Living at the Heartfilia estate was a novel experience for Shane.
Layla had prepared a guest room for him that bordered on extravagance—more meticulous than even the one top-tier hotel suite he'd stayed in once in his previous life.
Gilded ornaments, velvet bedding so soft it felt like it could swallow you whole, fresh flowers replaced every day—everything screamed the family's staggering wealth.
Shane wasn't the type to drown in material indulgence, but with comfort like this, he was more than happy to enjoy it.
Each day, aside from his routine meditation and steady tempering of his magic power, he observed the famous family like an outsider, quietly taking everything in.
Little by little, he started noticing all sorts of interesting details.
The lady of the house, Layla, was nothing like the "fragile noblewoman" she appeared to be at first glance.
She moved with elegance and always spoke in a gentle voice, but under that softness was a powerful will and resilience—soft on the outside, steel at the core.
Jude, on the other hand—the man who looked like he could dominate the business world with sheer force of personality—was, surprisingly… obedient around his wife.
Not out of fear, but out of love and respect. He was completely "wrapped around Layla's finger."
They also had a daughter, Lucy, about the same age as Levy.
The girl inherited her mother's brilliant blonde hair and delicate features perfectly—like a living doll.
Whenever Shane meditated in the garden, he'd spot Lucy peeking from behind a pillar or a flowerbed, half her head sticking out as she secretly watched him.
All of it made Shane feel that, if not for the "door" mentioned in the trial, the Heartfilias—aside from being absurdly rich—really were just an ordinary family, warm and unremarkable in the best way.
A week passed like that.
One day, as usual, Shane was meditating in a corner of the garden.
The flowers and greenery were lush, the air fresh—being closer to nature seemed to make his magic flow smoother.
He calmed his mind and guided the magic within him to cycle along a set path.
Suddenly, the magic that had been flowing gently through his channels surged—like a flood bursting through a dam—swift, fierce, alive.
Whoosh—
It felt as if an invisible barrier shattered on the spot.
Shane snapped his eyes open.
"Finally… I broke through!"
For the first time, he'd advanced his magic purely through his own accumulation—without relying on a Class Card.
The solid weight of that achievement lit his chest on fire. He stood up, feeling the magic within him noticeably stronger and moving more smoothly.
But the surprise wasn't over.
The moment his magic stabilized, a deeper change rose from within.
A warm, powerful current spread through his limbs and bones. Muscle fibers tightened with new toughness; even his bones felt denser, subtly reinforcing themselves.
His endurance—stagnant for so long—also broke through!
From D- to D rank!
A true double blessing.
Shane pumped his fist excitedly, carefully feeling out the changes.
And it wasn't just endurance. Even Strength and Agility—both stuck for ages—were now stirring under the growth in his magic. The bottleneck felt shaky, like it could crack any day now.
"So that's it…" Shane murmured, understanding flickering in his eyes. "My other stats stalled because my magic lagged too far behind—creating a kind of invisible ceiling. Now that magic's broken through, the foundation I'd built can finally release all at once…"
He'd uncovered another hidden aspect of the Class Cards.
His basic stats weren't fully independent; there seemed to be a linked balance between them.
While he was still basking in the breakthrough, a timid voice spoke nearby.
"Um… what were you just doing?"
Shane turned and saw the doll-like blonde girl poking her head out from behind a rose bush, staring at him with curiosity—and a little nervousness.
"Lucy?" Shane blinked, surprised.
She'd been watching him for days, and this was the first time she'd spoken to him.
Because he had a good impression of Layla, he was naturally a little more patient with the girl too.
He reined in the lively magic around him and replied gently, "I was training my magic."
"Magic?" Lucy's eyes lit up with starry admiration. "Th-then… are you a mage?"
"Of course." Shane smiled and showed her the guild mark on the back of his hand. "I'm a Fairy Tail mage."
"Fairy… Tail…" Lucy repeated softly, completely captivated by the strange emblem.
She inched forward, lifting a small hand as if to touch it—then, right before she reached it, she snapped her hand back like a startled rabbit.
Shane almost laughed at how cute she was.
"Then… are you really strong?" Lucy asked again, her little face deadly serious.
Shane glanced up at the sky and answered honestly, "Mm… I'm decent, I guess."
"Really?!" Lucy's voice jumped, bursting with happiness.
Like she'd finally gathered the courage she'd been building up for days, she blurted out her request in a rush, eyes shining with hope.
"Th-then can you help my mom? Mom's been frowning a lot lately, and she looks so sad… If you're so strong, can you make Mom smile again?"
She spoke fast and earnestly—like she'd rehearsed this in her heart a hundred times.
Shane looked at the girl's pleading eyes and finally understood why she'd been watching him all this time.
So this was what she'd been hesitating over.
He found it funny—and also a little moving.
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he crouched to her eye level and asked, "Lucy, mages take commissions for pay. If you want to hire me, what can you offer as payment?"
"Payment…?" Lucy froze, her neat little brows knitting tight as she struggled.
She wasn't like the too-grown-up kids Shane had met in Fairy Tail or the Tower of Heaven—Lucy still had the bright innocence of a real child. The idea of using family wealth simply didn't occur to her.
She thought so hard her eyes started to redden, and Shane was about to tell her that he'd come to help anyway—he'd even seen Layla smile when the key arrived—
But then Lucy suddenly wiped at her eyes, sniffed, and declared with startling determination:
"If you can make my mom smile again, th-then… I'll study magic really hard too! I'll get strong, and then I'll help you someday!"
Her expression was naïve and solemn—pure, untouched by bargaining or profit.
Looking at her, Shane couldn't help recalling how Layla had still held onto her manners, principles, and sincere apologies even under enormous pressure.
And now this little Lucy—offering her future as payment…
Shane sighed softly. The stern face he'd put on melted into an helpless chuckle.
He took back what he'd thought earlier—that the Heartfilias were just a "normal family that happens to be rich."
At the very least, Layla Heartfilia was an incredible mother.
She'd passed her own resilience and kindness on to the next generation, whole and intact.