Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1168: What happened after the ceremony? Part-2

As Aqualina and Selene stormed out of the mansion without wasting a second, the thick ice that had trapped both Leon and Kai finally began to melt. Cracks raced along its surface, and with a shattering sound, the frozen prison collapsed.

Both men dropped to the ground, coughing and gasping for breath, their bodies trembling as sharp pain surged through every inch of them. Their skin was littered with deep bruises and bleeding cuts, clothes torn and damp from the melting ice.

”Fuck... that woman...” Leon muttered through gritted teeth, his voice strained as he forced himself to sit up. ”When the hell did she get that strong...?”

His face twisted in a mix of pain and disbelief. Slowly, he leaned over and extended a hand to Kai, who was still down, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles had gone white. Kai’s chest heaved with furious breaths, and his eyes burned with anger.

Vesperine rushed toward them the moment the swords vanished. She dropped to her knees beside them and wrapped both of them tightly in her arms. Her embrace trembled slightly, a mix of relief and barely contained fear etched across her flushed face.

”Thank the heavens... I was so scared...” she whispered, her voice cracking as she held them close. Her eyes shimmered, wet with tears she hadn’t let fall.

She pulled back slightly, wiping her eyes before focusing on Kai, her expression shifting from relief to confusion. ”But... what happened to your Servant? Where is he?”

Kai’s jaw tensed. He clicked his tongue in frustration. ”Why the hell is everyone suddenly so obsessed with him? What’s going on? Did something happen? Or is this some kind of sick joke you’re all playing on me?!”

Vesperine swallowed hard, trying not to snap back. Her hands fidgeted as she steadied her tone and said gently, ”No... it’s not a joke. The thing is...”

She paused, trying to gather her thoughts before explaining everything she had seen—how Aether had appeared, what he did, and the surreal chaos that unfolded.

Kai’s reaction was instant. His face twisted in sheer disbelief, and his body jerked as if the weight of her words hit him like a punch to the gut.

”W-What do you mean... he’s the Father of the Emperor?!”

Velc, who had been listening from the side, staggered back a step. His eyes widened in horror, and he clutched his chest as if something had just cracked inside. He looked as though he was about to collapse from shock.

Vesperine’s voice lowered, serious and intense.

”Yes, Kai. I’m not sure how... or why. But I saw him. He was standing beside Liora as if they’d known each other for years. And Kaelen... he bowed his head to Aether. That alone should say enough. That man isn’t a servant. He’s someone... terrifying. Someone powerful beyond measure... And more than anything, he’s changed.”

Kai went completely silent. His eyes widened, his breathing grew heavier, and a cold sweat rolled down his temple. His hands trembled. His mind was spiraling into a storm of confusion and disbelief, unable to grasp what he was hearing.

Vesperine hesitated, but then added in a quiet, cautious tone, ”And... the other women there... I’m not certain, but judging by the way they looked at him... they weren’t just strangers, Kai. I think... they might be his lovers.”

Kai’s face lost all colour... His breath hitched.

Aqualina.

The way she had snapped at him. The fury in her eyes when he questioned Aether’s whereabouts.

’D-Does that mean...’

His heart dropped into his stomach. He stared blankly at the ground, unable to process the storm of thoughts crashing down on him.

Vesperine added,

”You know... honestly, I’m shocked you just let that guy go. That servant of yours? He was something else, man. You should’ve kept him around. Hell, we could’ve gotten so much more out of him.”

”We could have milked him more...” She said, her lips curling into a strange smile, her voice laced with something darker. Her tongue flicked across her lips, and there was something in her eyes—something hungry.

Of course, she would feel that way. After all, Aether wasn’t just powerful. He was dangerously handsome.

While Kai and Velc sat there in stunned silence, their minds spinning out of control, nothing made sense anymore. How could a man who’d barely left the mansion suddenly be connected to something this massive?

The Emperor’s father?

What the actual hell?

Did that mean Xara had been pulling strings behind the scenes?

Velc couldn’t make sense of it, not even after his visit to the Pyra Empire to question Selene’s sudden disappearance. He had gone with Victor, hoping to get answers, only to find Selene already there—and worse, denied entry at the gates by guards who radiated such lethal intent that even he, a skilled warrior, couldn’t take a single step forward.

He was forced to retreat, humiliated, empty-handed.

Everything felt wrong... As if they were getting closer to the truth, but somehow the truth was slipping further and further away.

Leon narrowed his eyes and suddenly changed the topic. His voice was low, pointed, sharp with suspicion as he turned to Vesperine.

”Anyway... care to explain something more important?”

She stiffened.

”What the hell did they mean by you screwing around with Kaelen?”

Vesperine flinched hard, her breath caught in her throat. She had hoped this wouldn’t come up—not now. But it was inevitable. Kai, too, had turned to look at her, expression unreadable but serious.

Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Her throat went dry.

’M-Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything...’

Her mind raced, regret tightening her chest. But deep down, she knew this confrontation couldn’t be avoided. It was going to happen sooner or later.

’Fine... I’ll deal with it. For now, I’ll talk my way through this. And Kaelen... I’m sure those bitches have already told him something. I need a plan. I need to keep things under control. I can’t afford to lose my cute dicks~’

Her lips curled slowly into a serious grin, though her eyes darkened with tension as her thoughts swirled. She had no intention of letting go of what was hers—not without a fight.

And just like that, Vesperine began plotting once again, determined to make her harem even bigger, no matter what stood in her way.

Meanwhile, after getting an update from Aqua regarding Aether’s whereabouts, the group wasted no time—they were already preparing to march into the Void Empire to retrieve him by force if necessary.

However...

Aether woke up just in time. His voice came through clearly in the communication channel, calm and firm as he explained his situation.

He was safe.

Though relieved to hear him, everyone hesitated. None of them liked the idea of him staying in the Void Empire, especially not under the watch of someone like Nyx. But Aether’s tone left no room for argument.

And when he mentioned that his next target was Nyx herself, it made strategic sense to let him stay close to her. Despite their reluctance, they had to trust his decision.

So the group stepped back from immediate action and returned to the tasks Aether had assigned them. Of course, Aqualina and Selene made sure to report something important to Liora.

They told her everything about Vesperine.

The moment the details left their lips, Liora’s expression darkened.

BOOM!!

”HOW DARE THAT BITCH TAKE MY SON INTO HER FILTHY HAREM!!”

Liora’s voice exploded like thunder as her fist slammed against the wall of the palace. The sheer force of her strike cracked the surface, leaving a spiderweb of damage across the stone.

So that was why Vesperine always smelled so damn rotten to her.

Yes, the wolf tribe did indeed have both male and female harems. That wasn’t the issue. In their culture, harems weren’t taboo. But the leader of a harem was expected to embody strength, dignity, charm, danger, and authority. Whether man or woman, they were supposed to be someone worthy of admiration and devotion.

But Vesperine?

Liora had never sensed a shred of those qualities from her. No charm. No dignity. No real strength.

Only manipulation and lust.

And now that same woman dared to drag her precious son into her harem?

Never.

Kaelen was her son. Her beautiful, powerful boy. A man destined for greatness. He didn’t belong in someone else’s petty collection. He could lead harems of his own—dozens of them, even hundreds. With his strength and charm, there was no shortage of women who would kneel for him.

That was the kind of future she wanted for him.

To become a man like his father... well, maybe not exactly like his father. That man had gone after the weirdest and most bizarre women across the empires that made her feel a little wrong.

But still—at least give her a hundred grandkids.

Was that too much to ask?

She was just a loving mother.

Asking for a small, sweet little thing from her son.

He should not disappoint her.

With a huff, she stormed through the hall, already formulating what to do next. Her fists were still clenched, knuckles white.

She later cornered Kaelen and began telling him exactly what kind of woman Vesperine really was—how many men she was playing at once, how she used her charms, how dangerous her selfishness could be.

But Kaelen didn’t believe a word of it.

Of course, he didn’t.

Because love...

Love is blind.