Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 981: ...I am Slave to Gods? WHF!!!

”So... let me get this straight,” Xara leaned forward, her eyes narrowing slightly as she tried to piece together everything he had told her so far.

”First, when you were just a child, someone kidnapped you and raised you as if you were their own flesh and blood, pretending to be your real family.

Then, some old man shows up and steals your powers, which ends up breaking your soul completely.

And for some unknown reason, something—something immensely powerful—took an interest in you and snatched a part of your soul away to... another world, probably something far beyond our understanding.

Then, to make it worse, your real parents treated you like absolute shit. Your mother didnʼt like you, your father abandoned you without a second thought, and your stepfather was such a messed-up bastard he treated you like garbage—like you were nothing but a burden.

After that, the only girl you loved left you—right when you needed her the most. She just walked away.”

Xara took a deep breath, clearly trying to stay composed before continuing.

”Then you actually died in that place, wherever it was, and somehow you returned here, back to this world—but with all those memories and a bunch of weird powers that let you grow stronger, faster than anyone else around you.

And after all that, you still worked your ass off to become so powerful that now... now you can go toe-to-toe with a freaking Sovereign. And on top of that, youʼre currently ruling an entire empire like itʼs nothing—itʼs right there, sitting under your fingertips like a pet.”

She finally stopped, her mouth slightly open as she blinked slowly.

”Am I... getting all of this right?”

Aether nodded quietly. There was a subtle tension in his expression, a sharpness in his gaze, as though he was waiting—half-anxiously, half-curiously—for her reaction.

”Okay.” Xara... just nodded her head?

Aether blinked in surprise. ”Thatʼs it? You believe me? Just like that?” Her reaction wasnʼt even close to what he had expected.

ʼAt least show some surprise!ʼ he screamed internally.

Xara simply hummed, tilting her head as she kept her eyes on him. Then, without warning, she stood up from the old, creaky chair that nearly gave out under her weight and walked toward him. Her movements were soft, silent—then she suddenly hugged him.

Aether froze, blinking as Xara gently patted his back and murmured softly near his ear, ”Good boy... You held on for so long, even at such a young age. Iʼm so proud of you... really.”

His eyes widened. For a brief second, both of his eyes turned pitch black—just for a heartbeat—then returned to normal. He didnʼt understand why... but something about her words, her touch, her warmth—it made him feel... happy.

Strangely, deeply happy.

Like he had missed this kind of warmth. Like a hole inside him was suddenly being filled.

Aether wasnʼt sure why he felt that way, but he smiled gently, letting the warmth settle inside his chest before mumbling,

”Just to be clear... Iʼm a man, you know.” He raised an eyebrow slightly, half teasing.

Xara, still hugging him, blinked at his words, then gave a small, soft smile. She didnʼt reply—just held him a little longer. They stood like that for almost a full minute, breathing in silence, before—

”Wait a second!” she exclaimed, suddenly stepping back and staring at him as if something just clicked in her mind.

”What?” Aether looked puzzled, raising his brows.

Xaraʼs eyes sparkled with a teasing edge as she smiled, ”So... now I get it. Now I finally understand why you love me... as a woman.”

She nodded to herself, as if everything made sense now.

She knew exactly how she had treated Aether all this time—how she fed him, cared for him, disciplined him. She had done everything a mother would do, and when he first told her he loved her, even proposed to her, she thought he was just a stubborn little boy clinging to his first affection.

But now, hearing everything—the pain, the loss, the loneliness—she understood. He didnʼt love her like a child loves a mother.

He loved her... as a woman.

Xara looked down at herself, her eyes roaming over her body like she was trying to find something appealing. ʼIʼm not seeing anything great though,ʼ she muttered in her head, clearly not impressed by her own reflection.

Aether watched her closely, saw the flicker of confusion and doubt in her expression, and smiled warmly.

”Thereʼs no need to overthink it,” he said calmly, ”It just happened. Yes... I do love you. Not as a mother figure... but as a woman. Fully. Truly.”

Xara hummed again, softer this time, before slowly standing up and taking a step back from him.

”So thatʼs it? Thatʼs all of your deep, dark secrets?” she asked.

Aetherʼs face turned slightly thoughtful. He wasnʼt sure if he should tell her everything yet... especially the part about the seduction. There were some things he knew he could keep for now—things that werenʼt immediately necessary to reveal.

But still... she deserved something.

”Well,” he began slowly, his voice quiet but steady, ”Iʼm actually still hiding a few things from you. One of them is... thereʼs a way to undo this Eternal Slave Contract. And Iʼve already made it halfway through.”

Xara raised her eyebrows, ʼEven the Eternal Slave Contract?ʼ She was mildly surprised by this part. Then, turning toward him with a teasing smirk, she asked, ”Donʼt tell me... youʼre the one who made Kai run away?” Her voice dripped with amusement as she connected the dots in her head.

Aether coughed awkwardly, trying to appear innocent. ”Well... itʼs not like I meant to do it on purpose. At the time, you were dead set on not accepting my love, so I couldnʼt afford any slip-ups...”

Xara narrowed her eyes, squinting at him like she was running a full-body scan. Aether just gave her a sweet, innocent smile—as if that would save him.

Xara let out a long sigh and shook her head. ”Itʼs not an Eternal Slave Contract...”

”Hmm?” Aether tilted his head in mild confusion.

Xara took a deep breath, her expression turning a little more serious. ”You know... when I left the house, I wasnʼt just lying around doing nothing. Even though you decided not to be my son anymore,” she said, dragging those last words deliberately, each syllable heavy with pain.

Aetherʼs lips twitched. ʼSheʼs still hanging on to that?ʼ he thought, mentally groaning.

Xara continued, her tone oddly proud, ”I searched for a way to free you from the contract. Like any good mother would, of course.” Again, she emphasised the last few words with a slow, dramatic flair.

Aetherʼs lips twitched violently this time, ʼSheʼs gonna pay for this…ʼ he thought darkly, ʼIʼm definitely making her beg when the tables turnʼ

Xara, clearly satisfied by his twitchy reaction, kept going. ”I kind of... with the help of a friend... found something related to the contract.”

”Which is?” Aether asked, genuinely curious now.

Xaraʼs teasing smile faded as her face turned serious. ”Itʼs not an Eternal Slave Contract at all, Aether.”

”...What?” Aether blinked, caught off guard.

Xara nodded solemnly. ”Itʼs... a Contract between the Gods.”

”...Come again?” Aether asked, his expression going from confused to mildly alarmed.

Xara gave a soft chuckle, amused by how shaken he looked. ”That was exactly how I reacted when I first read it”

She took another breath before explaining further. ”Well, itʼs not exactly between the gods. More like... one end of the contract has to be a god. If not, it just wouldnʼt work—it would collapse instantly.”

”Wait—wait!” Aether waved his hand, trying to process her words. ”What do you mean by gods? That doesnʼt make sense—”

But then his words faded, trailing off as a memory surged within him. Aether remembered something strange—something that had happened during the contractʼs formation. He recalled a white and black feminine figure... holding the chains. And Kai... Kai was holding something, but it looked fake.

”...Looks like youʼve figured it out,” Xara said, a small smile curving on her lips.

Aether blinked again, his mouth slightly open. ”So... Iʼm a slave to the gods?” he muttered, his face twisting with a hint of disgust.

”Haha...” Xara chuckled, clearly enjoying the look on his face. ʼHeʼs so cute when heʼs caught off guard. I just wanna pinch his—wait!ʼ Her thoughts screeched to a halt as she realised something off about herself too.

She coughed lightly, a faint blush colouring her cheeks, before quickly correcting herself, ”No, no. I donʼt think so. Youʼre not a slave at all, Aether.”