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Chapter 87: I Understand
Chapter 87: I Understand
Mirajane's parents had passed away when she was young, leaving her to raise her younger siblings, Elfman and Lisanna, almost single-handedly. The three of them lived in a remote village, occasionally receiving a bit of help from the villagers. Despite the hardships, there were also moments of warmth and kindness.
When Mirajane spoke of their impoverished life, a smile unconsciously spread across her face. Even when she mentioned the times the villagers treated her like a demon, she didn't express any resentment. Instead, she focused on how Lisanna would stand up for her.
When she was insulted, Lisanna would argue back loudly. When she was hit by a stone, Lisanna would throw it back and ask if she was hurt.
Lisanna was a strong, kind, and protective little sister.
In comparison, Elfman's character seemed overly gentle.
Rod listened quietly as she talked about leaving the village and joining the guild. She spoke of the past, mentioning Erza, Cana, Natsu, and Gray, but her focus was on how her siblings interacted with these people. Through ordinary little stories, it was clear that when she first joined the guild, most of her attention was on protecting her siblings, fearing they would be wronged.
But she later realized there was no need to worry about that in the guild.
"But I destroyed everything with my own hands. I'm the one who killed Lisanna, who trapped Elfman in endless guilt and self-blame."
The warm and happy memories came to an abrupt end. Mirajane propped her head with her hand, tears falling down her cheeks.
"If I hadn't taken that mission, if I had been as cautious as you, if only..."
Mirajane briefly placed her hand on Rod's shoulder before sitting up straight again. Rod silently handed her a few tissues.
She didn't blame Elfman at all, only herself. Just moments ago, she had been praising Lisanna's and Elfman's kindness. Clearly, their family's genuine kindness ran deep.
After she had wiped her tears and composed herself, Rod spoke.
"You did your best that day, didn't you?"
"Before hurting Lisanna, did Elfman try to fight the Beast King's influence?"
"When Lisanna did what she did, was she afraid or regretful?"
The answers to these questions were obvious, and so was Rod's meaning.
At that time, all three of them had done everything they could.
Feeling guilty, self-blaming, and regretting couldn't change what had happened or make the future better.
So, try to forgive yourself.
"I understand, thank you." Mirajane put on her usual smile. "I feel much better now."
It was a lie.
To avoid letting good intentions go to waste and to prevent those around her from worrying, she, like the Lisanna she always praised, was a kind and considerate person.
"That's good." Rod didn't call her out on it.
Deep-seated pain couldn't be resolved with just one conversation. But this was a significant step forward, at least she was willing to talk about Lisanna with him.
Mirajane reached for her coffee cup, but Rod took it first. She looked at him in confusion.
Rod pushed his own coffee toward her. "You've been through enough. Have something sweet."
As Mirajane hesitated, Rod took a sip of her coffee.
"Ah, I can taste a bit of the hardship you've endured. Next, let's..." Rod put down the cup. "Add sugar, add sugar!"
Mirajane took a gentle sip of his coffee. It was sweet.
Her smile carried a hint of disdain. "You put too much sugar in it."
Rod defended himself matter-of-factly. "I like it sweet."
Mira gently set down her coffee cup. "Then what's the point of swapping cups if you're just going to add sugar to mine?"
"The point... is the process of making it sweeter?"
He couldn't just swap for the sake of swapping. On the surface, Rod remained calm, but his ears were already burning with embarrassment.
He wasn't sure where he got the courage to swap cups with her.
After a moment's thought, he asked, "How about we swap back?"
"No, that cup is practically sugar water now." Mira glanced at him, then subtly looked out the window.
Swapping cups after every sip would be even stranger.
"Oh."
They had been in the cafe for quite a while, and Mira had mostly recovered her strength.
Following their plan, the two headed to the restaurant in the southern part of the city, and the atmosphere had returned to normal.
The southern part of the city was a rare area for Rod to visit. Mira introduced him to various shops, pointing out which ones offered good value and which shopkeepers only gave discounts to beautiful women.
"Isn't it a bit much to treat people differently like that?" Rod said. "So, can I ask you to shop for me in the future?"
"Sure, how about wearing something a bit more revealing when you go?"
"Maybe not, that sounds too much trouble." Rod thought for a moment, then suggested, "How about you teach me the transformation spell? I can turn into Jenny's form to go shopping."
Mira's eyes curved into a smile. "Sure, Rod is such a troublemaker."
Rod shook his head. "You know it's trouble and still agree, so we're even."
Slyesthulor Restaurant was located near the South Gate Park in Magnolia. The name was a bit of a tongue-twister, so regular customers often called it 'The Threshold' or 'The Beginning.'
The names suggested that stepping into this restaurant could lead to a happy life or the start of a beautiful romance.
The Master hadn't told Rod any of this; he had found out on his own. As for whether Mira knew, he wasn't sure, but she hadn't objected.
"Ah, this place is quite lively," Mira observed, noting that most of the patrons were couples. She looked at Rod. "Why did you choose this restaurant?"
Because of the good symbolism, of course.
He couldn't say that, so he decided to shift the blame.
"The Master recommended it. He said the chef here is excellent."
Mira smiled sweetly. "Is that so?"
"Of course, every word is true!" Rod raised his hand. "The Master said it's great."
The Master, after all, was the one to take the fall in critical moments. Rod didn't usually cause trouble, so passing the blame once in a while wasn't a big deal.
Mira nodded, appreciating the phrase 'every word is true.' It seemed the Master wasn't entirely to blame, but there was definitely something to it. She decided to limit the Master's drinking and push for a self-examination report, as well as the guild's task statistics from last month.
"Welcome!" the hostess greeted them.
"We have a reservation."
"Right this way."
Rod and Mira joined the other couples and walked into the restaurant, heading to their reserved table.
The menu here was as varied as in the guild, with a wide range of dishes.
Rod glanced at Mira and regretfully flipped past the tempting couple's specials like 'Sweetheart Duo' and 'Eternal Bond Duo.'
He ordered a couple of dishes he liked and one that might suit Mira, then asked for her opinion.
There should be another chapter tonight.
(End of Chapter)
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