Garling's hands, hidden inside his sleeves, clenched tightly, his expression tense.
He unexpectedly looked toward Lloyd and said with a troubled tone, "Lloyd, I'm sorry."
Lucia's eyes widened in shock. What had she just heard? Garling, the man known as a king, was apologizing? What had happened while she wasn't present?
Lloyd trembled slightly, a storm of emotions swirling inside him. He gazed up at Garling and said in a quiet voice, "Unc, you don't need to apologize, Gulando kept me in the dark, you truly didn't know at that time."
Garling shook his head and replied, "If I had been stronger back then, you wouldn't have suffered so much pain, and you may not have even come close to losing your life. I…"
"It's alright, Unc, there's really no need to think like that. You're the only family I have, there's nothing to apologize for. Let's eat. Actually, this is the first time we've had a meal together."
A gentle smile appeared on Lloyd's face, and Garling felt even heavier inside. Saying "I'm sorry" had only happened once in his life before, the first time being when he had driven a blade into his father's chest.
At that moment, his father, barely conscious, had offered a faint, relieved smile as Garling awkwardly managed to whisper, "I'm sorry."
Garling sank back into his chair quietly, murmuring, "Family…"
Lloyd turned to glance at Lucia, and she immediately understood. She snapped her fingers, and almost instantly a line of servants carried dish after dish into the room.
Another servant stepped forward to place a napkin around Garling's neck.
During the meal, Garling seemed dispirited. Lloyd did his best to encourage him, attempting to bring even a small spark of joy to his expression.
Lucia watched quietly, confused by the odd dynamic. It seemed as if uncle and nephew had switched roles, with Garling appearing like a hurt child rather than the proud sovereign he was known to be.
Dinner concluded with an unusual atmosphere hanging in the air.
Once the meal ended, Garling was escorted to his private chambers by several servants.
Only Lloyd and Lucia remained in the dining room. Although Lucia was curious about Garling's strange behavior, she didn't ask.
Having lived in a noble household for so long, she knew the boundaries of propriety.
Lloyd rubbed his temples, still throbbing from the emotions stirred earlier, then stood and said, "Lucia, we should rest as well."
Lucia's cheeks turned slightly pink. She nodded softly, then helped Lloyd remove his napkin and place it on the table before following him to his private chambers.
As soon as they reached the bedchamber, Lloyd collapsed onto the bed, his eyes fixed blankly on the ceiling.
In truth, he wasn't as relaxed as he had seemed earlier. Every moment from his childhood spent in that laboratory had long since turned into a demon in his heart.
If it weren't for facing Garling, he would never have brought up any of those memories again.
Suddenly, Lloyd felt someone touching his foot. He lifted his head and saw Lucia gently removing his shoes.
He hadn't noticed her beside him on the way here; he had been lost in thought and overlooked her presence entirely.
He quickly said, "It's okay, Lucia, you can go rest. I can take off my clothes by myself."
As Lloyd spoke, he tried to pull his foot away, but Lucia held it steadfastly.
She looked at him with a warm smile and spoke quietly, "Young Master, helping you change is my duty. You didn't say anything during the day either."
"That was just removing an outer coat, taking off shoes is different, and a bit dirty," Lloyd protested.
"What are you saying, Young Master? Just lie down, and I'll take care of the rest."
Lucia's motions grew quicker, perhaps out of fear that Lloyd might pull away. After she finished removing his shoes, she leaned closer and began to unbutton his shirt.
Lloyd quickly grabbed her wrist and said, "Wait, Lucia, it's time to sleep!"
Lucia lifted her head slowly. Only then did Lloyd notice two flickering purple flames burning in her eyes.
It was the Flame of Desire, the unmistakable effect of her Devil Fruit ability.
He blinked, slightly stunned, wondering, What is she trying to do?
Under the influence of the Flame of Desire, Lucia's face took on a seductive expression, the same one she had shown earlier in battle, and her actions became increasingly bold.
Using that moment, she pushed Lloyd gently but firmly onto the bed.
Then, she withdrew her hand from Lloyd, extended a single finger, and began drawing circles on his bare chest, speaking in an enticing voice, "Young Master, you're right, it's time to sleep now, right?"
Before Lloyd could fully react, Lucia acted with astonishing speed. Under his stunned gaze, she slid off his shirt, leaving him in just his undergarments.
Just as Lucia reached for Lloyd's last piece of clothing, Lloyd could no longer hold back. He activated his Dark-Dark Fruit ability, his arm turning pitch black with inky energy as he grabbed Lucia's shoulder and shouted, "Lucia, snap out of it!"
Lucia's expression froze, and the Flame of Desire in her eyes vanished instantly. She blinked, staring at Lloyd with a startled, slightly flushed face.
"I… Young Master…" she murmured, but her words trailed off as her body went soft, and she collapsed into Lloyd's arms.
Lloyd exhaled, feeling a bit overwhelmed with Lucia pressed against his chest. He took a steadying breath, gently stroking her back, and asked, "Lucia, what was going on just now? Why did you use your Devil Fruit ability?"
Lucia buried her face into Lloyd's embrace and spoke in a muffled voice, "I'm truly sorry, Young Master. I… I just wanted to muster some courage, so I used a bit of my Devil Fruit power. I didn't expect the effect to be this strong…"
Hearing that explanation, Lloyd rubbed his forehead and said with a hint of irritation, "Courage? Why do you need to summon up courage for no reason? Were you scared I'd eat you?"
"If the Young Master desires, I can… I've learned a bit of this over the years from some female attendants who train with slaves…" Lucia offered, her voice trailing off.
Lloyd looked down at her gently, almost helplessly, and said, "Lucia, what are you thinking about all day? We just reunited today, and Unc told me not to let my thoughts wander into things like this. If anything were to happen tonight, Unc Garling would definitely make things difficult for me tomorrow. It's highly likely he wouldn't let you come with me."
At those words, Lucia suddenly shot up from Lloyd's body, alarmed, "No! I finally got Young Master back. I don't want to be separated from you again!"
With that, Lucia dashed to the wardrobe and, miraculously, pulled out a black silk nightgown from among Lloyd's formal black suits.
She put it on right in front of him, then immediately buried herself against Lloyd's chest, closing her eyes tight as she whispered, "Good night, Young Master."
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