Faced with Erza's sincere concern, Wendy could no longer remain silent.
"I'm not feeling unwell."
Wendy replied softly. Lying was extremely difficult for her; her entire face was as red as a ripe duck, and it looked like steam was about to rise from her head.
"Erza, what's wrong?"
Seeing Wendy with such a troubled expression, Moen quickly spoke up to help her, drawing Erza's attention.
Erza swiftly turned her gaze to Moen. Her expression was a little troubled; she herself did not want to bring up those matters. She would rather bury them in her heart.
"You… you just mentioned Jellal, right?"
Erza's face showed unease, but she ultimately asked the question. She was clearly too concerned about this matter.
"Yes, what about it?"
Moen nodded calmly, giving an affirmative reply.
This caused both Wendy and Mystogan to look at him in shock.
Weren't they supposed to keep Mystogan's secret?
"Erza, do you know Jellal? How do you know him? What's your relationship?"
Under the astonished gazes of Wendy and Mystogan, Moen looked puzzled and spoke, taking the lead in questioning Erza.
"Jellal is my friend."
Facing Moen's curiosity, Erza hesitated slightly at first but ultimately spoke the word "friend" with certainty.
Erza's behavior clearly indicated that there was a lot of history between her and this "Jellal." Moen could see it immediately.
Naturally, Mystogan also sensed it, giving him goosebumps.
Coincidentally, it wasn't just Erza who knew Jellal; Mystogan also knew Erza from Edolas.
How could things be so coincidental? It was as if fate was mocking them.
"Then the Jellal we are talking about should not be the same. The Jellal we just mentioned is a friend from Mystogan's hometown."
Moen shook his head, saying something that left the three people present stunned.
"Ah?"
Erza looked at Mystogan, slightly puzzled. This answer was unexpected, and she found it hard to believe.
"That's right."
Mystogan reacted quickly and immediately nodded in agreement.
The blue-haired boy deliberately lowered his voice and spoke sparingly, as even his voice could become a weakness.
"In Mystogan's hometown, there is a tradition: when going out, one must cover their face, not letting others see it. The Jellal you know, Erza, isn't like that, right?"
Before Erza could respond, Moen delivered a decisive statement, effectively blocking any route of explanation for her.
"…."
This left Erza, who had wanted to see Mystogan's true face, unable to speak. She couldn't ask him to break a tradition.
"Definitely not."
Erza replied. She began to suspect that she might indeed have been mistaken.
Mystogan had given her a very familiar feeling, but in other aspects, there were indeed many differences.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving then."
Seeing that Erza seemed to have been convinced by Moen, Mystogan immediately prepared to leave. He decided to keep his distance from Erza in the future.
Better to leave early. I have important matters to handle and need to stop Anima from endangering this world.
Mystogan thought, making a decision in his heart: if nothing major happened, he would visit less often.
"Erza, could you tell us about this Jellal? Your past, we haven't really understood it yet."
After Mystogan left, Moen still didn't let up on Erza. He continued to press, trying to uncover Erza's story.
Today was the right moment for such questions. Normally, he wouldn't do this. Everyone had a story, and if the atmosphere wasn't right, forcing someone to talk would only cause awkwardness.
"There's nothing to say. It's all in the past."
However, Erza shook her head and spoke as if it didn't matter, acting as though she no longer cared about the past.
"…."
At this moment, not only Moen but even Wendy could see it.
What "all in the past" really meant was "can never be past." Erza was clearly deceiving herself.
"Alright, let's not talk about the past then."
Moen nodded, choosing not to expose Erza. The current Erza was much better than when she first came a year ago. He didn't want to upset her or make her revert to the shy girl who sat alone in the corner.
"Now we are companions, family. If anything happens, you can come to me. After all, I am your brother."
Moen said with a smile, reaching out to gently rub Erza's red hair. It felt soft and pleasant.
Erza, for the first time, did not swat his hand away.
"Brother? You're only a few days older than me anyway."
The red-haired girl gave a gentle smile and spoke slowly, her tone lightly teasing.
"By the way, Moen, isn't your birthday coming up soon?"
Gray suddenly popped his head out from behind Erza and chimed in.
Among the children present, besides Moen, Gray had the most experience and knew Moen well. He remembered Moen's birthday, which was around this time.
"Yes, I'm looking forward to your gifts."
Moen smiled and nodded, raising an eyebrow to openly hint at gifts. Because of their close relationship, no one took offense at this joke.
"Just wait, Moen! I'll find a super cool gift for you!"
Gray clenched his fist, speaking excitedly. He had received many gifts from Moen before, so he was very serious about giving him something good.
Before, due to his young age and limited money, Gray had only given random small things. Now that he had saved some money, he could choose carefully.
"Then I'll give an even cooler gift!"
Natsu, unwilling to be outdone, immediately challenged Gray. On this matter, he also wanted to compete.
Although Natsu had only joined Fairy Tail for a little over a month and had known Moen for a short time, he had already grown close. Moen was like a little sun, warming everyone around him and giving care, making the children want to surround him.
"No need to go to such trouble. The thought is what matters. For example, Gray, the ice sculpture you gave me last year is still in my freezer."
Seeing Gray and Natsu arguing over "who can give Moen a cooler gift," Moen laughed, his eyes smiling. He was truly happy, feeling the joy of heartfelt effort being reciprocated.
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