Chapter 260: Tell Mama I Love Her

Location: Yuna City

Place: Yuuta’s Apartment

"Papa, can Elena come with you?"

Yuuta’s hand stopped for a moment as he heard Elena’s voice behind him. He had already gotten ready to leave and was checking his pockets one last time, making sure he had everything he needed. His movements looked normal, but inside, his thoughts were anything but calm.

He had to find Erza.

After everything Elena had told him, staying inside the apartment and waiting for Erza to return was impossible. He didn’t even know whether she would return after what he had said to her last night. The thought alone made his stomach tighten, but he forced himself not to show any of that fear in front of Elena.

Yuuta turned around and found his daughter standing behind him, looking up at him expectantly.

"Elena," he said, keeping his voice as calm as possible. "Papa won’t be gone for long. I’ll be back soon, okay?"

Elena immediately puffed out her cheeks.

"But Papa, Elena wants to come too. Elena will be bored without Papa."

Yuuta’s expression softened. Usually, he wouldn’t have minded taking her with him, but today was different. He had no idea where Erza had gone or how long finding her would take. More importantly, he didn’t want Elena anywhere near them when he apologized. Whatever happened between him and Erza needed to be settled between the two of them first.

"I know, Princess." Yuuta crouched slightly in front of her. "But Papa has something important to do."

Elena tilted her head.

"But why?"

Yuuta hesitated.

He certainly couldn’t tell a Four-year-old that he had horribly insulted her mother last night and was now desperately going outside to find her before he made everything even worse.

So instead, another answer came to him.

"Because..." Yuuta paused before giving her a small smile. "Papa was thinking about surprising Mama."

Elena’s crimson eyes immediately lit up.

"Surprise?!"

Her little wings twitched excitedly behind her.

"Yahhh! Elena loves surprises!"

"Shhh!"

Yuuta immediately placed one finger against his lips, glancing around dramatically as though Erza might somehow be hiding somewhere inside the apartment.

"Don’t say it so loudly. If Mama hears about it, then it won’t be a surprise anymore."

Elena’s eyes widened before both of her tiny hands quickly covered her mouth.

"Oops."

Yuuta couldn’t help smiling slightly.

For a brief moment, the nervousness inside him eased.

"Exactly. So Papa is going to buy some meat and a few other things Mama likes. Then we’ll prepare everything before she comes back."

Elena nodded repeatedly, clearly taking the mission very seriously.

"So Elena has an important job too."

"Elena has a job?"

"A very important one." Yuuta gently tapped her forehead. "You have to protect the apartment until Papa comes back. And if Mama returns before me, you absolutely cannot tell her about the surprise."

Elena immediately straightened herself as though she had just received an order from a general.

"Elena won’t tell!"

"Good."

Yuuta stood again, but his smile slowly weakened as his eyes remained on his daughter.

He knew he was pretending everything would return to normal.

That Erza would come home.

That he would find her, apologize, prepare something she liked, and somehow convince that stubborn Dragon Queen to forgive the horrible things he had said.

Yuuta desperately wanted it to be that simple.

But he didn’t know.

Erza’s face from last night appeared inside his mind again.

I fucking hate you.

His fingers tightened.

Then he remembered his own response.

I wish you never came back.

Yuuta’s chest hurt.

He looked away from Elena for a moment before reaching for the door. There was one more thing he wanted to say, although even speaking it made his throat tighten.

"And Elena..."

"Hm?"

Yuuta stopped with one hand against the door.

"If Mama comes home before Papa..."

He hesitated.

For some reason, the next words felt frighteningly difficult to say.

"...tell her Papa loves her a lot."

Elena smiled innocently.

"Okay! Elena will tell Mama that Papa loves Mama a lot!"

Yuuta’s eyes immediately became wet.

He quickly turned his face away before Elena could notice.

"Yeah..."

His voice came out quieter than he intended.

"Tell her exactly that."

Yuuta opened the door before looking back one final time.

"Now go watch your favorite show. Dragon Boys should be on, right?"

Elena’s attention immediately shifted.

"Dragon Boys!"

"Yes, Dragon Boys." Yuuta smiled. "Watch it and wait for me. Papa should be back in about an hour."

"Okay!"

Elena waved both hands enthusiastically.

"Bye-bye, Papa!"

"Bye, Princess."

Yuuta stepped outside.

The door slowly closed between them, and Yuuta maintained his smile until Elena disappeared from view.

Click.

The moment the door shut, the smile vanished.

The nervousness he had been hiding immediately returned.

Yuuta stood silently in the hallway, wondering where Erza could have gone and whether she would even allow him to approach her after everything he had said. He didn’t have any real plan for finding her, but remaining inside the apartment and doing nothing was no longer possible.

Yuuta took a slow breath before beginning to walk.

Whatever happened, he needed to find Erza and apologize to her.

Yuuta walked through the morning streets of Yuna City, but unlike everyone moving around him, he had no clear destination in mind. He had left the apartment determined to find Erza, yet only after reaching the crowded streets did he realize something painfully simple.

He didn’t know where to look.

For all the time they had spent together recently, Yuuta knew surprisingly little about where Erza went when she wanted to be alone. Most of the time she was simply there—inside the apartment, beside Elena, following him somewhere, arguing with him, watching him cook, or appearing whenever something dangerous happened.

Now that she was gone, Yuuta realized how accustomed he had become to her presence.

His first thought was the bookstore.

Yuuta remembered Erza showing curiosity toward human books before, so the bookstore became the first place that came to mind. He headed there without wasting any time, holding onto the small hope that perhaps she had come here after leaving the apartment. Maybe she had spent the night wandering around before eventually choosing somewhere quiet to sit and read.

The moment Yuuta entered, his crimson eyes began searching between the shelves. Every glimpse of long white hair made his heartbeat rise, and whenever he noticed a woman wearing something remotely similar to Erza’s usual clothes, his attention immediately followed her. For a second or two, hope would rise inside him, only to disappear when the stranger turned around.

Yuuta continued searching anyway. He walked through one aisle after another, checking the reading area and even looking toward the quieter corners of the store where Erza might have chosen to sit alone. Somewhere inside him, a small part desperately hoped he would turn a corner and find her sitting there with several books around her.

Maybe she would be reading something ridiculous about how to execute her foolish husband in the worst possible way.

At this point, Yuuta wouldn’t even complain.

He would happily stand there and let her glare at him if it meant finding her.

But after searching the entire bookstore, he found nothing.

Yuuta stood between the shelves for several seconds, staring at the empty reading area as disappointment settled heavily inside his chest. He had entered believing there was a genuine possibility Erza might be here, and losing that small hope hurt more than he expected.

Still, he wasn’t ready to leave without asking.

Yuuta approached the counter, where a young employee was arranging several books. The employee looked up when Yuuta stopped before him.

"Excuse me. I’m looking for someone."

Yuuta hesitated while trying to describe Erza without making it unnecessarily complicated.

"She’s tall, with long white-silver hair and violet eyes. She might look a little intimidating at first, but..." Yuuta paused before quietly adding, "She’s really beautiful."

The young employee stared at him for a moment before recognition suddenly appeared across his face.

"Oh! Wait, I remember someone like that."

Yuuta’s crimson eyes immediately widened.

"You do?"

"Yeah. There was this incredibly beautiful woman who came here and bought a ridiculous number of books."

Hope immediately rushed through Yuuta.

"That’s her."

He stepped slightly closer to the counter before realizing how desperate he probably looked.

"Do you know her? Did she come here today?"

The employee seemed surprised by Yuuta’s reaction.

"I remember her, but who are you?"

Yuuta opened his mouth.

"I’m..."

Then he stopped.

The answer should have been simple.

Her husband.

Yet for some reason, those two words suddenly became difficult to say.

Yuuta’s eyes lowered slightly as guilt returned. What right did he have to proudly introduce himself as Erza’s husband after what happened last night? She had waited for him for years, raised their daughter while holding onto the hope that they would someday become a family, and kept something as simple as his old clothes because she missed him.

And what had Yuuta done when they finally reunited?

He doubted her.

Blamed her.

Then when their argument became painful, he attacked the one thing she had apparently protected for all those years.

Her love for him.

The employee continued looking at him, waiting for an answer.

Yuuta swallowed.

"...I’m her husband."

Saying it aloud made his chest tighten.

The young employee’s expression immediately changed into surprise before he smiled.

"Seriously? You’re really lucky, man. Your wife is unbelievably beautiful."

Yuuta remained quiet for a moment.

Normally, he might have become embarrassed by a comment like that. Today, however, he found himself thinking about the woman he had watched disappear into the night sky.

"...Yeah."

His voice became quieter.

"I am."

Only now did those words carry a completely different meaning.

Yuuta quickly returned to the reason he had come.

"Please, did she come here today?"

The employee thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"No. I haven’t seen her today. Actually, I don’t think she’s been here for almost a week."

The small hope inside Yuuta immediately disappeared.

"I see..."

He forced himself to nod.

"Thank you."

Yuuta left the bookstore and returned to the morning streets. He stood outside for a few moments, looking through the crowds while trying to think of another place Erza might have gone. It was still early, Yuna City was enormous, and one failed search didn’t mean anything.

At least, that was what Yuuta kept telling himself.

The garden came next.

Erza had always seemed strangely comfortable around peaceful places, especially when there weren’t too many people nearby. Yuuta remembered the quieter side of her, the woman who could simply sit somewhere and watch the world around her without saying much, so the possibility felt reasonable enough that his hope slowly returned.

Yuuta searched along the walking paths, checked beneath the larger trees and looked across the benches scattered throughout the garden. Whenever he noticed long white hair in the distance, he immediately changed direction, only to discover another stranger waiting at the end.

Then he saw someone near the flowers.

Long pale hair.

A light-colored dress.

Yuuta’s heart jumped.

"Erza!"

Several people nearby turned toward him.

Yuuta barely noticed them as he hurried forward, but after getting closer, his steps gradually slowed.

It wasn’t her.

The woman looked toward him in confusion before Yuuta quickly lowered his head.

"Sorry... I mistook you for someone else."

He turned away before she could respond.

The disappointment was becoming harder to ignore.

Yuuta continued searching, walking deeper through the garden while his crimson eyes moved desperately from one person to another. Every time he thought he recognized Erza, his heart rose with hope, and every time he was wrong, something inside him sank a little further.

"Erza!"

His voice carried across another section of the garden.

Nothing.

Yuuta continued walking.

"Erza!"

Still nothing.

Eventually, his pace slowed.

Yuuta stood beneath one of the trees and looked across the garden, breathing slightly harder after searching nearly every section he could find. Families continued walking around him, couples sat together on benches, and children ran through the grass while the person Yuuta desperately wanted to see was nowhere among them.

Once again, Erza wasn’t there.

Being separated from her for only a few hours had already made him realize something he had refused to admit while she was standing beside him.

He loved her.

Not because she was the Dragon Queen.

Not because she protected him.

He simply loved her.

And the brutal truth was that he had only fully realized it after hurting her enough to make her leave.

Yuuta closed his eyes as guilt pressed heavily against his chest.

"...Erza."

This time, her name came out almost like a plea.

But the garden remained silent.

__________________________________

Location:- Liebus Agency

Place:- Command room

Sara froze.

For a moment, even the conversation about Allen disappeared from her mind. Her crimson eyes remained fixed on the closed command-room doors as the presence beyond them became clearer.

There was no hostility coming from the other side.

No killing intent.

No suffocating pressure that normally accompanied someone powerful enough to attract Erza’s attention.

Instead, what Sara felt was strangely peaceful.

The aura spread gently through the other side of the door, carrying a warmth that seemed almost unnatural inside the Agency. Sara had spent centuries surrounded by blood, demons and warriors whose powers were designed to destroy. She knew what murderous aura felt like better than almost anyone.

This was the complete opposite.

It felt like healing.

Like something capable of standing within a battlefield and bringing peace where only death should have remained.

Sara’s crimson eyes slowly widened.

This presence...

Before she could finish the thought, a faint light moved across the command-room entrance as Monday began scanning whoever stood outside.

For several seconds, there was only silence.

Then the artificial intelligence spoke.

"Identity confirmed."

Sara’s expression changed immediately.

The locks inside the reinforced door began disengaging one after another.

Click.

Click.

Click.

Monday’s voice followed.

"Welcome, Holy Saint."

Sara’s eyes widened.

"...Holy Saint?"

She immediately straightened and turned fully toward the entrance.

The title alone was enough to erase Allen from her thoughts for the moment. There were very few people whose presence could make Sara react this way, and someone recognized as the Holy Saint certainly belonged among them.

Erza, however, reacted differently.

Rather than alarm, a faint trace of curiosity appeared in her violet eyes.

"Holy Saint..."

She repeated the title quietly.

Her lips curved into the slightest smirk.

She had heard enough about humanity’s saints to understand what the title represented, but she had never particularly cared about human recognition. If this person possessed enough power for even Sara to react like this, however, Erza was at least interested in seeing what kind of woman stood behind that door.

The heavy entrance finally began opening.

A thin layer of pale mist slipped through the widening gap first, spreading slowly across the floor of the command room.

Sara remained still.

Erza watched silently.

Through the mist, a figure appeared.

At first, neither of them could see her face.

Only the outline of a woman could be seen approaching from the corridor. Her footsteps were quiet and unhurried, almost impossible to hear beneath the mechanical sound of the doors continuing to open.

Then she stepped closer.

The mist shifted around her.

A white robe gradually came into view, its fabric decorated with elegant golden designs. The clothes were simple compared to the extravagant garments Erza had seen worn by royalty, yet there was something naturally dignified about the woman wearing them.

Another step.

Her figure became clearer.

Erza’s smirk slowly disappeared.

Something about the woman felt...

Familiar.

Her violet eyes narrowed.

Erza’s fingers slowly tightened against the armrest.

No way.

Sara noticed the sudden change in her Queen’s expression and glanced toward her in confusion.

"My Queen...?"

Erza didn’t hear her.

Her attention remained completely fixed on the woman who had just entered.

The Holy Saint stopped several steps inside the command room, allowing Erza to finally see her face clearly.

Erza stopped breathing for a moment.

No.

There was no possibility.

Her fingers slowly tightened against the armrest as disbelief spread across her face. Of all the humans Erza could have expected to see standing beyond that door, this was the last one she had imagined.

Her lips parted slightly.

"...Sister Mary?"

The woman stopped as well.

She had already sensed the overwhelming presence waiting inside the command room long before the doors opened. She had known who was here.

Sister Mary calmly turned toward the Dragon Queen.

Their eyes met.

"Your Highness."

To Be Continued.

4K Collection Celebration

Elena jumped in front of everyone with both hands raised proudly.

"Four thousand! Papa, Mama, look! We reached four thousand!"

Yuuta blinked before smiling. "Already? That’s actually insane."

Yuri stood beside him with his arms crossed, trying his best to look unimpressed.

"Hmph. Obviously."

Elena immediately pointed at him. "You’re happy too!"

"I am not."

"You are!"

Erza watched the three of them quietly before a small smile finally appeared on her face.

Yuuta glanced toward her. "Anything you want to say, Your Majesty?"

Erza remained silent for a moment before looking forward.

"Thank you."

Yuuta smiled.

Elena immediately waved both hands.

"THANK YOU, EVERYONE!"

Yuri sighed. "Thank you for supporting this chaotic family."

Yuuta laughed. "Seriously, though... 4,000 collections is something I never imagined reaching. Thank you for reading, supporting, commenting, and staying with us."

Erza gave a small nod.

"We will see you at the next milestone."

Elena raised her fist.

"Next stop, FIVE THOUSAND!"

Yuri: "Please stop shouting."

Elena: "NO!"

Thank you for 4,000 collections! ❤️