Wendy's little face flushed red, and her smile was so adorable it caught Mira completely off guard.

"Mira?" Marco nudge her gently.

Mira snapped out of her daze, flustered, and accepted the small box from Wendy.

"Th-thank you, Wendy."

She was still getting used to receiving gifts from people, but she was much more composed than when Marco had given her that apron—the first real gift she'd ever received.

She treasured it, keeping it tucked away, unused and framed it.

"Alright, with Wendy's cough drop, there's no way we'll have any problems now," Marco smiled, leading everyone into the studio.

"Here, let's all have one."

He opened the box and passed them around.

"Mmm, it's a bit bitter..." Wendy popped one into her mouth and immediately scrunched up her face.

"It's fine," Marco said, trying his own.

"A little bitter at first, but then it's cool and really soothing. As expected of Porlyusica—this stuff is incredible."

It feels like it could clear out years of mucus in one go, he thought.

These would sell like crazy... but no way would Porlyusica agree to mass-produce them.

She'd probably throw me out for even asking it.

His gaze shifted to Wendy's adorably pained expression.

The little girl clearly hated anything that wasn't sweet.

Porlyusica really does have a soft spot for Wendy, though, Marco mused.

Maybe...

"Marco-san, is there something on my face?" Wendy asked, touching her cheek self-consciously.

"Nothing," he shook his head. "These are just really effective. I wish we could get more of them."

"I don't think so," Wendy said. "Grandma Porlyusica told me they're a type of magic potion and very hard to make. She said she probably can't make too many."

Marco's eyes widened.

She even explained the process to her? The favoritism is real!

He understood, though.

Most people only visited Porlyusica when they were injured, and she hated seeing people get hurt.

Of course she'd be grumpy with them.

He briefly considered learning to make the potion himself before shaking the idea off.

That was a project for another day.

"Alright, let's begin," Marco announced.

After finishing the lozenges, everyone took their places.

Mira stepped up to the microphone, glanced at Marco, then shot a look at Erza.

Her competitive spirit was burning bright.

She was going to show Erza what she was made of.

Marco gave her a questioning tilt of his head.

"Ready?"

Mira nodded.

The familiar intro music began to play, perfectly replicated by the guild members who had helped Marco record the soundtrack.

"Whoa oh~ Yeah~"

Mira started to sing, her voice flowing effortlessly.

Those who'd only ever seen her rough-and-tumble side were stunned.

First her cooking, and now this? Her talent was amazing.

When the song finished, the room was silent for a moment.

After just two weeks of practice, her performance was flawless.

Whether it was her focus on this single song or the silent challenge from Erza, she sounded nearly as good as Marco had.

"Well?! What do you think Erza?" Mira demanded, turning to her rival with a triumphant look.

"Excellent," Erza said, her expression serious but her voice sincere.

"It was truly surprising." She had genuinely misjudged Mira. "I'm sorry for doubting you before."

Erza's straightforward apology was so unexpected it left Mira speechless for a second.

"Ah... it's fine. As long as you know you were wrong," she managed to say, suddenly thinking that maybe Erza wasn't so bad after all.

Damn, she let her guard down, Marco thought with a helpless sigh.

This was just a rehearsal.

"Ahem, that was great. We'll start adding the harmonies in the next take," he announced.

"No problem!" the girls chorused.

"This time, don't you drag us down," Mira said, her competitive fire reignited as she shot a look at Erza.

"Don't worry," Erza replied with unwavering confidence. "We'll nail it."

As the magic-infused melody of Marco's lyre began, Mira started to sing again.

Marco softly joined in with the harmonies while guiding the others.

With his support, their voices blended perfectly, making the song even more captivating than before.

After they finished, Marco listened to the playback and nodded, satisfied.

"That's the one."

"Yay!" The girls erupted in cheers, jumping and hugging each other.

'Juvia did it! Juvia did it!' Juvia muttered to herself, while Wendy beamed beside her.

"Wait, everyone!" Mira announced loudly over the celebration. "Let's go to my place later! I'll treat you all to dinner!"

The room fell silent.

"Are you cooking?" Marco asked, his voice filled with hope.

"Yeah, I'll cook," Mira replied, looking away with a slight blush.

She'd wanted to invite him over for a meal but couldnt find the right moment.

This was the perfect excuse.

"Fantastic! We're definitely coming!" Marco's face lit up.

He'd been craving her cooking.

"Yay!" the other girls cheered, excited to hang out at Mira's place again.

"Let's call Natsu and Gray, too," Marco added.

Mira just waved a hand, saying Elfman would take care of it.

"Such a smooth planning," Marco teased with a grin, seeing right through her.

"C-Cough! Not at all!" she said, her face heating up.

"Hahaha," Marco joked. "I'll clean up here. You all go on ahead and get things started."

"Alright, we'll see you there," Mira said, her expression back to normal as she led the others out.

Once they were gone, Marco quickly organized the recording.

Next came the release.

He had already contacted the company that distributed music who were thrilled to work with him.

They promised to sync the release across all music platforms and produce physical records.

Given Marco's fame as the 'Star Rose God' and the author of The Great Detective Holmes, the song was a guaranteed hit, especially in Fiore.

The company was so sure of its success they agreed to produce a single-song record.

Marco insisted on setting a very low price, refusing to exploit his fans.

For the sake of their future relationship, the company gritted their teeth and agreed to a deal that would barely let them break even, hoping to secure a long-term contract with him down the line.

-----------------------------

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