One Heartache After Another

As night fell, the guild, which had been bustling all day, finally quieted down.

Lucy dragged her tired body home, but as she passed the river, she saw a familiar figure.

Cana was sitting alone on the riverbank, surrounded by empty wine barrels, the moonlight casting a long shadow over her.

Lucy sighed, but still went over and sat down next to her.

"Cana, were those things you said before related to the S-Class Exam?"

Cana paused in her drinking motion, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded slightly.

"Then tell me what's on your mind," Lucy patted her chest, her face full of sincerity.

"Not to brag, but my mouth is very tight, completely different from Natsu's big mouth."

Cana took another big gulp of wine, seemingly trying to use the alcohol to pour out all her troubles.

"As you know, Gildarts is my father. In our guild, he's arguably second only to Jiang Bai in strength."

Cana's voice trembled slightly.

"But... but his daughter has taken the exam so many times and still hasn't made it to S-Class... Do you think I'll embarrass him?"

Lucy was speechless after hearing this.

She thought Cana's statement that she didn't deserve to be in the guild was something incredibly serious.

As a result, having such a powerful father made him feel inferior.

What kind of situation is this?

Normally, having such a powerful father should make someone walk with an air of superiority and be even more confident.

Lucy racked her brains, trying to figure out how to persuade this alcoholic who was stuck in a rut.

Just then, a large, warm hand suddenly covered Cana's head and gently rubbed it.

The two women were startled and turned around to see that the person who had just arrived was none other than Gildarts, the very person they had been discussing.

Gildarts was also completely confused today. In the evening, Jiang Bai suddenly showed up at his door and asked him to come and see Cana out of the blue.

He was initially a little confused, but as he walked closer, he happened to overhear his daughter's tearful confession.

Gildarts instantly understood everything, and his heart was filled with self-reproach.

It's all my fault; I haven't communicated with my daughter enough.

And so, this scene unfolded before our eyes.

"Cana," Gildarts' voice was gentle yet firm.

You need to understand that as parents, our greatest wish is simply for you to grow up safely.

He looked at his daughter's reddened eyes and continued, "As for fighting, leave that to Dad."

Cana could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face.

The rift between her and Gildarts ultimately stemmed from a lack of communication.

Gildarts is often away on missions, while she simply wants to keep up with her father and make him, whom she sees so rarely, proud of her.

This obsession is just like Laxus's back then.

However, Laxus possesses the strength to match it, while Cana's strength is far from sufficient.

Gildarts knelt down, picked up his sobbing daughter, and waved goodbye to Lucy was standing nearby.

Lucy watched the father and daughter walk away, and saw Cana sleeping peacefully on her father's back. A warm feeling welled up in her heart, but it was followed by an indescribable sorrow.

She thought of herself.

When I was little, my mother was still alive, and my father would carry me on his back so gently.

But... ever since her mother passed away, her father, who used to play with her, has only had his business empire on his mind.

The last time we met was when he went bankrupt and came to me to borrow money.

Although she said she hadn't forgiven him when they parted, the distance between them had actually already loosened.

Well...

Having comforted Cana, it was now his turn to feel sentimental.

Lucy hugged her knees and buried her head in them.

Just then, a figure appeared silently beside her.

Jiang Bai scratched his head, looking helplessly at the blonde girl beside him who had suddenly become dejected.

I came here to help Cana get over her emotional issues, but now there's another heartbroken Lucy here too.

There's nothing I can do; I'm just a kind-hearted person.

Lucy.

Jiang Bai called out.

Lucy looked up and saw it was him. She subconsciously wiped her eyes, trying to hide her emotions.

"Lucy, you don't need to pretend anymore," Jiang Bai sat down beside her.

"I can tell you envy Cana and Gildarts' relationship."

Now that she had been discovered, Lucy stopped pretending and nodded slightly.

"Lucy," Jiang Bai decided to try and comfort this sentimental girl.

"When your father came to you to borrow money, the chairman actually spoke with him privately."

"Huh?" Lucy was genuinely confused.

What did you talk about?

"It's nothing," Jiang Bai recalled the scene.

"However, we only talked about you."

"What's the use of caring about me now?" Lucy's voice was somewhat defiant.

"Don't you think it's too late?"

"Lucy, you've seen Laxus before, and you know that a person's obsession can sometimes be terrifying," Jiang Bai patiently explained.

"If used wisely, it can last for over a hundred years, like the guild leader of Wendy's previous guild. But if it's like Laxus, it will gradually deviate from its initial goal."

"Then... what does this have to do with my father?"

"Actually, your father initially only wanted to give you a happy life," Jiang Bai said slowly, looking at her.

"But that requires a lot of money, so your father hopes to earn enough to leave you enough to squander in his lifetime."

"However, in the pursuit of money, his obsession gradually made him forget his original purpose."

Jiang Bai looked at Lucy, who seemed lost in thought, and continued, "Lucy, I'm not saying this because I want you to forgive him, but because I want you to understand that people are very complex."

"More importantly, I don't want you to fall into some kind of obsessive, prejudiced mindset like them."

Lucy remained silent for a long time before finally raising her head, a smile returning to her face.

"I understand, Jiang Bai, thank you for telling me all this." She stood up and brushed the dirt off her skirt.

"I'll think carefully about how to resolve the issues between my father and me. But before that, I need to help Cana become S-Class!"

Jiang Bai smiled as he watched Lucy regain her spirits.

"Then I hope you don't run into Erza and me during the exam," he joked.

"Our requirements are very strict, you know."

"Hey--!" Lucy puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

"Shouldn't you secretly give me a back door at a time like this?!"

Jiang Bai rolled his eyes at her, annoyed. "If I give you special treatment, the old man will nag me about it for seven days straight."

Lucy stuck out her tongue, turned around, and ran away.

Watching her vibrant figure disappear into the distance, Jiang Bai stood alone by the river, gazing up at the moon in the sky, and couldn't help but sigh:

"What a wonderful partner I've never met before!"

When Lucy's father, Jude, came to the guild, Jiang Bai remembered that in the original course of fate, this poor father would pass away from illness due to years of overwork a month before the return of the people from Tenrou Island.

He was, after all, Lucy's father and only family.

So, Jiang Bai then went to Granny Porlyusica and relentlessly begged for a bottle of magic potion that could improve health and prolong life, which he then sent to Jude through someone.

At least, it can be guaranteed that he won't die of illness with regret, just like in the original story.