Chapter 810 – Sloth and Gluttony

Meanwhile, in the dream realm of Sloth.

It looked like comfort.

Endless skies stretched out in soft lavender hues, clouds drifting lazily without direction, without urgency. The ground, if it could even be called that, was made of plush softness, like a bed that never needed adjusting. Time moved slower here. Not metaphorically.

Literally.

Every second lingered.

Every breath stretched.

And at the center of it, Lullaby sat.

Barefoot.

Half-curled into herself on a floating cloud that gently dipped and rose like a calm ocean. Her eyes were half-lidded, her posture relaxed in a way that made it seem like she might fall asleep at any moment.

Across from her...

Was excess.

Not chaotic.

Not grotesque.

But abundant.

A cloud, no, a throne, of sweets hovered in place. Cakes layered upon cakes, dripping with syrup that never spilled. Candies of every color shimmered like gemstones. Rivers of melted chocolate flowed lazily along the edges, looping back into themselves as if the concept of "running out" didn’t exist here.

And sitting on top of it... was Gula.

The Gluttony heiress.

Her hair flowed down her shoulders in soft, airy waves, pink and white swirled together like cotton candy freshly spun at a festival. It looked light enough to float if untied, strands drifting slightly even without wind. Her eyes, large, bright, and endlessly curious, carried a sweetness that contrasted sharply with the faint hunger lingering behind them.

Her lips were glossed in sugar sheen, her fingers lazily picking at a piece of candy that reformed itself the moment she took a bite.

She wasn’t overeating.

She wasn’t frantic.

She was simply... indulging.

Constantly.

"I don’t understand you, Lulla," Gula said, voice soft, slightly muffled as she chewed.

Her tone wasn’t hostile.

Just... confused.

"Why are you helping Greed?"

Lullaby didn’t answer immediately.

Her gaze drifted lazily across the horizon, as if the question needed time to reach her.

"...Lux is a good guy," she said finally.

Gula blinked.

Then tilted her head.

"Good guy?" she repeated, pulling another piece of candy from the air and examining it before popping it into her mouth. "He’s Greed."

A pause.

"He wants money."

That sounded like a complete argument in her head.

Lullaby shifted slightly, pulling her knees closer to her chest.

"...Everyone wants something," she murmured.

Gula frowned slightly.

"That’s not the same."

"It is," Lullaby replied, voice still soft, still slow. "Just... different flavors."

Gula stopped chewing.

That made her think.

She didn’t like thinking too hard.

Thinking took effort.

But Lullaby’s words had a way of slipping past resistance.

"...I don’t get it," Gula admitted after a moment. "Greed takes."

Lullaby blinked slowly.

"Sometimes."

"Most of the time," Gula corrected.

"...Sometimes," Lullaby repeated, not arguing, just... placing it differently.

Her gaze finally shifted toward Gula.

"...But he also gives."

Gula’s brows furrowed.

"When?"

Lullaby didn’t hesitate this time.

"Power. Opportunity. Choice."

Each word spaced out.

Like she was placing them gently into the air between them.

Gula leaned back slightly, sinking deeper into her pile of sweets.

"That sounds like trading."

Lullaby nodded faintly.

"It is."

"Then it’s still Greed," Gula said.

Lullaby hummed softly.

"...Maybe."

A pause.

"Maybe you can help me."

That caught Gula off guard.

Her eyes widened slightly.

"Help you?"

Lullaby nodded.

"I mean Greed."

Gula blinked again.

"Why would I help him?"

Her tone wasn’t defensive.

Just genuinely confused.

Lullaby tilted her head slightly, her hair shifting softly around her shoulders.

"Because things are moving."

That made Gula pause.

Her fingers stopped mid-motion, candy hovering just before her lips.

"What do you mean?"

Lullaby’s gaze drifted again. "The king." A pause. "He’s acting weird."

Gula’s expression changed.

Subtly.

The softness didn’t disappear.

But something sharper surfaced beneath it.

"...Yeah," she admitted slowly. "My parents noticed too."

Her fingers lowered, candy forgotten for once.

"They set the distance to maximum."

That wasn’t normal.

Not for Gluttony.

Gluttony didn’t distance.

Gluttony absorbed.

Collected.

Consumed.

For them to pull back?

That meant something was wrong.

Lullaby nodded faintly.

"My parents did the same."

Silence settled between them.

Not heavy.

Just... aware.

Because this wasn’t just about Lux anymore.

This was bigger.

Gula frowned slightly, her gaze dropping to the endless sweets beneath her.

"I don’t like it," she muttered.

Lullaby didn’t respond.

Gula looked up again.

"Things feel... tight."

That was the only word she could find.

Not dangerous.

Not threatening.

Just...

Restricted.

Like something unseen was pressing inward.

"Yeah," Lullaby agreed softly.

Gula leaned forward slightly, curiosity returning, but now it carried weight.

"So you think Greed is involved?"

Lullaby shook her head slowly.

"The king wants to kill Greed. So... I think he’s preparing."

That was different.

Gula’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"For what?"

Lullaby didn’t answer immediately.

"Survival."

The word lingered.

Gula leaned back again, processing. "...You really trust him."

Not a question.

An observation.

Lullaby nodded.

Gula studied her.

Longer this time.

Then sighed softly, flopping back into her cloud of sweets.

"You’re weird, Lulla."

"I know."

Another pause.

Then Gula spoke again, quieter now. "If I help him... what do I get?"

Lullaby blinked.

Silence.

Soft wind drifted through the dream clouds, carrying the scent of vanilla and honey.

"...I don’t know," Lullaby said honestly.

Gula stared at her.

Deadpan.

Absolutely unamused.

"You don’t know?"

"...Yeah."

Gula slowly sat upright on her mountain of sweets, hands on her hips.

"Okay," she said flatly. "Let’s change the question."

Lullaby tilted her head.

"What do you get from him?"

That did it.

Lullaby’s sleepy eyes lit up instantly. "I got him," she said.

Gula froze. "...Him?"

Lullaby nodded, small but certain. "I like Lux."

Gula blinked twice. "You like Lux?"

Another nod. "He’s a hard-working demon."

Gula physically recoiled. "Hard-working?"

"Yes."

"Hard-working demon?"

"Yes," Lullaby repeated, as if that made perfect sense.

Gula rubbed her temples.

"Lulla," she said carefully. "You are Sloth!"

"...Mhm."

"You represent naps." Gula threw her hands up. "And you like a demon who schedules his day in fifteen-minute productivity blocks?!"

Lullaby hugged her knees, cheeks faintly pink.

"He tries very hard."

"That’s the problem!" Gula exclaimed. "He tries! That’s exhausting!"

Lullaby hummed dreamily. "He makes coffee at 6 AM."

Gula stared at her in horror.

"That’s not romantic, that’s a crime."

"He smells like ink and money."

"...Okay, that one is slightly intriguing," Gula looked away dramatically. "This is so wrong," she muttered. "Sloth falling for the CEO of Hell!"

Lullaby giggled faintly. "He lets me nap on him."

Gula groaned. "You’re hopeless!"

"...Maybe."

But she was smiling.