"Sorry, I really do," Chase said evenly.
Jude's pupils contracted. Looking into the calm, unwavering gaze of the young man before him, he suddenly recalled a very important piece of information.
At an international banquet, he had once overheard talk of a wizard from Fiore who had caused quite the stir on the distant continent of Kiltina.
And that wizard's name… was Chase, from Fairy Tail.
If the man standing before him was truly that same wizard, then perhaps he really would be bold enough to attack the Jeluanu family.
Even the Heartfilia mansion itself could be reduced to rubble within minutes.
The thought chilled him. Throughout their exchange, Jude had been arrogant and dismissive, but now for the first time there was a flicker of panic in his eyes.
A "big shot" like him feared nothing more than a "madman" like Chase someone who played by no one's rules.
"It seems you still don't understand the heart of the matter."
Chase exhaled softly.
Threats and intimidation might be enough to make Jude afraid, to make him back down from forcing Lucy into marriage and challenging Fairy Tail. But that wasn't the true reason Chase had come here.
After this much conversation, he knew full well that words alone would never convince Jude.
In that case… he would have to resort to special measures.
"Mr. Jude, since you are Lucy's father, I wasn't planning to do this at first."
"You what are you going to do?!"
When a card suddenly appeared in Chase's hand as if from thin air, Jude's composure cracked completely. Instinctively, he took two steps back.
The only reply was Chase's calm voice.
"Magic Card: Brainwash Activate."
A sharp flash filled the room.
A magic circle blazed to life on the floor, and from it, a pair of eerie, demonic hands emerged, clawing their way into the air.
Jude raised his arm in a reflexive attempt to shield himself, but the devilish hands passed straight through his limb as if it were mist. They filled his vision in an instant, reaching directly for his mind.
In a heartbeat, Jude's eyes went blank.
He didn't know how long he remained like that. When his eyes finally refocused, the study was empty Chase was gone without a trace.
Out in the corridor, servants trudged past the half-open door, arms weighed down with luggage, their expressions clouded with sorrow.
"State! Belle! What are you doing?!" Jude's voice thundered with sudden anger.
"Master," the head maid, State, stopped and bowed deeply toward the study, her voice heavy with emotion. "Even if the consortium has gone bankrupt, please do not grieve too much. Please take care of your health. Thank you for your kindness over the years."
…Me? Bankrupt?
Jude's eyes widened in shock.
Before he could process her words, a stabbing pain ripped through his skull. He clutched his head, screaming, and curled into the corner of the desk.
Visions crashed over him trusted partners stabbing him in the back, rival conglomerates slowly devouring his markets, once-loyal allies turning their backs.
His arms loosened, falling to his sides, eyes glassy as the truth settled in.
Heartfilia… was ruined.
"No… No! There's still a way! If we can break into the northern market, there's still a chance!"
"Travel expenses. As long as I can get enough travel expenses, I can make a comeback!"
Penniless and desperate, Jude's thoughts immediately turned to his daughter Lucy, who was living and working with Fairy Tail.
What followed was all too clear. Unable to secure any funds, he wandered for a long time, seeing firsthand the struggles and hardships of the lower classes.
Eventually, he managed to gain a foothold in the northern reaches of the kingdom and began rebuilding from nothing.
During that time, he happened to hear of Fairy Tail's mysterious disappearance. Every year after that, on Lucy's birthday, he would write letters filled with regret and longing that never reached her hands.
Years later, he died quietly, alone and in despair, before a cold, empty bed.
And then
It was still the same study.
Sunlight streamed through the windows, spilling warm light across the dim, oppressive space.
Jude, slumped in his leather chair, suddenly opened his eyes. His chest rose and fell in sharp, heavy breaths.
His gaze darted around in confusion before settling on the figure seated not far away Chase, legs crossed, calmly sipping tea.
"Mr. Jude, how is it? How does it feel… to be reborn?" Chase asked with a faint smile.
He hadn't used the card's power to forcefully overwrite Jude's will. Instead, he had simply allowed Jude to experience a vivid simulation of what the future could hold.
Of course, to avoid stirring up needless trouble, Chase hadn't shown him every detail just enough for Jude to live through the mental journey of ruin and loss.
Jude sat frozen, unable to answer.
To Chase, it had been no more than the time it took to drink a cup of tea. But to Jude, it had been years long, grueling years lived out in what felt like reality.
The disorienting sensation of waking from that life left him unable to calm his heart.
After a long silence, his dry lips finally moved.
"What… exactly was that…?"
"Don't worry. You just had a dream."
Chase set his cup down, rose to his feet, and brushed the dust from the hem of his coat.
Jude's breath caught, his eyes fixed wide on Chase.
"If you get the chance, try listening to Lucy's own thoughts and wishes. And by the way, the tea here is awful. I'm leaving."
His work done, Chase gave a casual wave and turned to go.
"Wait wait!" Jude called out in a rush.
He still had countless questions swirling in his mind about the magic he had just experienced so vivid and real that it was hard to believe.
To sum it up in one thought… was it truly just a "dream"?
"Is there anything else?" Chase paused mid-step, glancing back over his shoulder.
Jude remained silent.
His emotions were tangled and heavy, leaving him unsure where to even begin.
"Who… exactly are you?"
After a long moment of thought, that was the only question he could manage.
"Didn't I tell you at the start?"
Chase's lips curved into a bright, open smile, the sunlight catching on his features.
"I'm Lucy's brother. That's all."
There was nothing hidden in that smile no malice, no calculation and yet, looking at it left Jude stunned.
"Oh, by the way," Chase added, his tone casual, "Lucy is Lucy, and you are you. We each have our own matters to deal with."
Those words left Jude even more bewildered. Despite himself, the dignified head of the Heartfilia Group burst into a laugh.
"You Fairy Tail wizards… you really are petty!"
"But "
The laughter faded. Jude straightened, his expression solemn. Then, in an uncharacteristic display of humility, he bowed deeply toward Chase.
"Thank you… for helping me understand what is truly precious to a father."
When he looked up again, gratitude in his eyes, Chase was already gone.
The scene was exactly like the beginning of that "dream."
But this time, Jude's heart was entirely different.
As the unconscious guards and servants began to stir awake, the Heartfilia Mansion slowly returned to its usual calm and order.
That peace didn't last long.
It was soon broken by the sudden appearance of a young girl in the front courtyard.
Lucy… had come home.
....
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