Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1807: The Children can see Truth!

After taking the crying Noah from Young Aether’s hands, Allen gently patted his son’s back, rocking him with practised ease.

“Oh, oh… Daddy is here… Everything’s okay.”

The moment Noah looked into his father’s face, his sobs melted away as if someone had flipped a switch. His watery eyes blinked twice before a tiny smile spread across his face. He sniffled, wiped away the remaining tears with his little fists, and wrapped both arms tightly around Allen’s neck.

Young Aether stared at the heartwarming scene with a faint pout. He folded his arms, clicked his tongue, and let out a quiet snort before turning toward the house with all the dignity he could muster.

Then his steps abruptly froze.

His eyes twitched.

A familiar figure stood inside.

Without a second of hesitation, Young Aether instantly activated his visor.

Allen couldn’t help laughing.

“Pfft…”

Jonathan simply shook his head.

“Still running from embarrassment, huh?”

Young Aether ignored him completely and walked inside as if nothing had happened, while Allen and Jonathan followed behind, barely suppressing their laughter.

“Oh, everyone’s back,” Maiuri greeted warmly while arranging the plates across the dining table.

The aroma of freshly cooked food drifted through the house, filling every corner with comforting warmth.

“Dad!”

Lily immediately sprang from her chair, nearly knocking it over.

“How did it go? I saw on TipTop that you three basically closed Hell’s Gate without any backup! The entire platform is exploding with videos! People are saying the military barely had time to arrive before it was already over. Seriously… how did you do it?”

She stared at the trio with pure admiration, practically vibrating with excitement.

“What else?”

Jonathan smirked as he casually placed a hand on Sasha’s shoulder before giving her a confident wink.

“It was the power of friendship.”

“…”

Lily slowly looked at him with the flattest expression imaginable.

“You… expect me to believe that, Unc?”

Jonathan nodded with absolute confidence.

“Exactly.”

“That’s your explanation?”

“Yes.”

“For closing one of humanity’s biggest disasters?”

“Yes.”

“With three people?”

“Yes.”

“…You’re making this up.”

Jonathan placed a hand over his chest as if deeply wounded.

“Youngsters these days have no faith.”

He leaned over and gently kissed Lily’s forehead before pointing dramatically toward the ceiling.

“The power of friendship transcends logic, ignores physics, and occasionally bullies common sense. Never underestimate it, young lady.”

Allen nodded with complete seriousness.

“Scientifically proven.”

Young Aether immediately added,

“We even submitted a research paper!”

“Argh!”

Lily buried her face in both hands.

“That is so unbelievably cringe!”

The room erupted into soft laughter.

Young Aether watched the lively exchange with an amused smile. Their effortless bickering carried the warmth of a real family, and Jonathan teasing Lily felt no different from an uncle endlessly provoking his niece.

Then his smile faded.

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

Jonathan’s hand casually drifted toward Lily’s neck… rubbing it.

Nothing unusual.

Nothing threatening.

Just a fleeting movement.

Yet Young Aether instinctively tensed.

For a split second, countless ugly possibilities flashed through his mind before he immediately shook his head.

‘Seriously… what is wrong with me?’

He silently sighed.

Simply seeing them standing close together had made his thoughts wander somewhere they never should have.

How low had he fallen to question something so innocent?

“Come on, everyone. Let’s have lunch,” Emily called as she carefully carried several steaming dishes toward the table.

The rich aroma of roasted meat, fragrant rice, and freshly prepared vegetables quickly filled the dining room.

Everyone nodded and gathered around the table.

Only Lily remained where she stood for another brief moment.

Her smile disappeared.

Her body stiffened.

She quietly grabbed her shoulder and rubbed it hard, her fingers trembling ever so slightly. Moisture gathered at the corners of her eyes before she quickly blinked it away.

A deep breath.

Another smile.

As though nothing had happened.

She calmly walked over to join everyone else.

Young Aether, Allen, and Jonathan took one side of the table while Emily, Maiuri, and Sasha sat opposite them. Noah and Lily occupied both ends, giving the adults enough room while also ensuring Noah could continue playing with his tablet without accidentally poking anyone with enthusiastic little elbows.

Allen looked around the table with a satisfied smile.

“Alright.”

He clapped once.

“Let’s eat.”

Everyone nodded before digging into the meal.

Emily quietly sat beside Noah, patiently feeding him one spoonful after another while the little boy remained completely absorbed in whatever cartoon was playing on his tablet, occasionally opening his mouth on instinct without even looking away from the screen.

Jonathan suddenly paused halfway through taking a bite.

He slowly lowered his fork.

His eyes drifted toward Young Aether.

“Yo…”

Young Aether looked up.

“What?”

Jonathan pointed directly at his face.

“Why are you still covering your face?”

The dining table fell strangely quiet.

Every pair of eyes immediately turned toward Young Aether.

Since everyone else already knew the reason, except for Jonathan and his family, the atmosphere around the table stiffened almost imperceptibly.

Allen and Emily exchanged a quick glance.

Both silently wondered the same thing.

‘Please… don’t say it.’

Young Aether calmly tapped his fingers against the table before his eyes wandered toward Lily.

A spark flashed behind his visor.

He leaned toward Jonathan and whispered just loud enough for him alone to hear.

“Since I’m young and ridiculously handsome… what if Lily ends up taking a liking to me? Better to avoid breaking young hearts.”

“Oh?”

Jonathan blinked before subconsciously looking toward Lily.

Sure enough, she occasionally glanced in Young Aether’s direction before quickly looking away again.

Jonathan slowly nodded.

“Makes sense.”

After all, Lily was still young. It wouldn’t be strange for someone her age to be captivated by an absurdly handsome face. Even Jonathan himself had felt an inexplicable pull the first time he saw Young Aether without the visor.

That face was practically a public safety hazard!!

Across the table, Allen and Emily quietly released the breath they had been holding.

Emily pressed a hand against her chest.

Allen looked as though he had narrowly escaped a catastrophic family meeting.

‘That… was way too close.’

Jonathan suddenly looked at Young Aether’s untouched plate.

“Wait. If you’re keeping the visor on… how exactly are you planning to eat?”

Young Aether lazily waved a hand.

“Relax.”

He leaned back.

“Just watch.”

A second later, with RIN’s assistance, the dark metallic visor shimmered with faint blue particles. The mask flickered like liquid glass before the section covering his mouth smoothly dissolved away, leaving only the lower half of his face visible.

Young Aether grinned.

“See?”

He casually picked up his spoon and fork and began eating as if nothing had happened.

“Say ahhh.”

Emily smiled as she held another spoonful toward Noah.

“Ahhh.”

Noah obediently opened his mouth without taking his eyes off the tablet resting beside his plate.

Young Aether tasted another bite before his eyes brightened.

“Mmm… Delicious.”

[+500]

Emily smiled warmly.

“Thank you.”

Even so, her curiosity quietly won over.

While Young Aether continued eating, she subtly leaned forward, trying to peek through the narrow opening beneath the visor.

‘Maybe… just a little…?’

Unfortunately for her, the angle revealed absolutely nothing.

Young Aether simply smiled as though he hadn’t noticed.

Then his attention shifted.

Noah kept sneaking glances at him.

Scratch.

Scratch.

Scratch.

The little boy scribbled furiously across his tablet.

The instant Young Aether looked over…

Whoosh!

Noah immediately raised the tablet in front of his face like a tiny shield before cautiously peeking around its edge.

A second later…

Scratch.

Scratch.

Scratch.

Then another quick peek.

Young Aether blinked.

The sequence repeated.

Peek.

Hide.

Scribble.

Peek again.

Young Aether quietly gestured toward Noah.

“What’s he doing?”

Emily lowered her eyes to Noah’s tablet.

The moment she saw the rough sketch forming on the screen, her eyes widened before an amused smile spread across her face.

She silently pointed toward Young Aether…

…then mimed drawing with her finger.

Young Aether paused.

‘…He’s drawing me?’

For perhaps the first time all day…

He was genuinely caught off guard.

Then, without warning…

His entire posture transformed.

His back straightened.

His chin lifted.

His hair received one dramatic sweep of the fingers.

“Ha~”

He struck an elegant profile worthy of a magazine cover.

“I truly am devastatingly handsome.”

Noah’s eyes sparkled like little stars.

Scratch scratch scratch scratch!

His tiny hand moved even faster.

Young Aether smoothly shifted into another pose, resting his chin on one hand.

“What a sinful man I am~”

Scratch scratch scratch!

He pointed dramatically toward an imaginary sunset.

“How about this?”

Scratch scratch!

He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes like an action movie hero.

“Or this?”

Scratch scratch scratch!

He casually leaned against absolutely nothing.

“This one has mystery.”

Scratch!

He flashed a dazzling smile.

“This one’s premium.”

Scratch scratch!

He turned sideways.

“This is my limited edition~”

Scratch!

Young Aether gave Noah a confident wink.

“You like it?”

Noah enthusiastically nodded without hesitation, his little stylus moving so quickly it almost became a blur.

Jonathan slowly watched the entire spectacle unfold.

“Aether, stop fooling around at the dinner table,” Jonathan said with a blank expression as he watched Young Aether casually strike yet another ridiculous pose between mouthfuls of food.

Young Aether clicked his tongue in disappointment before giving Jonathan a perfectly obedient salute.

“Okay, Dad~”

“Pffft… Hahaha!”

Allen nearly choked on his food as laughter burst out of him, forcing him to quickly grab his glass of water before he could accidentally spit his lunch across the table.

“You little…” Jonathan muttered while rubbing his forehead as several veins bulged beneath his skin.

Young Aether simply smirked before calmly picking up another piece of food, somehow managing to continue posing while eating without spilling a single piece of meat.

Jonathan watched the unbelievable display for several seconds before finally shaking his head in surrender.

“I honestly don’t know how you can make eating look this dramatic.”

Young Aether shrugged with complete confidence as though the answer should have been obvious.

“Natural talent. Some people are born gifted.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

“I accepted it as one anyway.”

After feeding Noah another spoonful of food, Emily finally picked up her own fork and spoon and smiled at everyone with visible curiosity.

“So, did anything interesting happen today? Judging by everything I’ve seen online, I’m guessing you three had quite an eventful afternoon.”

Lily immediately leaned across the table, her excitement returning as she looked directly at her father.

“Dad, don’t skip any details this time. TipTop is already filled with clips, but nobody actually knows what happened inside Hell’s Gate.”

Allen smiled helplessly before placing his spoon down beside his plate.

“Well… since all of you are curious, I might as well tell the whole story.”

He began recounting everything from the moment they entered Hell’s Gate until the battle finally came to an end.

While Allen narrated the entire battle…

Young Aether had become occupied with something far more important.

Inside his own mind, he silently admired himself with unwavering conviction.

‘I am incredibly handsome.’

He casually brushed his hair back with one hand before slightly adjusting the angle of his chin.

‘No… incredibly isn’t enough.’

‘I am unbelievably handsome.’

His posture straightened another few degrees as though an invisible camera had suddenly appeared somewhere in the room.

‘I am so ridiculously handsome that mirrors should probably pay royalties whenever they reflect me.’

Without anyone asking, he smoothly transitioned into another elegant pose while casually chewing his food.

Every few seconds, Noah looked up from his drawing tablet, his little stylus immediately moving faster each time Young Aether changed positions, making it obvious that every pose was becoming part of his latest masterpiece.

By the time Allen finished explaining the events inside Hell’s Gate, everyone around the dining table had unknowingly stopped eating.

Silence settled over the room as their eyes slowly shifted toward Young Aether.

Their expressions carried unmistakable admiration.

[+700]

“U-Unc…” Lily called softly while staring at him with wide eyes filled with amazement. “Did you really fight the monster that created Hell’s Gate?”

Young Aether slowly turned toward her without abandoning the dramatic pose he had been holding for Noah’s drawing.

“Of course I did,” he answered proudly before giving his hair another confident sweep.

“After all, you’re looking at the world’s most handsome and hottest uncle. Defeating terrifying monsters is simply one of my many outstanding qualities.”

Allen slowly closed his eyes.

Jonathan slowly closed his eyes.

Neither of them had enough energy left to respond immediately.

Across the table, Emily, Maiuri, and Sasha covered their mouths as quiet laughter escaped them.

The funniest part wasn’t what he said but the absolute sincerity in his voice, as though he genuinely believed the universe itself had personally certified the statement.

Allen finally opened one eye before letting out an exhausted sigh.

“You idiot,” he muttered. “That wasn’t even close to answering her question.”

At the same time, he noticed Lily looking at Young Aether with increasing admiration, causing a strange sense of defeat to quietly creep into his heart.

‘Why does it feel like my own daughter thinks he’s cooler than me now?’

Young Aether blinked once before lightly tapping the side of his visor.

“Oh… right. The actual question.”

He nodded as though remembering an insignificant detail.

“Yes, I fought it, and I would’ve finished the battle myself if their hidden member hadn’t suddenly appeared out of nowhere and blocked my final attack. That interruption was honestly the only reason the… monster survived.”

Lily leaned forward even farther, completely absorbed in the story.

“Were they really that powerful? Could a Governor-Class Mech-Suit stand against someone like that, or would they be completely overwhelmed?”

Young Aether chuckled before leisurely setting his chopsticks down.

“A Governor-Class?” he repeated with obvious amusement. “Before your uncle, even a President-Class wouldn’t have lasted very long against those opponents.”

“The only reason I couldn’t finish everything immediately was because this suit couldn’t fully keep up with me. If I had been fighting at my true capability, the surrounding mountains would’ve folded long before the battle ended.”

Technically…

That still wasn’t the answer Lily had asked for.

Yet somehow, every unnecessary boast only made her admiration grow stronger instead of weaker.

Young Aether proudly pointed a thumb toward himself before flashing another confident grin.

“In fact, those two eventually retreated because they realised facing me head-on was simply a losing battle.”

Inside his mind, RIN spoke with complete emotional exhaustion.

^I have never encountered anyone as unbelievably narcissistic as you.^

Young Aether casually rolled his eyes without the slightest hint of embarrassment.

‘Shut up, bitch. I’m merely describing observable reality.’

“Waa!”

A sudden cry echoed through the dining room, causing Young Aether to instinctively turn toward Noah. The little boy suddenly put down his tablet, hurriedly climbed off his chair, and sprinted toward the bathroom with tiny, frantic footsteps.

Emily blinked in confusion before reaching over and picking up the abandoned tablet.

The moment she looked at the screen, her eyes widened.

She quickly covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

Maiuri, naturally curious, leaned over to see what had startled Emily so much. The instant her gaze landed on the drawing, she broke into quiet giggles before passing the tablet to Sasha.

“What the heck is this?” Sasha asked between laughs, struggling to keep a straight face as she handed the tablet to Lily.

Lily accepted it with visible curiosity. The moment she saw the drawing, she softly giggled before unconsciously glancing toward Young Aether, who was watching everyone with an expectant expression beneath his visor.

Young Aether tilted his head slightly.

“Well?”

Nobody answered.

Instead, they kept laughing.

Honestly, he wasn’t expecting a masterpiece.

It had been drawn by a small child, after all.

Even if it were nothing more than a few random circles and crooked lines vaguely resembling a human being, he would have treasured it.

The drawing itself didn’t matter.

What mattered was that Noah had chosen to draw him.

For someone who had only recently begun opening up to him, that simple gesture was worth far more than artistic quality.

‘Good…’

A satisfied smile formed beneath his visor.

‘He’s finally taking an interest in me.’

He nodded proudly to himself.

‘It’ll only be a matter of time before I completely win him over.’

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

‘With kindness…’

A brief pause.

‘…and maybe candy.’

When the tablet finally reached Allen, he barely looked at the screen before exploding with laughter.

“PFFT! HAHAHAHA!”

Allen leaned backwards in his chair, laughing so hard that tears nearly formed in the corners of his eyes.

“Oh, my God…!”

He slammed a hand against the table.

“My son!”

He proudly pointed toward the bathroom where Noah had disappeared.

“I’ve never been prouder!”

It wasn’t difficult to tell that Allen was laughing even harder simply because he wanted to see Young Aether’s reaction.

Jonathan accepted the tablet next.

Unlike Allen, he quietly pinched the bridge of his nose.

He sighed.

Shook his head.

Then silently passed the tablet to Young Aether.

Young Aether accepted it with both hands.

As he’d already decided…

He had absolutely no expectations.

Even if Noah had drawn nothing more than a few crooked stick figures, he would still cherish it.

Children didn’t draw with skill.

They drew with honesty!

The fact that Noah had chosen him as the subject was already enough to make him happy.

No amount of money could ever buy something that sincere.

With that warm thought in mind…

Young Aether finally lowered his eyes to the screen.

His smile disappeared.

Instantly!!

The entire dining room fell silent for exactly one second.

Then…

Allen completely lost control.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Sasha doubled over, clutching her stomach.

Maiuri buried her face behind one hand, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

Even Emily turned away, unsuccessfully trying to hide her laughter.

Only Lily bit her lip, desperately attempting to remain polite.

None of those sounds reached Young Aether.

His world had become completely silent.

He simply stared.

Without blinking.

At the drawing.

What could possibly make him react like that?

Was it just meaningless scribbles?

A stick figure?

Something barely recognisable?

Normally…

He would’ve smiled at absolutely anything.

Because it came from a child.

Children weren’t supposed to create perfect artwork.

That wasn’t the point.

But…

He hadn’t prepared himself…for this.

The drawing… was smiling back at him.

RIN’s calm voice echoed inside his earpiece.

^It appears children really can see the devil.^

Young Aether remained completely motionless.

Devil…

Indeed.

The drawing consisted of little more than a large oval head crudely filled in with thick black scribbles.

There were no eyes.

No nose.

No ears.

Nothing resembling a human face.

Only… A single impossibly wide grin stretched across the darkness.

A grin that looked unnaturally alive.

A grin that somehow seemed to be staring directly at him.

Young Aether’s fingers tightened around the tablet.

“…”