Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 663 Secured the Bait!

A few moments before, in the Aerionis Zephyra Empire,

Aqualina made her way towards the academy, trailing behind Alaric, who was walking briskly ahead of her.

Finally breaking the silence, Alaric suddenly asked, ”I still canʼt wrap my head around it. Aether... the Arcane King? I didnʼt see that coming.”

Aqualina glanced at him, her expression mirroring his surprise. ”Honestly, me neither,” she replied simply... She never Aether was the real one... and she was Arcane Queen.

ʼIt seems heavens already made us couple if not for that old bastard!ʼ Aqualina thought with an amused expression.

Alaric gave her a sharp look, his brows furrowed. ”But... your mother, the Empress—she seemed like she knew something. Was that why Aether was assigned to you, even though heʼs part of the Kai household? It feels... intentional.”

Aqualina shrugged nonchalantly, though her mind momentarily flickered with doubt. ”Iʼm pretty sure my mother didnʼt know about his true identity either. Itʼs just that Aether stood out most... something about him felt unique. Thatʼs why I specifically asked Kai to let me have Aether.... And well, thatʼs all there is to it.”

Alaricʼs frown deepened as if her answer didnʼt quite satisfy him, ”Hmph. If you say so,” he muttered under his breath before turning his gaze forward.

Moments later, they arrived at the academy gates.

Aqualina immediately reached out to Aether through their telepathic link:

/Iʼve reached the Academy, Aether,/

/Good. Let me know once youʼve seen the Principal, alright?/

/ Haha... come on now, when did you turn into such a worrywart, Aether?/

Aqualina teased, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. She couldnʼt help but find his overprotectiveness amusing. ʼFu~Fu~ I swear, heʼs so fun to mess with,ʼ she thought, an amused glint in her eyes.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Aqualina felt cherished.... Truly cherished!!

Her cheeks warmed as she thought, ʼHeʼs so adorable... I want to keep teasing him forever.ʼ

Alaric interrupted her thoughts, gesturing to a bench near the Principalʼs office. ”Wait here. Iʼll let you know when you can go in,” he instructed, his tone curt but respectful.

Aqualina nodded, sitting down and absently twirling a lock of her hair around her finger. Her amusement deepened as she heard Aetherʼs next words through the link:

/I guess Iʼve just gotten used to having my Aqua around. Itʼs lonely without you, you know~/

Her laughter bubbled out before she could stop it. ”Hahaha...” she chuckled, earning a raised brow from a passing student. But Aqualina didnʼt care. She could practically see Aetherʼs face in her mind—a lonely, abandoned puppy pouting for attention. ʼOh, I need to pamper him more when I get back,ʼ she thought with a playful smirk.

At that moment, Alaric reappeared, pushing the office door open. ”The Principalʼs ready to see you. Go on in,” he said before walking off to give her privacy.

/Aether, Iʼve reached the Principal. Iʼm going to speak with her now,/ she informed him telepathically as she stood and entered the office.

/Good. Be careful, Aqua, and donʼt take too long. Come back to me soon, okay?/

/Oh, my sweet Aether… you really do miss me, donʼt you? Donʼt worry. Once Iʼm back, Iʼm going to make you all mine... every last bit of you~ Hehe.../

A possessive glint flashed in Aqualinaʼs eyes as she thought about him. She was determined. Once she had him, no one—not even her mother—would be able to take him away. Though sheʼd have to deal with those two irritating bitches, Arai and Helena, she felt confident in her ability to handle them.

/Haha... Youʼre already—/

Suddenly, the connection faltered, and Aqualina frowned slightly. ʼMustʼve gotten busy,ʼ she thought before shaking it off.

The Principalʼs office was imposing, with its grand desk and shelves brimming with books. Behind the desk sat the Principal herself, her face barely concealing annoyance.

Aqualina swallowed nervously, her guilt creeping up as she stepped forward. Without a word, the Principal motioned for her to sit. Aqualina complied quickly, folding her hands in her lap like a scolded child.

The Principal didnʼt speak immediately. Instead, she pushed a stack of papers across the desk toward Aqualina.

Heart pounding, Aqualina picked up the papers and froze.

Blank... Completely blank!!

They were her exam answer sheets—devoid of a single word.

Yep, she hadnʼt written anything during the test.

How could she?

With the flood of memories from her past life overwhelming her, she had barely been able to breathe, let alone focus on academics.

She wanted to leave the academy so she gave the empty papers!

Who, in their right mind, would calmly sit and write an exam in that state?

Absolutely no one!

And now... it had come back to haunt her.

The Principal let out a long, weary sigh, her brows knitting together. ”Miss Aqualina, I never expected this from you of all people. Are you even taking your life seriously? Being one of the Chosen Ones doesnʼt excuse you from your responsibilities. Learning and knowledge are fundamental, no matter who you are.”

Aqualina scratched the back of her head awkwardly, unable to meet the Principalʼs gaze. She didnʼt have an excuse, and she knew it.

The Principal sighed again, this time with even more exasperation, ”Among all the students, yours was the only completely blank exam paper. Do you realize how difficult itʼs going to be for me to explain this to your mother? Sheʼs going to be deeply disappointed!”

Aqualina bit her lip, an awkward expression crossing her face. ”I… I didnʼt mean to. Itʼs just that…”

The Principal raised a brow, her voice sharp, ”Just what?”

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Aqualina admitted, ”I had… a few personal problems. Thatʼs why.”

The Principalʼs gaze turned cold, her blank stare making Aqualinaʼs excuse feel utterly inadequate. ”Thatʼs not how a future Empress is supposed to handle things, Aqualina. Even if the world is falling apart around you, you must fulfil the roles and duties assigned to you. No excuses.”

Aqualinaʼs face flushed deeper with embarrassment. ʼArrrgh… I shouldnʼt have left the papers blank!ʼ she screamed inwardly, biting back a groan of frustration. But there was no point in regretting it now; the damage was done.

Just as she was about to respond, her eyes caught something unusual—a thin, black line flickering into existence behind the Principal.

”What is that…?” Aqualina frowned, her gaze narrowing as she focused on the strange phenomenon.

The Principal frowned as well, glancing to her right, but saw nothing. ”What are you talking about?”

Aqualinaʼs eyes widened as the thin black line suddenly zipped to the Principalʼs left side. ”It moved! There! By your left side!” she exclaimed, pointing with urgency.

The Principal turned her head sharply to the left, her own frown deepening.... Still, there was nothing.

”Itʼs moving—”

”Enough!” the Principal snapped, her palm slamming down on the desk. The sound echoed in the room, making Aqualina flinch.

The Principal said with a stern voice, ”You are not leaving this academy until youʼve properly completed your exam, young lady. Is that understood?”

”O-Okay,” Aqualina mumbled, though her tone betrayed her annoyance. Her gaze, however, was still locked on the flickering black line. ʼHmm… It looks almost like… a tail?ʼ she wondered, tilting her head slightly as she tried to get a better look.

The Principal, oblivious to Aqualinaʼs musings, motioned to the side. ”For the time being, youʼll stay in that room over there and finish the exam”

Aqualina turned to follow the Principalʼs gesture, her brows furrowing in confusion when she noticed... a door?

She frowned.... She had been to the office countless times—mostly to clean up the messes Aether left behind whenever he pulled some ridiculous stunt that somehow landed her in the Principalʼs crosshairs. And yet, not once in all those visits had she ever seen a door inside this office before.

”Wait… a door? Iʼve been here plenty of times, and Iʼve never seen that door before,” she said with a frown.

The Principalʼs frown deepened. ”Oh? Are you the Principal now, Miss Know-It-All?”

Aqualina coughed awkwardly, feeling the heat of embarrassment creep up her neck. The Principal snorted in disdain and rose from her seat, walking briskly toward the door.

Aqualinaʼs gaze drifted downward, landing on the Principalʼs butt..... There was nothing unusual—at least at first. ʼMaybe I imagined it?ʼ she thought, though doubt lingered in her mind. But just as the thought formed, something flickered again, like the swish of a thin, dark tail.

Suddenly—

/Aqua?/

/…./

/Aqualina!!/

Aetherʼs urgent voice jolted her out of her thoughts. She blinked rapidly, rubbing her eyes as her gaze darted toward the Principalʼs back. There was… nothing there. Whatever she thought she had seen before was gone.

/AQUALINA! ARE YOU THERE?!/ Aetherʼs telepathic scream echoed in her mind, snapping her fully back to reality. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts, and replied, /Iʼm here. Whatʼs up? Already missing me?/

/Sigh… Well, yes, I am,/ Aether admitted, his tone softening. /But are you alright? Is something wrong over there?/

Aqualinaʼs shoulders tensed..... There was no way she could tell him about her blank exam papers or that she was being forced to retake the entire test. Though she loved Aether and wasnʼt afraid to show vulnerability... this particular humiliation was too much to bear!!

/Nothing, Aether… Itʼs just…/ Her gaze flicked to the mountain of question papers on the Principalʼs desk, and she gulped. /I think itʼll take some time before I can come back—or even contact you, for that matter./

Her tone must have given her frustration away because Aether chuckled lightly. /Why? What happened?/

Aqualina flinched..... She couldnʼt let him find out the truth. The idea of him knowing about her failure made her stomach churn. Forcing a chuckle, she replied awkwardly, /Iʼm, uh… helping the Principal with something important./

/Oh? I see.../ he said, though his voice held a hint of curiosity.

”Come on!” the Principal barked, snapping Aqualinaʼs attention back to the room.

/Okay, Aether. Iʼll contact you… once I escape from this hellhole!/ she said dramatically, bracing herself as she grabbed the intimidating stack of question papers and trudged toward the door.

”Go on,” the Principal urged, motioning with her hand.

Aqualina sighed, her steps heavy with reluctance as she entered the adjoining room. The moment she stepped inside, the world around her seemed to shift.... everything was dark!

”Whatʼs going—”

Thud!

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The sound of the door slamming....

The solid door shimmered and warped, transforming into seamless wallpaper that melded into the wall.... The edges sizzled faintly, burning away as if the door had never existed.

A slow, wicked grin spread across the Principalʼs face. Her body flickered like a faulty projection, and then it began to shift.

From her back, a thin, dark tail slithered into view, its heart-shaped tip curling and swaying with eerie precision. The transformation continued, her features distorting as her true identity emerged—

”Tell Master... Iʼve secured the bait… Now, itʼs time to lure the whale~”