Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1083: Aether being genuine to Delphine

Delphine... she had always felt it. That strange, unexplainable feeling in her chest whenever she looked at Aether. Like there was something more about him—something beyond logic or reason.

She could never quite put her finger on it. She didnʼt even understand why she felt this way.

He was younger than her. Much younger, in fact. Yet, somehow, he was the only person who had ever managed to steal her heart so effortlessly... like it belonged to him all along.

Like it had been waiting just for him to come and take it.

He showed her things she didnʼt even know she had been missing. He showed her what love was supposed to feel like—what life meant when it was shared with someone real.

He made her feel jealousy, raw and unfiltered. He annoyed her endlessly, teased her until she fumed—and made her crave it. He awakened something inside her… something primal, something she had long buried.

Lust!

He brought all of it to her like a storm—and sure, at the beginning, she had been thrown off. His boldness, his recklessness, the way he didnʼt follow rules or boundaries.

It shocked her.

But somewhere along the way... she started to fall.

Whether or not he had forced his love on her… whether it was fate, desire, or something else entirely—none of that mattered.

She had fallen.... And she had fallen hard. Much harder than she had ever thought possible.

What had started as fear, as caution, as scepticism… had melted into a kind of love that felt unshakable... Unstoppable... Eternal!!

That was all there was now.

Just love.

But… there was still something she had never wanted to admit to herself.

Those futures...

Those voices...

Those women...

She had seen it once… that first vision. Xara had been on Aetherʼs side. And she, Delphine, along with her entire family, had died. But then… by avoiding him, by choosing not to interfere with him at first, she had somehow changed the future.

That change led to something she never expected—falling in love with him.

It wasnʼt supposed to happen. But it did. And she couldnʼt imagine a life without him now.

Then came the second vision… those voices... it was her future... the future where she was happily living with Aether and her child... But when she heard it—Seleneʼs voice… her niece... her precious little niece confessing she was in love with the same man Delphine adored...

Honestly, she was shocked and almost believed this was definitely not her future vision, rather some kind of weird nightmare... but very soon, her niece said she was in love with the same man that she loves?

That made her realise... that wasnʼt a nightmare... it was definitely her future vision.

Her future vision was happening... Her niece would soon be going to her sister in the future.

So fucked up!

But what made it even more fucked up—more horrifying than anything—was what came at the end of that vision.

Not one... Not two.

Many.

There were more women. She was certain of it. Too many to count. Too many to name.

Her man. Her Aether... was going to marry even more women.

And something inside her snapped.

She wasnʼt going to let anyone take away her happiness—not a stranger, not another royal woman, not even her own niece.

She deserved his love.

But then… she had a conversation. One that broke her pride and reshaped her thoughts.

A talk with Selene.

That small, innocent girl—barely half her age—had told her something that still echoed in her heart.

Selene had told her to face reality.

Not the fantasy.

The real truth.

Aether was no longer just a boy.

He was the Emperor now. Not just of an empire, but of something bigger. He had started changing. The world around him was changing. His power, his responsibilities, his destiny… all of it was growing.

And with it, so were the demands.

This wasnʼt about Aether chasing women... Not anymore.

Delphine wasnʼt naïve. She had lived long enough to understand how royalty worked. What it took to keep an empire running.

What had to be done, regardless of oneʼs heart.

Even if Aether stayed loyal… There would be times heʼd be forced into choices. Forced to accept someone, protect someone, marry someone for the sake of the Empire.

And maybe, maybe she could accept some of that.

But deep inside, the more he grew… the more terrified she became.

What if he changed?

What if the Aether who loved her now vanished into the shadows of duty and politics?

Sure, she saw a future once—a future where she was happy with him, with their child. A peaceful life.

But the future… was not solid. It was never absolute.

She knew better than anyone how it could shift, how one small decision could create a ripple and rewrite everything. After all, she had changed her own future just by avoiding him. Anything was possible.

And that was the worst part.

Anything.

He could leave her. He could grow distant. He could fall for someone better, someone more proper, someone more... Empress-like. Someone who wasnʼt perverted, who didnʼt get jealous, who didnʼt smack his chest when angry.

Anything was possible.

Every terrifying possibility existed.

And it crushed her heart with each breath.

Aether looked at her, studying her carefully. She wasnʼt hiding it well anymore—her expression was drenched in fear, her eyes wide and lost. The Delphine he knew… she looked fragile right now.

So unlike her usual self.

He smiled softly. Then spoke.

”Yes, Iʼd leave you without a second thought,” he said in a deadpan tone, not blinking.

Delphine froze.

The words pierced her like blades. Her breath hitched, and her chest tightened as tears threatened to spill. She turned to him in horror, her eyes full of betrayal.

But then… she caught it.

That grin.

That teasing, bastardly grin on his face.

Her lips twitched with fury.

”B-Bastard!” she snapped, eyes blazing with emotion as her voice cracked. She slapped his chest, not hard, but desperately, ”H-How dare you say that!? And what the hell do you mean ʼwithout a second thoughtʼ you idiot!? What about our love?! What about me!?”

Aether chuckled warmly, wrapping his arms around her. Her hits were light, full of frustration more than pain. He loved seeing her like this—angry and vulnerable, all in one.

”You asked me, didnʼt you?” he smirked, tilting her chin up so she had to look at him.

Then his smile softened.

His gaze turned serious.

”Just tell me,” he murmured, his voice low and heartfelt. ”I know you can see the future. I know youʼre scared. I know youʼre worried about everything—about whatʼs coming, about how things could change.”

His fingers gently traced her cheek, and his voice grew even quieter, more intimate.

”But one thing... has never changed. Will never change.”

He pressed his forehead to hers.

”I love you.”

He kissed her forehead, slow and sincere.

Delphine bit her lip hard, her body trembling.

She couldnʼt believe it.

Even now—even after being so deeply connected to him, after feeling that bond between their souls—she had still let herself worry.

Still doubted.

Still feared.

And yet, his love remained… constant.

Like the sun. Always there... Even when hidden behind clouds.

”I... Iʼm sorry... I just...” Delphine stammered, voice quivering as her fingers trembled near her chest.

Aether didnʼt let her struggle for words. He simply pulled her close and hugged her tightly, burying her into the warmth of his chest.

”I know,” he murmured into her hair, gentle and reassuring. ”Thereʼs no need to worry. I got you.”

Delphine gave a small, weak smile. This man… damn him.

He always understood her. Always got her. Like no one else ever could.

She hated that.

But she also… loved it far too much.

Then Aether looked down at her, locking eyes with a rare tenderness as he added, ”If I ever change in the future… if I become cold, ruthless, and stop caring about you—just knock me out and scream at me. And if that doesnʼt work… then beat the shit out of me, okay?”

Delphine blinked at his sudden bluntness, taken aback for a moment, before her lips stretched into a wide grin.

”Oh, believe me… if you ever try to leave me or turn into an asshole, I will beat the shit out of you,” she declared, her tone dead serious but her puffed cheeks betraying her inner warmth.

”Pfft! Hahahaha!”

”Haha... haha...”

Their laughter burst out together, light and raw, echoing through the room with genuine joy.

After the moment settled, Aether glanced at her curiously, ”So... what exactly did this niece of yours tell you?”

Delphine exhaled long and hard, looking away with a groan, ”Forget it... Itʼs just... ugh...” she paused, then snapped her gaze back to him with a sharp expression, ”But just so you know—if you ever betray me, I will cut your dick off.”

She said it with such calm, stone-cold seriousness, he nearly choked.

Aether gulped, a drop of sweat metaphorically sliding down his neck. ”C-Cut? Cut what!? I-I would never betray you!” he exclaimed, voice rising in nervous haste.

[Lies!😠]

ʼOh, youʼre still here?ʼ Aether mentally sighed, replying inwardly to his ever-present, ever-snarky Log. But he ignored it as always.

He turned back to Delphine, who now had a strange, pained confusion on her face.

”I… I really donʼt know how to deal with all this,” she admitted quietly. ”Youʼre growing stronger, becoming more powerful… and more people will start noticing you. And by more, I mean more women.”

Her voice lowered as she glanced at him sideways, her words soaking in vulnerability, ”Who knows... maybe someone better will appear. Someone whoʼs not as perverted as me… someone who knows how to express her feelings… someone who acts like a proper Empress for you.”

Aether stared at her silently, taking in her words.

”I see…” he said after a pause, rubbing his eyes and staring up at the ceiling as if bracing himself. ”Then I guess… Itʼs time.”

Delphine blinked, a sudden pulse of anxiety racing through her heart.

”Time… for what?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Something inside her was screaming that something was wrong—very wrong.

Aether didnʼt answer immediately.

When he finally looked at her, there was pain etched deep into his expression. A hollow, lost kind of pain that stabbed her straight through the heart.

Her breath hitched.

”No… No. NO. NO!” Delphine suddenly stood up, panic rising in her chest like a tidal wave. It felt too real, too familiar—like déjà vu soaked in dread.

She was ready to run.

To escape... Again.

To shut her ears and pretend none of this was happening.

She didnʼt want to hear it. She wasnʼt ready.

But Aether reached out and caught her wrist, gripping it tightly, his voice low, broken. ”Youʼre really going to leave… like this?”

Delphine stood frozen, back turned to him, her voice shaking. ”W-Whatever it is… I-I canʼt… Iʼm not ready to hear it. I donʼt want to. I feel like… something terrible is coming. I can feel it,” she whispered, her hand trembling uncontrollably in his.

Aether looked at her—at the tremble of her shoulders, the fragility of her body, the storm in her soul—then slowly released her hand.

Delphine immediately started to walk away… or at least, thatʼs what she intended to do.

Until his voice halted her.

”Guilt is eating me alive...”

Her steps stopped dead. Her heart stopped along with them.

Those words.

Just those words.

Enough to make her knees buckle.

Her eyes welled up instantly.

”S-So… there really is someone else… another woman out there, isnʼt there?” she whispered in a cracked tone, her voice barely holding together.

Aether didnʼt respond.

And his silence said more than any confession ever could.

A single tear slid down her cheek. Her throat closed. Her mind spiralled.

”I... I canʼt make any excuses,” he finally said, his voice weak, heavy, sincere. ”No lies. No justifications. But… will you listen? Just once more? Just this one time?”

Delphine remained frozen in place… yet she could feel it.

She could feel his fear.

She knew it.

She clenched her teeth, furious that she could still feel his emotions… even now. Even when she wanted to shut herself off from it.

She didnʼt want this pain. She didnʼt want this moment.

She just wanted to be happy.

Why couldnʼt she simply be allowed that?

Why couldnʼt everything stop trying to take it from her?

”I wonʼt ask for your forgiveness,” he whispered. ”I know I donʼt deserve it. But I want you to know… my story. My truth. My life—no matter how ugly or broken it sounds—just once.”

Delphine slowly turned around.

Aether was standing by the window now, eyes cast toward the dark, endless night sky—its quiet stars shining faintly above the shadows.

And then he said it.

”Letʼs begin... from the start. The beginning of Aether. The very beginning… of my life.”

And so, his final, suffocating guilt began to unravel—whether she would accept it, forgive it, or destroy it…

Only she could decide that now.