Laki tasted the new dessert.
It wasn’t quite her thing, but still, she appreciated that Rhodes had thought of her. She made a ntal note to thank him properly later.
Wendy, on the other hand, was overjoyed with hers.
Naturally, she shared it with Carla, who nibbled delicately while already contemplating what kind of treat to make in return next ti.
Mira enjoyed her dessert too, though she only ate half.
Worried about gaining weight, she shared the rest with Rhodes, who, of course, didn’t mind in the slightest.
"Why does Lisanna look so gloomy?" Mira asked, puzzled. "Shopping with Rhodes should be fun."
"I am happy," Lisanna replied, resting her cheek on her hand. "It’s just... sothing funny happened."
So Rhodes recounted the incident at the Honey Dessert House.
When he got to the part about being called a "heartbreaker," Mira burst out laughing.
She covered her mouth out of habit, but couldn’t stop giggling. "Poor Lisanna... caught in your love triangle scandal."
As Mira debated whether to console her sister or keep teasing, the guild doors opened, and in walked Lucy, travel-worn and visibly hungry.
She staggered to the counter and slumped forward. "Miraaa... can I get sothing to eat? I’m starving..."
"Of course~" Mira smiled gently and called to the kitchen, "Mr. Cook, one ran, please."
Then she turned back and poured Lucy a glass of water. "Did your trip go okay? How’s your father doing?"
Lucy took a long sip before replying with a sigh, "He’s fine... well, barely."
Mira blinked. "What happened?"
Lucy leaned closer, lowering her voice. "You know my dad started his business from scratch, right? Yesterday he was bringing goods back to Acalypha when bandits attacked."
"What?!" Mira covered her mouth in shock. "Was he hurt?!"
Lucy shook her head. "When I got to the Comrcial Guild, soone had just delivered a ssage. The bandits were demanding ransom money."
"So I went with them imdiately! I was ready to storm the place and wipe them out myself. I wanted to show my dad that I’m strong now."
Mira looked surprised but relieved. "You didn’t get hurt, right? Did you beat the bandits?"
Lucy’s face fell into a pout. "Nope. By the ti we arrived, soone else had already dealt with them... and it was soone from our guild!"
She thumped the counter with her fist in frustration. "I wanted to show off for once!"
Mira giggled. "Well, at least your dad’s safe. You’ll get another chance to impress him."
Rhodes tilted his head. "Wait, who beat the bandits? I don’t recall anyone taking a mission near Acalypha."
"Oh, so guy nad st," Lucy said. "He said he rarely cos back to the guild and just happened to pass by."
Mira and Rhodes exchanged a glance and nodded knowingly.
"Oh, him," Mira said. "Yeah, that guy’s as elusive as Mystogan, always out doing sothing mysterious."
Lucy tilted her head. "He’s not from Edolas too, is he?"
"Nope," Mira said confidently. "His magic’s more ability-based. He’s really strong, actually. Last year, he was even eligible to take the..."
She cut herself off with a gasp, clamping a hand over her mouth.
But it was too late.
Lucy’s eyes narrowed, her mory kicking into gear. She slamd the counter with both palms. "That’s it! You’ve all been keeping sothing from this whole ti, it’s the S-Class Exam, isn’t it?! Why didn’t anyone tell ?! That’s so an!"
"Oh my, oh my... since it’s still a bit early for Lucy to participate in the S-Class Exam, I thought it’d be more fun to tell you a few days later," Mira said with a regretful sigh. "What a sha, I missed seeing Lucy’s reaction when she found out. Was it st who told you?"
"If it weren’t for him, I’d still be in the dark!" Lucy huffed. "He even said he wanted to invite to be his partner!"
Rhodes chuckled. Mira just smiled knowingly. Lucy, of course, was still fuming, people in this guild were always ssing with her.
"Don’t be mad. Here, eat," Rhodes said, placing a large steaming bowl of ran in front of her.
Lucy didn’t need to be told twice. She was starving, and in an instant, she dove in, slurping noodles without the slightest care for her image, so much so that she looked a little like Natsu in action.
By the ti she finished the bowl, her mood had improved considerably.
"So... what was that ’partner’ thing st ntioned?" she asked, wiping her mouth.
Mira tilted her head. "He didn’t explain it to you?"
Lucy shook her head. "Nope. He said he had other things to do and rushed off. My dad and I didn’t even get the chance to thank him."
"Well," Mira said, "for the S-Class Exam, each candidate chooses a partner to support them."
"What you actually have to do in the exam changes every year, the location, the tasks, everything. Even I don’t know the details yet."
Lucy’s eyes widened. "For sothing that important... is it really okay to choose as a partner? Natsu and Gray are way stronger than ."
"True," Mira nodded. "But they’re likely hoping to beco S-Class themselves this year, so they’ll need partners too. Besides, the choice isn’t just about raw strength. Compatibility matters."
She smiled. "Lucy has so many Celestial Spirits. In the right situation, they might be the key to victory."
Lucy’s grin slowly widened. Her excitent was written all over her face.
"And," Mira added, "st doesn’t have many close friends in the guild. He probably heard soone say that Lucy is warm-hearted and dependable, which is why he picked you."
"A-actually, I’m not that amazing... hahaha... ha..." Lucy blushed, flustered and clearly enjoying the praise.
Rhodes leaned in, sensing opportunity. "In that case, I happen to have sothing I need a warm-hearted person’s help with... but it’s kind of hard to bring up..."
Lucy puffed out her chest with pride. "Go ahead and say it! I’ll help if I can!"
"Well... since Cana’s been out, the pub’s drink sales have dropped off. If soone were willing to wear a bunny girl outfit or sothing eye-catching to attract custors, that would really help."
"Leave it to m...wait, WHAT?!" Lucy practically leapt out of her seat. "What kind of request is that?!"
Rhodes didn’t even flinch at Lucy’s angry outburst. "Alright then, you said it. I’ll count it as a yes."
Mira lightly smacked his arm, laughing so hard she nearly doubled over. "You’re terrible!" she said through her giggles. "Teasing poor Lucy like that..."
As she laughed, it beca clear, just like Mira had hinted earlier, this whole stunt had been planned between her and Rhodes. They’d set Lucy up perfectly, and it was just too entertaining watching her squirm.
"I refuse!" Lucy protested, stamping her foot. "There’s no way I’m doing that!"
"Alright, alright," Rhodes said, raising his hands in surrender. "Just kidding. I wouldn’t actually make you wear anything like that."
Lucy huffed and crossed her arms, still fuming. After a few minutes of sulking and catching her breath, she wandered over to the bulletin board to check the available jobs. But when she returned, she plopped back into her seat with a deep sigh and a conflicted look on her face.
"So... how long is this going to last?" she asked quietly.
Mira tilted her head. "Hm? You an the mission drought? Or is it that Natsu and Gray still don’t want to team up?"
Lucy gave her a deadpan look. "Both."
Mira blinked, then teased, "Oh my, is Lucy running low on funds? If that’s the case, maybe you should consider..."
"No!"
...
Bonus @1600
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