Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1154: He is indeed... my husband

Aether didn’t stay inside his domain for long. He wasn’t about to sit around playing with the orb when he had things to handle in the outside world. After thoroughly teaching that arrogant thing a lesson—now silently floating in its cage like a well-behaved prisoner—he immediately left his domain and returned to reality.

”You will pay for this humiliation!”

Back in the real world...

Aether’s eyes fluttered open slowly. His vision adjusted, and he found himself lying on someone’s lap. As his focus sharpened, he realised...

He was resting on Nightfire’s thighs.

”Awwww... I shouldn’t have come here... awwww...”

Nightfire sobbed, her expression twisted in pain and anxiety as she looked around. They were surrounded by thousands of ghostly figures—all of them glaring at her with cold, murderous eyes.

She wanted to cry, to scream, to run—but her tears wouldn’t even come out.

Aether’s chest tightened at the sight. He truly felt pity for her. She was trembling, absolutely terrified, stuck in this nightmare because of him. He had forced her into another impossible situation... and then vanished right when she needed him most.

”Oi...”

Nightfire flinched and quickly looked down at him. Her bloodshot red eyes were wide with fear.

”Aetthhherrr~” she whimpered.

There was no hint of her usual succubus behaviour. No seductive tone. No hunger in her eyes. She wasn’t aroused or teasing—she just wanted to escape.

She immediately leaned down and hugged him, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

”W-Why did you... sniff... leave me alone in this awful place? It’s so scary... awwweeeee!”

Aether felt a wave of guilt crash over him. He gently patted her back and glanced around. The ghosts were still there, glaring at them with unblinking, murderous expressions. Every single one of them looked ready to tear him apart.

Even he felt the chill in their stares—so what could Nightfire be feeling? She would’ve snapped by now if not for him lying on her.

Aether gulped.

”So... we got caught, huh?” he muttered under his breath.

He pulled her closer, hugging her tighter while quickly surveying the area. None of his usual attacks had worked on these ghosts.

’Hey Log, is there a way to fight these ghosts?’

!~Ding~!

[Yes. As long as you comprehend your own Soul Structure and infuse energy directly into your soul, you will be able to fight them all.]

”... Pardon?”

Aether blinked, utterly confused by the message. What did it just say? Comprehend his soul structure? How the hell—

Just then, a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

”You’re finally awake?”

The muscled woman appeared behind the crowd of ghosts. She stepped forward, parting the eerie army as she approached Aether and Nightfire. Her sharp gaze pierced through them as she stopped a few feet away.

Nightfire stiffened in Aether’s arms, glancing at the woman with a flinch.

”The time is up,” the muscled ghost declared coldly. ”Our Queen is about to awaken. And if you lied to us... you will witness the wrath of every single soul here.”

Her tone was sharp and dangerous.

Outside world, the sky began to change. The deep crimson hue faded away, replaced by a dull, heavy grey.

Nyx Shadowfall, lying motionless inside her casket, flinched.

Her half-skeletal body began to pulse. The lifeless bones twisted and shifted as pale, dark-veined flesh slowly regenerated. Her internal organs reassembled beneath the surface like living shadows reforming her from the inside out. It was like watching something dead come back to life, piece by piece.

Her skin mended slowly until her body was whole again.

Her eyes fluttered.

Then opened.

The first thing she saw was the dark sky above her. She blinked. Her captured souls should have been hovering there like before... so where had they gone?

She frowned in confusion and slowly sat up inside the casket.

Then she saw them.

Aether and Nightfire.

Surrounded by her legion of souls.

’How did they find this place?’

She thought, a spark of irritation flashing across her face.

Nyx stepped out of the casket, her feet touching the ground silently. The moment she moved, every ghost dropped to their knees in unison. Their bodies bowed low, reverence in every inch of their posture.

The muscled woman followed suit. She stabbed her enormous sword into the ground and dropped to one knee with her head lowered.

”My Queen,” she declared solemnly.

Nyx stood in silence, her gaze falling upon the two intruders.

Her eyes locked on Aether—blank at first, then narrowing slightly.

The muscled woman didn’t raise her head. She spoke again with calm precision.

”My Queen. While you were sleeping, these intruders trespassed into your realm. They kept insisting that the man was your husband and that they came searching for you... so we captured them.”

Nyx didn’t answer at first.

She simply stood there, her eyes fixed on Aether.

”How did you find me?”

Nyx’s voice echoed through the silence, cold and direct as her eyes locked onto Aether.

Aether replied calmly, ”We found you by following the trail you unintentionally left behind...”

”Trail?”

Nyx frowned, her tone turning sharp with confusion.

Nightfire nodded quickly, her face flushed with embarrassment. She added with a slightly wry smile, ”Aether’s nectar... it leaked from your body. That’s how we traced you here... Please help us, Madam!” she finished in a pleading voice, lowering her head with desperation.

Nyx blinked in stunned silence. She looked down at her own legs—and sure enough, faint traces of glistening residue marked her pale skin, trailing along her foot and shin. Her brows twitched. With a low sigh and a slow shake of her head, she raised her gaze toward Aether once more.

”You saw it... didn’t you?”

Her tone had shifted—icier than ever.

Aether didn’t need clarification. He knew exactly what she meant. She wasn’t talking about the nectar. She meant the form he had seen her in—the broken, half-dead, half-living state that no one was meant to witness.

He nodded slowly, his expression solemn.

Nyx’s jaw clenched. Her face grew more distant, her fury quiet and simmering. Her pride had been touched, her secrets exposed.

”My Queen? Are they bothering you? Shall I eliminate them?”

The muscled woman ghost stepped forward, voice low and deadly, her massive sword already trembling in her grip—ready to strike at a word.

Nightfire flinched hard and instinctively wrapped her arms tighter around Aether. If they were going to die here, then they’d die together. But in her mind, she was already blaming him for this mess.

’This bastard! This is all your fault!’

”No need,” Nyx said coldly, raising her hand to stop her ghost warrior.

She continued, her eyes never leaving Aether’s,

”He is indeed... my husband.”

A wave of shock rippled through the crowd of souls.

All the ghosts froze. Then slowly, they turned to each other in disbelief. Murmurs passed among them. Surprise painted every expression as they all stared at Aether.

Aether offered a small smile, nodding slightly. ’You better remember this, you crazy bastards,’ he shouted internally, though outwardly he looked calm.

He briefly glanced toward Nyx—her face still unreadable, but something in her eyes told him she was still quietly pissed.

”It’s almost time,” Nyx said quietly. Then she stepped forward, reached out, and pulled his hand up into hers. Without another word, she gently made him stand.

”Let’s go home.”

”...”

The ghosts exchanged glances again, this time not with suspicion—but with knowing, mischievous grins.

”Whoooossshh~”

Someone let out a teasing whistle.

Nyx’s head slowly turned toward the sound, her glare sharp as blades. Every ghost instantly flinched and vanished like smoke, fading from sight. The dark sky that once loomed above began to brighten softly, as the stars returned.

Nyx turned and walked ahead with silent steps, but a tiny, nearly invisible blush colored one cheek. Barely noticeable... but it was there.

[+10 AP]

Aether blinked at the message that flashed in his mind.

’What’s with this reaction...? Does she... actually like me now?’

He shook his head, more confused than ever by Nyx Shadowfall.

Then he glanced at the other hand—where Nightfire was still clinging to him.

She finally exhaled in relief, having escaped the nightmare of ghostly judgment. But the moment her panic faded... her expression darkened again.

She looked up at him with blazing red eyes.

”You bastard!!”

She gritted her teeth, clearly furious.

”I can’t believe I cried in front of you! Idiot! You made me look pathetic!”

Trying to bite him!

As they exited the realm together...

Meanwhile, outside the Empire—

The capital had already begun its restoration. After the chaos of the night, things were slowly returning to normal. Workers and soldiers coordinated repairs, civilians resumed their routines... everything was moving smoothly, just like any other day.

Except—

In a dark place,

”G-Grace? W-Where is our Grace?!”

A heavily armoured soldier stood inside a vast chamber, staring in disbelief at the plain stone floor before him.

There was nothing.

The swirling vortex that had once hovered there, pulsing like a heart of divine power, was gone. Completely vanished without a trace.

The soldier’s face paled.

”ALERT THE EMPRESS IMMEDIATELY!! OUR GRACE HAS ABANDONED US!!”