The next morning, Monet and Sugar arrived at Lloyd's bedchamber early.
After stepping inside, they found Lloyd still in a deep sleep, with no signs of waking.
Lloyd had told them last night to wake him early, so Monet carried little Sugar to the bedside and softly called, "Young Master."
When he didn't move, Monet raised her voice and called again.
Sugar wasn't tall enough to reach, so she jumped up and down. Seeing this, Monet picked her up and leaned her toward Lloyd's ear.
Unexpectedly, Sugar exclaimed,
"Sister, Young Master isn't breathing!"
"What?!"
Monet's face immediately went as pale as snow. Forgetting everything else, she kicked off her shoes, revealing her small feet clad in white long socks, then climbed onto the bed with Sugar in her arms.
She stretched out a finger and placed it beneath Lloyd's nose. She could feel his breath, faint but unmistakable.
Slightly relieved, the weight in Monet's chest finally eased.
She wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead and set Sugar down gently beside her.
Since she was already close, Monet reached out and pushed Lloyd.
This time he finally reacted. His brows furrowed just slightly. Seeing this, Monet leaned in eagerly, ready to seize the opportunity to wake him.
However, before she could speak, Lloyd abruptly reached out and pulled both Monet and Sugar into his embrace, murmuring drowsily,
"Don't be noisy…"
Monet's mind went blank as she curled into Lloyd's arms, while Sugar covered her mouth with her little hand, silently obeying Lloyd's sleepy "order."
…
At the Figarland Family's territory, Saint Saturn had already arrived and spent a while with Saint Garling waiting for Lloyd.
But since Lloyd hadn't appeared yet, Saint Saturn finally asked,
"Saint Garling, what is Saint Lloyd doing?"
Saint Garling admitted he had no idea either, but waiting like that was far from ideal. After a moment's thought, he decided to check on Lloyd himself and bade Saint Saturn remain here for a while.
Saint Garling arrived at Lloyd's bedchamber and saw the door ajar, so he walked in.
Inside, he found Lloyd still asleep, holding the Monet sisters in his arms like two fragile dolls, completely unaware of the world.
Monet and Sugar blinked twice when they saw Saint Garling, but didn't make a sound.
Saint Garling frowned slightly as he approached Lloyd's bedside.
"What are you two doing?" he asked gravely.
Sugar made a tiny gesture with her hand. Monet quickly placed a hand over hers and explained the situation to Saint Garling: they had been trying to wake Lloyd, but he had pulled them both into his arms while still asleep.
Lloyd continued sleeping soundly throughout the explanation.
When Monet finished, Saint Garling glanced at Lloyd before turning to Monet.
"All right," he said, "you two go out first."
Although Monet felt a bit reluctant, she didn't resist. She tried to escape from Lloyd's arms, but she struggled and couldn't free herself.
In the end, Monet activated her elemental ability, transforming into a mass of snow and ice, and slid out with Sugar to get away.
Once the Monet sisters were gone, Saint Garling took a deep breath before suddenly snapping,
"How long are you going to sleep, kid!"
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
With a blend of Haoshoku Haki, Saint Garling's voice rippled through the room, blowing the blanket straight off Lloyd's body. His hair lifted from the force.
Under that pressure, Lloyd's eyes shot open wide as he looked up at Saint Garling with a bewildered expression.
"Uncle Garling?" he murmured, still half asleep.
Saint Garling crossed his arms and looked down at Lloyd in the bed.
"Finally awake? Sleeping so soundly, without even a bit of alertness?"
Lloyd rose from the bed. Through his open collar, the dense, spiderweb‑like blood vessels on his skin faded slowly, a sign he had just awakened.
He stretched leisurely and spoke in a lazy voice,
"Uncle Garling, what alertness do I need here? Speaking of which, it seems someone was calling me before you did. Was I dreaming?"
As he spoke, Lloyd bent his left arm. A faint, milky fragrance still lingered on it from being held close by the Monet sisters.
Saint Garling glanced toward the doorway, where Monet and Sugar were peeking in. The moment his gaze landed on them, the two little girls immediately ducked back.
Seeing this, Lloyd couldn't help but shake his head with a small laugh.
"So it was them. Right, I did tell them last night to wake me up early."
Saint Garling said,
"All right, get up quickly. Saint Saturn has been here for a while now. Don't make him wait too long."
Lloyd nodded and replied,
"That would be embarrassing. My body's been acting strange lately. Once I fall asleep, it's easy not to wake up."
Hearing this, Saint Garling immediately asked with a concerned look,
"What exactly is going on? Why don't you just sleep a little longer? Meeting Saint Imu can be postponed. After all, he didn't say it was urgent."
Lloyd smiled,
"That won't do, Uncle Garling. I wouldn't dare not go when Saint Imu summons me."
Even as he said "Saint Imu," there was no trace of reverence on Lloyd's face; his tone was casual, almost joking.
Lloyd slid out of bed, pulled a black robe from the wardrobe, and began changing. Saint Garling said simply, "I'll wait for you in the reception room," and then turned to leave.
Monet and Sugar still tried to come inside to help Lloyd change, but he was too fast. By the time they entered, Lloyd had already finished dressing.
He squatted down, lifted a hand to gently touch Monet's head first, then Sugar's little head, smiling as he said,
"I'm very satisfied with your wake‑up service this morning, girls."
Before the Monet sisters could react, Lloyd's form shimmered and dissolved into darkness, and he vanished without a trace.
In the reception room, a dark vortex suddenly appeared on the sofa in front of Saint Saturn, and from it Lloyd emerged.
Saint Garling had not yet returned, so Lloyd approached the somewhat dazed Saint Saturn.
"Good morning, Saint Saturn. Sorry to have kept you waiting."
Saint Saturn smiled and replied,
"It's all right. Did you see Saint Garling just now? He went to find you."
"Oh, I saw him. No need to wait for Saint Garling. Let's set off now. It wouldn't be good if Saint Imu got angry."
"Saint Imu's temper isn't as bad as you think. Never mind, let's go, Saint Lloyd."
Lloyd stood and made a gesture of invitation, then walked out with Saint Saturn.
When Saint Garling returned to the reception room, he found it empty. Captain Carlos, who was posted at the door, quickly approached.
"Saint Garling," he said, "the Young Master has already left with Saint Saturn."
Saint Garling's mouth twitched ever so slightly, and he nodded to indicate he understood.
____
Patreon = _Zeph