The night was deep, and the lights of Ohara City were still brilliant, but the Heartfilia Merchant Guild headquarters building gradually quieted down.
Jude Heartfilia stood alone by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the business empire he had built with his own hands.
The glass reflected his tired face, the wrinkles between his brows deeper than usual.
He had just finalized the cooperation details with Makarov that evening, but at this moment, his thoughts drifted further away.
"Layla, if you were still here, you would definitely do better than me."
Jude closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Just then, there was a soft knock on the office door.
Jude frowned slightly, glancing at the old wall clock: eleven twenty.
At this hour, who would disturb him?
"Come in," he said in a deep voice.
The door opened, and Lucy's figure appeared in the doorway.
She held an exquisite porcelain plate covered with a silver cloche.
She was wearing a nightgown, her golden hair draped over her shoulders, looking a little flustered.
Lucy walked into the office, gently placed the porcelain plate on Jude's desk, then stepped back slightly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her dress.
Her gaze was lowered, as if she didn't dare to look directly at her father.
Jude looked at her, his frown deepening: "It's so late, what is it?"
Lucy took a deep breath and finally looked up: "Father, I have something I want to discuss with you."
Jude's gaze swept over her slightly nervous expression, his tone still cold and hard: "Speak."
"I..." Lucy's voice was very soft, but exceptionally clear in the quiet office, "I want to join Fairy Tail and become a Mage."
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Jude's eyes suddenly sharpened: "What did you say?"
Lucy bit her lip, her voice a little more firm than before: "During this trip to the Northern Kingdom, Ezreal and I got along very well, and I also saw the world of Mages. I want to..."
"Lucy, is it that my judgment was poor, and the teachers I hired for you were all incompetent?" Jude's gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, interrupting his daughter's words, and he slowly walked two steps to the desk.
"Or perhaps, the resources I provided for you weren't good enough?"
Lucy lowered her head, her fingers pinching the hem of her dress, "No... it's not."
"Then why would you say such a thing!" Jude slammed his hand on the table, making the documents on it rattle.
"The heir of the Heartfilia Merchant Guild, abandoning the family business to become a Mage who lives by taking commissions? Have all the years you spent studying business management and financial strategies been for nothing?"
"This is absurd!"
Lucy's shoulders hunched slightly, her fingers clenching tighter until her knuckles turned white: "Father, I'm not abandoning the family, I just..."
"Just what?" Jude sneered, "Just think it's fun? Or do you think wandering around with a group of adventurers is more interesting than inheriting the family business?"
"As the sole heir of the Heartfilia family, you are meant to be a qualified heir, a qualified businesswoman, to become as excellent a person as your mother."
"Not to become some Mage! Can playing make-believe games allow you to escape responsibility?"
"Has your character become so timid that you only know how to escape?"
Jude grew more and more agitated, the last sentence almost a roar.
"Father!" Lucy trembled as she raised her head.
"It's not like that!" Lucy finally raised her voice, her eyes slightly red, "I just want to... be myself!"
Jude grabbed the papers on the desk and threw them out; hundreds of documents hit Lucy's face, "What do you know about being yourself? You're just being selfish!"
"You have a background that others envy, a privileged life, you have money, power; as long as you follow the steps, you will be among the few people at the top of wealth in this kingdom in the future. You say you want to be yourself? Then guess how many people want to be you!"
Jude's eyes were red with anger, and he was breathing heavily.
Lucy's voice trembled, hundreds of documents floated around her, red marks appeared on her face from being hit, but her eyes were more resolute than ever: "Father, you are right, I have everything others don't—wealth, status, the best education. But, have you ever asked me if these are what I want?"
Lucy squatted down, picking up the documents on the floor one by one.
Jude watched her in silence.
"I don't want to live my whole life under the Heartfilia halo, I don't want to make insincere small talk with people I don't even know at banquets, and I don't want to have to consider someone's family background just to make friends," Lucy's voice gradually calmed down.
"What I want is real adventure, friends I can laugh with without a care, a life where I can make my own decisions."
Lucy picked up the last document on the floor, neatly arranged the hundreds of papers, and gently placed them on the desk.
She paused, taking a deep breath: "Father, you are still very young, I am only 16 years old this year, the Merchant Guild doesn't need me to take over now. Ten, twenty years from now, if the family needs me, I will not shy away."
"But now... please let me be myself, even if only for a few years."
Lucy stepped back, the moonlight falling on the girl, and she bowed ninety degrees, "Father, please."
The office fell into a long silence.
Jude's gaze fell on Lucy's face, and for the first time, he truly scrutinized his daughter—this person closest to him. She was no longer the little girl hiding behind her mother, but a young woman with her own ideas and courage.
This person he knew so well now felt somewhat unfamiliar.
Jude couldn't help but ask himself, when did he forget to communicate with his daughter?
After a long while, Jude slowly spoke: "...Fairy Tail, just signed a long-term cooperation agreement with us."
His voice was low, but no longer angry, "I need to confirm if this Guild is truly reliable."
Lucy held her breath, waiting for him to continue.
"One year," Jude finally said, "During this year, you must understand at least one-tenth of the Merchant Guild's business, and at the same time, I will observe whether Fairy Tail is trustworthy."
"If after one year, you still insist on this decision, and they are indeed reliable... then I will not stop you."
Lucy's eyes instantly lit up; she could hardly believe her ears: "Father... you mean..."
"Don't get too excited too soon," Jude snorted, "During this year, you will still have all the business courses you need to learn."
Lucy nodded vigorously, a smile involuntarily playing on her lips: "I understand! Thank you, Father!"
She quickly walked to the desk and uncovered the porcelain plate—inside was an exquisite strawberry cake, Jude's favorite dessert.
"I asked the kitchen to prepare it. You... remember to rest early," Lucy said softly, then turned and left the office.
The door closed gently, and Jude stood in place, his gaze on the cake.
After a long while, he picked up a knife and fork, cut a small piece, and put it in his mouth.
The sweet cream melted on his tongue, and he suddenly smiled, but as he smiled, his eyes became slightly moist.
Outside the window, the moonlight was still cold and clear, and the lights of Ohara City were still bright.
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