loosening. But deep in her beautiful brown eyes, there was still unease. A shadow of fear that wouldn't go away so easily.
She was terrified that her real identity Heartfilia might one day place her on the opposite side of the Fairy Tail guild. The thought alone made her stomach twist.
She had worked so hard to reach this place, this joy, this warmth. She couldn't bear to lose it.
"Lucy, you don't need to look so worried."
The Dark Magician Girl stood up, her voice firm and cheerful. She raised her little pink fist confidently and declared, "If Natsu or anyone else dares to treat you differently because of this I'll have Master beat them up!"
The sheer confidence in her voice made Lucy's lips twitch slightly.
Even though the suggestion was a little ridiculous, it worked. Lucy took a deep breath and slowly began to regain her usual composure.
"Thank you, Dark Magician Girl."
"Hey, you're welcome~" she said with a wink.
Chase, watching the two of them, facepalmed in exasperation.
Seriously… is it okay to just use your own master as a threat like that?
Still, the mood had softened.
"So, Lucy," Chase said as he walked to the counter and poured some tea, "can I ask why you gave up your life as the daughter of a rich merchant family and decided to join Fairy Tail?"
He turned, gently handing her the steaming cup. "Of course, you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I'm just… a little curious, that's all."
Lucy accepted the teacup, her fingers wrapped tightly around its warmth. She looked down, staring into the rippling surface where her reflection shimmered back at her.
After a few seconds of silence, Lucy finally raised her head, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. But she gathered her courage and began to speak, her voice soft and steady.
"That place... Heartfilia Castle… it never felt like a real home to me."
Though she quickly added, "The maids and housekeeper were always kind," her tone dimmed again.
"But the man who ran the house my father, Jude Heartfilia he only cared about business and money. He didn't care about people. Not even his own daughter. He... even tried to trade me away through an arranged marriage and called it 'good fortune.'"
The corners of her mouth twitched slightly as if the words themselves stung to say aloud.
"I couldn't breathe in that kind of place... cold, heavy, suffocating. I refused to accept a future where my choices didn't matter. So I ran away."
Her eyes lit up faintly with something warmer. "I ran to the place I always dreamed of since I was a child Fairy Tail."
"I see… what a miserable excuse for a father!" the Dark Magician Girl snapped, her hands clenched into little fists, eyes burning with righteous anger. "I want to fly over there and give him two punches right now!"
Chase, who had already known the story, remained far calmer. He lifted his teacup, took a sip, and exhaled slowly.
"Don't worry, Lucy," he said quietly. "If you never want to go back, then don't. Just stay at the guild. Treat Fairy Tail as your real home."
His tone softened, but beneath it was an unmistakable weight. "No one no matter who they are can force you to live a life you don't want. Not even your father."
Then, with a small shrug, he shifted his legs into a more relaxed position, like he was trying to lighten the mood.
"But hey, if trouble ever shows up from your family again," he added with a small grin, "just send me a formal job request."
"When it comes to knocking down a castle... we're professionals."
Lucy blinked, caught between laughter and tears. Her beautiful eyes shimmered with moisture, but she forced a smile and tried to keep her tone light.
"Brother Chess… isn't that a little extreme? Demolishing my house? Besides, I don't have the money to pay for an S-rank request!"
Chase sighed and scratched the back of his head, feigning deep distress. "Ah well, I guess I can't help it. You do call me brother, after all."
"And if I'm your big brother, then protecting my little sister is a given."
His words settled over her gently, not loud, not dramatic but warm. Steady.
In the original story, Lucy had returned from Tenrou Island after seven long years, only to discover her father had passed away.
All he'd left her were birthday letters. Letters filled with words he'd never had the courage to say while he was alive regret, and the love of a parent who realized too late what truly mattered.
The rushed farewell of the past had become an eternal regret.
Lucy had once cried with her whole heart, broken by the weight of what could never be recovered.
Since she now called him "brother," Chase wasn't about to let her suffer that same fate again father and daughter growing more distant until they became strangers walking opposite paths.
And all it would take to change that fate… was an opportunity.
An opportunity for a Fairy Tail wizard to intervene with reason and justice to do something about Jude Heartfilia!
Lucy stood frozen in place, eyes locked on Chase's easy smile and the Dark Magician Girl's concerned gaze.
This warmth this feeling of being trusted, protected, believed in she hadn't felt it since her mother Layla passed away.
Back then, and all the way until she finally joined Fairy Tail, she had always been… alone.
And now, as if something had finally broken open inside her, all the strength she had used to protect herself shattered.
Her hands flew to her face to hide the sudden tears, but no matter how tightly she covered her eyes, they still streamed down.
They wouldn't stop.
"Geez, Master… why'd you go and make Lucy cry?" the Dark Magician Girl pouted, giving Chase a gentle scolding before hurrying over to Lucy's side.
She wrapped her arms around her without hesitation, soft and comforting.
It didn't take long for Lucy to settle down again.
After all, she wasn't someone who broke easily.
She took a few steadying breaths and wiped her eyes, her usual spark slowly returning.
"Nolushi, here," Chase said, just as the timing felt right. He leaned forward and pulled something out from under the coffee table. "Until the Dark Mage finishes designing your special training plan, you can start with this."
It was… a pair of dumbbells.
Pink ones.
"I asked the shopkeeper to make sure they were your favorite color," Chase added with a teasing smirk.
"And I picked the pink ones specifically because I thought they'd suit you best!" the Dark Magician Girl chimed in proudly, holding up two fingers in a cheerful peace sign.
Lucy blinked, looking down at the dumbbells in her hands.
Then she looked up at Chase.
Then at the Dark Magician Girl.
And then
"Pfft."
She couldn't hold it anymore.
A laugh burst from her lips, wiping away the last of her sadness like morning sunlight breaking through the clouds.
After a brief pause, Lucy who had been so deeply moved just moments ago suddenly burst out laughing.
"Let's put aside the fact that giving dumbbells to a girl as a gift is kind of presumptuous… but pink dumbbells?! That's just weird!"
There she was the real Lucy Heartfilia, finally back in full form with her signature sarcastic quips.
"But still… thank you, Brother Chess. I'll give it my all!"
She straightened up, and with sincere determination, carefully took the slightly heavy pink dumbbells into her arms.
For a moment, it was warm and wholesome.
But then
So tired of you two!
Both Chase and the Dark Magician Girl curled their lips into sinister grins.
That wasn't a good sign.
"You're welcome," Chase said smoothly. "That'll be thirty thousand J."
"…What?" Lucy blinked.
"Three. Ten. Thousand. Jewels," he repeated calmly, still smiling.
"…"
"…"
"Why are dumbbells so expensive?!"
Lucy exploded, like a volcano erupting without warning. She hurled the dumbbells those precious, delicately cradled dumbbells straight at the floor.
CRACK!
The wooden planks let out a painful groan, splintering under the impact as several cracks spread across the surface like spiderwebs.
…Good thing the house was his, or the downstairs neighbors would have stormed in by now.
"You've already taken the item," Chase said with a mock-serious expression. "If you can't pay, I'm afraid… you may not be allowed to leave this door."
"This is extortion! Forced transaction! Blackmail!" Lucy shouted, backing up a step.
"With the Dark Magician Girl as a notary, it's clearly a legitimate and fair trade," Chase replied smoothly, still sipping his tea.
Lucy immediately turned to the Dark Magician Girl like a drowning person grabbing for a lifeline.
Her eyes pleaded for mercy.
The Dark Magician Girl turned her head to the side, puffed up her cheeks, and started to whistle innocently.
Her long golden bangs slid down over her face, barely hiding the expression she was clearly struggling to contain.
She was laughing.
Lucy collapsed in despair.
I almost forgot... they're wearing the same pants!
If she had known the water was this deep, she never would've let Hololochim leave so early!
Thirty thousand J! That was nearly half a month's rent!
And there was no escaping it either her opponent was Chase, the monster who could subdue Natsu like it was nothing!
After struggling internally for a moment, the honest and ever-suffering Lucy decided she had only one trump card left seduction.
She took a breath, composed herself, and then walked slowly to the coffee table.
With what she believed was her most alluring posture, she sat down delicately, tilted her head, and fluttered her long lashes.
Her big brown eyes sparkled into the shape of tiny hearts.
In a voice as sweet as honey, she said:
"Brother Chess~ Please give me this... no, this adorable pink dumbbell~"
"We're brother and sister, right? If you won't give it away, at least give me a discount~ Pretty please~?"
…
The scene changed.
Lucy now had a giant stress vein ("井") pulsing on her forehead as she dragged her feet down the street that night, trudging back toward her small rental home under the dark sky.
Grumbling, cursing, and fuming.
"Aaagh, that damn Chase! In the end, he only gave me a two thousand J discount!"
"Give me back all that emotion and trust I invested and go die!"
"You damn black-hearted profiteer! Battle-crazed lunatic! Eternal bachelor!!"