Lloyd's expression didn't shift at all, his face calm and unreadable. This level of reception was only natural considering his identity.
The golden guard at the front rose slowly. Her armor differed slightly from the others, and the shape of the breastplate revealed that she was the only woman among them. She walked toward Lloyd with composed steps, lifted her hand, and removed the heavy golden helmet.
A cascade of long, black hair spilled out. She raised her head, her amber eyes meeting his as she spoke softly.
"Saint Lloyd, I am Lucia, Third Squad Captain of the Figarland Family Guard. I wonder… do you still remember me?"
Lloyd paused for a moment. His eyes narrowed slightly as he searched through the memories buried beneath years of experiments and blood.
She looked young, despite the imposing armor wrapped around her. Her figure was elegant and well-proportioned, her skin pale and smooth like jade. Her features were delicate, but what finally clicked in his memory was the small scar beneath her left eye.
That scar was from the time before Gulando had dragged him away to be experimented on.
Before the age of six, Lloyd had lived in comfort inside the palace like any other Celestial Dragon.
And Lucia… Lucia had once been a slave Garling purchased at the Sabaody Archipelago auction house.
Garling had no particular preferences. He had bought Lucia only because the host announced she was a princess of a small, unaffiliated nation that had been destroyed by Pirates. Nearly her entire royal family had been slaughtered. Lucia survived only because she had hidden under a bed. She and some remaining treasures were captured and sent to auction.
As a former princess, she stood out among the slave children. Garling bought her as a fourth birthday gift for Lloyd.
Unlike other Celestial Dragons, the Figarland family had a comparatively better reputation. Lloyd, only four years old then, had no malicious intent. He had been isolated most of his life by Gulando, so meeting someone around his age made him excited.
He let Lucia sit beside him during meals, made her eat with him, and constantly dragged her along to play all the childish games he learned from the nannies.
They even played house together. With only the two of them, the roles naturally fell into "husband and wife."
Lloyd, as a child, often called her "Sister Lucia." Although she was slightly older and more mature, Lucia knew such a thing couldn't continue. If anyone learned a Celestial Dragon child was calling a slave "Sister," her existence would be erased instantly.
Still, the two lived peacefully for two whole years. Lloyd never mistreated her. Slowly, Lucia's fear dissolved, replaced by warmth she didn't dare acknowledge.
She had even thought that if she could just stay by Lloyd's side as his slave forever, it wouldn't be so bad.
But everything shattered one day.
When Lloyd was six, Gulando appeared with a man who had an abnormally large head and a strange appearance. Lucia had been reading a book to Lloyd at the time. Lloyd had barely opened his mouth to greet his father before Gulando grabbed him by the waist and carried him away.
From that day forward, Lucia never saw Lloyd again.
The warm world she had found collapsed instantly. The vast Figarland estate became a suffocating cage. She was once again the terrified princess who had lost her family and country.
Lloyd had always been the light guiding her. But the light disappeared without warning.
Day after day, she waited. She wished that at any moment he would return. She wanted to hug him tightly and tell him how afraid she had been, how much she had missed him.
But he never came back.
And worst of all… any mention of Lloyd gradually became taboo in the family.
Even so, Lucia refused to accept it. One afternoon, while cleaning the courtyard, she overheard two researchers in white coats—the same kind of attire worn by the strange man who once followed Gulando.
She silently approached and listened.
"It's only been injected with one type of gene and he's already like this. I don't know how much longer that child can last."
"It's already a miracle, honestly. That kid is still a Celestial Dragon. I don't understand how he's still alive."
"Keep quiet. This is above our concern. We're just assistants. All we have to do is follow Dr. Vegapunk's instructions."
The broom fell from Lucia's hand with a clang. She sprinted forward, blocking the path of the two researchers.
"Are you talking about Saint Lloyd?" she asked with a trembling voice.
Their faces tightened instantly. One glared at her with hostility before pulling his colleague away.
Lucia stood frozen until a female officer arrived, scolding her back to work. She forced down her fear and obeyed.
When evening came, she did not return with the other servants. Instead, she slipped away, retracing the path from which the researchers had come.
Eventually, she found a stark white building. Two golden-armored guards stood at the entrance. She hid behind a flower bed, unable to approach further.
She was about to leave when a broken, hoarse scream tore through the night.
"Let me out! Father… why are you doing this to me!"
It was his voice. Faint, painful, but unmistakable.
The guards didn't react. One even chuckled.
"Saint Lloyd is starting again. Sounds like they used a higher dose today."
"Won't matter soon. No kid can withstand this long. Guess it's true, the Figarland bloodline is something else."
"Wait. Did something just move over there?"
The two guards stepped toward the flower bed.
But by the time they arrived, Lucia was gone. Only faint, nearly dried tear stains remained on the ground.