Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1573: A Mob’s Story: Part-5

Penelope’s POV

I stood before the shattered remains of my bakery house, broken wood and scattered flour dust drifting through the air like the ghost of what once lived here.

The moment the news reached me, I left the academy without a second thought.

”W-What happened...?” I muttered, my voice trembling as fear coiled tightly around my chest.

I asked the neighbours, but some turned away as if I carried a disease, while a few looked at me with open disdain and whispered that my father had stolen money from a noble house.

The moment those words reached me, it felt as if lightning split through my mind.

”N-No... that’s not true... Please, it can’t be...”

Tears blurred my vision, spilling down despite my desperate attempts to hold them back, while fear pressed against my heart like a suffocating storm cloud that refused to pass.

I searched... I searched everywhere, through streets that twisted endlessly, through alleys that smelled of dust and despair, until my legs went numb and my lungs burned with every breath.

My tear-stricken face stung from the wind, my vision shaking, yet I forced myself forward until I finally saw them... my mother holding my father as they slowly walked out of the prison gates.

The moment their eyes met mine, everything broke.

They rushed toward me, and we collapsed into each other in the middle of the road, clinging desperately as if letting go would tear us apart forever.

My mother, her voice trembling yet steady enough to comfort me, told me it was a false accusation and that my father had been released.

But her words could not hide the truth carved into his body, the bruises dark against his skin, his arms broken and hanging weakly.

She told me she had spent everything, every last coin, just to bring him back.

”Puff~ Look at these lowly commoners... crawling and crying in the dirt. This is my turf, understand? No one is coming to save you.

Drop out of the academy and disappear from my sight... this is my final warning.

Otherwise... who knows what might happen to that beautiful mother of yours.... Haha~”

The voice cut through the moment like a blade.

I turned slowly, my gaze locking onto the guards, and behind them... her.

The Noble woman’s eyes gleamed with cruel amusement, as if all of this ruin was nothing more than a game she had already won.

As I looked back at my father, at his broken arms and trembling body, something inside me collapsed under a weight too heavy to bear.

I know... I know this is all my fault.

I should not have made an enemy out of her... I should not have stood against someone like that... I should not have done it... I... I...

...

....

I left everything behind.

There was nothing left for me to hold onto, and perhaps there never was.

After all, I am just nobody, right?

A nobody should not stand beside those who shine so brightly, so I walked away with my family and took work in a small restaurant, serving others quietly, keeping my head lowered as if I could disappear into the background.

The pay was little, barely enough, but it kept us alive.

It gave us just enough to move forward, one day at a time, without falling apart completely.

It was during one of those ordinary days, when the scent of food filled the air and the clatter of dishes echoed around me, that I heard a familiar voice.

”Penelope...?”

I turned, and there stood Professor Delphine, with a chubby woman beside her. Yet before I could even react, she stepped forward and pulled me into a gentle embrace.

”Where have you been, child? I have searched everywhere for you... You missed the exams and...”

Her voice, usually cold and distant, carried a warmth that I had never heard before, and it wrapped around me just as firmly as her arms.

For the first time since I left the academy, something inside me loosened.

The wall I had built began to crack, and before I could stop myself, tears poured out uncontrollably.

I buried my face into her embrace, unable to hold back the weight of everything I had been carrying alone.

After listening to my story, she gently told me that she would help me return to the academy, that I could still complete my graduation, and that everything was not yet lost.

”I... I don’t care anymore...” I said, my voice quiet, fragile, yet firm in its exhaustion.

”People like us... We were never meant to live in the same world as them.”

The words left me hollow, but they were the only truth I could still hold onto, and in that moment, I chose to give up.

It’s really not worth it to keep fighting if you already know the end... no matter what, people would always look down on us, and no matter how hard we tried... a blank card could never reach the sky.

”How about becoming my assistant? I think that would be—”

”No.”

I firmly rejected her. She had helped me many times, even though she never asked for anything in return, but I had no interest in returning to the academy or even stepping into that place again.

I only wanted to stay in peace with my parents.

That was all I needed now.

The world didn’t need to know who I am... and I didn’t need to leave any legacy worth noting in history.

I... I am just a mob character in the grand scheme of things.

Professor Delphine glanced at me for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. ”If that’s what you want... then it’s fine.” Her eyes then shifted toward the chubby woman beside her, who had remained silent all this time.

The chubby woman exhaled, rolling her eyes slightly. ”Fine, fine... I’ll make an exception since you’re my friend...” She then looked directly at me, with sharp and indifferent eyes,

”How about working under me?”

”... Who are you?”

”Oh? Forgive me. My name is Amara Rosavere, the current CEO of Rosavere Pvt. Company.”

And that was how I entered the Rosavere Company.

Even though I was appointed as a receptionist, the wages were far better than my previous job, and all I had to do was attend calls, manage appointments, and handle schedules.

It was far easier than constantly moving around carrying trays of food.

With the amount I was earning, I might even be able to rebuild the bakery again.

But for that, I needed to stay in this job a little longer.

I had heard that most men would hit on the receptionists working here, that it could get overwhelming, disgusting, and sometimes even dangerous, which was why the pay was higher.

But to my surprise... not a single man approached me that way.

Hahaha... a nobody like me.

Haha... hah... ha...

”I guess... this is how my life is going to be... maybe I should apply for matrimony?”

But before thinking about marrying another blank card holder, I should focus on rebuilding the bakery first. And considering I am turning 31 this month... I am not sure anyone would even be willing to marry me this late.

Sigh...

Anyway, even though I followed Madam Rosavere’s instructions, there were times when nobles would come and shout at me for not letting them in, or for delays in deliveries, or defects, or even for not arranging meetings with Madam Rosavere quickly enough.

Most of the time, I was scared... completely terrified!

I was afraid... truly afraid that if I opposed them, they might harm my family.

So let them..

Because of that, Madam Rosavere began treating me more harshly, yet she never fired me... so it was fine, right?

Compared to being humiliated and crushed by nobles, her harsh words felt lighter, almost bearable.

So I thought I would be fine... or at least, I convinced myself of that.

Until the day her fiancé began forcing me to not allow anyone in unless they met him first.

Even though their relationship was not publicly announced, everyone knew they were on bad terms. Still, he was her fiancé... the future CEO of the company.

Who would dare go against him?

Especially me... no, never.

I would rather endure Madam Rosavere’s harsh words than oppose him.

That was how it usually went.

He would come, make demands, I would obey him, and later Madam would punish me. That became my daily routine... until—

”We have an appointment with your CEO. His name is... Lackey,” a woman said in a cold tone.

Lackey...?

A man stood beside her, wearing a rabbit mask.

I wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it, but the moment I heard his voice—

”Will your CEO be meeting with us or not?”

There was something about it... His voice like it holds the world. I don’t know how to say this, but something that made me curious about the man behind the mask. Even so, I followed Madam’s fiancé’s orders and did not allow him inside.

Yet, for the first time since I started working here—

Madam Rosavere looked at me with a fury I had never seen before.

”You had one job, and yet you betrayed me... Have you ever struggled for money?”

Her words pierced me like a blade. Without her, I would still be struggling for even a single meal... my father might not have survived without the healing potion she provided under the future payment deal.

”P-Please... forgive me... I didn’t mean to... I was forced!” I pleaded, tears streaming uncontrollably down my face.

Yet she ignored me... as if I didn’t even exist from now on.

”I... I...”

Seeing that cold indifference, something inside me snapped. My heart, already fragile, could not bear it anymore.

Anger and frustration surged within me, not only at myself but at—

”YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!”

Her fiancé.

The words tore out of me before I could stop them. I knew I had made a mistake. I knew everything that happened was my fault.

I should have just accepted it and left quietly... and yet, my mouth refused to stop.

”It’s because of you! I lost my job because of you, you asshole!”

Julian, Rosavere’s grandfather, raised his hand slightly and gave a sharp order. ”Get her out of here.”

As the guards began to drag me away, I cried out in pain, my voice breaking under the weight of helplessness.

What choice did I even have?

I never had any choices to begin with.

”Madam, p-please! He t-threatened me!... sob, sob... He told me not to let anyone through unless he was allowed in first. P-Please, believe me!

He said he would torture and fire me once he married you... I was t-terrified... Please, Madam!”

My voice cracked in fear, the memory of my father walking out of the prison flashing vividly in my mind.

”I can’t believe you’re even listening to some random receptionist who would do anything for money!”

”Mr. Henry, please, no one is taking her seriously. Let’s not make this into something it’s not.”

”But she seems to be taking it seriously?”

”Amara, let’s not create a scene. We can’t be sure whether she’s telling the truth, but either way, she betrayed you. It’s best to remove her.”

The hall filled with voices, each one colder than the last, as everyone turned against me as if... I was the one who caused all of this.

My eyes turned hollow, my legs trembling as the strength slowly left my body.

Yeah... just like always... I was the one to be blamed... after all, I am just nobody—

Suddenly, the guards holding me tightly let go. My legs gave out beneath me, and I braced for the hard impact of the ground...

But it never came.

A soft hand caught me at my waist, and a gentle, warm voice reached my ears.

”Are you alright, my lady?”

That’s... Lackey?

I flinched slightly before looking up at the man who had saved me.

My body still trembled as I gave a weak nod.

”P-Please forgive me, sir... I-I didn’t mean to be rude to you... It’s just that... I-I was—”

”Hey, hey... calm down,” he said softly, interrupting me as his hand rested reassuringly on my shoulder. ”I don’t hold grudges against someone who’s been tricked by a loser.”

He spoke with a quiet confidence, as if the situation had never troubled him in the first place.

”It’s alright.” He gave my shoulder a gentle, comforting pat before turning toward Madam Rosavere.

”Would you give her another chance?”

My eyes widened, tears still clinging to my lashes as disbelief washed over me.

W-Was he... helping me?

The same person I had just been rude to?

Someone like me... a nobody?

”Would you give back the 5%?” Madam Rosavere asked coldly.

Oh... a deal?

If that was the case, then I knew my worth. There was no way he would sacrifice huge money for someone like me—

”Yes.”

Huh?

W-What?

What... is happening?

Lackey turned toward me, ”You’ve been given another chance, lady.”

I stood frozen, my thoughts spinning wildly.

Did... did he just give up money for me? Even after I had been rude to him?

As he leaned slightly closer,

”Make sure you use it well. Don’t betray that trust again, got it?”

He lifted his mask just enough for me to see his eyes.

A piercing shade of icy blue.

They cut straight through me, sharp yet strangely gentle, as if they saw something in me that I could not see in myself.

Ba-dump.

M-My heart... suddenly raced uncontrollably. In that single moment, something bloomed wildly inside me, a feeling so overwhelming that it stole my breath away.

My gaze remained locked on him, unable to look away.

I clutched my chest tightly.

”W-What... is this feeling? I... I...” I whispered, my voice barely audible as I watched him turn and leave without another word.

My hand lifted instinctively, reaching toward his retreating figure.

Why... why would someone like him give me a second chance?

Even though I was rude to him?

Even though I am worth nothing?

Why?

Why?

J-Just why?

Heat rushed to my face, turning it bright red as my heart continued to pound wildly in my chest.

W-Was this... what they call love at first sight?

I... I want to see him again. Just once more...

’Oh my God...!’ I screamed inwardly, clutching my chest as a strange, sudden happiness flooded through me.

I didn’t know if it was his words, his eyes, his presence, or simply the fact that he gave me a chance... but I wanted to do my best.

I wanted to see him again.

To show him... I was worth that chance.

For the man who gave me the opportunity to prove myself, just like Delphine once did... even though I had disappointed her in the end, this time... I didn’t fully understand why, but I wanted to show my gratitude.

Truly.

So I did.

Just like when I was 18 years old... I worked hard, pushing myself forward with everything I had, determined to prove that his faith in me was not misplaced.

I didn’t care about anything else. I didn’t care about anyone else. I simply followed Madam’s orders without hesitation, carrying out my duties perfectly... all while waiting for the day he would return and see what I had become.

Did I really want to show off to him like this?

I wondered... I truly wondered...

But more than anything, I just wanted to see him one last time.

When he finally returned after a long time, I thought he would have forgotten me.

But to my surprise—

He remembered a nobody like me.

Inside, I was screaming like a young girl, even though my 31-year-old self stood frozen on the outside.

’Damn it, girl! Control yourself!’ I scolded myself internally. ’He’s not someone you can just approach so easily... remember who you are... You are nobody.’

___

[A/N: I’m truly sorry, guys. I didn’t mean to drag this out, definitely not for money or just for the sake of stretching it. It’s just... I got a bit too emotional while writing this and ended up pouring more of myself into it than I intended. I became carried away in the moment, and before I realised it, it had grown longer than expected. Please forgive me if it felt too lengthy or if it cost you more than you anticipated. I’m really sorry once again. I’ll do my best to keep things more concise and balanced in the future while still giving you a good experience.]