Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 271: Secret

Rhodes raised an eyebrow. "That's your idea of asking quietly?"

"Aye! Because Rhodes was coerced—pfft!" Happy burst into giggles.

Rhodes couldn't help laughing too, especially since Mira had just stepped up behind Happy.

"Happy~?" Mira's voice came sweet as honey. She tilted her head with that signature soft smile that usually came with... consequences.

"A-Aye?" Happy squeaked, and quickly whipped out a drawing. "Look, Mira! Look!"

It was a chibi-style doodle: Rhodes tied to the floor, crying dramatically while Mira loomed in her Satan Soul form, whip in hand.

A purple demon claw reached out, grabbed Happy by the tail, and launched him like a windmill out the guild doors, where he collided squarely with Natsu, who had just started making a run for it.

Rhodes rubbed his temple. "Is my girlfriend's reputation really heading in this direction?"

He gave Mira a teasing grin. "If I said I was being held hostage, do you think anyone would come to rescue me?"

Mira placed her hands on her hips and smirked. "Why bother with the lie? I might as well just take you hostage for real."

"Well, I wouldn't resist. Go ahead." Rhodes raised his hands playfully.

Mira smacked them away with a blush. "You're full of bad ideas."

"Mira, beer," Cana called out.

"Coming~" Mira responded, grabbing a glass and passing it to her.

Cana waved it off. "Not that one, the barrel."

Rhodes stepped in to help. "Didn't you say you were cutting back?"

"I'm celebrating today. I won big yesterday!" Cana slammed some bills on the counter and grabbed the barrel straight from Rhodes' hands. "I'm gonna drink 'til it's all gone!"

Mira gave Rhodes a reassuring glance. "Don't worry, she used to drink like this all the time."

But something felt off this time. Cana drained the entire barrel fast and slammed it down, demanding another one.

"You've had enough," Rhodes warned. "Any more and you'll end up in the infirmary."

He couldn't fathom where she put it all. One full barrel and her stomach didn't even bulge.

Mira stepped in with a softer voice. "Rhodes is right, Cana."

But Cana wasn't in the mood to listen to anyone's advice. "Why should I stop drinking just because he said so? I can handle another barrel!"

Rhodes frowned. The "he" she was referring to clearly wasn't him.

Mira leaned in and whispered near his ear, "Just give it to her for now. I'll go find some hangover medicine."

"Alright." Rhodes nodded. It was obvious that something was weighing on Cana.

He took the opportunity to bring over some food, just in case and even set a trash bin nearby, preparing for the worst.

"Why, Rhodes?" Cana slurred, her words thick with alcohol. "Why'd you say that? Hic..."

Rhodes waved away the strong smell of alcohol from her breath and tilted his head. "Say what?"

"Why @#%*... you don't even know me..." she muttered incoherently.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

"What do you mean I don't know you?" Rhodes asked, confused.

"@#%*... I..." Cana hugged the barrel tighter and started murmuring things that made even less sense.

By the time Mira returned, Cana had already passed out on the counter.

Rhodes looked at her helplessly. "She's completely out of it. I couldn't get a single coherent word from her."

"No helping it. Something must've happened," Mira said softly, reaching out. "Blanket?"

"On it," Rhodes replied, and used his Requip Magic to hand her one.

Mira carefully draped the blanket around Cana, making sure to cover her back, waist, and stomach.

With how revealing Cana's usual outfit was, sleeping like that in a public space could easily give her a cold.

Mira glanced at the two empty barrels nearby and sighed. "Her tolerance has gone up."

If this kept up, the guild bar's monthly sales might spike, but neither of them would feel good about it.

It hurt knowing a friend was clearly struggling with something, and they couldn't do anything to help.

Rhodes quietly thought about what might've triggered this. Was it the intense duel between Mira and Erza? Maybe all the overly affectionate couples in the guild lately were getting to her?

Then there was the news about Macao's new relationship.

Rhodes remembered Mira teasing him once, saying that Cana might have a thing for Macao.

He frowned. "No way. That can't be it... right?"

Even Mira hadn't believed it when she said it.

Then suddenly, she turned to Rhodes with a cheerful glint in her eye. "I want to go shopping tomorrow."

Rhodes nodded, "Sure."

"Not with you." Mira winked playfully. "I want to go with Cana."

He instantly understood. Mira wanted to spend some time cheering Cana up.

"One more person wouldn't hurt," Rhodes offered. "I could help carry the bags."

Mira smiled but shook her head. "No need. We might want to talk about... girly things."

Cana? Girl talk?

Oh, right. Even if she usually acted like one of the guys, Cana was a woman after all.

...

Whatever Mira said or did seemed to have helped, at least a little.

Though Cana still drank often (and somehow built up an even higher alcohol tolerance), she didn't seem nearly as down as she was that night.

But then Rhodes noticed something else.

Mira started acting a bit... odd.

It wasn't anything dramatic. Just the way she'd glance at him sometimes, clearly holding back what she wanted to say.

Finally, during one of their training sessions, Rhodes couldn't take it anymore.

"What is it?" he asked as they took a break, catching her watching him with that same hesitant look. "You've been holding something in. Just say it."

Mira frowned. "I can't."

Rhodes pulled her into a hug, trying to coax her gently. "Come on. What is it you can't tell me?"

She almost caved... but in the end, she shook her head and covered her ears. "Don't ask. It's a secret. A girl's secret."

That only made him more curious.

So, he did what any clever boyfriend would do.

He tickled her.

Mira burst into laughter, squirming and protesting. But then she retaliated, tackling him into a messy, playful brawl until both of them collapsed onto the grass, laughing too hard to move.

Panting for air, Rhodes reached over and instinctively laced his fingers with hers.

"Still not gonna tell me?" he asked, grinning.

"Nope." Mira turned her head away with a pout. "I promised Cana I wouldn't."

Mira, the ultimate gossip lover, was now carrying a huge secret and couldn't share it, just because she gave her word to a friend.

Mira's expression softened, a trace of sorrow in her eyes. 'Cana's been through a lot. She's really... pitiful.'

...

BOnus