Chen Fan wound his way through the twisting alleyways before finally coming to a halt in front of a house. It wasn't particularly large, resembling a modest modern villa, but it radiated a sense of domestic warmth.
A wrought-iron fence surrounded the yard. Though the garden wasn't expansive, it was meticulously kept. Trees and grass were planted with thoughtful precision, and a straight path led directly to the front door. The small trees lining the path were neatly trimmed, clearly tended to by someone with a careful hand, as even the fallen leaves had been swept away entirely.
The usual cynical smirk vanished from Chen Fan's face. Like a husband returning home, he stepped forward and pressed the doorbell. A clear, pleasant voice soon drifted through the intercom. "Who is it?"
"It's me," Chen Fan replied.
The moment he spoke, a series of frantic clatters and bangs echoed from the speaker. Chen Fan sighed, covering his face with his hand in exasperation.
A moment later, the door swung open. A beautiful woman in her early twenties, dressed in a maid's uniform, hurried toward him. She opened the gate and bowed deeply. "Welcome back, Master."
"I've told you, Lily, don't call me 'Master.' How many times do I have to say it? Just call me Chen Fan." He really wasn't fond of the title. It was one thing if a man called him that, but when a woman did, it tended to spark some rather unseemly thoughts in his mind.
"I couldn't possibly do that. Does Master not want me anymore?" Lily looked at him with sheer panic, tears already welling in her eyes.
Seeing her on the verge of crying, Chen Fan panicked as well. He waved his hands frantically and said, "Don't cry, don't cry! We'll talk about this later. I'm hungry."
Hearing that he was hungry, Lily immediately stopped her tears. A tiny, triumphant smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she quickly wiped her eyes. "Dinner is already prepared. Come inside and eat." With that, she turned and led the way, eager to serve.
Hearing Lily use "you" instead of "Master" made Chen Fan feel a bit better. He followed her inside. The house was decorated simply at least by modern standards. If someone lived here without ever stepping outside, they might seriously doubt whether they had actually transmigrated to another world at all.
Chen Fan sat quietly at the dining table, watching Lily bustle about. His gaze grew distant as he thought of his original home, of his mother cooking for him. Back then, life had been ordinary but incredibly happy.
Then, disaster had claimed his mother's life, leaving him to struggle alone in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. That was the primary reason he had become so violent, killing countless monsters and men.
Even though he had seen Lily prepare meals many times, the sight always brought back memories of his old home and that feeling of happiness. Whenever this happened, he would simply stare at her, lost in thought.
Suddenly, a pair of delicate hands waved in front of his face. Chen Fan snapped out of it to find Lily looking at him. "What are you staring at so intently?"
"Nothing much. I was just thinking about how beautiful you are, Lily," Chen Fan teased with a grin.
"Nonsense. You're just a sweet-talker. I wonder how many girls you've tricked out there," Lily replied, her face flushing as a hint of joy touched her heart.
"What nonsense? It's the truth! If you don't believe me, I'll go outside right now and shout it to the world. Let's see if anyone disagrees," Chen Fan joked, actually starting to stand up.
Startled, Lily grabbed his arm and put a finger to her lips. "Shh! Don't disturb the neighbors."
Chen Fan smiled and sat back down. Lily knew he was only teasing, so she let go and sat across from him, giving him a playful roll of her eyes.
As they ate in peace, Chen Fan suddenly asked, "Lily, how many years has it been since we met?" He continued to shove rice into his mouth as he spoke.
Lily's hand paused. "About ten years. Why do you ask?"
"No reason, just curious," Chen Fan said, lowering his head.
Lily seemed to relax and went back to her meal. After a moment, Chen Fan asked again, "Do you remember how we first met?"
"Of course. I'll never forget it for the rest of my life." Her eyes turned misty with memory. "I was with a few other little ones, and we were at our wits' end. We ran into you on the street.
We were so hungry that we actually tried to rob you. We stole your things and cornered you, threatening you to bring us food every day. Looking back, it was so ridiculous." She began to laugh softly.
But the laughter faded as she continued. "Even though you were so strong, you didn't hurt us. Instead, you found us a place to live and got us jobs so we could live happily. We are truly grateful to Master for giving us a new life."
Chen Fan waved his hand dismissively. "I didn't do much. Those were just small things. They're all supporting themselves now, so don't dwell on it."
"How can we not? We only have this life because of Master," Lily insisted anxiously.
"Let's not talk about that anymore. What I wanted to ask today is... are you happy here, Lily?"
"Yes, very happy," Lily nodded emphatically.
"Lily, I want you to know that you don't owe me anything. If you want to leave, or if"
Before he could finish, Lily burst into tears. With a loud thud, she dropped to her knees on the floor. "Do you not want me anymore?" she sobbed.
Flustered, Chen Fan tried to help her up. "No, that's not it! I just mean you should have your own life. You've worked so hard taking care of me for over ten years."
But Lily covered her ears and shook her head, crying out, "I won't listen! I won't listen! Over the years, you've sent away so many of my sisters. Even if they are living happily now, I don't want to go! Please don't drive me away, okay?" By the end, her expression had turned almost frantic.
Looking at her tear-streaked face, Chen Fan felt an ache in his chest. Even a stone would have developed feelings after all these years. "Fine, you're not going anywhere. We'll talk about this some other time. Stop crying." He reached out and wiped her tears away. Once Lily had calmed down, Chen Fan retreated to his room.
He lay on the bed, feeling restless. He thought back to the orphans he had taken in out of kindness. Lily had been one of them. Because she had a mature, big-sister vibe and was an excellent cook, he had kept her by his side.
He had even taught her magic Lightning Magic, the same type Laxus used. Drawing on his own experience, he had taught her several powerful techniques.
Back then, to understand the intricacies of lightning magic, he had personally sought out Laxus. Surprisingly, Laxus had actually taught him. For a while, the two of them had been quite close a "honeymoon period"
similar to the bond between Jiraiya and Orochimaru. However, once Laxus realized Chen Fan wasn't learning the magic for himself, he cut ties with him.
Time had flown by, and ten years had passed in the blink of an eye. He feared that he really wouldn't be able to part with Lily in the future, yet his own path remained uncertain.
In his heart, he believed everyone should live the life they chose. Moreover, staying at home all day was incredibly boring. Combined with the recent attack by the Magic Council, he felt a sense of looming crisis.
That was why he had spoken those words today, only to end up breaking Lily's heart. After all these years, she was like an older sister to him. He wouldn't allow anyone to hurt her, yet today, he was the one who had caused her pain.
Slap! Slap!
He gave himself two hard smacks across the face, leaving red fingermarks. He pulled the covers over his head, and before long, the sound of snoring filled the room.
Meanwhile, at the Fairy Tail guild, a little blue cat with wings snuck out, clutching a quest sheet in its paws.
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