Early the next morning, Sugar walked out of the room arm in arm with Lloyd, a bright smile decorating her face. Compared to before, there was now a slightly more mature charm in her appearance.
Lloyd attempted to withdraw his arm, but Sugar immediately tightened her embrace, pressing his arm firmly against her chest.
Tilting her head, she looked up at him innocently.
"Young Master, did the way I was holding you make you uncomfortable?"
Lloyd shook his head and chuckled softly.
"No, I just wanted to stretch my arm a little."
As he spoke, Lloyd raised his free hand and gently patted Sugar's light green hair. Sugar immediately narrowed her eyes and let out a contented sound like a docile kitten.
After spending the night together, Lloyd had gained a deeper understanding of Sugar's personality.
In certain aspects, she was surprisingly bold. She was not simply obedient, nor did she follow orders blindly. Instead, she often came up with her own ideas and had the courage to act on them.
Had it not been for the faint crimson stains left upon the bedsheets, it would have been difficult to believe that she had no previous experience.
Monet and the others had already been waiting in the hall for quite some time. The moment they saw Lloyd and Sugar emerge, they quickly gathered around them.
Monet handed Lloyd a cup of hot tea. She glanced at Sugar, who immediately stuck out her tongue at her, then said softly,
"Young Master, breakfast is ready."
Lloyd nodded before his gaze shifted toward Robin and Pudding, both of whom appeared rather exhausted.
"Robin, Pudding, the two of you don't seem very energetic. Did you not sleep well last night?"
The two girls raised their heads, their faces filled with grievance. They glanced toward Olvia, who happened to be staring at them with narrowed eyes.
The moment their eyes met, Robin and Pudding immediately shrank back. However, with Lloyd standing right beside them, they quickly regained some courage.
Robin gave a dissatisfied snort and was just about to complain about Olvia's actions from the previous night.
Before she could speak, however, Olvia stepped forward.
"Saint Lloyd, there is something I need to apologize for."
Lloyd tilted his head slightly.
"Oh? What is it?"
"As a mother, I failed to properly discipline Robin. She brought some... questionable books into the palace and negatively affected the atmosphere here."
Robin puffed out her cheeks.
"They're not questionable books at all."
Pudding nodded repeatedly.
"Exactly."
Hearing the two girls defend themselves only made Olvia angrier, and she nearly reached out to pull their ears.
At that moment, Lloyd calmly spoke.
"Robin is right. I've read those books as well. They're simply reading materials, not prohibited works."
Olvia's eyes widened.
"You've read them too?"
"Yes. Some of them are rather interesting, though they remain fairly restrained."
The room suddenly fell silent.
Olvia was left speechless.
Robin, meanwhile, looked at Lloyd with visible gratitude. In her memory, Lloyd had never read her books before. She naturally assumed he was helping her.
Thinking this, Robin quietly walked to his side and wrapped herself around his other arm.
Seeing that even Lloyd had spoken in Robin's defense, Olvia could only rub her aching forehead.
"In that case... fine."
She had completely given up.
Her eyes drifted toward Robin, who was tightly hugging Lloyd's arm. She could not help but sigh inwardly.
Lloyd glanced at the golden clock hanging on the wall.
"Alright, everyone, let's eat."
The group gathered around the long dining table. Lloyd sat at the head of the table while Sugar immediately moved her chair beside him.
Considering the circumstances, the others remained silent and offered no objections.
With Lucia absent, Monet served as the head maid. Standing behind Lloyd, she clapped her hands.
Soon, several maids entered while carrying trays of food. Under Monet's direction, they placed the dishes neatly upon the table before bowing and departing in perfect order.
Monet was meticulous and highly capable. She excelled at handling complicated affairs and possessed the qualities of an excellent secretary. Lucia had always valued her abilities greatly.
Lloyd specifically praised her work.
Monet simply smiled modestly before taking her seat beside Sharlia.
However, the moment she sat down, her eyes drifted toward Sugar. Her expression immediately became slightly embarrassed.
"Sugar, can you drink your milk properly?"
Everyone looked toward Sugar.
She was slowly licking the milk from her cup with her small tongue, her actions appearing strangely suggestive. Robin, Pudding, and the others immediately understood the implication.
Only Olvia appeared confused.
She simply thought Sugar looked like a kitten drinking milk, which seemed rather adorable.
Still, noticing the strange expressions on the others' faces, Olvia could tell there was some hidden meaning, though she could not understand it.
Sugar swallowed a mouthful of milk and gently wiped the foam from the corner of her lips.
"Sister, what are you thinking about? I'm only drinking milk. How is that improper? Young Master, Sister is bullying me again."
Lloyd merely smiled without answering. He raised his hand, signaling for breakfast to begin.
Sugar picked up a small cake with her fork and held it toward Lloyd's mouth.
Lloyd accepted the bite before gently patting her head.
Sugar narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.
After only one night, Sugar had become even more attached to Lloyd, almost as if she wished to remain by his side at all times.
While everyone ate, Lloyd suddenly looked toward Monet.
"Monet, arrange for the palace craftsmen to make several black slit dresses later. I'll provide a design for reference. The measurements should be based on Sugar's figure."
Monet nodded.
"Understood, Young Master."
Sugar blinked her large eyes and looked at Lloyd with admiration.
"Young Master, you can design clothes too? You're amazing."
Lloyd smiled and set down his utensils.
"This outfit should suit you quite well. Speaking of which, most of you possess Devil Fruit abilities. I've thought of several titles for you."
The girls immediately set down their knives and forks.
Several pairs of beautiful eyes focused on Lloyd.
He slowly looked around the table before speaking.
"Tornado Sugar."
"Snow Woman Monet."
"Dreamweaver Pudding."
"Thousand Arms Robin."