Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1418: You lied to me… AGAIN!!!!!

After embracing each other and feeling the lost warmth of each other after such a brutally long separation, Delphine finally noticed the faint shimmer of purple light drifting beside them… Grace.

“What’s… that?”

Her voice softened with wonder as she curiously pointed toward a tiny fairy creature perched on Aether’s shoulder like a glowing guardian.

She knew about fairies, heard stories about them, but this was her first time seeing one with her own eyes.

“Well…” Aether blinked slowly, still catching his breath from the reunion. “She is Grace and…” he hesitated, glancing at Grace, who rolled her eyes as if personally offended by the pause before loudly declaring,

“The one who governs Death!” She puffed her tiny chest forward with a proud, smug spark glittering in her purple wings.

Delphine’s lips curled into a soft smile, “Governs Death? So cute…” She raised her finger gently toward Grace, wanting to pat her. “Is this your new pet—OUCH!”

Delphine jerked her hand away with a sharp hiss of pain as Grace bit down on her finger with surprising force.

“Fucking bitch! I am not anyone’s pet!” Grace snapped, wings fluttering aggressively, her tiny face twisted in fury.

Delphine froze, utterly flabbergasted. Every story she heard painted fairies as gentle, pure, innocent creatures… but this one was spitting fire.

She slowly turned her head toward Aether. Aether forced a nervous smile before awkwardly explaining,

“The one who governs Death in the Void Empire. The God of Death… even Mary bows her head.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Silence settled.

Delphine’s breath faltered. Her eyes shook as she slowly swallowed, “W-What is this… god doing here? Was she the reason we got here? And… why was she with you of all people?”

Aether exhaled softly, “I will answer everything… I promise. For now, we need to leave this place first.”

Delphine blinked, trying to steady herself, then nodded. “How? I heard from Mother that it’s impossible to leave this place. She said nothing escapes this place once trapped.”

Aether raised his eyebrows, “Mother? You mean Clara is here too?”

Delphine frowned deeply, confusion spreading across her face, “Too? You mean… There is someone else trapped here with her?”

Aether’s gaze sharpened with thought. Both Mother and Arcane, imprisoned in the same cursed space…

Interesting and… Troubling.

“Yes,” he said quietly, “I just got help from Arcane. She was the one who gave me this… a way out of here.” He reached into his pocket and took out a crystal.

Delphine’s eyebrows rose as she saw the pure white energy swirling inside it, streaked with drifting black spots that moved like living liquid.

“Did Mother give you something?” Aether asked.

Delphine slowly shook her head, “No, she didn’t… but she told me something.” Her voice trembled as she looked at him. Her eyes glistened, as if remembering words heavy enough to break a heart.

Aether frowned, “What did she tell you?”

He knew it… that bitch must have twisted something again, slipping her fake-ass techniques into the mind of his beloved Delphine, poisoning the fragile peace he finally found with her presence.

Delphine shook her head softly, “I… I will tell you later. Please, let’s just leave this hell first.”

Aether nodded and gave her a small, heartfelt smile, “I am very happy to see you again… more than you know.”

Delphine’s smile warmed, faint yet full of relief, “I am too… truly.”

Aether took a slow breath, gathering courage, and said softly, “Before we leave this place, I need you to understand something… I know I made mistakes and…”

“N-No, Aether! Let’s not talk about it now.” Delphine quickly cut him off. Her heart squeezed painfully. She didn’t want to go back to that dark wound. Not here… Not when she finally felt him close again.

Aether shook his head gently, “Please listen… just once. I need you to hear my words. Please.” He reached forward and touched her cheek with a soft, pleading tenderness, his thumb brushing her skin as if afraid she might disappear.

Delphine leaned into his palm, her breath unsteady. His cold hand brought back memories, good and painful.

She nodded slowly.

“I know… I made a mistake,” Aether whispered, “and I am ready to accept your punishment. Whatever you give me, I will take it. But I want you to remember one truth… I love you. I always loved you.” His voice cracked.

“Sure, I am a liar, a manipulator, and a cheater. But loving you is not a lie. It never was.” He pressed a slow kiss to her forehead.

Delphine’s shoulders shook.

Aether continued, “I need you to know this.

Raven is looking after the Empire, protecting her family first, then the Empire.

Thalia is handling the border, the metallic figures, and all internal disputes, working with the Drakhairs to prevent another disaster.

Selene has been managing the economics, keeping everything steady so millions don’t starve.”

Delphine frowned slightly, “Why are you telling this to me—”

“I need you to remember who my other women are,” Aether said gently, “and what they are capable of.”

Delphine’s frown deepened. Something painful twisted inside her chest. Was he trying to show how great they were?

How useful they were?

How much they mattered compared to her?

Delphine wanted to shout, to demand why he always mentioned them, but she held the burning anger in her throat. Even now, even in this fragile moment, she didn’t want to ruin the closeness she finally felt again.

“Aria has been preparing for the marriage,” Aether continued. “She also has to focus on the borders, fight the metallic figures, and make sure she records the victims and their memories.

Liora has to take care of her son so the political world doesn’t crush him.

Helena has been testing barrier functions for normal people, trying to protect them. And

Aqualina… she’s been investigating those strange words in the sky.”

Aether exhaled deeply before asking quietly, “You remember what they were doing, right?”

Delphine blinked, confused, “That’s all the women?”

“No… but just tell me you know what they were doing, right?”

Delphine sighed, nodding with an annoyed expression, “Yes, I understand. I know what they were doing. And I understand I’m not as great as they are. There’s no need to compare me.” She lowered her gaze, hurt pressing against her chest.

Here she was, heart aching, worried sick about him… and he still spoke about the other women, even in this moment, even in this place where all she wanted was him.

What an ungrateful world.

Aether weakly smiled before nodding, “Good. They had to keep doing their best with the small hope in their heart, okay?” His other hand tightened around the cold chain as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead again, whispering,

“I… I love you.”

Delphine snorted softly… the words didn’t feel deep enough now.

Aether gently placed the crystal in her hand. Delphine blinked, confusion flickering across her face as she looked at him.

“In order to get out, you have to break the crystal and think about home… and in a matter of seconds, y-we will be there.”

Delphine raised her eyebrows, “Just like a teleportation scroll, I see…” She smiled softly as she studied the crystal with quiet curiosity.

Aether nodded, “Yeah.”

Grace stared blankly at the crystal, then glanced at Aether with an unreadable expression, her wings trembling faintly as if sensing something off.

Delphine nodded with a small smile, “Okay. If I crush it and think about home, we will be there, right?”

Aether nodded with the same smile.

If this were a normal situation, Delphine would have doubted something immediately.

Why give the crystal to her?

Why not do it himself?

If it teleported them, then it wouldn’t matter who broke it… right?

She would have asked the obvious, dangerous question if she were in her normal state, in normal surroundings.

But right now… all she wanted was to escape this hellish place.

No questions.

No overthinking.

Just leave.

Delphine held the crystal tightly and prepared to crush it when Aether suddenly stepped back… and that alone made her frown without needing any reasoning.

“Why are you stepping away? We’re supposed to teleport together!” She inched closer, but Aether lifted his chained hands calmly and said, “Due to the restriction on my hands, it won’t work if I get too close to it…” He showed the black, cursed chains wrapped around his wrists.

Delphine stared at the chains, then nodded slowly… it made sense, at least on the surface.

But her heart trembled as she frowned, “T-Then if you stay far, it might not teleport you.” Her voice weakened.

Just the thought of leaving him here alone made her chest tighten in pure horror.

Aether gave her a warm smile, “Haha… don’t worry. As soon as you activate it, I’ll jump into your arms, okay? There’s no way I’m staying in this shitty place, you know!”

Delphine exhaled sharply and nodded, though worry still curled around her chest.

Meanwhile, Grace’s expression slowly shifted into something serious, her gaze flicking back and forth between the two of them as if she knew something Delphine didn’t.

Aether stepped back even farther, the chain sliding through his fingers with a cold metal.

Delphine, one hand clenched around the crystal, the other holding the chain as she looked straight at Aether.

“You need to jump as fast as possible, Aether… don’t miss it, okay?”

Aether nodded… Delphine tightened her grip on the crystal, but just as she was about to break it, hesitation washed over her.

“Why don’t we just… do a trial first?” she whispered, her voice shaking slightly. “I mean… It’s better than regretting something later, right?”

Aether forced a weak smile and nodded, though something in his eyes flickered—guilt, pain, something hidden he didn’t want her to see.

“On my third count, you need to jump, okay?” Delphine said firmly, trying to steady herself. Aether nodded again, loosening his grip on the chain enough so he could leap without breaking contact.

“One… two… and… three!!”

Aether leapt toward Delphine, almost stumbling into her.

“Caught you!”

Delphine’s smile bloomed instantly, warm and pure, as she wrapped her arms around him without a second thought, holding him as if she feared he would vanish.

Aether chuckled softly, “Now you okay, madam?” His voice carried a sweetness he rarely showed.

Delphine nodded with a soft smile, “Yup… that’s all you need to do.”

Aether stared into her aqua eyes, losing himself in them for a moment. Delphine blinked, cheeks warming as the weight of his gaze made her heart skip.

“W-What?” she murmured.

Aether smiled gently, “Nothing… You’re beautiful. Even now.”

Delphine stared at him blankly. She felt like she looked horrible—hair messy, clothes dirty, face tired. She felt like an old grandma dragged through hell.

Yet her cheeks still turned red.

Aether leaned in and kissed her lips softly, lingering just long enough for her breath to shake. He whispered, “I truly love you, my Del,” before stepping back slowly, as if pulling away hurt him.

Delphine exhaled deeply and looked at him with a serious expression, “Ready… One…”

Aether closed his eyes, his fingers curling around the chain so tightly his knuckles whitened.

“Two.” She pressed her hand harder against the crystal, imagining home… imagining him beside her… imagining escaping this nightmare together.

“THRE—”

Crac—

Before she could finish the last number, something tiny and fast snatched the crystal out of her hand. Delphine stared, stunned, as she saw Grace clutching the crystal with her entire tiny body.

“What are you doing?” Delphine frowned.

Aether’s eyes flew open, “Grace, what are you—”

“He is lying,” Grace said coldly. “This crystal can take only one person out of this place.”

Aether’s lips twisted, veins bulging on his forehead as he spat, “You fucki—”

“You lied to me… AGAIN!!!!!”

Delphine’s scream tore through the air.

Her voice carried pain, betrayal, disbelief—all woven into a sound that ripped straight from her cracked heart.

Aether flinched as if someone had struck his soul.