Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1484: Vesperine making a deal

Kaelen moved quickly through the corridor. His jaw stayed clenched, brows drawn tight with a mixture of annoyance and barely restrained fury.

When he reached a secluded chamber, he paused and glanced over his shoulder, scanning the empty passage to ensure no one had followed him. Only then did he exhale, slow and deliberate, before turning to the guard who had escorted him this far.

”Make sure you inform me immediately if anyone comes around,” Kaelen ordered.

The guard straightened, his expression serious and alert as he nodded once. He positioned himself outside the door like a silent sentinel.

Kaelen inhaled again, deeper this time, as if bracing himself for an unseen threat. After a brief hesitation, he reached for the knob, twisted it firmly, and stepped inside the room.

Inside, an orange light spilt through the tall window, illuminating the figure of a gorgeous woman with long twin tails of hair cascading down her back. She stood near the glass, the wind slipping through the opening and playing with her hair, lifting and weaving it gently around her face.

Slowly, she turned toward him, lips curved into a soft, familiar smile that carried both warmth and danger.

”It has truly been a while, Kaelen,” Vesperine said with a gentle tone.

Kaelen’s lips twitched as he took a few steps closer. His eyes never left hers, sharp and guarded.

”We met just a week ago,” he replied flatly, ”Do not speak as if years have passed between us.”

She blinked once, then tilted her head slightly, an almost playful gesture. Her shoulders lifted in a soft shrug, as though his response amused her more than it hurt.

”Oh? Is that so?” Vesperine said quietly, her smile turning wistful. ”For me, it felt far longer than a single week. Being separated from you has a way of stretching time until it becomes unbearable.”

Kaelen’s expression hardened, a deep frown forming as irritation seeped into his voice. He crossed his arms, distancing himself emotionally even as he stood close.

”I already told you I am not interested in anything right now,” he said firmly. ”And I have no intention of mending a relationship that was broken beyond repair. So tell me, Vesperine, why are you here again?”

Vesperine let out a soft chuckle. She stepped forward slightly, her hand lifting to rest against her chest as her breathing slowed.

”I know,” she said gently. ”I understand that you are still angry with me for what I did. Anyone in your place would be. I would be angry too.”

Her voice softened further, turning fragile as pain flickered through her eyes.

”But you have to understand my position,” she continued. ”I did not have a choice, Kaelen. This place, this life, it is hell for someone like me. I had nothing left, nothing to cling to just to survive. Do you think it was easy for me to make those choices?”

She shook her head.

”No. It was not. I love you, Kaelen. I truly do. Even now, even after everything, you agreed to meet me in secret. You know what that means. It means that somewhere deep inside your heart, you still believe in my feelings, and you still—”

Kaelen let out a sharp snort and turned away abruptly, cutting her off mid-sentence. His shoulders tensed as he took a step toward the door.

”Dream on,” he said coldly. ”The reason I met you in secret has nothing to do with love or lingering feelings. I know exactly what my mother would do to you if you ever stood before her again, and the last thing I want is to see the person I once loved die at the hands of my own family.”

He paused, a weak, bitter smile crossing his face as he shook his head slowly.

”If that is all you came here to say, then I am leaving. And believe me, if you return again, my father will kill you for real this time.”

Vesperine stared at his back, her fingers curling as she bit down on her lip.

”Your father?” she scoffed quietly. ”Kaelen, you are an idiot to believe that loser who seduced your mothe—”

She did not finish the sentence.

In an instant, Kaelen was in front of her, his hand wrapped tightly around her neck as if she weighed nothing at all. The sudden force stole her breath, her body lifting slightly off the ground as shock flashed across her face.

Kaelen’s eyes burned with lethal intent as he leaned closer, his voice dropping into a dangerous whisper.

”Say one more word about my father,” he warned, his grip tightening.

”And I swear, you will die by my own hand.”

There was no hesitation in his gaze, no doubt in his resolve. Vesperine’s eyes widened as fear crept in, her attention drifting upward to a faint, blinking image only she could see hovering above his head.

[💗 50%]

[💗 ↓49%]

Seeing the number fall made her heart sink. Kaelen’s feelings for her were slipping away. The future she desperately wanted felt like it was crumbling right before her eyes.

She clenched her fists tightly, nails digging into her palms as a single question echoed relentlessly in her mind.

She did not understand.

Why had Kaelen’s heart become so distant, so difficult to reclaim, when she was fighting so desperately to reach it again?

Even though she had succeeded in seducing him long ago and capturing his heart when it mattered most, Kaelen was slipping away from her fingers in a way no one else ever had.

Others had accepted who she was, accepted her choices, her nature, and her many connections.

Yet Kaelen stood apart.

Kai, Leon, Finnian... each of them had their own emotions, their own pride, and even their own moments of jealousy. They fought for her, clashed with one another, and burned with possessiveness, but it was never like this.

They were angry, disappointed, even hurt, yet in the end, they accepted reality because they wanted her, flaws and all.

But Kaelen... Kaelen was different from them.

Even though he was supposed to be like them, even though everything had been set up the same way, Kaelen was meant to end up in her arms. That was how it was supposed to be. That was her plan, the pattern she had followed again and again, the method that had never failed her until now. And yet... now...

Vesperine clenched her fist tightly before she suddenly grabbed his wrist. Gathering every fragment of courage she had left, she forced the words out, her shoulders trembling as emotion broke through her composure.

”T-Tell me...” she said shakily, her voice strained. ”Was it because I have other men in my life? Is that why you hate me this much? If that’s the reason, then what about your precious father, huh? He has more than one woman in his life too... including your mother—cough, cough...”

Her words were cut short as she suddenly coughed, the pressure on her throat increasing sharply. The grip tightened even further, stealing her breath, yet she did not look afraid. Instead, she smirked faintly, eyes glinting as she watched Kaelen’s fury surface without restraint.

”See...” she rasped with difficulty, still forcing out a taunt. ”Me and your father... we are no different—arrh!”

The grip tightened mercilessly, almost completely blocking the air in Vesperine’s throat. Kaelen stared at her with eyes devoid of emotion, cold and terrifying as she struggled beneath his hand.

How dare she compare her with his father?

This woman...

”I-It hurts,” Vesperine whispered weakly.

Thud.

The moment those words reached him, his hand released instinctively, before his mind could even process the action. Vesperine collapsed onto the ground, gasping heavily as she struggled to breathe. She lifted her gaze slowly, looking up at Kaelen with teary eyes, and despite her condition, a faint smile crept onto her lips.

It was not fear she felt, but certainty. A quiet, victorious certainty that told her she was still there, somewhere deep in his heart.

Kaelen raised his finger toward her,

”You are nothing like my father,” he said firmly. ”He is perfect to me. Don’t you dare compare yourself to him.”

Vesperine smirked faintly as she pushed herself up, her voice steady despite the lingering pain.

”Perfect?” she echoed softly. ”Kaelen, everyone has flaws. Even you. Even me. Everyone hides them, especially from the people closest to them. Otherwise, they would only see the cracks when they get too close.”

Kaelen shrugged lightly, as if brushing off her words.

”Maybe,” he replied after a pause. ”But... my fa—my dad is perfect.”

Vesperine frowned, irritation finally seeping through her expression. Being compared to Aether again and again grated on her nerves, each mention twisting something sharp inside her chest.

Kaelen’s demeanour shifted suddenly. The anger drained from his face, replaced by something far heavier. His eyes softened as sadness settled over him, so deep and raw that it nearly made Vesperine’s heart ache in response.

”Even now...” he said quietly, his voice filled with exhaustion. ”You still don’t understand why I was angry at you.”

He shook his head slowly, turning away from her without another word.

Vesperine clutched her chest instinctively, confusion flooding her senses as an unfamiliar pain spread through her heart.

It tightened painfully, leaving her breath shallow and unsteady.

Why was she feeling this way again?

Why did it hurt like this?

She had never felt this with anyone else before.

So why now?

Seeing Kaelen’s slumped shoulders and the weakness in his steps, Vesperine slowly raised her hand. For a brief moment, her fingers trembled in the air as if she might reach him, pull him back, and hold him close. She wanted to embrace him, to atone for the mistakes she had made, or at least what he believed were mistakes.

Mistakes?

What had she really done wrong?

She had followed what she was given, fulfilled what was demanded of her, and executed everything perfectly.

She had done nothing wrong.

In fact, she had done her best to survive and succeed within the path laid before her. Nothing more, nothing less. And yet... his words lingered, cutting deeper than she expected.

What did he mean when he said she did not understand why he was angry at her?

Why did it matter so much now?

Just as Kaelen was about to leave the room, his fingers were inches away from the door handle,

”W-Wait!”

Kaelen’s hand halted right before the knob as he let out a slow sigh. He did not turn around immediately.

”What now?” he asked quietly.

Vesperine slowly brushing dust from her clothes with deliberate movements. She straightened her posture, gathering herself before speaking again,

”I didn’t come here just for this,” she said calmly. ”There was something else I needed to do.”

Kaelen finally turned, a deep frown settling across his face.

”What else?”

Vesperine’s lips curled into a faint smirk, one that carried both confidence and calculation. Her eyes gleamed as she met his stare without hesitation.

”To congratulate your mother,” she replied smoothly. ”And... to make a deal.”

Kaelen’s frown deepened further, confusion and caution mixing together.

”A deal?”

Her smirk widened slightly, amusement flickering across her expression as she took a step closer.

”I know how to increase those values you see in the sky,” she said deliberately. ”As well as the numbers tied to your Origin card, dear.”

Kaelen’s eyes widened in genuine shock, surprise flashing across his face before he could hide it.