Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1453: ”Who... are you?”

”Who... are you?”

”...H-Huh?”

Delphine’s breath hitched as confusion twisted into fear.

Those words were enough to halt her entirely, her body freezing in place as shock wrapped around her mind. She stood there, unable to comprehend what she had just heard.

Her eyes burned and filled rapidly, tears gathering as disbelief and dread collided inside her.

”Del?”

Aether muttered her name with a frown, his brows knitting together as his gaze lingered on her face. He looked genuinely lost, unable to process what stood before him.

Hearing him call her a sweet nickname made her heart jolt painfully in her chest. She pointed at herself with trembling fingers, forcing a weak smile through her tears as she spoke,

”Y-Yes... Del. It’s me. Do you remember now, Aether?”

Aether stared at Delphine in silence, blinking several times as if trying to wake himself from a dream.

Doubt crept into his expression as he wondered if his exhausted mind was playing tricks on him, because he had left Delphine alone in the Eternal Prison.

Right?

”B-But... Eternal Priso—”

The moment he said that, Delphine understood everything. Aether had not lost his memories at all; he was simply confused. He remembered leaving her behind, remembered escaping through the portal alone, and now she stood before him changed, leaner, unfamiliar enough to make him question his own sanity.

Without allowing fear or hesitation to take over, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his trembling body.

Tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably as her voice broke, ”A... Aether... Aether... Aether...”

She repeated his name again and again, clinging to him as if he might disappear if she let go. Feeling how thin and fragile he had become only made her sob harder, grief and relief pouring out together.

Aether blinked slowly, his mind struggling to catch up with reality. Thoughts lagged behind his senses, as if his consciousness needed time to accept that this moment was real.

His right hand lifted hesitantly before settling against her back, slowly returning the embrace. His voice trembled as he whispered, ”Delphine... my Delphine,” while a single tear slipped from the corner of his eye.

”Are you... are you alright?” he asked, gently pushing her back just enough to see her face, his eyes filled with worry.

He studied her trembling aqua eyes, shimmering with longing, fear, and love all at once. A soft, relieved smile formed on his lips, ”Yeah... my Del,” he murmured, fully accepting that she was truly here with him.

Delphine broke down again, leaning forward as she showered his face with desperate kisses. Each touch carried everything she had held inside, the fear, the loneliness, and how much his silence had torn her apart.

~chu~

~chu~

~chu~

Aether let out a quiet chuckle, warmth spreading through him with every kiss. Her lips against his skin made him feel alive again, and he met her gaze as she lingered close after kissing his nose.

”Welcome back...”

Aether nodded weakly, a faint smile tugging at his lips as his eyes drifted down to her mouth. ”And what about my lips?” he asked quietly, tilting his head slightly, mischief mixing with relief.

Delphine’s lips twitched, not from annoyance but from affection that hurt her chest.

Seeing that he had not changed at all in this small, familiar way, she shook her head softly before leaning in and kissing his lips.

”Hmm~”

Delphine let out a soft sound, relief finally settling into her trembling body.

”Welcome... home.”

Her voice carried more than just words.

It carried waiting, fear, and the quiet hope that she had refused to let die.

Aether nodded slowly, a faint smile forming on his lips as he tried to shift his weight forward. The moment he attempted to take a step, his legs buckled beneath him, nearly sending him crashing to the floor, but Delphine caught him instantly.

”Careful,” she said with a worried tone, tightening her grip around him as her heart jumped in fear.

Aether let out a weak chuckle, leaning into her slightly as he steadied himself.

”Well... you should be careful too,” he replied softly, amusement flickering in his tired eyes.

”Huh? What do you mean?”

Delphine tilted her head in confusion, her grip on him loosening just a little as she searched his face for an answer.

Aether glanced downward, his gaze lingering longer than it should have, and a sly grin slowly appeared on his face.

What he saw made the corner of his lips curl upward.

Delphine frowned at his perverted expression, immediately noticing the direction of his gaze. Following his eyes, she looked down and froze, her face instantly turning beet red when she realised there was nothing covering her.

She gasped softly and immediately covered her breasts with her hands, her cheeks burning as panic rushed in. ”I-I wasn’t...” Her words faltered as her eyes shifted to the towel near the bed, lying uselessly on the floor where it had fallen the moment she saw Aether.

Her face flushed even deeper as she realised, from the very beginning, she had been standing in front of him completely naked.

”Haha...”

Aether giggled softly, clearly amused as he watched her rush toward the bed to grab the towel. As she moved, flustered and desperate, his eyes followed her jiggling ass instinctively, unable to look away for even a second.

The reason he had been so shocked earlier suddenly made perfect sense to him now. She had been standing before him naked, and for a brief moment, it had made him doubt reality itself, wondering if this truly was Delphine.

Even though she could be perverted at times, she was never someone who would expose herself.

That contradiction alone had been enough to leave him confused.

Delphine’s cheeks burned as she wrapped the towel tightly around her chest, securing it before turning back to him. She glared at him with a small, adorable pout, embarrassment and frustration mixing together.

”D-Don’t laugh!”

Aether laughed a little more, unable to hold it in any longer, but his amusement was suddenly cut short.

”Cough... cough.”

His throat tightened painfully, the laughter triggering a harsh irritation that forced him to bend slightly as he struggled to breathe comfortably.

Delphine’s expression changed instantly as worry replaced embarrassment. She hurried to the side, grabbed a glass of water, and brought it to him, gently patting his chest as she offered it. ”Drink slowly... you’ve been here for almost a month,” she said softly, her voice filled with concern.

Aether drank the water carefully, swallowing calmly until the irritation faded from his throat. Letting out a slow breath, he nodded before looking at her with questions heavy in his eyes.

”What... happened exactl-”

Before he could finish his words, the door suddenly opened.

Thud!

Emberlyn entered the room holding a tray. Her eyes immediately went to Aether’s bed, and when she saw it empty, her heart nearly stopped for a second.

Her gaze quickly shifted, and at the corner of her vision, she noticed two figures standing close together near the balcony.

TANK!

The moment her eyes landed on Aether, the tray slipped from her hands. The sound echoed through the room as warm, medicinal water splashed across the floor, clothes tumbling after it.

For a long second, she did not move.

She simply stood there, staring blankly at Aether, her mind refusing to accept what her eyes were seeing.

Aether, on the other hand, looked back at her with a confused expression.

This was something he had imagined countless times, something that felt childish and impossible.

And yet, it was real.

Aether quietly winked at Delphine, a playful glint in his eyes that caught her completely off guard. She blinked in confusion, wondering what he was trying to do and why he looked so mischievous all of a sudden.

She did not have to wait long for the answer.

Within the next few seconds,

”A-Aether?”

Emberlyn muttered his name as she slowly stepped closer, her body trembling with every careful movement. Her hands shook at her sides, fear and fragile hope twisting tightly inside her chest.

Aether tilted his head slightly as he stared at Emberlyn, his eyes calm but unreadable. His lips parted slowly as he muttered, ”Who... are... you?” His tone sounded genuinely confused, almost childlike.

”...”

Emberlyn’s face twisted into pure horror and disbelief as her breath caught painfully in her throat. ”Aether... It’s me... E-Emberlyn?” she said weakly, her voice cracking as she tried to smile through fear.

Aether tilted his head again, blinking slowly. ”E-Ember... what?” His eyes carried an innocent, almost too-perfect confusion that made her heart sink even further.

He had always wanted to try something like this, something stupid and childish, just once.

Emberlyn’s expression shattered completely, terror overtaking her features as her knees nearly gave out. ”D-Did you forget me?” she cried. ”Your mother-in-law, Aether?” Her voice trembled as if she already feared the answer.

Aether tilted his head yet again, maintaining the same innocent expression. ”Mother-in-law? What?” he asked softly, as if the words meant nothing to him.

Meanwhile, Delphine stared at him with an expression that could only be described as pure disbelief. Her face clearly screamed that he had just woken up, and this was absolutely not the time for stupidity.

Aether watched Emberlyn’s face change rapidly, emotion after emotion crashing across her features. Horror turned into disbelief, disbelief into loss, loss into anger, and anger into painful realisation.

Aether giggled softly, his lips parting as he spoke in a gentle tone. ”I am just kidding, Mother—”

Thud!

Before he could finish the sentence, Emberlyn collapsed onto her knees, tears pouring out uncontrollably as her body shook violently. She could not tell whether she should feel relief that her son-in-law had awakened or despair that he might have forgotten her and everyone else.

What a cruel life.

In that moment, she finally understood what Delphine had meant when she said he was cursed.

”W-Why?” Emberlyn sobbed as she pressed her trembling hands to the floor. ”Why... God... we didn’t do anything to deserve this... why do you keep pushing us?” Her shoulders shook under the unbearable weight of grief.

’Ah... shit.’

Aether’s expression turned painfully awkward. He glanced at Delphine, who looked back at him with an expression somewhere between disgust and the urge to strangle him.

His face stiffened even more as he hurried closer, ”Mother-in-law... it’s me,” he said quickly. ”I was just kidding...”

Emberlyn, still breaking down, slowly looked up at him through blurred vision. She saw him standing there, scratching the back of his head with an awkward smile.

”I am... sorry,” he added quietly. ”I just wanted to... You know... tease you. Seeing after a long time. That’s all...”

Emberlyn blinked several times, tears clinging to her lashes as she struggled to process his words. With a trembling voice, she asked, ”T-Then... you remember who I am?”

Aether nodded immediately, ”Of course I do,” he replied warmly. ”My beautiful mother-in-law... whose cooking always reaches my deepest heart.”

Delphine flinched the moment she heard that.

Emberlyn’s eyes widened as her hands began to tremble again, emotions flooding back in an instant. ”A-Aether?” she whispered, unable to believe him.

Aether smiled gently and opened his arms toward her. ”Yes,” he said softly.

”Your beloved and only son-in-law.”

”AETHER!”

Emberlyn lunged forward without hesitation, wrapping her arms around him with overwhelming force as she hugged him tightly.

Crack!

”ARHH!!”

Aether cried out in pain as his body jolted from the impact.

”SORRRRRRYYYYYYYY!!!!”

Emberlyn screamed in horror, tightening her grip in panic as tears continued to fall.