"Haaah~"
Rhodes let out a long yawn at the dining table, rubbing his eyes.
Across from him, Lisanna propped her chin in her hands and smiled mischievously.
"Didn't sleep well last night, brother-in-law?"
From the kitchen came the sound of gentle clattering, Mira and Elfman were preparing breakfast together.
Lisanna had originally offered to help, but given that she was the second worst cook in the Strauss household, she, like Rhodes, had been diplomatically exiled to the dining area.
Rhodes leaned back lazily, glancing toward the kitchen. The sight of Mira's graceful silhouette, her long hair tied back as she stirred something at the stove, warmed him more than any fire could.
He quickly looked away, clearing his throat. "Haven't slept well the past few days. The lodging conditions outside are nothing like home."
"Eh~~~?" Lisanna dragged out her tone, clearly unconvinced. "Is that all?"
"What else could it be?" Rhodes replied innocently, because no matter how mischievous his mind was, he wasn't about to crack a dirty joke at his sister-in-law's expense.
Instead, he smoothly changed the subject. "You know how bad your sister's sleeping posture is, right?"
Lisanna's teasing grin vanished instantly.
She instinctively clutched her shoulder, her expression haunted by memories of a nightmarish full-body lock.
If you weren't as petite as Wendy, sleeping next to Mira could easily result in a dislocated limb by morning.
She sighed, looking at Rhodes with genuine sympathy. "Sister's love is… truly too heavy."
Lisanna had firsthand experience, after all, she'd been sharing a bed with Mira these past few nights.
Rhodes only smiled knowingly. He had a secret trick that made things much more pleasant. Compared to Lisanna, he was perfectly content.
Still, such details were… difficult to explain, so he simply nodded along, pretending to commiserate with his poor sister-in-law's plight.
Just then, Mira emerged from the kitchen, carrying a tray. Her hair was still tied back, her apron still on, and her smile soft as sunlight, the very picture of domestic warmth.
She set the tray down, untied her apron, and asked curiously, "What are you two talking about?"
Without thinking, Rhodes blurted, "Lisanna said you're heavy."
The air froze.
The knot at the back of Mira's apron suddenly tightened into an unbreakable dead knot.
She sat down gracefully, her back to him, and said sweetly, "Rhodes, could you help me untie this?"
Rhodes obediently turned her around and reached for the knot, and immediately caught the glint of killing intent in Mira's eyes as she glanced at her sister.
Even for siblings, there were things you didn't joke about. Weight was one of them.
Lisanna stared at Rhodes in silent horror. 'I treat my brother-in-law like family… and he throws me under the carriage?!'
"Brother-in-law is bullying me!" she wailed.
Mira only smiled, serene as ever, which somehow made her even scarier. Clearly, her husband was up to his usual tricks.
Before Rhodes could think of a way to escape, Elfman emerged from the kitchen, wearing an apron and holding a clay pot filled with steaming lean meat porridge.
The sight of the hulking man in oven mitts was… impressive in its own right.
"What's going on?" he asked, setting down the pot.
Rhodes didn't miss a beat. "We were just talking about when you and Evergreen plan to get married."
Mira turned to him slowly, eyes narrowed, a twitch forming at her temple. 'Why does he give a different answer to everyone who asks?!'
Fortunately, she was just as curious as he was.
Elfman turned bright red. "N-Not… not to that point yet…"
Rhodes grinned, taking pity on him. "By the way, we're out of salt again. Remember to buy some later. Oh, and it's about time to switch to summer clothes."
"Then let's go shopping in Corundum tomorrow," Mira said. "You can find clothes from several countries there."
Lisanna's eyes sparkled. "Isn't that brother-in-law's fief? We haven't been there yet!"
"Then come along," Rhodes said with a smile. "You'll get to see how the ducal mansion's construction is coming along."
"Yay! What about you, Elfman?" Lisanna asked.
"I..uh...have something to do tomorrow," Elfman said quickly, scratching his head.
"Oh~ sure you do."
Their laughter filled the house as the four of them finished breakfast and prepared to head to the guild.
Outside, Magnolia was as peaceful as ever. The morning sun glimmered off shop signs, and the river breeze carried the faint scent of baked bread.
By the time they reached the guild, Laki and Kinana had already opened up and were sweeping the floor.
Lisanna immediately joined in to help, while Elfman strode to the notice board, it was his turn to pick a mission.
Mira, meanwhile, walked behind the front counter and began sorting through the morning mail, humming softly as she divided ordinary letters, mission requests, and the occasional complaint.
Mira handed the morning mail to Rhodes with practiced ease.He took the mission requests to transcribe onto formal forms, while she opened and sorted through the letters herself, leaving a small stack of complaint envelopes for the Master to handle.
Everything proceeded in perfect order.
Gradually, the guild filled with laughter and chatter as members drifted in.
Around mid-morning, Makarov finally arrived for what he optimistically called "work."
He greeted the rowdy crowd with his usual genial smile, then accepted the pile of letters from Mira with all the enthusiasm of a man heading for execution.
The sight of him reading each complaint as though it were a death sentence was so familiar that nobody paid it any mind anymore.
This was Fairy Tail's beloved Master.
Today, however, there was something slightly different in the stack.Amidst the usual letters of complaint lay one marked "Letter of Repentance."
It was from Sabertooth, addressed to the Council, but since Fairy Tail had been involved in the original incident, a copy had been sent to them as well.
Makarov blinked in surprise. "A letter of repentance from Sabertooth, huh?"
He unfolded it and read through slowly.
By the end, he couldn't help frowning in disapproval.
'Is this really the so-called number one guild of Fiore?'
The tone wasn't humble enough, the apology lacked sincerity, and the self-reflection was shallow.
"Hmph. Unacceptable."
He set the letter aside with a smirk, feeling strangely motivated for once. Perhaps he'd write his own "example" of what a proper letter of repentance should look like.
That rare spark of energy, however, lasted precisely ten minutes.
Then came the inevitable sigh. "I hate paperwork."
Just as he was about to retreat upstairs for his daily "administrative nap," a bright voice rang out:
"Mira-nee, I'm back!"
Levy waved cheerfully as she stepped through the door, mission slip in hand. "Oh! Rhode's here too! Was your mission smooth? How did Lucy-chan do this time?"
Rhodes glanced over her shoulder at the figures entering behind her, Gajeel and Panther Lily. "Everything went fine. I was just about to ask how your mission went."
Levy beamed. "Of course, it went great!"
Her team had been surprisingly balanced, brains, muscle, maturity, stability, and one very reliable little black cat.
Admittedly, Jet and Droy's absence meant less chaos… and fewer interruptions.
"I don't think Rhodes was asking about the mission details," Mira whispered slyly into her ear.
Levy's entire face turned red. "M-Mira-nee! Don't say things like that!"
Unfortunately, Dragon Slayer hearing was a curse. Even though Mira had whispered, Gajeel caught every word perfectly.
He scratched his cheek awkwardly, his expression unreadable.His iron face didn't blush, but his discomfort was written all over it.
He looked at Rhodes, trying to find some neutral topic to latch onto, but all that came out was an intense, wordless stare.
Rhodes raised an eyebrow. "After all this time, your glare's still that sharp. Thinking of challenging me again?"
"My eyes are always like this," Gajeel grumbled. "And as for challenging you, forget it. I'm not that idiot Fire Dragon."
Rhodes chuckled. Fair enough. Gajeel had the wisdom to walk away from fights that only ended in humiliation, unlike certain people who dove head-first into them every week.
Still, he could tell from Gajeel's stance that the Iron Dragon Slayer was itching for a spar… maybe just not today.
After a bit more small talk, Mira and Rhodes helped the pair file their mission paperwork.
Not long after, Elfman approached the counter with a request form in hand.
Rhodes took one glance at it and asked, "Going solo?"
"No," Elfman replied, glancing behind him, only to realize no one was there.
A moment later, Evergreen stepped out from behind a pillar, looking awkward but composed. "I'm teaming up with him."
It was quite the sight: Evergreen, tall by most standards, standing next to the towering Elfman, practically vanishing in his shadow.
Rhodes nodded approvingly and passed the form to Mira, who handled the registration with her usual gentle smile. "Be careful out there, you two."
After the pair left, a courier from the delivery company arrived, carrying several sealed envelopes.
Makarov glanced at the covers, squinting at the wax insignias, then tossed the entire bundle at Rhodes.
"The information you wanted," he said lazily.