Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1454: Food taste better when you hungry!

”So that’s what happened... ah,” Aether hummed with a low, thoughtful sound, his gaze fixed on the ceiling as he lay on the bed. His tone carried calm, yet something distant lingered in his eyes, as if he were replaying every word he had just heard, weighing them slowly.

Beside him, Delphine and Emberlyn sat close, their postures relaxed now, soft smiles resting on their faces after explaining everything in detail.

They had filled every gap, every frightening moment, making sure he understood exactly what had happened while he was unconscious.

Of course, Delphine had already changed her clothes. There was no way she could have stayed with nothing but a towel wrapped around her chest, especially after everything that had happened.

Emberlyn, however, still wore a faint pout. She could not believe her own son-in-law had tricked her so easily and made her worry over nothing.

She had been genuinely angry, you know! Worried beyond reason, and that feeling had not vanished so easily.

Still, she chose to set it aside. For god’s sake, the man was finally awake.

That alone mattered more than her annoyance or irritation.

Aether, lost in his thoughts, noticed her expression at last. A weak smile curved his lips as he slowly leaned closer. Without warning, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, the warmth lingering for a heartbeat longer than expected.

His voice softened naturally as he spoke.

”I didn’t mean to make you worry like that... I truly didn’t. I’m sorry.”

[+4000 AP]

Emberlyn flinched, her eyes widening in pure shock as his words sank in. She stared at him as if she had misheard, ”N-No... it’s fine,” she replied hurriedly.

”R-Really, it’s nothing.” Her cheeks flushed red, the colour spreading unmistakably as embarrassment and something far more tender crept in.

Aether let out a quiet chuckle, watching her reaction with gentle amusement.

Emberlyn, realising how she must have looked, turned even more bashful all of a sudden, averting her gaze as if caught doing something improper.

Delphine stared at the two of them blankly, her expression unreadable for a moment before she spoke in her usual blunt manner.

”Should I inform the others now?”

Both Aether and Emberlyn flinched and turned toward her at the same time. Emberlyn swallowed before stammering, her thoughts clearly scattered.

”A-About what exactly...?”

Delphine looked at Emberlyn as if the answer should have been obvious, then muttered fainly,

”I mean... about him being awake now. People should know.”

Emberlyn let out a slow sigh, her shoulders drooping as if she had done something wrong without realising it. In the next second, she blinked, startled by her own reaction.

’Why did I just feel relieved?’ she wondered silently, confusion flickering across her face as she struggled to understand herself.

Aether cleared his throat gently, breaking the awkward silence.

”For now, just inform those who are already here. That should be enough.”

”Others?” Delphine frowned slightly.

”I will visit them myself,” Aether replied without hesitation.

”But Aether, you still—” Before she could finish warning him against being reckless again, Aether smiled faintly and with confidence,

”I’m fine,” he said gently. ”And I don’t think calling everyone here right now would be the best situation. You know that too, don’t you?”

Hearing that, Delphine blinked and sighed inwardly.

Her mind immediately filled with images of the women who would swarm him the moment they heard the news. She had seen how they had taken care of him while he was unconscious.

It was not gentle care, but competition.

There had been countless fights, Many ’Good’ verbal arguments that made her ears bleed, and even more, she had even witnessed them hurting an unconscious Aether by accident during their fights, as if each believed they owned a part of him.

’Sigh... fighting over who gets to take care of his leg,’ she recalled bitterly.

The memory of Selene and Aqualina’s visit resurfaced like a nightmare she wished to forget.

She wanted nothing like that to happen again.

Delphine nodded slowly, accepting his judgment, and went to inform only the ladies currently within the Empire.

As the room grew quiet once more, Aether, Delphine and Emberlyn exchanged soft looks. There were countless things they wanted to say, words heavy with emotion waiting behind their lips.

Yet with a third person present, those thoughts remained unspoken. Emberlyn, especially, seemed unaware of the tension, unable to grasp the situation fully for reasons even she did not understand.

’She’s acting weird...’ Aether thought quietly as he glanced at Emberlyn, who kept shooting him quick, fleeting looks again and again, only to turn away the moment their eyes nearly met.

Just then,

Grrrll~

Everyone flinched at the sudden stomach growl, their expressions shifting in unison as their gazes slowly travelled toward its source. All eyes landed on Aether’s stomach.

Aether let out an awkward smile, scratching the side of his face as embarrassment crept in. ”I guess... I’m hungry now,” he admitted lightly.

Emberlyn giggled softly. ”I’ll bring you some food,” she said, immediately turning as if to leave.

Aether shook his head slowly, ”I’d rather eat in the dining hall,” he replied, glancing around the room. The lingering medicinal scent and hazy air made his head feel heavy.

”Eating here... I think I’d feel sick.”

Emberlyn nodded in agreement, ”That makes sense. Staying here does make everything feel worse,” she said as she moved to support him. Before she could fully do so, Delphine stepped in and held Aether firmly, supporting him without hesitation.

Emberlyn blinked in surprise, then simply nodded, choosing not to comment as she walked ahead of them.

The three of them left the room together, their footsteps quiet against the corridor floor.

Aether walked with unsteady legs, his movements careful as he looked around. Nothing had changed much since the last time he had seen this place. Everything looked the same, clean and fresh.

As they walked, Aether glanced at Delphine, who was supporting him closely. He leaned his head against her shoulder without thinking. Delphine raised an eyebrow at first, then softened, a small smile forming as her grip tightened around his hips. She pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his head and continued walking at a steady pace beside him.

Emberlyn, walking ahead, failed to notice the loving birds behind her!

Soon, they arrived at the dining room. Aether settled comfortably into a chair, exhaling softly as the tension eased from his body.

”You too, Ms. Delphine,” Emberlyn said as she gestured for her to sit. Delphine shook her head lightly in response.

”First Aether,” she replied calmly, her attention fixed entirely on him.

”But you haven’t eaten yet,” Emberlyn muttered with a slight frown.

Aether blinked, then turned toward Delphine and gently motioned for her to sit beside him.

”It’s fine, Aether,” Delphine said softly. ”You eat first. I’ll help you if you need it.”

Aether smiled faintly, shaking his head. ”Come on. I can eat by myself,” he said, his voice calm but reassuring.

”But—” Delphine began instinctively.

”No buts,” Aether interrupted, his tone firm yet gentle. ”Let’s eat together.”

Delphine hesitated, then sighed reluctantly before sitting down beside him. The worry in her eyes did not fade, but she complied.

Aether smiled and looked toward Emberlyn, who answered immediately without prompting. ”I already ate with the others, so I’m fine,” she said casually.

Aether hummed softly in response. Emberlyn then walked away to grab the food. As she did, Aether turned his attention back to Delphine, his expression shifting with concern.

”Did you sleep at all,” he asked quietly, ”or is your body still struggling?”

Delphine smiled weakly, ”I’m fine,” she replied gently. ”It’s just the tiredness lingering in my body. Sist... Xara said I need a little more time since Arcane energy was absent. My body is healing naturally, just slower than usual.”

Aether hummed quietly, even though he noticed the way she had addressed Xara. He chose not to comment on it for now.

There were other priorities at the moment. Hunger came first. Everything else could wait until later.

As soon as Emberlyn brought the food, Aether did not hesitate even for a second. He ate like a starving beast, his movements instinctive and unrestrained, as if restraint itself had vanished the moment food appeared before him.

It felt as though he had been starved for years, finally allowed to feed his aching stomach. The sensation reminded him eerily of his previous times, where Aether struggled to get even one food... that same hollow, gnawing hunger clawing from within, demanding to be filled no matter the cost.

Plate after plate emptied rapidly as Aether devoured the food without slowing down, barely pausing between bites. His hands moved faster than his thoughts, driven purely by need.

”Hmm... it tastes good... hmmm, that piece of meat...” Aether moaned under each bite. He did not even reach for water.

Heck, he did not even care whether it was tasty or healthy anymore. Whatever he ate felt incredibly, overwhelmingly good, enough to drown out every other sensation.

Delphine and Emberlyn watched him with slightly parted lips, stunned as he devoured the food as if it were nothing.

They were actually surprised?

Even Delphine, after waking up, had only managed to eat half a plate. Her body, though hungry, had not been ready to digest too much after such a long time. That was exactly why seeing Aether eat without hesitation shocked her deeply.

As much as Aether would have liked to maintain some elegance, his hunger did not care for appearances. His mind and hands were occupied with nothing but food.

”More... more... more,” Aether muttered repeatedly as he reached for plate after plate. Emberlyn glanced at the dishes she had prepared for everyone, watching them empty at an alarming pace.