Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1073: But when it came to Kara…

After delivering the package, Victor returned back to the Zephyra Empire, where the thruster station was being built, and his sharp gaze instantly locked onto Maelona.

The moment she felt his intense stare burning through her back, she froze. A soft blush rose to her cheeks, colouring them a gentle pink. At first, she assumed it was a gaze of longing… of affection, perhaps. But when she finally turned and caught the way his eyes narrowed at her—filled not with love but with sharp disbelief—her stomach dropped.

It wasnʼt the gaze of a lover.

It was the gaze of a man thinking, ʼAre you for real?ʼ

Her heart stuttered. Embarrassment crashed over her like a wave as her entire face flushed crimson. Her body stiffened, and she quickly averted her eyes, unable to face him with the knowledge of what she had done.

Still... he didnʼt look away.

He kept staring at her… like he couldnʼt believe the nerve she had.

Sensing the storm in the air, Lyirrs awkwardly cleared her throat, glanced between the two of them, and quickly excused herself. ”Iʼll give you two some privacy…” she muttered as she slipped out of the room.

The door slid shut.

Victor stepped forward, slow and deliberate, each footfall echoing through the quiet space like a countdown. His eyes never left Maelona, and the pressure of his gaze made her shoulders tremble.

”Youʼve got some nerve,” he said, his voice low and rough, crackling with restrained fury. ”You really made Aether pay that ridiculous amount? Seriously… how the hell am I supposed to pay... to me?”

Maelona swallowed hard, her throat dry. Her voice came out shaky, ”W-Well… the price is enormous… and you expect us to pay all that from our treasury alone?”

Victor scoffed, his steps quickening, closing the distance between them. ”Oh, so you figured the best time to make me sign… was when I was drunk out of my mind?”

Maelona flinched, her lips parting as her words stumbled out. ”I… I know thatʼs kind of wrong—”

Before she could say another word, Victor grabbed her hips with one swift motion and yanked her closer. Their bodies collided. Her breath caught in her throat as her soft curves pressed against his firm, broad chest.

”So you do know it was wrong...” he murmured against her ear, his voice like a seductive flame licking the edge of her guilt.

Her hands instinctively pressed against his chest, trying to create space between them, but he was too close, too warm, too overpowering.

”E-Even so,” she stammered, her lips trembling, ”it wasnʼt me who demanded anything. It was you… You kept asking me… ʼWhat should I do for you?ʼ… over and over… teasing me… teasing others.” Her voice dropped, as her face turned beet red.

The memory of that night clawed its way to the surface—the night she saw his vulgar, filthy side, unrestrained and raw. The part of him that whispered wicked things to her. The part that made her body tingle in ways she was too ashamed to admit.

Victor raised an eyebrow. ”So youʼre telling me… I begged you for this?”

Maelona gave a small shrug, her lips curling with a complicated mix of guilt and stubborn pride. ”I mean… I couldnʼt let that kind of opportunity slip away, could I? I-I have to protect my Empire, no matter what. If something falls in my lap, I take it.”

Her voice was firm… but her cheeks stayed pink.

Victor stared at her for a long moment, quiet and unreadable. His gaze softened—not out of pity, but realisation. He wasnʼt truly mad at her… not even disappointed.

The anger was never for her.

It was for himself.

For being reckless. For signing something without remembering. For putting himself in a position where someone else could take advantage of him.

It wasnʼt her fault.

Maelonaʼs face turned dread, ”I... I am sorry...” she muttered. Of course, if it were someone, she wouldnʼt even care for their feelings... Itʼs just, she couldnʼt control herself when he asked her, so her Ruler side took advantage of it.

Victor shook his head...

ʼWhatever... Iʼll earn the money a different way,ʼ he thought bitterly. Then, his expression shifted. A dangerous glint sparked in his eyes as he leaned in closer, his breath brushing her cheek.

”You say you canʼt miss an opportunity when it comes to you, right?” he whispered, lips brushing the edge of her ear. ”Then tell me, Maelona… what about now?”

He tilted his head, lips pursed like a soft challenge, just inches from hers.

Maelonaʼs heart pounded so hard it echoed in her ears. Her chest rose and fell quickly, her breaths shallow. The butterfly perched on her shoulder—Elona—began fluttering wildly, as if it could feel the storm of lust and hesitation building inside her.

Victor grinned.

”What? Donʼt tell me now youʼre not going to take this opportunity?” he murmured, his fingers sliding slowly, intimately along the curve of her hip. His touch was soft at first, then firm—possessive—making her gasp.

She trembled beneath his fingers, swallowing the lump in her throat, her lips parting slightly.

[+6000 AP]

”N-No... th-this is wrong... I-I canʼt betray my child,” she whispered, her voice thin and shaky, her resistance barely clinging to the edge.

Victor tilted his head, nose brushing against hers with a long sensation. His breath was hot, his words hotter. ”Who said anything about betrayal? Your daughter knows… You know… we all do. Whatʼs really happening between us isnʼt some forbidden game anymore.” As he stopped rubbing his nose and stared into her eyes,

”If youʼre putting her first, I respect that… I do. But stop lying to yourself. Donʼt hide your feelings. The more you bottle them up…” he let his lips hover just a breath away from hers, his warm breath dancing over her lips, ”the more theyʼll explode… when you least expect it.”

Her eyelids fluttered. Her body swayed toward him.

Something forbidden was about to happen.

Her lips parted, her body trembling as instinct overtook her—

Chop~

Victor suddenly leaned forward and bit her nose—softly.

”Nfggg~” Maelona yelped, her body jerking in surprise. The pain was gentle, teasing, but sharp enough to jolt her out of the trance. Her mouth hung open as she blinked up at him, shocked.

Victor grinned at her with a wicked gleam, the kind of grin that screamed, Caught you.

Maelonaʼs face burned. Her knees buckled.

He turned and walked away, leaving her frozen in place.

Thud!

Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor, breathless, overwhelmed. Her hands flew up to hide her flaming cheeks.

”H-Heʼs getting really brazen… H-How am I supposed to explain this to my daughter!” she muttered, her voice half-groan, half-moan, her mind spinning with heat and confusion.

The butterfly—Elona—fluttered joyfully around her, wings twirling in loops of excitement, as if echoing the deep, unspoken feelings Maelona was drowning in.

Meanwhile, after explaining a few things to Lyirrs, Victor appears at his next destination.

The Academy.

Victor stood before the main gate… or rather, the broken remnants of it. The once grand and towering gate was now being reconstructed, with scaffolding and magical supports holding it in place.

It no longer had its former glory, but efforts were clearly being made to restore it.

He stepped forward but was quickly stopped by two guards. Their weapons lowered in caution until one of them recognised him. Their eyes widened slightly in recognition, and they quickly bowed in respect and stepped aside, allowing him passage.

Victor walked in.

His footsteps echoed through the hollow ground, the academy that was once filled with vibrant chatter and the soft rustling of books, now reduced to rubble and half-standing buildings. The air carried the scent of dust, stone, and magical residue. Repairs were moving rapidly, enchantments flying through the air, tools swinging automatically, and surprisingly…

Hands?

Victorʼs gaze narrowed in confusion.

He noticed not just machines or spellwork, but actual people—students, young ones—working amid the debris. They moved quickly, picking through broken pieces.

Then, his eyes landed on someone familiar.

”Kara?” Victor muttered, his voice barely audible, more like a thought that escaped his lips.

Among the group, a young woman with a cap pulled low over her head and dressed in dusty work clothes was lifting broken stone fragments and carefully sorting through the mess. Her posture, her movements—he could recognise them instantly.

She flinched, pausing mid-action, then slowly turned around.

”Victor?” Kara blinked in surprise. Her eyes widened slightly before a warm, amused smile spread across her lips. She dusted her hands on her pants and gestured to a fellow worker to hold her spot. ”Iʼll be back in a minute,” she whispered before jogging over to him.

”Well, well… if it isnʼt the Great Dragon Emperor himself,” Kara said with a teasing grin as she approached, her cap now slightly tilted, revealing sweat-damp strands of hair clinging to her cheeks.

Victor smirked in return. ”Well, well… if it isnʼt Kara the hard worker. What happened? Arenʼt you supposed to be on holiday? Sipping juice on some beach?”

Kara chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. ”You see... the Principal announced a small initiative. Anyone who helps clean up the debris and finds usable or undamaged materials gets a reward. A little pocket money, you know? So here I am, digging through broken buildings for coins,” she said with a sheepish laugh.

Victor raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. ”Kara… like I said before, if youʼre ever in urgent need of money, you can always come to me, alright?”

Kara responded with a quick slap on his shoulder and a wide grin. ”Oh please, I know my adorable junior would help me out without blinking! But itʼs not like that. Itʼs not urgent. I just wanted to earn something for myself… girl stuff, you know~ shoes, skincare, hidden chocolate stash.”

Victor chuckled, ”I see. So the Dragon Emperorʼs offer gets sidelined for some girl stash plans. Noted.”

Kara laughed again, shaking her head. ”Exactly. Anyway, what brings you here? I mean, I doubt thereʼs anything the Academy can still teach you.”

Victorʼs expression turned vague as he glanced around. ”Just a little business. Nothing much.”

Kara noticed the shift in his tone but didnʼt pry. She simply smiled and nodded, her eyes gentle. ”Got it. Well, Iʼll let you get to it. Weʼll talk later, yeah?”

Before he could respond, one of her teammates shouted for her. Kara gave a quick wave and dashed back to her task.

Victor watched her for a moment longer, then smiled faintly to himself.

ʼYeah… thereʼs something off about her,ʼ he thought, his brows slightly furrowing with suspicion.

It wasnʼt that she had done anything wrong.

In fact, heʼd been watching her for some time now—through Celestiaʼs reports, through the eyes of his puppets.

Everything came back clean.

No suspicious connections.

No shady background.

No abnormal activity.

Just a hardworking girl who looked after her aging grandparents and lived a simple, responsible life.

And yet… thatʼs exactly what made it strange.

Too clean.

Celestia had been the first to point it out. She told Victor something odd—whenever she gathered intel on someone, even ordinary people, it took time. Sifting through traces, hidden records, magical imprints… It was never easy.

But when it came to Kara…

Everything was laid out.

Every detail of her life was like a perfectly arranged dish, already cooked, already plated, the lid just waiting to be lifted.

Celestia had frowned when she explained it. After years of intelligence work, she could smell something odd when a personʼs life was too easy to track.

No gaps.

No unknowns.

No secrets.

And thatʼs what bothered her.

Victor hadnʼt jumped to conclusions, of course. He understood better than most that anomalies existed. He himself was an anomaly. Celestia, too, had once suspected him before knowing the truth.

So he didnʼt want to unfairly mark Kara. Especially not when she seemed genuinely happy now—more open, more connected to her surroundings.

A girl finally growing out of her trauma and moving forward.

He wouldnʼt take that from her just because of a gut feeling.

Victor exhaled deeply and shrugged off the lingering doubt. ʼNo need to rush. Iʼll wait… and watch,ʼ he thought, turning his attention ahead.

With a calmer mind, he continued walking, heading toward the Academyʼs deepest structure—the Origin Pillars.