Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1124: Both Son and Father... FU##

After announcing the new ruler of the empire, a wave of joy swept across the tribes. The cheers echoed through the halls like thunder, voices unified in celebration.

People cried out, their voices raw with emotion, and Maelona, standing tall and proud, accepted their wishes over the rigid traditions of old. She had listened to the people—truly listened—and it made them feel seen.

Still, there were a few old bones who didn’t like the sudden change. The ancient ones who clung to outdated customs like sacred scriptures muttered under their breath. But honestly, Maelona could handle them all with ease. I

Right now, the dining room was warm and buzzing with chatter. Everyone was seated around the long table, its surface nearly overflowing with steaming dishes.

The delicious aroma of freshly prepared food—made by Maelona herself—filled the air, making it impossible not to feel comforted. Laughter mixed with the clinking of plates and soft chewing as they all shared this moment of peace.

”I really didn’t expect you to go for Kaelen...” Aqualina remarked between mouthfuls, her eyes fixed on Maelona across the table. She raised her eyebrows in mild surprise, clearly still wrapping her head around it.

Selene, seated beside her, gave a thoughtful nod. ”Honestly, I thought you’d favour your daughter instead. I mean... it just seemed natural.”

Helena, sitting opposite them, looked mildly puzzled but nodded too, stuffing food into her mouth as if someone might snatch it away.

’That’s how mothers are supposed to be... right?’ she thought, her cheeks puffed like a squirrel, eyes flicking between Maelona and the others.

Maelona chuckled softly, placing her fingers delicately around her cup. ”Well, this is what the people wanted,” she said calmly, her eyes drifting toward Kaelen. He was sitting beside Aether, eating contentedly while chatting with him.

Thalia, twirling her spoon idly, glanced toward Aria. ”So... does that mean Aira’s going to be free now?”

Maelona hummed, her tone thoughtful but certain. ”Yes. Since Kaelen has taken over the throne, from now on it’ll be the Darkfang tribe’s duty to oversee things. Of course,” she paused, straightening slightly, her voice gaining an edge of pride, ”we’ll still remain the first-ranked tribe. No matter who wears the crown, that won’t change.”

Her voice carried conviction—unshakable confidence. There was no room for doubt in her tone. The legacy of her tribe was her pride.

Thalia smiled and turned to Aria again. ”Then why don’t you come with us? Just leave it behind.”

Aria’s hand froze mid-air, her spoon hovering above her bowl. Her eyes slowly lifted toward Thalia.

”I mean,” Thalia added a little awkwardly, realizing the sudden silence, ”Selene is already there. And the palace... it’s huge. Like ridiculously huge. You’d love it.”

A few others looked away, pretending not to notice the tension. But the truth was—they had all thought about it too. If they went with Aether... they could be near him. Every single day. No more parting ways, no more distant longing or waiting to hear his voice.

But to leave meant abandoning everything they were responsible for. Their duties. Their people.

Could they really make that choice?

While everyone sat quietly, lost in uncertain thoughts, Aether leaned slightly toward Kaelen and whispered, ”So... where’s that mysterious lover of yours?”

Kaelen flinched slightly, cheeks turning a faint red. ”S-She should be here any minute...”

Aether smirked playfully. ”Damn, she missed your grand speech. That was your moment, man.”

Kaelen’s blush deepened, and he lowered his eyes to his plate. ”D-Did I do good?”

”You did more than good,” Aether said warmly. ”You did great.” He reached out and patted Kaelen’s back gently, the gesture sincere. Then he glanced across the table toward Liora.

She was smiling so widely her eyes were misting up. But she hadn’t touched her food—not a bite. Her attention was completely locked on Kaelen, watching him with quiet, overflowing pride.

Dressed in noble robes, wearing the crown she once dreamed of seeing on him... he had done it.

Her son had made it come true.

Not through privilege or luck. But through strength, through trials, through sheer determination.

Aether leaned closer to her and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. ”You’re grinning way too hard. Eat something before you pass out,” he teased with a gentle smile.

Liora blinked as if waking from a trance, then looked down, blushing furiously as she finally started eating.

From across the table, Maelona leaned slightly, her expression curious. ”Aether... is the food to your liking?”

He opened his mouth, ready to reply, ”First in cl—” but froze midway. His eyes caught the quiet stare of Emberlyn from the far end of the table. She hadn’t said a word—but her intense gaze was fixed solely on him.

He swallowed hard.... What the hell was he supposed to say now?

He couldn’t insult either of them. Not Maelona, and definitely not Emberlyn. They were both his mother-in-laws.

Offending even one of them could mean disaster—especially at a dinner table this full.

But if he were to be honest... Emberlyn’s cooking had a richer, more refined taste. His tongue still remembered the warmth, the tenderness in every bite.

Maelona’s eyes narrowed just a little, noticing the pause in his response. ”Well?” she asked, voice still sweet but with a sharp undertone.

Aether glanced between the two women, sweat forming on his brow. Then he straightened up with sudden resolve.

”My mother-in-law’s cooking is the best!” he declared confidently, shoving another bite into his mouth with exaggerated enthusiasm.

There was a pause. Both Maelona and Emberlyn blinked simultaneously.

’Which one?’ they both wondered silently, their inner pride and suspicion quietly sparking to life. But neither dared to ask out loud.

Sparks flew behind their polite smiles, and yet neither wanted the other to know they were being compared... A quiet war of motherly pride ignited under the surface.

Meanwhile, the rest of the table burst into laughter.

”He’s really smooth with his words, huh?” Aqualina commented with a slight pout and a hint of fondness in her voice.

The others, especially the women, nodded in agreement. They couldn’t help but smile.

But Aether sighed, his expression slowly turning serious. He set down his spoon.

”Anyway... there’s something I need to let you all know,” he began, his voice low and calm. ”In a few days, I’ll be heading to the Void Empire.”

The noise died. The cheerful atmosphere quickly thinned into silence.

Everyone froze. They knew exactly what he meant.

He was going to face Scarlet, who caused the deaths of millions of people.

”Are you sure you’ll be alright?” Aqualina asked softly, concern starting to colour her voice. ”I mean... she’s—”

”I’ll be fine,” Aether interrupted gently but firmly. His gaze swept across the table, meeting everyone’s eyes one by one. ”But you all need to focus on your Empires first. Don’t forget... we’re still healing. The scars from what we went through are still fresh.”

Everyone nodded, though their expressions were far from calm. There were small pouts, clenched jaws, and worried eyes.... But they understood.

They would do their part—because Aether was doing his.

Just then, the heavy wooden doors creaked open as a guard stepped into the room, lowering himself to one knee with discipline and urgency.

”Your Majesty,” the guard said, voice respectful and clear, ”there is a woman outside. She claims that you summoned her.”

At that, the entire room seemed to pause for a second before erupting into sly, knowing smiles. Everyone slowly turned toward Kaelen with mischievous eyes.

Kaelen’s cheeks turned beet red in an instant. He shifted in his seat, glancing down shyly. ”L-Let her in,” he mumbled, trying to sound composed, but failing terribly.

Aether couldn’t help but lean over and nudge Kaelen’s shoulder with a wide grin spreading across his face.

Kaelen groaned, already dreading what was coming. ”Stop it, Dad!”

”Ohhh...” The table chorused in unison, their voices rising in amusement.

Everyone was enjoying the moment—everyone except one.

His mother, Liora, sat perfectly still. Her eyes narrowed slightly. Her expression betrayed nothing warm or welcoming. She had made it clear from the start—she hadn’t approved of this mysterious woman.

’Maybe I shouldn’t have introduced her to everyone so quickly...’ he thought, groaning inside as the doors slowly swung open once more.

A warm light spilt into the dining room from the hallway, momentarily blinding their view. The silhouette of a woman stood there, framed by the light like a vision. Slowly, as she stepped forward, the figure came into focus.

Delicate boots clicked against the polished floor. The light dimmed, revealing smooth legs, a flowing dress, and a confident yet graceful walk. Her hair was tied into neat twin tails that bounced slightly with each step.

”Kaelen?” the girl called out sweetly, her voice soft and melodic, her smile radiant as she spotted him among the seated guests.

The room froze.

Aqualina, Selene, and Aether didn’t move. Their bodies locked in place as if time itself had paused around them.

The others blinked, confused by the reaction. A few of them raised their brows at the girl—she was undeniably beautiful. There was an innocent charm about her, paired with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She looked young, sweet, and perhaps a bit out of place in a room full of nobles and seasoned warriors.

Maelona studied her closely, her gaze analytical. ’Not bad...’ she thought, briefly considering the girl’s appearance—but her thoughts cut off abruptly when she noticed something strange.

Aether.

He was tense. His smile was gone. His entire body was stiff, eyes fixed on the girl with an unreadable expression.

’What’s going on?’ Maelona wondered silently, her instincts sharpening. She wasn’t the only one. Others noticed too—the slight change in atmosphere, the way Aether’s fingers curled into fists beneath the table.

But Kaelen didn’t notice any of it. His attention was solely on her. His heart pounded in his chest as he stood up from his chair, stepping toward the girl as if drawn by invisible threads.

Vesperine, however, wasn’t quite as calm. Her eyes flicked around the room, recognising faces... Selene.... Aqualina... And... someone else. Someone she couldn’t fully remember, but whose face triggered a familiarity.

A man. Young, handsome, and far too familiar... she didn’t know.

But more importantly, Selene and Aqualina.

She forced herself to smile, pushing down the anxiety rising in her throat. Her heart thudded. They knew. At least some of them knew.

’Shit. Shit. Shit!’ Vesperine screamed internally, but on the outside, she smiled like nothing was wrong.

Kaelen reached her and gently took her hand. He looked around the room, his voice filled with pride, love, and youthful hope.

”This is my beloved woman,” he said clearly, looking everyone in the eye. ”Vesperine. The one I love deeply.”

His gaze lingered on Aether, searching for his father’s approval. His expression was soft and genuine.

Vesperine smiled back, though her expression was clearly forced. Her voice came out shaky, ”H-Hello,” she muttered awkwardly, carefully avoiding the gaze of Aqualina and Selene.

’Fuck! If I knew this would happen, I would’ve never come here!’ Vesperine screamed inwardly, her anxiety spiking.

But Kaelen’s smile began to fade. He tilted his head, sensing the shift in the room. ”Dad?” he asked, eyes narrowing, ”Is something wrong?”

Vesperine blinked.

’D-Dad?!’

Vesperine blinked, confused and startled by the title. ”Dad? He’s your... father?” she asked, pointing toward the Handsome, young-looking man with a stunned expression.

’Oh fuck... both the son and the father?’ Vesperine bit her lip, trying not to smirk as she grinned internally.

’This just got even better... Maybe I could try both? Why not?’

Hehe... Vesperine drooled a little.

”Y-Yeah,” Kaelen replied with a smile. ”He’s my dad. Kind of step-father... but still, he’s the only dad I—”

Thud.

Everyone blinked.

Vesperine’s body dropped to the floor.

Headless.

Blood splattered across the pristine floor, forming a pool around her lifeless body.

Aether stood behind her.

His hand was soaked in crimson, dripping slowly. His eyes flickered between black and ice blue.

The only sound was the steady drip... drip... drip... of blood from Aether’s fingertips.