Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Aether… Hmm… what should one really call him…

An actor?

A thug?

An innocent man?

A manipulator?

A womaniser?

An opportunist?

A wicked man?

Everything that happened in Aether’s life—every twist, every betrayal, every decision—changed not only how he thought but how he lived. His way of thinking, his way of breathing, his entire way of existing was rewritten again and again.

For his parents… he learned to act, to wear a mask and play the role expected of him.

For his parents’ attention… he turned into a thug.

For his gentleness… he once held on to innocence, but even that came with a cost.

For this strange new world… he manipulated everyone, twisted truth and lies together like a web just to stay ahead.

For his life and his love… he seduced them all, using desire as both weapon and shield.

For his ambitions… he used every single opportunity, never letting a door close before he had slipped through it.

For his lovers… he became wicked, the kind of man who wouldn’t flinch at doing the unthinkable if it meant protecting what was his.

But deep down… he wasn’t really that kind of man, was he?

Wickedness?

No… not exactly.

He had always been a peace-loving soul, right from the very beginning. He was the kind of man who craved stillness in a world filled with noise. Even now… even after everything… he still wanted peace.

He was still that man.

But lately… something had shifted. His actions… his thoughts… were beginning to take a darker turn. The more he understood the danger surrounding him, the more he felt the need to adapt. Change wasn’t a choice—it was survival.

And really, can anyone blame him?

It’s not like he ever stood up and declared himself a ‘hero of justice’.

No! Aether was never that naive.

He changed depending on what was needed. He became the person the situation demanded.

What version of him would give the best possible outcome?

That was always the question.

An innocent?

A villain?

A manipulator?

An actor?

A nobody?

This wasn’t some dramatic mental disorder.

No! It was basic human instinct… Survival meant adaptation.

It meant adjusting your thoughts, your emotions, and your actions based on what the moment required.

That’s how Aether lived. And that’s exactly how he would continue to live.

Now… let’s talk about the real issue…

Was Vesperine truly the only one who wanted to tear Kai apart from his mother?

Was she the only one who wanted the family to crumble and fall into pieces?

Was she really the only one?

Really?

No!

There was someone else… someone who not only wanted it… But needed it.

Aether.

Unlike Kaelen—Liora’s son—Aether had embraced him, accepted him. He was her son, yes, but Aether had made him his own too.

Kaelen was different.

Even if their beginning was rough, Kaelen had something Kai never did—humility. Understanding… A clean heart.

Kai, on the other hand… Kai was a hypocritical bastard wrapped in justice. Always pretending to be noble, always talking about right and wrong… but hurting people in the process.

Kaelen was dragged into the chaos—into the burden of being chosen, into the politics of the Throne—but he didn’t deserve any of it.

Kai, though… Kai always acted like he was the center of the damn universe.

He’d throw himself into danger and let everyone else suffer the fallout.

That’s what made it hard—almost impossible—for Aether to accept him.

And that was the thing… Kai was Xara’s son.

The moment Aether and Xara became one—truly one—Kai would be the thorn in his side.

The permanent reminder… The pain in the ass that would never go away.

Even if Aether tried to get along with him… deep down, he knew.

He would never be able to truly accept Kai.

And if he tried to reject him outright, it would destroy Xara. She would feel it like a wound that never healed.

Like… “Aether accepted Liora’s son, but not mine? Why?”

That pain… that constant edge of worry… would eat her alive.

And that’s exactly why— The real fucking reason… why he didn’t hide what she had done…

Yes, he thought about Selene. Of course, he did.

But Aether knew Selene. He knew he could talk to her, make her understand. He could help her see the truth about who her mother really was.

And with Selene’s nature, her heart… he was confident. She would come around. She would accept her mother… She’d just need a little time.

If the one inside that tube had been Selene’s replica… things would’ve been different. He would’ve handled it another way entirely.

But it wasn’t.

It was Kai… Fuck yeah~

Just a copy of that self-righteous bastard.

And Aether knew him well enough. Kai would lose his shit the moment he saw it. He’d get pissed off… Maybe even try to destroy everything in his rage.

And that… that was exactly what Aether wanted.

He wanted Kai to break his bond with his mother… He wanted that severed.

Completely!

And he did it.

Aether made it happen.

…But it wasn’t over.

Not yet.

Kai had broken his side of the bond… But what about Xara?

Previously, Aether had even provoked him at dinner—pushed him, jabbed him—just so Xara would see what kind of person Kai really was when cornered. So if something happened later… if Aether ended up killing him… There would be something to justify it.

He planted the seed today.

And tonight… the opportunity came knocking.

A perfect opportunity to shatter what little was left of that fragile relationship.

Aether couldn’t afford to waste it.

So he moved.

Not just to break Kai away from his mother… but to pull Xara away from him too.

It’s completely wrong… right?

He didn’t do the right thing… right?

Yes… a part of him whispered that it was wrong. That he shouldn’t have done it.

But another part of him—louder, colder—refused to care.

Kai was like a pest… something irritating, constantly buzzing in his ear… always fucking there, always reminding him.

Not just Kai either… but all the strings and knots she still had tied with the Frostblad family.

The deal she made with Mortimer—just to keep that family protected, to keep them safe and sound.

Aether had no idea what that old man was really planning. But whatever it was, Aether didn’t like it.

And he sure as hell didn’t want his future wife hovering around some other man’s house, guarding it like she owed them.

No, fuck that!

Velc was the reason she was here in the first place.

And to be honest… Aether was a little jealous. Maybe more than a little. Watching them… having those quiet, eye-to-eye conversations… like they shared something he wasn’t part of.

Yeah, he fucking hated it.

He fucking wanted to tear that apart too.

Not because he was possessive… No, of course not.

He just didn’t want Velc staring at his future wife like that.

HMPH!

So, yes… he wanted to break their bond.

So, yes… he wanted to break their bond.

By showing her true colors—by making Velc realise the deal—he’d cut the last tie. Once that happened, no blood, no contract… nothing would keep her there.

She’d have no reason to stay.

That’s it!

Nothing more!

…But still, he wasn’t expecting that her creation would still be walking around.

He was honestly caught off guard.

Watching their fight unfold, Aether noticed something disturbing. The creature was adapting—quickly, unnaturally so. And what was worse… it began to carry the same presence as Kai.

That was dangerous.

Far too dangerous.

He needed to break that… immediately.

So, Aether stepped into the game… not just to stop… but to crack even further the bond.

Just like he predicted—just like he planned—the moment he entered, the creature, that replica filled with Kai’s essence…

The hatred flared in its eyes.

And so did Kai’s.

They attacked him. They came at him with full killing intent, without hesitation. No second thoughts. Just pure rage.

Aether blocked, of course. He could’ve wiped them out in a single breath if he wanted to.

But that wasn’t his goal.

No, that wasn’t what he wanted at all.

What he wanted… was a moment.

A single, powerful moment.

Something that would stir her heart… shake her soul…

For him.

Only for him.

And just like that… everything unfolded exactly the way he wanted.

A wicked mastermind indeed!

The moment he bled…

Aether tilted his head slightly, watching from the side as Xara’s face twisted. Her expression turned dark… eyes stormy with fury. Her normally deep black irises began to glow faintly—just a hint of crimson seeping in.

She raised a hand and gripped a strand of her black hair… yanking it down fastly… oh… that must have felt painful, but she didn’t show anything… just she stared—cold and sharp—at her creation.

“How… dare you hurt him?” she asked, her voice eerily calm, indifferent, almost ancient in tone.

That strand of hair in her hand began to flutter… then shimmered before dispersing into black mist.

Suddenly—

Cough—

There was a massive fucking hole in the replica’s chest.

Blood poured out violently, soaking the ground beneath where its heart was supposed to be.

But there was no heart there.

Nothing at all.

Kai’s face turned pale with horror.

“M-Mom…” the creature muttered in a cracked, trembling voice.

Xara tilted her head. A wicked smile curved her lips.

“Mom?” she echoed, her voice laced with venomous amusement.

“The moment you disobeyed me… you stopped being my child.”

“Hehe~” she giggled softly, pulling another strand of her black hair.

She brought it to her lips.

She sipped it like wine.

Then—

Thud!

The creature’s head dropped to the ground, rolling lifelessly in the dirt.

Kai collapsed.

He dropped to his knees, face drained of colour, hands shaking as he stared at her in absolute horror.

His eyes locked with hers, and he trembled.

His lips parted, but no words came out.

Because the woman before him…

Wasn’t the mother he remembered anymore.