Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1435: A shoulder that pulled her back when she stood at the edge of despair... A shoulder?

”And Aether... he was really worried about you, you know.”

Lia was utterly shocked the moment she heard the name she hated the most... It was the name of the man who stole her first kiss.

Friendly Lia vanished, replaced by a furious glare that carried days of unspoken bitterness.

Lia snorted, her lips curling in contempt as she spoke, ”Oh? Would he...?” The words trailed off, but her tone was heavy with disgust and sarcasm, as if even finishing the thought made her skin crawl.

Aria frowned the moment she saw that reaction. She blinked and glanced toward Helena, who had been stuffing cookies into her mouth, only to freeze mid-motion as though she had been listening closely the entire time, so as not to waste any food.

Helena hurriedly swallowed, taking a careful sip of tea to clear her throat before speaking. ”Lia... what happened?” she asked softly, ”Did you and Aether get into a fight or something?”

Lia frowned deeply, ”Why would I?” she snapped, ”If anything, I wanted to...” Her hand clenched tightly, fingers curling as if she were gripping someone’s throat.

Damn!

Both Aria and Helena were utterly taken aback by that gesture and the anger behind it.

They knew Lia had feelings for Aether, even if she never said it out loud herself, since it was Aether who had told them.

Even before they became lovers, Lia had always been a good friend to him.

She had stood against her own mother for Aether more times than they could count, placing herself between them without hesitation.

Yet now, the hostility burning in her eyes and the sharp edge in her voice told a completely different story, one that made no sense to them at all.

Something had clearly changed, and neither of them could understand what that something was.

Snap!

Aria leaned closer, her expression serious as she spoke more firmly. ”Lia, tell us what’s going on,” she said, ”Why are you this angry at Aether? This isn’t like you.”

Lia snorted again, her fury barely contained as she shoved a cookie into her mouth, crumbs scattering across the table... like a cute squirrel!

Snap!

Snap!!

Lia scowled, her eyes burning as she spoke through clenched teeth. ”You don’t know, guys,” she said, ”That jerk... that absolute jerk...” She took another aggressive bite, chewing hard. ”Chomp!”

Helena flinched as she watched the cookies in the bowl vanish at an alarming rate, instinctively sliding her fingers toward them.

”Lia, please,” she said carefully, ”Just tell us.” She hesitated before adding, ”Did he hurt you by any chance? Is that why you’re so angry?”

Her fingers caught a cookie before retreating back toward her mouth.

Lia shook her head sharply, ”Hurt me?” she snapped. ”Of course not!” Her voice rose as she continued. ”That jerk hurt my mother!!”

Her fist clenched so tightly that the cookie in her hand crumbled into pieces, falling between her fingers.

Helena’s heart twinged painfully as she looked at the ruined food, ’Oh, poor food.’

But her expression hardened when she heard... Aether hurt Lia’s mother?

Both of them knew Aether well enough to believe he would never intentionally do something that truly hurt Lia, especially not in a way that would leave her like this.

This situation refused to make sense, no matter how they tried to piece it together.

/It’s not making sense/ Aria muttered through their connection.

/Well, I mean, he hurt her mother... who would not be angry?/ Helena tilted her head as if some part of it made sense.

Aria frowned thoughtfully before turning back to Lia, ”Maybe he didn’t have any choices,” she said, trying to sound reasonable while gauging Lia’s reaction.

Lia slowly turned to Aria, her face settling into a deadpan stare, ”Any choices?” she repeated flatly before snapping, ”The heck? That asshole not only hurt my mother but also forcibly kissed me!! What would you do if you were in my shoes? Enjoy it?”

Aria was just about to nod in reflex when Helena stomped hard on her foot. Aria flinched, nearly yelping, then shook her head quickly. ”O-Of course not,” she said, forcing an awkward smile that barely held together.

”But still, it’s not necessary to hate him this much after all...” She hesitated, glancing around to make sure there was no sudden snapping before lowering her voice.

”He is your... more than just your friend, right?”

Lia blinked, her expression twisting into genuine confusion. ”More than a friend?” she repeated slowly, ”When did we even begin with friends? Aria, what happened to you?” She snorted, lifting her chin with a hint of pride.

”I would never be friends with a jerk like him.”

Snap!

”Never friends?” Aria echoed carefully, leaning closer as she studied Lia’s face. ”Lia... are you alright?”

Lia frowned and shook her head, irritation flashing in her eyes. ”I am fine,” she said firmly. ”If anything, why do you guys keep mentioning that asshole to begin with?”

Aria and Helena had assumed Lia was acting like this because of her mother’s presence or the tension surrounding it.

But the utter cluelessness in Lia’s eyes and the raw fury in her words began to crack that assumption, forcing them to question something far deeper.

Aria stared at Lia for a long moment before suddenly winking at her.

It was deliberate and exaggerated, meant to test something.

Lia blinked, tilting her head slightly as she squinted in confusion. She then turned to Helena, only to freeze when Helena mirrored the same wink with equal awkwardness.

”...What are you doing?” Lia asked.

Aria winked again, ”Oh, come on,” she said, trying to sound casual. ”If you just let us know... You know.” She followed it with yet another wink, as if that explained everything.

Lia’s confusion deepened, shifting into something closer to being completely lost.

She could not understand why both of her friends were acting so strangely.

She shook her head and sighed, brushing it off. ”Whatever,” she muttered before asking,

”How is Selene doing? I haven’t heard anything after...” She suddenly blinked mid-sentence. ”Selene?” Her voice softened as she repeated the name, doubt creeping in.

It felt like something important was missing, just out of reach.

Aria noticed immediately and leaned forward slightly, her frown deepening. ”Well, she was busy helping Aether,” she said carefully, watching Lia closely.

Lia froze, ”She is friends with Aether, too?” she asked, disbelief heavy in her voice.

Aria shook her head slowly. Lia was already about to sigh in relief when Aria continued, ”He was her lover,” she said quietly. ”And kind of her wife. That is what she wanted everyone to know, in fact.”

Lia’s eyes widened again, ”W Why?” she demanded, anger flaring instantly. ”Why did she have to love that asshole?!”

That jerk must have tricked her, right?

The heck was he kissing her!

Fuck him!!

Her teeth clenched as memories stirred. Her friend. Her childhood friend. Wait... childhood?

Lia blinked rapidly, her mind racing as if trying to connect broken fragments. ”Selene... is my friend,” she said slowly, uncertainty creeping into her voice. ”But, but...” Her words trailed off as something unseen slipped further away, leaving her grasping at emptiness.

Helena took another cookie and bit into it slowly, her brows furrowing as she watched Lia’s confused and hollow expression deepen further. The more Lia spoke, the more something felt wrong, deeply wrong.

”Why?” Helena asked quietly, ”You really do not remember?” She paused, then continued carefully. ”Have you forgotten how close they were, even before all of us were involved?” She tilted her head, searching Lia’s face. ”You were the one who knew them best, right? Your engagement with Kai and everything that followed.”

Lia stared at Helena as if she had just been told a story that did not belong to her at all.

”K-Kai?... yeah, right!” she muttered, the name tasting bitter on her tongue. ”I almost forgot that asshole too.” Her fingers curled into a tight fist, nails digging into her palm as memories stirred.

She remembered how deeply she had loved him, how she had believed in him without hesitation, only to be thrown away like she was nothing, like she had no worth at all.

”I am not talented enough... fuck you!” Lia spat suddenly.

Snap!!

She frowned hard as confusion tightened its grip. ”But... there is...” She shook her head again and again,

”Come to think of it...” Her voice slowed and was confused, ”Kai is Selene’s brother, right?”

Helena and Aria nodded at the same time, exchanging a quick glance filled with unease. To them, it was an obvious truth.

To Lia, it felt like a revelation she should have remembered long ago.

Lia’s eyes trembled as more fragments surfaced. ”A And... I was engaged to him when I was little,” she said quietly, her voice shaking as if it could break at any moment.

”And... he threw me away for another woman, and... and...” She suddenly grabbed her head, fingers clutching her hair as if something inside her was screaming to be remembered but was being forcefully pushed back.

She shook her head violently, breath coming out in short gasps. ”A-A shoulder...?” she whispered, the word slipping out before she could stop it.

Her eyes unfocused as the image grew clearer yet painfully incomplete.

A shoulder... A broad, wide shoulder that lets her cry without judgment.

A shoulder that supported her when she had nothing left to stand on.

A shoulder that pulled her back when she stood at the edge of despair.

A shoulder that taught her her life held value beyond love, beyond rejection.

A shoulder warm with presence, steady with truth and... love?

”A shoulder... a shoulder...” she repeated faintly, her voice trembling as the pressure in her chest grew unbearable.

”ARrrh!” Lia cried out, clutching her head as pain exploded through her.

Helena and Aria rushed toward her instantly, fear etched across their faces. ”Lia, are you alright?” Aria asked urgently, her voice shaking as she reached out.

”Lia, hold still!” Helena said quickly as her hands began to glow with healing light. ”Let me help you.”

But Lia recoiled, her face twisted in agony, her trembling eyes shaking violently as tears spilled freely.

She had forgotten something.... Not just a memory, but a piece of herself?

Something precious.... Something that once made her smile without effort.

Something that healed her broken heart and taught her how to love again.

Something... irreplaceable?

Her hand lifted slowly, fingers shaking as they reached toward her ponytail-

CLAP!~

”That’s enough!”

Morgana suddenly appeared with a sharp clap that echoed through the garden.