viii.

/note/:: i changed the summary since this starts having a bit of an actual plot

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The middle of week three brings trouble, or so Jellal senses.

"I was in a tavern on the South side a few days ago when I caught a conversation about the heiress of a very prominent family a few towns over finally being dragged back home," he says low enough for her to hear across the table. "She had given birth, but there was no baby with her."

Erza pales.

"…You think…you think Ursa is her child? How can you be sure?"

"I'm not, but if she is, there is reason to worry," he informs her. "She came out of a troubled family."

"How so?" Ursa fusses, so Erza picks her up, turning about the room while Jellal keeps on with his disturbing revelation.

"The mother's uncle took hold of the family assets until his sixteen year old niece could properly run the estate and family business," he explains. "She disappeared about six months ago, and they'd been searching for her ever since."

"What kind of mother just drops their child off and hopes someone will take it in after all that," Erza seethes, trying to understand from this woman's point of view. "Wouldn't it be better to leave it with someone she trusted—"

"Who do you trust in that situation," Jellal reminds her. "She lived as a vagabond for the majority of her pregnancy, maybe sensed that venturing into a busy town like this to give birth was as large a risk as she could take."

"You've certainly done your research haven't you," Erza mutters, feeling nauseous. He nods slowly.

"I know this is a lot to take in, but there's more."

Erza's hair feels coarse, irritating the skin near her neck. She braces herself. "What else."

"It would be ideal that the uncle wants to find the child to reunite it with its mother, but apparently the pregnancy was a result of the mother's affair with the heir to a rival company. If he's set assassins to be on the look out, independent ones like me…we think he wants to prevent a potential merger agreement that could result if the child is found."

Every word is kindling to the fire burning her blood, pulling the anger to Erza's face. She couldn't care less about the politics and business surrounding what has quickly become the most important thing in her life, but if it means keeping it safe...

"What should I do," she asks quietly.

"Lay low," he advises. "I'll keep an ear and an eye open to see if this is just something that might blow over with time."

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