Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 502 How about we find something more... suitable to wear?

”You see, I can tell the golden liquid has been mixed with some kind of blood and then carefully refined with other materials,” Lia explained, her crimson eyes glowing with a mix of fascination and caution as she leaned in closer, scrutinizing the liquid in the test tube.

Victor activated his Crimson Veil skill to examine it as well. But to his frustration, he couldnʼt detect anything unusual, ʼIt must be because sheʼs a natural vampire... I canʼt see what she does,ʼ he thought, feeling a bit annoyed at his own limitations.

He then asked, ”Can you tell me exactly what kind of materials were used? And more importantly, whatʼs this concoction for?”

Lia still fixated on the liquid, murmured, ”Iʼm not entirely sure without making direct contact.” She glanced up at Victor briefly, her expression serious.

Victor hesitated, his brow furrowing as he weighed the risks. After a moment, he sighed and said, ”Alright... go ahead, but just be careful. Make sure itʼs not dangerous.”

Lia raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard. ”You? Worried about me? Now, thatʼs unexpected.”

Victorʼs lips twitched in mild irritation. ”Donʼt get the wrong idea! Youʼre close to Aether, and if anything happens to you, heʼll blame me. So, this is just me being practical, not sentimental,” he clarified.

A soft chuckle escaped Liaʼs lips, amusement dancing in her eyes. ”I see,” she said with a smirk before carefully uncorking the test tube.

With a slight motion of her hand, a few drops of the golden liquid floated up, suspended in midair as if weightless.

Victor watched with keen interest as Lia concentrated, her fingers moving deftly as she manipulated the golden liquid with ease. ʼSheʼs really good at this...ʼ he mused, impressed by her control as he observed her separating the blood from the liquid.

Three-quarters of the golden substance was revealed to be blood.

Lia nodded to herself before taking a small, almost imperceptible drop of the blood. She tasted it cautiously, her face contorting as she spit it out a moment later, ”This blood is fresh, taken no more than a week or two ago... But somethingʼs off. Iʼve never encountered blood quite like this.”

Victor leaned forward, intrigued. ”What do you mean by that? Is it some rare blood type or something special?”

”No, nothing like that,” Lia replied, her voice soft but thoughtful. ”Itʼs normal blood in every sense, but... Iʼve never tasted anything like it before. It doesnʼt match any blood type Iʼm familiar with.” She trailed off, deep in thought. Lia had tasted the blood of various races and beings, yet this one puzzled her.

Victor frowned, slightly frustrated, ”So, no real answers, then?” he muttered before gesturing for her to continue.

Liaʼs eyes flickered back to the remaining golden liquid. She stared intently as its colour gradually dulled. Her nose scrunched in distaste. ”This isnʼt good... Itʼs turning into something dangerous. A poison.”

Victor sighed, recognizing the gravity of the situation. ”Can you reverse it? Mix it back to how it was?”

Lia nodded, but as she attempted to combine the liquids again, the golden glow didnʼt return. Instead, it became a dark red, almost sickly in appearance.

Her face turned awkward, clearly uncomfortable with the result, ”Iʼm... Iʼm sorry. I didnʼt mean for that to happen—”

”Itʼs fine,” Victor interrupted, raising a hand to stop her apology. ”Iʼm the one who asked you to mess with it.... sigh”

Lia blinked in surprise, her eyebrows rising slightly. Victorʼs calm acceptance wasnʼt what she had expected. ”You know,” she began with a small, almost hesitant smile, ”youʼre not exactly who I thought you were.”

Victor raised an eyebrow at that, ”So? What exactly happened between you and Aether?” as he changed the subject.

Liaʼs smile widened, she took a deep breath, her expression turning serious. ”I just... I need to know something. Do you think heʼll hate me?”

Victor shrugged casually. ”Thatʼs not for me to answer. Youʼre going to have to ask him yourself.”

”I know,” Lia sighed, her voice soft, almost vulnerable. ”I know that... I just... I just needed to know to be--” Before she could finish she was interrupted.

Victor gave her a sideways glance, his smirk returning, ”Playing it safe, huh?”

Liaʼs face darkened, her mood visibly shifting, ”Yeah... Aetherʼs my best friend. I canʼt lose him, not after everything weʼve been through. I know what I did was wrong... but a part of me still hopes things could go back to how they were. Thatʼs why Iʼm scared.”

Victor nodded, He leaned back slightly before asking, ”First, answer my question. What are you to him?”

Lia thought about it for a moment, her gaze dropping to the floor. ”I... I donʼt really know. Sometimes, he calls me ʼsister.ʼ”

Victor crossed his arms, ”And what is he to you?”

”My best fri—” she began to answer reflexively, but Victor cut her off.

”Think about what you did. Do you still see him as just a friend?”

Liaʼs face flushed red as the memory of their kiss rushed back to her mind. Her eyes wavered with uncertainty. ”I... I... I donʼt know...”

Victorʼs tone grew more serious, ”Then figure it out. You need to decide how you really feel about him. And make that choice carefully if you donʼt want to regret it later,” he advised, his voice firm but not unkind, ”But when you do talk to him, act like you usually do. Trust me, heʼll probably set it aside too. Otherwise, youʼre just going to make both of you miserable.”

Lia looked at Victor, her expression one of disbelief, ”You... you sound just like him.”

Victor froze for a second, mentally kicking himself. ʼOh crap!ʼ he thought. Outwardly, he quickly retorted, ”Get the hell out of here!”

Lia let out a soft chuckle before turning to leave, but just as she reached the door, Victor spoke up again.

”Oh, one more thing,” he said with an amused grin, ”You should know... that guyʼs a dangerous playboy.”

Lia paused, confused. ”What do you mean by that?”

Victorʼs wicked grin grew wider. ”Heʼs not just involved with Selene, you know. Thereʼs Aria too... and Iʼm pretty sure there are two more. The guyʼs juggling a lot.”

Liaʼs eyes widened in horror. ”Wha—” She couldnʼt even finish the thought, too shocked to process what she had just heard.

Victor chuckled darkly before glancing up at the sky, watching as it slowly shifted into the twilight of night. ʼWell, time for a date,ʼ he thought with a smirk, heading off into the shadows.

...

....

”Take a deep breath... Itʼs going to be fine!” Helena muttered to herself, pacing back and forth near the base of the mountain. At its peak loomed a grand castle, its towering spires barely visible through the clouds.

She had come here to avoid Finnian, who had been pestering her relentlessly for reasons she couldnʼt quite understand.

Her heart raced with excitement, and she could hardly contain it. Her cheeks were flushed, her breath quickening as her eyes sparkled with happiness.

This was a big day for her. Today was her long-awaited date.... And not just any date—her date with Aether!

She stood, fidgeting with her hands, anxiously waiting for Aether to arrive, when suddenly—

”Helena!!”

She froze, her lips curling upward in anticipation, but as she turned, her smile faded, and her heart sank, ”A-Aeth—Damn it!” she cursed under her breath.

It wasnʼt Aether.

It was Finnian, calling out her name, shouting as he searched the area.

Panicking, Helena quickly ducked behind a bush, her heart pounding even harder now. ʼHow did he find me here?ʼ she thought, frustration bubbling up inside her. She held her breath as Finnian walked closer, scanning the area with a determined look on his face.

”Iʼm sure I heard her voice around here,” Finnian muttered, frowning as he looked around, clearly annoyed. His expression darkened as his thoughts turned back to Aether. ʼWhy is she so hung up on that slave?ʼ he thought bitterly, his fists clenching.

”I told her to stop seeing him, and yet—”

Crack!

The sudden sound of a twig snapping underfoot cut him off. His head whipped toward the bushes, eyes narrowing in suspicion. He smirked, crouching down as he prepared to catch her, ”Iʼve got you now—” But to his surprise.... there was nothing there!

Just empty bushes swaying gently in the breeze.

”Tsk!” Finnian clicked his tongue, frustrated, and stood back up, continuing his search elsewhere.

Meanwhile, just a few feet away from him—

”Calm down, will you?” Aether whispered as he blocked Helenaʼs mouth with his hand, pulling her deeper into the shadows. Helena, wide-eyed with surprise, nodded quickly.

Once Finnian was far enough away, Aether slowly removed his hand and helped Helena to her feet. ”Now, my lady,” he said, offering her a charming smile and extending his arm in a refined gesture, ”shall we finally go on our date?”

”Hehe..” Helena giggled, adjusting her outfit—a simple white dress that resembled a nunʼs habit, its pure white fabric almost glowing under the moonless light. ”Of course!” she replied, beaming with excitement.

But Aether blinked, his smile faltering for a moment as he took in her attire. Something about her outfit didnʼt quite match the occasion. ”Are we going for a prayer... or a date?” Aether asked, his tone laced with amusement as he raised an eyebrow.

Helenaʼs face instantly fell, her expression turning grim, ”You donʼt like it?... Itʼs my favourite!” she asked, her voice trembling with sudden worry.

Aether chuckled, shaking his head. ”Itʼs not that I donʼt like it. You look beautiful, as always. But... for a date, donʼt you think you should wear something a little more... fitting? You know, something that shows youʼre excited for it. Otherwise, the guy might think youʼre not really into it.”

Helenaʼs face paled, and she clutched the front of her dress in a panic, ”B-But I am really into this date! You know how long Iʼve been waiting for this!” Her voice rose with desperation, her cheeks flushing even deeper.

Aether grinned softly, ”I know, I know,” he said gently, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, ”Letʼs not worry about it too much. How about we find something more... suitable to wear? Something.. good~”

Helena flinched slightly, sensing something different in Aetherʼs gaze. His eyes gleamed with a dangerous edge, sending a shiver down her spine.