Jude glanced at the two promissory notes and immediately recognized his daughter Lucy's signature. As her father, he was, of course, familiar with her handwriting, but the content of the notes surprised him.
Lucy had bought two Zodiac Gate keys—Sagittarius and Virgo—from the mage standing before him for 8 million J each.
Jude couldn't help but frown. It wasn't that he disapproved of the transaction or found the price too high. In fact, considering the extreme rarity of the Zodiac Gate keys—only 12 in existence—8 million per key was a bargain.
"You're Nate, right?" Jude lifted his gaze, his eyes scrutinizing Nate with the authority of a senior. "Lucy is a Heartfilia, not like ordinary people. She lives in a different world. I hope you understand that."
*Understand what?* Nate was puzzled by Jude's cryptic statement. It seemed odd for him to bring this up after reading the promissory notes.
"I appreciate you bringing Lucy back. I'll give you ten times the amount she owes—160 million J!"
Jude spoke calmly, as if such a sum meant nothing to him.
Nate raised an eyebrow.
"I've decided that Lucy will marry the son of the Treniar family. Through this marriage, Heartfilia Railways will secure a foothold in the southern territories, ensuring control over all railway operations in Fiore."
Jude was sharing information not meant for outsiders, as the family alliance hadn't been finalized yet. But he sensed that Nate's relationship with Lucy was not romantic, so he decided to be straightforward. Of course, Jude wasn't heartless. The 16 million J was a form of compensation, assuming Nate would have no objections.
Now, Nate understood Jude's intentions. So, the plans for an arranged marriage were already underway. Had Nate not brought Lucy back, Jude might have gone as far as hiring Phantom Lord to forcibly retrieve her.
From an outsider's perspective, Jude seemed conflicted. On one hand, he wanted Lucy to marry into the Treniar family to advance the Heartfilia family's interests. But on the other hand, as seen in the original story, when Lucy refused the marriage, he didn't force her.
Nate speculated that after Lucy's refusal, Jude likely turned down the Treniar family, which might have led to a falling out. As a result, Heartfilia Railways collapsed, plunging the entire Heartfilia fortune into bankruptcy.
Truthfully, Nate sympathized with Jude. He was a business genius but a poor father when it came to maintaining a relationship with his daughter.
"Jude-san, I've changed my mind. Lucy is an adult now, and I think she should be responsible for her own debts."
Nate took back the promissory notes with a smile.
"As for your family matters, I don't want to get involved. I'm here purely for business, as I mentioned earlier..."
Bang!
"I don't agree with this!"
The study door burst open, and Lucy strode in with a serious expression.
"Lucy?"
Jude frowned as he noticed she was still wearing her traveling clothes, clearly dissatisfied with her appearance. *How could a Heartfilia daughter dress so poorly?*
Ignoring her father's disapproving look, Lucy approached him.
"Father! I'm very sorry for leaving home without a word. I've reflected deeply on my actions."
Lucy first apologized for running away, then her tone shifted. Her eyes grew sharp, and her words carried firm resolve.
"I overheard your conversation just now, but allow me to reject it outright! I will not agree to any arranged marriage. My happiness is mine to decide. Please stop making decisions about my life!"
Jude looked shocked. It was the first time his daughter had so boldly voiced her opinion. Had she grown up during her year of living on her own?
Taking a deep breath, Lucy continued:
"I admit that running away was wrong. It was an act of cowardice, trying to escape from everything. But this time, I'm standing my ground. Father, I only came back to visit Mother's grave. After that, I'll leave. You don't need to come looking for me. I'll live my life on my own!"
"I don't want to be Lucy Heartfilia, drowning in wealth and dressed in fancy clothes. I just want to live as Lucy!"
"Now, if you'll excuse me, Father..."
Lucy bowed gracefully, demonstrating the etiquette she'd learned as a proper ojousama, then decisively turned to leave, pulling Nate along with her.
"Let's go, Nate!"
Seeing Lucy's determination, Nate couldn't help but go along with her. Who would've thought Lucy could be so bold and assertive?
As they left, Nate waved to Jude, silently conveying that his plans for the arranged marriage were likely doomed.
Bang!
With the study door slammed shut behind them, Jude stood there, stunned. After a long silence, he sighed.
Walking over to the window, he watched as Lucy and Nate left the mansion, heading toward Layla's grave. Quietly observing them from afar, Jude eventually sat back at his desk, pulling out a photo frame from a drawer.
In the photo was a family of three. A young Lucy smiled happily, holding hands with her mother.
"Forget it... She's 17 now. Let her be."
Jude placed the frame back, leaned tiredly against his chair, and closed his eyes in thought. The future of Heartfilia Railways weighed heavily on his mind. If he rejected the Treniar family's proposal, would they retaliate? If they failed to solidify their control over the southern railways, the astronomical investments they had made would never be recouped, triggering a chain reaction...
Behind the glamorous façade of the Heartfilia fortune, disaster loomed. Like a luxury cruise ship heading toward an iceberg, Jude pondered how to avert disaster. After half an hour, he still had no solution.
Suddenly, a voice broke the silence.
"It seems you're in quite a predicament."
Jude opened his eyes in shock. Standing before him was Lucy's "boyfriend," Nate.
"Done paying respects at Layla's grave?" Jude's tone was unexpectedly kinder now. "Where's Lucy?"
"She's still there. I came back early."
Nate placed a second-generation magic ring on the desk, smiling.
"Now, shall we discuss the business I mentioned earlier? This could take your Heartfilia family to even greater heights."
"We're talking about a potential trillion-jewel industry."
~~~
Buy the stocks!! Stonks!
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