Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1645: Welcome home, my dear son

”Sniff... sniff... My... my baby bullied me... sniff...”

A blurry figure lay sprawled across the enormous white bed, her hair scattered over the pillow like tangled silk. Soft sniffing sounds echoed through the quiet chamber while her face remained buried deep inside the fluffy cushion, shoulders trembling dramatically as though the entire world had wronged her.

Pillows had been tossed everywhere, blankets twisted into chaos, and several empty wine bottles rested near the bed like silent witnesses to her misery.

Yup, it was her.

Mary had been crying for an entire week after losing one trillion because her beloved ’son’ had mercilessly bullied his own pitiful mother without even showing remorse afterwards.

She couldn’t even tell her beloved sister about this. If her sister learned what Mary had done, she would probably beat the living shit out of her without hesitation. The only thing left for Mary was to suffer alone in silence like a tragic abandoned heroine from some cheap romance drama.

She couldn’t even run into her daughter’s arms and complain that her ’brother’ had tricked them both.

The humiliation alone nearly crushed her soul.

”N-Not only that...” her voice cracked pitifully beneath the pillow. ”He didn’t even come to see me after that day... H-How cruel can he be...? Woooo.....”

Her body shook harder as she let out a long, wounded howl. The moment she remembered how her ’son’ walked away without even sparing her a single glance afterwards, her heart felt stabbed all over again.

Even after she paid that absurd amount, he still dared to leave her behind.

Abandoned her!!

What kind of ungrateful ’son’ treated his beautiful, loving mother like this?!!

”T-That’s it!” Mary suddenly sat upright on the bed, wiping her teary eyes and red nose with her sleeve while glaring at the empty air.

”I-I’m cutting ties with that ungrateful bastard!”

She pointed dramatically toward the ceiling as if the heavens themselves needed to hear her declaration.

”From now on, he’s a complete stranger! Hmph! Let him suffer later when he realises how much his mother loved him! Hmph! HMPH!!”

After shouting those words, she crossed her arms proudly, though tears still clung stubbornly to the corners of her eyes. Her cheeks puffed in anger while her legs kicked against the mattress like a sulking child throwing a tantrum.

Just as Mary continued moping dramatically over whether she should truly disown her beloved ’son’ forever, her entire expression froze.

A sudden spark flashed across her crimson eyes.

”H-He came back...”

The sadness vanished instantly.

Her lips curled upward with terrifying speed as excitement exploded across her face.

”HE CAME BACK FOR HIS LOVELY, LONELY MOTHER!! HAHAHAHA!!!”

Her laughter echoed wildly through the chamber. In the next instant, space distorted around her body before she vanished from the bed entirely.

Far away inside another room, Mary suddenly appeared beside Morgana and Lia with enough force to startle the air itself.

The two were currently focused on a board game similar to chess. Small glowing pieces floated above the black-and-white board while faint magical circles rotated beneath each move.

Lia leaned forward seriously while Morgana stared at the board with visible frustration.

”Morgana,” Mary spoke gently, smoothing her hair as though she hadn’t been crying seconds ago,

”Take Lia to the Transporting Facility and teach her how things work there. It’s finally time for my beloved daughter to learn how the outside world truly functions~”

Her voice sounded unusually soft.

Warm even.

Lia immediately stiffened in shock. Her crimson eyes widened while the chess piece between her fingers slipped slightly.

”R-Really, Mom?”

Mary rarely allowed her to involve herself in politics or imperial affairs. She always claimed the outside world was filthy, manipulative, and cruel. Lia had spent years protected inside the Empire like a precious flower hidden behind glass walls.

So hearing those words now felt almost unreal.

Although confusion briefly crossed Lia’s face, excitement quickly overwhelmed it.

This was the first time her mother willingly opened the door for her to learn about ruling the Empire properly. Her heart began racing with anticipation, curiosity sparkling brightly inside her eyes.

Meanwhile, Morgana remained staring silently at the board.

’How am I still losing?’

Her brows twitched faintly as she examined the glowing pieces again and again. No matter what strategy she used, this little girl somehow crushed her every single time.

Just like her idiotic mother.

How come both were so great at this? Even though one was a real idiot?

Morgana released a tired sigh before finally lifting her gaze toward Mary.

For the past few days, something about Mary had felt... strange.

The madness that usually lingered inside her eyes had calmed considerably. Her chaotic behaviour had suddenly lessened.

Instead of obsessively clinging to Lia every waking moment, Mary had started acting more composed.

More stable?

More like the woman she used to be long ago.

And somehow... that change felt far more unsettling than her insanity ever did.

Morgana almost thought her sister had finally matured.

For a brief moment, she genuinely believed Mary had changed.

But then... this woman went and lost one fucking trillion Zenith.

How much?

ONE. TRILLION.

Just remembering that absurd amount made Morgana’s temples throb painfully. The urge to punch Mary directly in the face returned instantly, especially whenever she remembered that smug expression Mary wore afterwards, as if she had done absolutely nothing wrong.

This woman was still completely insane.

Morgana exhaled slowly before shaking those violent thoughts away. Then she narrowed her eyes toward Mary.

”Why now?” she asked cautiously. ”Why all of a sudden?”

The question lingered heavily in the air.

Morgana’s instincts quietly screamed that something was wrong again. Whenever Mary started acting reasonable, disaster usually followed shortly after.

Mary, of course, simply smiled innocently.

”I just thought letting her learn more about our capabilities might help us in the future~” she replied smoothly.

”Maybe Lia could even give us new ideas, right?”

She gave Lia an encouraging thumbs-up with the bright smile of a supportive mother.

Morgana’s frown deepened further.

’This bitch... she’s definitely lying.’

Years of dealing with Mary had sharpened Morgana’s instincts to near perfection. Whenever that woman smiled too sweetly, it usually meant someone nearby was about to suffer terribly.

Meanwhile, Lia’s eyes sparkled brightly with excitement.

”I-I actually have a few ideas already, Mom!” she said eagerly while nearly rising from her seat.

”I’ll definitely help you!!”

Before anyone could respond, Lia immediately grabbed Morgana’s arm with both hands and began dragging her toward the exit.

Her excitement practically overflowed into the room.

”W-Wait a minute... I haven’t even fini—”

Before Morgana could finish speaking, Lia pulled her completely out of the mansion.

The massive doors shut behind them with a deep echo.

Silence returned.

Watching them leave, Mary’s blurry figure slowly curled into a sly grin. Shadows seemed to twist faintly around her smiling face while dangerous excitement flickered inside her crimson eyes.

”Now nobody is going to disturb my reunion with my beloved son anymore...”

”Kekekekeke~”

****

Meanwhile, far away at the teleportation station of the Void Empire, Aether had just stepped inside its territory.

!!!

A sudden chill shot through his entire body. The hairs behind his neck instantly stood upright.

”Again?” he muttered while glancing around suspiciously. ”Is this place naturally cold or something?”

The moment he entered the Empire, an uncomfortable sensation had crawled across his spine like invisible fingers dragging slowly over his skin.

It felt wrong and... Dangerous~

And now another wave hit him.

This one felt even worse.

It was as though he had unknowingly stepped toward an endless dark cave where something terrifying waited deep inside, patiently staring back at him from the abyss.

’Whatever.’

Aether shook his head firmly, forcing himself to ignore the strange feeling.

Soon afterwards, he increased his pace and headed directly toward Mary’s mansion.

The Mansion soon appeared before him beneath the grey sky, standing silently like a sleeping beast.

But the moment Aether stopped before its gates, his expression tightened slightly.

For some reason... his instincts were warning him not to enter.

’Am I... actually scared of Mary?’

The thought itself sounded ridiculous.

Even during the times Mary genuinely tried to kill him, he had never felt this level of danger before.

But now... something felt horribly off.

It was as though the mansion itself whispered a warning into his soul.

Step inside... and you’ll lose something precious.

Aether narrowed his eyes carefully.

There were no guards around.

No servants.

No movement at all.

The massive mansion looked eerily deserted, its quietness unnaturally heavy as cold wind drifted through the empty courtyard.

”Hmm...”

Aether hesitated slightly before slowly stepping closer to the massive gates of the mansion. His fingers were just about to touch the cold metal when the enormous doors suddenly parted open by themselves, creaking softly as though they had been patiently waiting for his arrival for a very long time.

”...”

At that exact moment, Aether genuinely wanted to turn around and leave this place immediately.

”What the fuck am I even scared of?” he muttered under his breath while forcing himself to walk forward.

”Even if she stood there holding a bloody weapon, I’d still win.”

He repeated those words internally like a desperate attempt to stabilise himself. His expression quickly returned to its usual cold and prideful calm as he stepped into the mansion.

The moment he entered, silence greeted him.

No servants.

No guards.

The luxurious hallways stretched endlessly beneath dim crystal lights while the sound of his own footsteps echoed unnaturally loudly against the marble floor. The mansion, despite its beauty, felt disturbingly empty.

Aether immediately headed toward the throne room, intending to meet Mary directly. But the moment he arrived there, his brows furrowed.

No one was there.

Aether narrowed his eyes before turning around, searching for even a single maid or servant nearby.

Yet no matter where he looked, there wasn’t a single soul inside the mansion.

”What?” he muttered quietly. ”Did everyone move out or something?”

His gaze swept across the silent halls again. The deeper he walked, the heavier the atmosphere became.

It felt less like a mansion and more like a carefully prepared trap waiting for him to step deeper inside willingly.

Then, almost unconsciously, his legs began moving toward one particular room.

Lia’s room.

The closer he got, the slower his footsteps became.

Aether stopped before the familiar door and hesitated briefly before finally knocking.

Knock... Knock.

Silence answered him.

For a moment, Aether almost turned around to leave.

Then suddenly, a soft voice drifted through the room.

”Come in~”

!!

Aether visibly flinched.

Not because someone was inside.

But because of that tone.

That slow, syrupy, seductive voice instantly made his throat dry while a strange heat rushed through his body. His ice blue eyes flickered to crimson eyes, narrowed sharply as his heartbeat skipped violently against his chest.

He swallowed hard.

”I-Is that you, Lia?” he asked cautiously.

Yet even while asking, his fingers had already turned the knob.

The door slowly opened.

The moment he stepped inside, an intense sweet fragrance immediately struck him. The scent filled the entire room heavily, clouding his senses for a brief second and nearly dragging his thoughts into dangerous territory before he forcefully suppressed whatever instincts were trying to run wild inside him.

The room itself looked soft and luxurious, decorated with pink curtains, glowing crystals, and elegant furniture. Candlelight flickered gently across the walls, creating an almost dreamlike atmosphere.

Then he saw her.

A golden-haired woman sat calmly at the edge of the bed with one leg crossed over the other. She wore a short skirt, a tight top that outlined her figure perfectly, and long black stockings that reached high along her thighs. Her crimson eyes curved slightly with amusement while a sly smile slowly spread across her lips.

She looked directly at him.

”Welcome home, my dear son~”

”...”

Aether immediately stepped backwards.

Then another step.

Without saying a word, he quietly closed the door exactly the way he entered.

Thud!