Chapter 42: Reunion and Resolve (2)
"Ciel...? Is it really you?!"
Startled, Mirajane rubbed her eyes at the figure before her. She wondered if, worn down from crying, she was simply seeing things. Yet no matter how many times she blinked, the man standing there was unmistakably Ciel.
The realization sent fresh tears streaming down her cheeks—but Ciel reached out, gently wiping them away.
"You always cry when we're alone, don't you?"
"But..."
Her heart was bursting with everything she wanted to say. Yet the moment she tried, her mind went blank, as though all her words had scattered like ashes.
There was so much inside her, yet nothing came to the surface.
While she sat frozen, Ciel smiled faintly, brushed away her tears, and walked toward the door.
"Mira... when we meet again, I want us to face each other with smiles."
"Ciel...?! Where are you going?!"
The door creaked open as he stepped out. Mirajane longed to run after him, to hold him back—but her body felt heavy, as though turned to stone.
Ciel paused in the doorway, glancing back over his shoulder. The sight mirrored perfectly how he had disappeared before her eyes just a week ago.
She didn't want to lose him again. Not like this. Even a moment longer, even a single word more—anything.
But Ciel only left her with one final line before stepping forward:
"It was there... that I wanted to tell you."
"Ciel! Please—wait! Just wait!"
"I'm always watching over you. So don't burden yourself with sorrow."
"Ciel!"
"Always... keep smiling. Above all, I want you to be happy."
Mirajane reached out with all her strength, but her legs remained rooted, her body refusing to move.
Finally, as though a spell had broken, she felt control return to her limbs. She ran forward desperately, the distance between them closing—
"Ciel...!"
And then—her hand passed straight through his body.
"Huh...?!"
The moment her fingers slipped through him, an overwhelming drowsiness overtook her. Darkness swallowed her vision, and she collapsed where she stood.
....
"Ciel... Ciel!!"
When she finally awoke, Mirajane jerked upright, eyes wide. She looked around frantically—but the door remained shut, exactly as it had been.
"...Was it just a dream? But..."
Had she cried herself to sleep? That was the only explanation that made sense. And yet—
Her shoulders were covered with a blanket.
Mirajane froze. She remembered locking the door herself. No one else could have entered this room.
"What... what's going on...?"
As she pondered, a chill breeze brushed across her cheeks. Startled, she turned toward the window.
It was open.
She was certain she had closed it. And caught in the frame, fluttering gently in the draft, were several white feathers.
Mirajane rushed over, bracing her knee against the desk as she stretched her arm out. She plucked one of the feathers from the sill.
It glowed faintly in her hand—soft, warm, familiar. Comforting.
It was as though it whispered: I'm here.
Her lips curved into a faint smile as she gazed upward.
"Ciel... Did you come to me, even if only in a dream, because you were worried about me?"
She held the feather to her chest, and the tears that had welled up moments before finally stilled. Ciel didn't want her to keep crying. That must be why he had come—to comfort her one last time.
And yes... that was exactly the kind of person Ciel was.
"It'll be hard... but I have to stop crying now. Next time we meet... I'll be smiling. I'll be ready."
She whispered softly, her voice carried away on the night air, then lifted her eyes to the starry heavens with a bittersweet smile.
Meanwhile, outside the house—in the shadow of a darkened alley—Mystogan turned silently, having watched it all. His voice was low, meant only for the night.
"...I delivered your message, as you asked. But next time... you should tell her yourself."
And with that, he vanished into the darkness.
....
In the Kingdom of Fiore, just west of the capital Crocus, stood the grand estate of the Heartfilia family.
As Lucy walked toward the front gates, the household staff rushed out in a flurry.
"M-My lady!"
"What did you say?!"
"It's the young mistress!"
"She's returned!"
The more senior attendants dropped everything and hurried toward her.
"Milady!" cried Spetto, one of the head maids, as she threw her arms around Lucy, tears streaming down her face. "You've returned safely... I thought... I thought we had lost you!"
"I'm sorry for making you worry, Spetto," Lucy said gently.
The old maid sobbed even harder.
Other attendants chimed in, their voices overlapping:
"My lady, a new tome has arrived from the East!"
"You haven't abandoned your magical studies, have you?"
"Lucy-sama~!"
"My lady, welcome home!"
"It's been a whole year, where have you been hiding yourself?"
"At your age, a little runaway romance or two isn't unusual, is it?"
"It wasn't a runaway romance!" Lucy protested, though she smiled faintly at their fussing.
Seeing their familiar faces after so long filled her with warmth.
These were the people who had raised her, doted on her, and treated her like their own granddaughter.
She wanted to stay and talk more, but her expression dimmed when a younger attendant stepped forward.
"My lady... Master requests your presence in the main study."
The weight of those words sank into her chest. After all this time, her father's reaction was not a welcome embrace, but a summons.
"Come now," the younger maids pressed. "You can't face Master in those shabby clothes."
"N-No, really, I'm fine—"
But they whisked her away regardless, dressing her in a lavish noble gown before leading her to the study.
Lucy paused before the heavy door, her heart sinking.
She drew in a breath and stepped inside.
"Pardon me, Father."
Behind the desk sat a middle-aged man with the same golden hair as Lucy—Jude Heartfilia. His expression was cold, his gaze cutting like glass.
"Welcome back, Lucy," he said flatly.
Lucy bowed deeply, her voice trembling with formality.
"I apologize for leaving without a word. For that, I sincerely repent."
"That was the wise choice," Jude replied. "Had you stayed with that guild any longer, I would have been forced to use my wealth and influence to crush it completely."
Lucy's lips pressed tightly together.
"At last," Jude continued, "you've grown sensible."
His words were ice, meant not to console but to chastise. And Lucy, her eyes downcast, could only listen in silence as her father spoke.
His gaze was not that of a father looking at his daughter, but of a merchant appraising a commodity.
"Perhaps now you've learned just how much trouble your reckless actions can cause those around you."
"..."
"You are a daughter of the Heartfilia family. You do not live in the same world as common rabble."
"..."
"I summoned you here because a marriage has been arranged. Duke Sawaru of the Jurenel family's son—you've heard of his interest in you before."
"I've heard."
"Through this union, Heartfilia Railways will establish its foundation in the southern territories. This marriage is a matter of great significance to our future."
"..."
"And you will bear a son. The heir to Heartfilia. That is all I have to say. Return to your room."
Turning his back to her, Jude stared coldly out the tall windows, his words as final as a judge's sentence.
But Lucy, silent until now, clenched her fists and spoke.
"Don't delude yourself."
"...What?!"
"I didn't return here to obey you. I came back to declare my resolve. Yes, it was wrong of me to leave without a word. I was running away because I was afraid of you. But this time, I'm standing here to say what I should have said back then."
Her voice was steady, carrying the weight of everything she had endured.
"This time, I'll say it properly—and then I'll leave again."
"Lucy...?"
"I will walk my own path! Stop trying to decide my life for me!"
"And never lay a hand on Fairy Tail again!"
With that, Lucy grasped the hem of her ornate gown and tore it apart, casting aside the trappings of wealth and status.
Beneath, her plain white underclothes showed, but she felt no shame. Instead, her heart was light, her spirit blazing with courage.
"If you ever touch Fairy Tail again, then I—I and the entire guild will consider you our enemy! Maybe if you hadn't gone that far, we could have still talked. But it's too late. You've hurt my friends too deeply."
"..."
"What I need isn't money or fine dresses. What I need is a place that accepts me as me. Fairy Tail has become my family—warmer, truer, and more precious than this house could ever be. Leaving behind the memories of my mother here, and saying goodbye to Spetto, old Bero, and the others—it hurts. But... if Mother were still alive, she would tell me to live the way I choose."
For a moment, Jude's stern mask cracked. He wanted to lash out, to rebuke her insolence. But as he stared at his daughter's face—so much like that of his late wife, Layla Heartfilia—his voice caught in his throat.
Lucy turned and walked toward the door.
"Goodbye, Father."
"..."
Jude remained frozen, silently watching as his daughter left him behind.
....
At the estate gates, Lucy paused before her mother's grave. She knelt, laying fresh flowers at the stone, and lifted her eyes to the name carved there in silence.
[Layla Heartfilia · 748–777]
It had been a year since she last stood before her mother's grave.
Lucy laid down fresh flowers and silently whispered in her heart: this would be the last time.
Perhaps she would never return here again—never see this home, or the servants who were like family.
And yet, her heart felt strangely light.
Because now she had another family to return to—
a place where she was accepted for who she was.
"Then… I'll be going now—"
"Luuucyyyyy!!"
"Eh?!"
Lucy turned, startled by the familiar voice shouting from afar. Running at full speed toward her were Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Happy.
What in the world—?
"Lucy, you quit Fairy Tail to come back home?!"
"What? Quit Fairy Tail? Who said that?"
"Lucy, please don't leave us!"
"Happy?! What are you talking about?"
"You left a note saying you went back home!"
"Gray?!"
"Lucy, listen. Jose may have wrecked our guild and disturbed Ciel's rest, but it's all over now. Don't blame yourself."
"W-Wait—what are you all saying?"
Confused, Lucy took the note Erza showed her. Only then did she realize how her hastily written message had been misunderstood. She quickly explained herself, easing the misunderstanding.
Once the truth was cleared up, everyone exhaled in relief.
"Your mom's grave, huh?"
"Yeah"
"Oh… so Lucy's mom is…"
"Happy, quiet."
"Sorry for worrying you all."
"So we came all this way for nothing, huh…"
"Gray… your clothes…"
"Don't mind it. We rushed here without thinking too clearly."
"Happy cried the whole way here, you know~"
"Wh-Who cried?! I didn't cry!"
Walking back with her friends, Lucy felt a renewed conviction—no regrets about her choice.
Yes, she couldn't live without them.
Because Fairy Tail was now a part of her.
...
Fiore Council Branch – Tribunal Hall
At the witness stand, Makarov Dreyar snored loudly, fast asleep.
"Snoooreee… huuufff… shhhhhh… kuuuuhhhhhh… drooool…"
The Council members trembled with fury, veins bulging on their foreheads at his outrageous behavior during trial.
Meanwhile, the few who supported Fairy Tail—Yajima, Siegrain, and Ultear—struggled to stifle their laughter.
Finally, the frog-like court recorder couldn't bear it and called out:
"Um… excuse me, Master Makarov?"
"Eh!!"
"This is a tribunal. You weren't… sleeping, were you?"
Avoiding the glares of the judges, Makarov coughed awkwardly.
"Ha-ha-ha! O-Of course not! Don't be ridiculous! Ho-ho-ho-ho!"
No matter how much Makarov tried to bluff, everyone could see he had been dozing. His shameless excuses only stoked the anger of the Council members, though most held it in.
At last the trial ended. Phantom Lord was ordered to disband, and Jose's title as one of the Ten Wizard Saints was stripped away. The verdict that Fairy Tail was "not guilty" was, however, a shock.
When the chamber cleared, Yajima called Makarov aside.
"Phantom Lord's dissolution… Jose's disgrace. That much, I expected. But Fairy Tail found 'not guilty'? That's a bold ruling, Makarov. You'd better be grateful. I argued for you myself."
"Heh. I owe you one, Yajima. When the guild's rebuilt, come by. Ramen's on me."
"Make it Fairy Ramen with twelve slices of pork."
"Twelve? That's too much."
"Any less, and it isn't worth it."
"Fine, fine. Twenty, thirty, whatever you want!"
"Twelve is plenty."
The brief levity faded, replaced by Yajima's stern tone.
"Listen carefully, Makarov. Fairy Tail's recent behavior has gone too far. Even Michello and Org have filed petitions to dissolve your guild. If this continues, no one will be able to shield you. Retire soon, or you'll be forced to face punishment."
"…"
Makarov said nothing, his face weary. Yajima's words were sincere. Fairy Tail's reckless actions had become a thorn in the Council's side, and another major incident could see them erased like Phantom Lord.
With a bitter smile, Makarov muttered:
"When Ciel was alive, you all defended us… Now that he's gone, the Council grows cold. At the end… I couldn't even say goodbye. That regret still weighs heavy. Maybe… if I lose my wits one day, I'll finally see him again."
Makarov turned to leave. Yajima called after him—then hesitated.
"...Makarov."
"What is it?"
"…Nothing. Just make sure that ramen's ready when I visit."
"Yeah. Count on it."
Makarov walked away, his back heavy with age and sorrow. Yajima watched him go, lips pressed tightly shut.
He wanted to tell him. He wanted to say that Ciel was still out there. At least Makarov deserved to know.
But he couldn't. He remembered the young man's eyes when he entrusted him with his vow: I will return to them in my own body. To betray that resolve by speaking now would be to trample Ciel's determination.
So Yajima swallowed the words and looked up at the crimson sunset.
"Mukuro… no, Ciel. One day, you'll return. Until then… Makarov, stay alive. Don't leave before he does…"
He sighed, turned, and walked alone down the empty corridor.
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