Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey-Chapter 1009: Did you think I found you... repulsive?

Once Aether and Xara appeared back at the Frostblade Mansion—specifically inside his room—Xara immediately stepped away from Aether. Her body tensed as she lowered her head quickly, avoiding his gaze as a burning flush spread across her cheeks.

"I... I... just... hmm... arrh," she groaned in frustration, her voice trembling as her blush deepened and her ears turned visibly red from embarrassment.

Aether smiled warmly, watching her little flustered state. His voice dipped into a teasing whisper as he leaned in close to her ear, "Are you shy now? How adorable~ I didn't expect you to get all bashful so suddenly... when you proposed your deep love for me~"

Xara flinched at the closeness of his breath, her body reacting instinctively as she took a sharp step back. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly calmed her flustered expression. Her blush slowly faded as she composed herself. Finally, she lifted her head, meeting Aether's gaze with determination in her eyes, though a tiny trace of warmth still lingered on her cheeks.

"I need to bag everything… and I think you should too," she said seriously, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Come with me. I have a friend… someone trustworthy. They'll take care of us for now. Over there, we can buy a new hous--"

Ssshh!

Aether hushed her gently, raising his finger and placing it softly against her lips. His expression turned playful, but also faintly proud, as he leaned in with a sly smile. "Excuse me, miss... do you have any idea who you're talking to right now?"

Xara blinked, then frowned slightly, confused. Her head tilted innocently, her eyes narrowed. "My... lover?" she whispered, a soft blush blooming again across her face, though she tried to hide it with a pout.

Aether nearly lost his composure seeing that innocent, lovely expression of hers—so soft, so honest. It tugged at his heartstrings. He bit down the chuckle bubbling up and said with fake seriousness, "Yeah, that's right. But... did you forget something rather important? Like, perhaps... the fact that I own an entire empire?" freeωebnovēl.c૦m

Xara's eyes widened for a brief second. "Oh... yeah, I forgot that," she murmured, a hand moving to her chin as if trying to piece together how she'd missed something so big. Her thoughtful pout was quickly replaced by a frown. "But are you really sure? I mean, the Pyra Empire hasn't exactly been welcoming to other races before. They weren't known for their kindness..."

Aether's smirk returned, calm and confident. "That was before. Things have changed now. Because now... I'm the Emperor. They don't get to go against my words anymore," he said, his voice steady with power. He reached for her hand gently, wrapping his fingers around hers. "So, Ms. Xara Seraphine... would you do me the honour of coming with me? To our empire?"

Xara tilted her head, eyes softening as her thoughts tangled in a flurry. She stared into his eyes for a few silent moments, then gave a small, slow nod. "Okay..." she whispered with a faint smile, and without waiting further, she turned and walked away to begin packing.

Aether stood there for a moment, quietly watching her walk out. H

[Did you forget about Raven and Thalia?]

Aether didn't respond to his log. He knew exactly what he was doing. There was no guilt, no hesitation. His heart had made its choices.

Without delay, he disappeared from the room and reappeared elsewhere—this time, inside Selene's room.

Selene was kneeling by her bed, carefully folding clothes, her fingers moving quickly yet thoughtfully... She was packing.

Aether blinked, surprised for a second. From the looks of it, she had already packed most of her belongings.

'Looks like she decided to leave this place too,' he thought, watching her from behind.

Selene glanced over her shoulder at him, acknowledging his presence with her eyes—but not with words. She said nothing and continued to pack, neatly placing garments into the bag with quiet, mechanical movements.

Without saying a word, Aether stepped closer. Then, without warning, he wrapped his strong, warm arms gently around her waist from behind, resting his hands just above her hips.

Selene sighed softly at the familiar touch. She didn't resist. Instead, she leaned back into him with a slow breath and closed her eyes. Aether held her tighter, not with lust but with longing and emotion, just silently grounding her in the safety of his presence.

They stayed like that for a long moment, the silence between them filled with meaning, until Selene finally spoke—her voice small, cracked with uncertainty.

"D-Do you still... like this f-failed prod--"

Ssshh.

Aether gently placed his finger on her lips once more and turned her to face him. His expression had changed... His eyes searched hers, full of unspoken feelings, a storm of love and pain and devotion.

"You know how I feel about you," he said quietly but firmly. "And you know I don't care about any of that... All I need is my Selene. My lovely Selene. She's not failed. She's not broken. She's not any of the things you convince yourself of when you're alone. You are everything I need. Everything I love. Please... remember that."

Selene stared at him, her blue eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Of course, she could feel him.

Of course she knew.

He didn't judge her.

He never had.

But sometimes... sometimes a woman just needed to hear it, directly, raw from the man she loved.

She needed to feel that reassurance, to hold it in her heart.

Just a womanly thing!

Aether reached up and gently tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. His hand lingered there, caressing her cheek for a moment as he softly murmured, "About your mother—"

"I need to speak with her... I know that," Selene replied in a low voice, laced with regret and uncertainty. Her lips quivered as she bit them again, holding back a deeper pain. "You know... about my mother's secret, right?"

Aether nodded, his expression becoming solemn.

"When?" she asked softly.

"Just yesterday," he answered, watching her carefully.

Selene's brows furrowed as she stared directly into his eyes. "When did you plan on telling me?" she asked, her voice quiet but sharp.

Aether let out a slow breath, giving a weak smile. "Come on now... this is a sensitive thing. I couldn't just spout it out of nowhere. I didn't want to hurt you, Selene. I was waiting for the right moment... but today just happened everything... what can I say..." he sighed.

Selene softly smiled upon seeing Aether's slightly panicked expression. "I'm just joking, you know~" she teased with a playful wink, her tone light and tender.

"You little~" Aether growled playfully as he suddenly scooped her up by the hips and pushed her onto the bed, hovering above her. His fingers found her sides, and he began to tickle her without mercy.

"Hahah~ come on~ hahaha~ stop it~ hahaha~" Selene burst into laughter, squirming beneath him. Her voice turned breathless with laughter, and her eyes shimmered, turning almost teary from the relentless tickling.

"Hahah~annoo~hahah~"

But then... Aether stopped.

His eyes caught the shift in her expression. The laughter faded, but the tears didn't stop. They continued to fall... not from tickling anymore. They were quiet, aching tears from somewhere deeper.

Aether's heart ached. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. Selene didn't resist. She softly sobbed into his shirt, her small hands clutching his back, as if afraid he'd disappear.

Aether didn't say anything. He just held her. Letting her cry, letting her shake, letting her pour out whatever she was holding in.

He knew she needed this... She had been holding in too much.

After all, she was her daughter... and what daughter wouldn't be shattered to hear their own mother calling them a failed product?

He hummed gently, his chin resting against the top of her head, his eyes staring up at the ceiling in silence. His arms around her didn't loosen, not even for a second.

Eventually, Selene wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. Her breathing steadied, and she gave him a soft smile, one filled with relief. "I feel... relaxed now," she murmured.

Aether nodded gently, brushing a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "So..."

Selene gave a quiet nod in return. She stood up slowly, her legs steady now with newfound strength, determination returning to her steps. She was ready to speak to her mother.

But just as she was about to walk away, her feet paused mid-step. She turned her head and looked back at Aether. He tilted his head slightly at her sudden action.

"Come with me," Selene said softly.

Aether frowned for a brief second, uncertain. "Are you sure?"

Selene nodded. No hesitation.

Aether shrugged with a soft exhale and followed her steps.

As they walked through the hallway together, they noticed the Kai group was still nowhere to be seen. It seemed they were taking their sweet time getting back.

Not that either of them cared.

Soon, they arrived in front of Xara's room.

Without hesitation, Selene pushed the door open and stepped inside—without knocking.

Thud!

"Huh?" Selene and Aether blinked in sync, surprised by what greeted them.

Xara stood in front of the mirror, wearing the very same dress she had worn during her date with Aether, that gorgeous one. She was adjusting it slightly, brushing imaginary wrinkles from the fabric, and checking herself in the reflection.

She froze when she saw them enter.

But only for a brief second.

Then, like a composed lady, she slowly turned toward them with a calm expression and said, "It's wrong to enter without knocking," while combing her hair with her fingers. Yet... if one looked closely, if one paid attention, they could catch the faint blush blooming quietly on her cheeks.

Aether raised a brow, a sly smirk tugging at his lips. She was really something else.

This woman was built different.

One moment she could be sad, brooding, overwhelmed by guilt or despair... and the next, she could pull herself together, put on her 'favourite' dress, and stand proud like nothing happened.

That balance between chaos and control—it was oddly beautiful to him.

Selene, on the other hand, kept her eyes fixed on her mother.

Her expression was unreadable.

Xara glanced at her daughter briefly, but then her gaze dropped. Her lips pressed together tightly as the confident composure began to crack. Her eyes lowered to the floor.

Selene's eyes swept around the room and noticed that her mother, too, was packing. There weren't many things—just a few belongings, a small number of clothes. A travel light, quiet kind of goodbye.

"So... you decided to leave the house without even talking to me?" Selene asked, her voice low but clear. It wasn't angry. Just... tired. Disappointed.

Xara's face twisted with pain as her shoulders slumped. "I... sigh... What is there to talk about?" she murmured. "It's better if you don't have a mother like me, Sel... I'm utterly repulsive. A mother... who just experimented on her own children. I... I..." Her voice broke as she shook her head slowly, unable to finish that thought.

Selene stared at her mother for a long moment. Then she finally spoke—softly, but firmly. "Did you think I found you... repulsive?"

At that, both Aether and Xara raised their eyebrows in surprise.

Was it not?