Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1569: A Mob’s Story: Part-1

Penelope’s POV

A child born into a warm, gentle family, she grew beneath the quiet glow of love.

From the day she was born, her parents doted on her with a tenderness that never wavered. They were only commoners, living by selling cakes and bread in their small bakery, hands always dusted with flour and hearts always full.

Yet within those humble walls lived a warmth that felt richer than anything in the world, soft as breath, steady as a heartbeat that never faltered.

”Pene... come inside, darling. Papa made your favourite chocolate cake,” my mother called, her voice gentle and warm as it echoed through the bakery.

I had been outside, playing with the other children, but the moment her voice reached me, I ran without hesitation.

The wooden door creaked softly as I pushed it open, and there they were.

My mother stood near the counter, her smile pure and welcoming, while my father looked at me with quiet pride, as though the world itself had arrived just to see him.

In that moment, surrounded by their warmth, I felt something settle deep inside me, something complete.

There was nothing more I could ask for.

Other children wore fine clothes, their fabrics bright and soft, and carried toys I had only ever seen from afar.

Yet none of that stirred even a flicker of longing within me. What I had here felt fuller, richer, as if my small world held everything I could ever need, wrapped gently in love and simple joys.

I took a bite of the cake, cheeks puffed slightly as the sweetness melted across my tongue, and through the open doorway, I noticed the children I had been playing with.

They stood there quietly, peeking inside with wide, curious eyes, drawn by the scent and the warmth.

I hesitated and glanced up at my father. He met my eyes, understanding without a word, and a soft smile spread across his face.

”Why are you all standing out there?” he called warmly. ”Come in. I made plenty for everyone.”

His voice carried no hesitation, only kindness, and my mother was already moving, gently placing plates on the table, preparing for each child as if they had always belonged there.

The children stepped in slowly at first, then with growing ease, their faces lighting up with small, genuine smiles that felt as pure as the moment itself.

”Mama and Papa are the best,” I said, unable to hold back the pride swelling inside me as I looked at them.

Those days were filled with a quiet kind of magic, the kind that didn’t need grandeur or spectacle.

It lived in shared meals, in laughter, in the way my parents looked at me as though I were their entire world.

People would say we were poor, that we had little, that our lives were small and simple. But they never understood.

They never saw what I saw, never felt what I felt.

I was the richest girl in the world!!

As long as I was with my family, nothing else mattered.

Nothing could ever make me feel lacking.

One afternoon, as the golden light of the sun softened around us, a boy stepped forward from among the children. He was the same age as me, our neighbour’s son, his hands trembling slightly as he held out a small flower, its petals uneven but carefully chosen.

”W-When I grow up... we can make cakes together,” he said, his voice shaking, yet determined in its own fragile way. He took a breath, gathering what little courage he had.

”S-So... will you marry me?”

His words fell into the air like something unfamiliar, something I couldn’t quite grasp.

”H.. h...” My voice caught, lost between confusion and something I couldn’t name.

I stood there, staring at him, my thoughts tangling together.

Marry?

Make cakes together?

But I already make cakes with my family.

That’s where I belong.

A strange fear crept into my chest, quiet but sharp.

I-Is he trying to take me away?

The thought felt too big, too frightening to understand.

My chest tightened, and before I could stop myself, tears welled up in my eyes. I turned and ran, my small steps uneven as I rushed into the bakery, straight into the safety of my parents.

I buried myself in their embrace, clinging to them as if letting go would make everything fall apart.

I cried without knowing why, only knowing that something felt wrong, something I couldn’t explain.

My mother gently stroked my hair.

”It’s alright, dear,” she said, her voice calm and soothing, like a lullaby meant to quiet a restless heart.

”That’s just how boys are at this age. They say things they don’t fully understand.”

She pulled back slightly, cupping my face with a tender smile that held both warmth and quiet amusement.

”We are not going anywhere. We will always be right here with you,” she continued softly. ”Even your father was just like that when he was little, you know.”

My father chuckled faintly in the background.

My mother tilted her head slightly, her eyes gentle yet curious.

”So... do you like him?” she asked.

”I like... him?” I repeated slowly, the words unfamiliar on my tongue.

I frowned slightly, trying to understand what she meant, but the feeling didn’t come.

I only knew one kind of love, one kind of closeness.

And that was the one I felt right here, within this small bakery, wrapped safely in my family’s warmth.

But if I were to compare it to my favourite cakes, I would say... my parents were chocolate cake, rich and comforting, and that boy was vanilla... my second favourite.

As I explained it to them, trying to make sense of my own feelings, my mother smiled warmly, her eyes soft with understanding.

”That means you like him—”

”Hah... haha... so that day has come... ahaha... looks like I need to step up my game,” my handsome father said, laughing under his breath while holding a baking knife in his hand.

Yet for some reason... something about his expression felt slightly off, like a shadow passing too quickly to grasp.

Before I could think too deeply about it, my mother gently pulled me closer, her hand resting on my head as she soothed me. She explained what I should do about the boy’s proposal.

She told me to wait, to give myself time until I truly understood what those words meant, until my heart could answer without confusion.

So I told him exactly that.

The boy’s shoulders dropped slightly, his face dimming for a moment as disappointment flickered across his eyes.

But he quickly straightened, forcing a small yet determined smile.

”I will try my best then,” he said, his voice steadier than before.

For a brief second, his smile felt warm, almost shining... and I didn’t know why, but something inside my chest tightened, a strange, unfamiliar ache brushing against my heart before fading away.

As time passed and I began to grow, I started to understand more about the world around me. I learned why our lives were the way they were, why my parents worked so hard yet remained where they were.

Both of them were blank card holders.

Yes... That’s what the world called them... Useless Arcane Card Holders.

Even in those ridiculed, they still smiled and loved me!

And so, I decided that I would change that.

If there was a way to make our lives even more beautiful, then it had to be through me.

I needed to awaken my powers.

I began training in secret, pushing my small body little by little, hiding my efforts behind quiet determination. I wanted to surprise them. I wanted to give them something they never had.

They say the earlier you train your body, the higher your chances of receiving a better Arcane Card.

And I believed that with all my heart.

I wanted to surprise my parents... and him too, the boy who had proposed to me and still acted so silly whenever we met.

Before I realised it, the day of the ritual had arrived.

”Darling, no matter what happens, we will always love you,” my mother said, her voice trembling slightly, as if she were remembering something from her past.

”Yes,” my father added, his tone firm yet filled with warmth. ”Those cards will never decide your future. We will. Do you understand?”

Their words wrapped around me like a shield, and I nodded slowly, holding onto that warmth as I stepped forward.

For a moment, I glanced toward the boy.

When I waved at him, he immediately blushed and hid behind his parents, peeking out shyly.

So cute...

Somewhere along the way, I had started noticing these small things about him. The way he acted, the way he smiled...

Was this what people meant by being in love?

I wasn’t sure.

The ritual continued, one by one, children stepping forward toward the Mother Root. When it was his turn, I saw him hesitate for a few seconds, his hand trembling slightly before he reached out and touched it.

And then...

A bright, golden light burst forth.

A Golden Card emerged.

Gasps spread through the crowd as everyone turned in shock. Just like that, his future had been decided without him even lifting a finger.

Good for him.

As he walked back, he looked at me with a proud expression, his chest slightly puffed as if he had already succeeded in winning me over.

’Hmph. Dream on, boy. You need to learn how to make cakes first.’

I lifted my chin slightly, pretending not to care as my turn finally came.

When I stepped forward, I could feel my parents’ gazes on me.

My mother and father were silently praying, their hands clenched, their hopes resting on something they never had.

Even though I had told myself that I didn’t care...

Somewhere deep inside my heart, I still longed for something.

’Oh great Mother, I didn’t ask for gold, not even silver... even a copper would be enough. Enough to let my family have a home... enough for me to stay beside the boy I love.’ I thought... no, I prayed, my heart quietly begging the goddess for mercy.

A small blush crept across my cheeks as I glanced at my parents and then at the boy, both of them watching me with bright, hopeful smiles, their belief in me shining without doubt.

I took a slow breath, steadying myself, and reached forward...

... Blank Card?

”...”

For a single moment, everything stopped.

The world I had imagined... the happiness I held so tightly... shattered into countless, silent pieces.

The whispers came...

”Useless.”

”Another waste.”

”Just like her parents”

Their voices echoed around me, repeating again and again like a cruel verdict that refused to fade.

Before I could even process it, I found myself pulled into my parents’ embrace, their warmth surrounding me as if trying to shield me from everything.

”I... I am sorry for being useless, Mom, Dad.”

I uttered, my voice breaking as tears streamed down my face.