Chapter 213

Chapter 213: Chapter 213

It had been a while since Lucy last visited Cake Tower, and somehow she found herself feeling a little nervous.

Her impression of Marshall had changed drastically since they first met.

Back then, she had genuinely thought he was some adorable little angel.

After spending more time around him, however, Lucy gradually discovered that the brat was actually full of wicked ideas and exceptionally good at hiding them.

He looked harmless enough on the surface, but underneath that innocent face lurked something genuinely dangerous.

Lucy had a sneaking suspicion that Marshall had deliberately avoided bringing up the maid arrangement.

He was probably just waiting for her to come crawling back and apologize so he could seize the opportunity to humiliate her!

The thought of that obnoxious brat coming up with ten different ways to torment her pride made Lucy want to turn around and leave.

Her Magic Power wasn’t exactly unusable as it was...

Maybe she could wait a little longer?

"Relax, relax. Master isn’t going to do anything terrible to you. He actually likes you quite a lot. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent me to stay by your side."

The newly revived Greed walked beside Lucy as she returned to Cake Tower.

Among Marshall’s apostles, only two regularly appeared around the guild.

One was Phoebe.

Phoebe was simply strong enough that Marshall had more or less let her roam free.

She went wherever she pleased, and Marshall couldn’t really control her even if he wanted to.

The other was Greed.

Of all the apostles, Greed was by far the best at dealing with humans.

She had inherited practically all of Marshall’s social instincts, knew exactly how to act cute, and was sweet enough with her words that her popularity in the guild had actually surpassed Lucy’s.

Naturally, Greed understood Lucy’s current dilemma perfectly.

Unfortunately for Lucy, Greed was also Marshall’s planted spy.

There was absolutely no chance she would take Lucy’s side against him.

Helping Marshall trick someone modeled after herself didn’t bother Greed in the slightest.

"Marshall likes me? Seriously?"

Lucy had always thought she was reasonably attractive, yet somehow she never felt particularly popular.

She possessed the strange confidence of someone who constantly claimed to be realistic while secretly doubting herself, and whenever she encountered an uncertain emotional question, she usually escaped by turning it into a joke.

Deep down, she often fantasized that Marshall—her supposed "marriage alliance candidate"—might actually like her.

Then she would immediately remind herself that such a thing obviously couldn’t be true.

So naturally, Greed’s claim made her suspicious.

"Of course it’s true. Otherwise, why would Master make me look like you?"

Greed smiled brightly.

"There are so many girls in the guild, yet only seven received that particular honor. Don’t you think that says quite a lot?"

"O-Oh."

Lucy’s face immediately heated.

"So... that kind of liking."

She coughed awkwardly.

"Well, maybe it’s just because I’m easy to get along with. Ahaha..."

After a moment, she sighed.

"Fine. I’ll apologize properly."

Now that she thought about it, she and Marshall actually got along very well.

If they weren’t close, Lucy probably wouldn’t even know what his real personality was like.

Avoiding him had been childish.

She really should apologize.

And then, the moment Lucy stepped through the door, a small girl with black twin tails blocked her path.

"Who are you?"

Ultear narrowed her eyes and looked Lucy up and down.

"And why are you wearing a maid outfit?"

Lucy blinked.

Ultear stood directly in front of her, studying what she had privately designated as the final opponent!

It had already been more than a week since Ultear returned to Marshall’s side, and she certainly hadn’t spent that time doing nothing.

She had been quietly observing.

Gathering intelligence.

Learning Marshall’s relationships inside Fairy Tail.

And most importantly... identifying the women who might pose a threat.

Ultear actually understood her own position quite clearly.

She had not come to Marshall with dreams of building a family with him alone.

She had come to join the large family he already possessed.

Ultear never expected to monopolize all of Marshall’s affection.

Having spent most of her childhood repeatedly losing the people and things she cared about, "love" had always felt like an extravagant luxury to her.

She neither knew how nor dared to ask for too much.

As long as Marshall was willing to leave a place for her somewhere in his heart, Ultear was already satisfied.

In that sense, she was almost grateful for his wandering eye.

If Marshall were completely devoted to only one woman, Ultear doubted she would ever have had a chance to remain beside him at all.

But accepting that Marshall liked many girls did not mean Ultear had no interest in what kind of girls they were.

As Marshall’s devoted lover and attentive older-sister figure, Ultear believed she had both the obligation and the ability to help him drive away women with questionable intentions.

And besides, fewer competitors were always better.

Naturally, Ultear had put considerable effort into determining exactly which girls Marshall cared about.

So she knew perfectly well who stood before her now.

Lucy Heartfilia.

The daughter of the continent’s foremost financial family.

The model for the final member of the Seven Sins.

One fact was obvious: every girl used as a model for one of Marshall’s Seven Sins held an unusual place in his heart.

Ultear could hardly ignore that.

Yet during the entire week she had stayed beside Marshall, she had regularly seen the other six models coming and going from Cake Tower.

Lucy alone had been conspicuously absent.

In fact, she appeared to be actively avoiding Marshall.

Suspicious.

Very suspicious.

That anomaly had already put Ultear on guard.

And now Lucy had suddenly appeared wearing a maid outfit.

What exactly was this rich young lady planning?

Was she trying to steal Ultear’s job?!

Ultear immediately bristled like an offended cat.

She had already given up any ambition of becoming Marshall’s wife.

Instead, she had set herself the goal of becoming the most capable maid under his command!

She had compromised this much, and somebody was still coming to compete with her for work?

Outrageous!

Ultear immediately became suspicious that Lucy was exactly the sort of dangerous woman who deliberately lowered her own status to outcompete everyone around her.

If somebody like that gained enough influence, maybe she would eventually drive every other woman away from Marshall!

This was no ordinary bad woman.

Ultear needed to strike first and establish dominance.

Lucy had to understand that not just anyone qualified to become Marshall’s maid!

Lucy stared blankly as fighting spirit practically ignited in Ultear’s eyes.

’So this is the new little maid Marshall hired?’

She really did look around Marshall’s age.

Why did she seem to hate Lucy so much?

"Um... I’m Lucy. I came here because I need to talk to Marshall about something."

Ultear immediately huffed.

"What an insolent maid! You’re inside Master’s home and you don’t even address him respectfully? You’re obviously unqualified. Leave!"

"???"

Before Lucy could even process that, Virgo appeared behind Ultear and delivered a swift chop to the top of her head.

"Ow!"

"Miss Lucy, the Little Master is expecting you."

Ultear spun around indignantly.

"Virgo! Why are you siding with an outsider?"

"You are also an outsider."

Ultear’s eye twitched.

"Hmph! Just you wait. Once I become the number-one maid, I’ll get rid of you... annoying Celestial Spirit!"

"Your maid skills are nowhere near mine."

"..."

Lucy scratched her head while watching the two maids glare at one another.

How did anyone even manage to start an argument with Virgo?

Where had Marshall found this strange little maid?

Did this girl have some kind of personality problem?

Then Lucy remembered that the poor kid had to spend every day serving that unbelievably lazy

Marshall, and sympathy immediately replaced her confusion.

"Virgo... this girl’s workload isn’t as bad as the one you gave me, right?"

She glanced toward Ultear.

"Can she actually handle it?"

Virgo gave Lucy a long, meaningful look before shaking her head.

"Although I do not particularly like Tia either, as a maid, Tia is far more capable than Miss Lucy."

She paused.

"She has never complained once."

"What?!"

Lucy stared.

Then she cautiously poked Ultear with one finger.

"Um... Tia, right? Don’t you get tired from all that work?"

Ultear looked at her as though the question itself made no sense.

"Tired?"

She tilted her head.

"What is there to be tired about?"

Her expression softened naturally.

"The days I spend beside Master are the easiest and happiest days of my life."

Ultear genuinely seemed confused.

"Why would I think they were exhausting?"

"Eh?!"

Lucy froze.

For the first time, a terrifying possibility entered her mind.

’Wait...’

’Could it be...’

’Am I the problem?’