Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 752: [Bonus (-‿◦)] A Dinner Talk: Adoption!

The night had finally arrived, marking the end of a long and eventful day. Both Empires, after much turmoil, had finally come together in an uneasy yet historic union... Peace had settled, if only momentarily, as the weight of tomorrow loomed over everyone.

The citizens were brimming with excitement, eagerly anticipating the grand announcement from their rulers.

What would be declared? How would their newly unified Empire be governed from here on? Countless questions buzzed through their minds, but for now, all they could do was wait.

While the entire Empire was abuzz with speculation and anticipation, back in Frostblade’s Mansion, a completely different atmosphere lingered.

The dining room was steeped in a thick, almost suffocating tension.

Crunch, crunch…

Hmm… Hmm…

Gulp, gulp…

The only sounds echoing through the large, dimly lit dining hall were the noises of chewing, licking, and swallowing.

Velc, Xara, Kai, Selene, and Leon sat at the long table, eating their dinner in an unsettling silence.

The servants, including Aether, stood obediently at the side, waiting for them to finish. Normally, the room would be filled with casual conversations or at least the occasional remark, but tonight… tonight, an unspoken pressure loomed over them all.

It was as if something was about to happen, something inevitable, though no one could quite predict what it would be.

Aether, standing at his usual position, occasionally cast glances at Xara... And though she clearly noticed, she didn’t acknowledge him, nor did she return the look.

Delphine was absent from the dinner table. She was still occupied with handling border disputes and other critical matters alongside the generals.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, Xara, who had finished eating much faster than anyone else, finally set down her knife and spoon. She dabbed her lips with a napkin before—

”Ahem.”

She cleared her throat.

!!!

Velc visibly flinched, nearly stabbing his own throat with his fork in the process.

’Come to think of it… he’s always been scared of her… but why?’ Aether inwardly mused. His curiosity piqued as his expression shifted, interest in whatever was about to unfold.

”Aether.”

”… Hmm? Me?” Aether snapped back to reality and looked toward Xara.

”Yes. Come and eat,” she stated firmly, gesturing toward an empty chair at the table.

Velc and Kai immediately frowned, their displeasure evident, but neither dared to speak up.

Aether hesitated for a moment before cautiously approaching the table. He stole another glance at Xara, who merely flicked her fingers in an impatient motion.

”Just sit down,” she said, her tone carrying an unmistakable authority.

Aether exhaled softly and did as he was told, lowering himself onto the chair. Meanwhile, Xara turned her gaze toward Alfred, who visibly tensed under her scrutiny. The butler hesitated, then darted his eyes toward Velc, as if silently seeking some form of guidance or approval.

However—

”If you don’t do your duty now, you will face the consequences… Alfred,” Xara spoke, her voice devoid of warmth.

The chilling statement sent an immediate shiver down the spines of everyone present.

Alfred, understanding the gravity of the command, stiffened before bowing deeply.

”Please forgive me!” he said hastily before rushing to prepare a plate for Aether.

Aether blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden shift.

/Surprised?/

A familiar voice rang in his mind—Selene’s.

/Surprised? More like… what the hell is going on here?/ Aether responded telepathically, stealing a glance at Selene. She was calmly eating, her lips curled into a knowing grin.

/Hmm? Did you forget the strong rules?/

/Huh?/

/My mother—she’s the strongest and most competent one here. Even though Grandpa built this entire territory, it was she who maintained everything, kept it running under her control. My father? He was just the face of it all… nothing more./

Aether’s eyes slightly widened as he instinctively glanced toward Velc, who sat rigidly, his face burning with suppressed anger. And yet, despite his clear frustration, no words left his mouth.

Selene smirked and continued,

/The only reason my father ever dared to talk back or do what he did to you was because of my Grandpa’s influence. That old man didn’t like the idea of a woman running the household, so he always kept my mother in check—gave her just enough power, but never too much. He made sure her authority remained under his control. But now…/

Selene chuckled softly, her amusement evident.

”Don’t laugh while eating, dear,” Xara gently chided, her voice softer now.

Selene merely nodded with a cheeky grin, playfully winking at Aether before returning to her meal.

Aether, however, remained momentarily frozen, his mind still processing everything. He finally snapped out of it when Xara’s voice broke through his daze.

”Are you not eating?” she asked, her brows furrowing slightly.

Aether quickly picked up his utensils and took a bite, though his eyes still flickered around the room. He noticed Alfred biting his lip nervously. Meanwhile, Timmy… well, he seemed to have completely given up, his only concern now being his own survival.

Velc, on the other hand, was seething, his teeth grinding together much like Kai’s, who looked like he wanted to say something—anything—but no words came out.

Aether inwardly chuckled at the absurdity of it all and continued eating, entertained by the growing tension in the room.

However—

”I am going to take Aether as my son.”

”PUFFFFF!!!”

”PUFFFFF!!”

”PUFFFFF!!!”

”PUFFFFFFF!!!”

Except for Leon, every single person at the table who had food in their mouth immediately spat it out in utter shock.

Even Aether, who had just taken a bite, choked violently.

”Disgusting!” Xara spat in irritation before her sharp gaze swept across the table. ”What’s wrong with all of you, spitting out your food like that? Have you all lost your manners—”

But before she could even finish,

”What’s wrong with you, Mom?!!” Kai shot back, his voice laced with both shock and frustration. His eyes widened in disbelief, his hands clenched into fists on the table. However—

”Finish your food first,” Xara cut in.

”Finish? Are you out of your damn mind—”

”I’m not going to repeat myself, Kai. My son…” Xara’s eyes darkened with a chilling warning, ”Finish the food.”

Kai swallowed hard... Begrudgingly, he picked up his utensils and resumed eating, his jaw clenched in frustration.

”Not just him. Everyone,” Xara commanded, her sharp gaze sweeping over the entire table, making sure her words reached every single person present. ”Finish your food first before anything else.”

Silence fell once more, thick and heavy. Everyone instinctively snapped back to their meals, obediently eating despite the tension.

Aether and Selene exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions mirroring each other’s concern. The situation was spiralling into something far more intense than either of them had anticipated, and neither had a clue how far it was about to go.

Minutes passed, the clinking of cutlery against porcelain being the only sound echoing in the vast dining hall. Finally, the last bite was taken, and the maids and servants hurriedly cleared the table, their movements quick and efficient as if they sensed the storm brewing and wanted to escape before it hit.

Even Leon didn’t hesitate to slip out of the room, clearly wanting no part in whatever was about to unfold.

Now, only the key players remained.

Velc sat stiffly, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like he might shatter his teeth. His fingers drummed against the polished wood of the table before he finally spoke, his voice sharp and demanding.

”What do you mean by that?” he asked, his piercing gaze locked onto Xara.

She, on the other hand, looked utterly unbothered, casually inspecting her nails as if this entire conversation was beneath her concern as if she had already won whatever game was being played.

”It is what it is,” Xara finally replied, her tone indifferent yet carrying a sense of finality. ”I want to adopt Aether as my son.”

Kai shot up from his seat so fast that his chair scraped against the floor. ”What about me?!” he shouted, his frustration bubbling over. His eyes flickered between Xara and Aether, his confusion evident.

Xara blinked, her expression blank and unreadable. ”What about you?” She tilted her head slightly, her voice carrying genuine confusion. ”You’re already my son, Kai.”

Kai’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment, realizing how ridiculous his outburst must have sounded. He cleared his throat awkwardly, attempting to regain his composure. ”I mean… you already have me as your son, so why the hell are you trying to take him in?”

Xara shrugged, then leaned toward him slightly, her lips curling into an amused yet dangerous smirk. ”Then please, explain something to me, Kai. If you were already engaged to Lia, why did you suddenly break it off and get engaged to Aqualina instead?”

”T-That…” Kai faltered, completely taken aback by the sudden shift in conversation.

”This isn’t about him, Xara,” Velc interrupted, his voice firm as he cleared his throat. His dark eyes flickered toward Aether before focusing back on Xara, his expression unreadable. ”It’s about you. What’s the point of all this? What exactly are you trying to accomplish?”

Xara finally met his gaze, her expression stern—no, worse than that. The way she looked at him was as if he were nothing more than an insignificant insect, something so beneath her that it wasn’t even worth stepping on.

Velc stiffened, his blood boiling under that humiliating stare.

Xara’s lips curled slightly, her amusement barely concealed. ”I know what you two were planning,” she said, her voice calm yet carrying a sharp, knowing edge that sent a chill through the air. ”I mean… it’s obvious, isn’t it?”

Both Velc and Kai visibly flinched, their reactions betraying them before they could even attempt to deny it.

Aether and Selene frowned at each other, exchanging confused glances, neither of them sure what was so ”obvious” that Xara had figured it out before them.

’What the hell is obvious?’ Aether inwardly wondered.

Selene seemed just as lost, though her instincts told her this was leading to something major.

Xara snorted, her eyes shifting between her husband and son—one gaze filled with disappointment, the other with outright disdain... Both Velc and Kai lowered their heads slightly, unable to meet her stare as if she had already peeled away every one of their defences.

”Mom, what’s going on?” Selene finally spoke, curiosity and a hint of concern evident on her face.

Xara let out a low hum before turning to her daughter. ”Tell me, Selene. Why do you think they personally went out to help the people after the disaster?”

Selene blinked. ”Because our soldiers weren’t enough to handle the aftermath?”

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Xara scoffed, shaking her head slightly. ”Oh, please. We were near the centre of the Empire, not on the outer edges. Our territory barely suffered any real damage. Our soldiers were more than capable of handling things on their own.”

Selene’s brows furrowed. ”Then… was it for fame?”

Xara smirked, leaning back slightly. ”Exactly. They wanted to build their own reputation, separate from the old man’s legacy. That in itself isn’t a bad thing, but that wasn’t all they were after.”

Selene leaned forward slightly, ”Then what else?”

Xara’s eyes flickered toward Aether before shifting back to Velc and Kai, her expression darkening slightly.

”Him,” she said, her voice carrying a weight that made Aether stiffen.

Aether’s fingers twitched slightly. ”Me?”

Xara’s smirk widened ever so slightly. ”They wanted to see whether people still clung to the old man’s letter… and to Aether’s presence.”

Selene’s eyes widened slightly, realization clicking into place in her mind like pieces of a puzzle she hadn’t even realized were missing.

Aether, too, felt something shift within him, his thoughts suddenly aligning in ways he hadn’t considered before.

’Wait… now that I think about it…’

The more he thought about it, the clearer it became.

’People always forget old news when something bigger happens. And after everything—the near collapse of the Empire, the chaos—of course, the attention would shift elsewhere. No one would have the time or reason to bring up an old letter anymore…’

He hadn’t even considered this possibility until now.

Even Selene, who usually caught onto things quickly, had only just remembered the letter’s existence. If Xara hadn’t mentioned it, she, too, might have forgotten entirely.

”We were just trying to—” Velc started, his tone almost defensive.

But Xara didn’t let him finish.

”Since the Empress has been busy with political matters, everyone would soon forget about the letter and Aether’s freedom,” she cut in smoothly.

She tilted her head, amusement flickering in her gaze.

”They thought if they just left things alone for a while, eventually, no one would be talking about Aether anymore.”

Velc and Kai both bit their lips, their frustration evident as their plan was laid bare before everyone.

Aether let out a slow breath,

This woman…

She was far more dangerous than he had ever given her credit for.

’Interesting…’

______

This is reedited for this information for today 02/22/2025

[Author’s note: Just for your information this is current:}

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