Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1466: A Path of Death had chosen!

Whether she was ready to accept him or not, Aether had already built a ring for her after their separation, long before fate allowed them to stand face to face again.

It was not born from certainty or assurance, but from hope that refused to die, hope that lingered even when everything else had fallen apart.

He believed that this ring could bring them together, that it could speak for him when words failed, that it could show her how deeply and desperately he loved her.

Even though they were already bound eternally by a seal, that bond had begun with a lie he fed her so she would accept it.

This ring was different... This one carried truth, regret, longing, and devotion woven into every inch of it.

So yes, he built it just for her, without hesitation, without expecting forgiveness.

He forged it using the same material that formed Pyra’s Palace, the strongest substance known, one once used to create an elephant so indestructible that even hundreds of mountains collapsing upon it could not end its life.

With Lyirrs’ help, Aether added subtle enchantments and personal touches, quiet details meant only for her.

Yet after everything that happened, after pain piled upon pain, he never found the moment or courage to give it to her.

Until now...

Now, here he was, kneeling before her, offering the most precious thing he had ever created with his own hands. His palms trembled slightly as he held the ring up, not from fear of rejection alone, but from the weight of everything it represented.

”I do not expect forgiveness,” Aether said quietly, ”I do not expect you to forget what I did or what it cost you. I only want you to know me. To know that my love for you has never been less than yours.”

He lifted his gaze to meet hers, eyes burning with sincerity.

”There were others in my life, and I will never deny that truth. But they never diminished what I feel for you. If anything, loving you only grew stronger with time. Every moment apart, every regret, every memory only pushed me deeper into loving you again and again.”

Delphine stared at the ring in his hand, unable to move, unable to breathe properly. Though it looked small, it felt impossibly heavy to her, as if the entire world rested within its circle, waiting for her answer.

Her eyes shimmered as tears gathered, blurring her vision.

Her thoughts collided all at once, overwhelming her heart until it felt ready to burst. Just moments ago, Aether had eaten her food with gentle care, smiling at her as if nothing else mattered, and that simple act had filled her with warmth and made her happy to the core.

Now this?

It’s too much for her!

Too much happiness!!

She worried if it was just a dream!

She closed her eyes and took a slow breath, steadying herself. She nodded faintly, biting her lip as if grounding herself in the decision she had already made.

She knew she was stepping forward, not blindly, but fully aware of his pain, his suffering, his flaws.

She knew she was accepting all of it, and she knew, with absolute certainty, that she could never hate him, even if loving him demanded everything from her.

She realised it in Eternal Prison... everything they did for their love and protection!

That was how deeply she loved him.

Still, she knew that sharing him with others hurt her a bit. As much as she hated admitting it, jealousy lingered, yet she understood that this complexity was part of who Aether was, inseparable from his existence.

This broken, foolish, painfully sincere man was the one she fell in love with.

A flawed person!

He proved his love not with words but with sacrifice. That crystal, the one thing that could save him. He let it pass as if it meant nothing, just to stay with her.

She saw it then. She saw the fear, the pain, the love and most of all... he was not acting.

He was ready to lose everything for her.”

He was an idiot in the purest sense. A foolish, brave, hopelessly devoted idiot.

Not only him but... she too!

She had believed she was alone in this world, unseen and uncared for... That belief was shattered the moment she woke and saw them standing there.

When she woke up and saw them, those women did not look at her as his possession or his lover.

They looked at her as herself... As Delphine.

A family?

She never imagined such warmth could surround her without conditions or expectations.

A family that stood there without hesitation, ready to save her even when she did not know how to save herself.

A family that was willing to accept her, not for what she represented, not for who she belonged to, but for who she truly was.

Could she ask for more? Perhaps she could, but in this moment, this was enough.

This was more than enough.

It was enough for her to finally understand that she was not a choice, not something optional or replaceable.

She was wanted... She was needed!

Her heart swelled painfully as memories surfaced, one after another.

Sandra and Dora helped her bathe when her body felt too weak to stand on its own,

Emberlyn and Selene patiently fed her when she could barely lift her hands.

Sera and Helena stayed beside her day and night, healing her wounds without rest or complaint.

And so many others, each offering care without jealousy, without resentment, without asking anything in return.

They might not have known her completely, might not have understood every scar or fear buried within her, yet they stood for her regardless.

They chose her, again and again.

A weak smile curved her lips as warmth spread through her chest, a fragile but genuine happiness she had never known before.

Then that image returned.

Her breath caught as the memory forced itself into her mind, vivid and merciless. Her own hands, stained, her expression empty and ruthless as she killed him without emotion.

Would she become that person?

Would she really kill him?

Why did such a future even exist?

Her knees felt weak as the thought settled in. Accepting him meant accepting that fate, didn’t it?

That she might one day be the one to end his life.

But could she reject him because of that fear?

She already had once, and that rejection had only brought pain, regret, and a relentless confrontation with her own emotions.

But he would die.

He would die by the very hands that desperately wanted to protect him.

What kind of cruel world allowed such a choice?

”I... I...” Delphine tried to speak, but her throat felt wet and tight, her voice breaking before words could form.

Did she have the right to choose?

Did choosing him mean choosing his death?

She wanted to reject it... to save him. But, she needed to accept it... to love him.. again!

Aether looked at her gently, the evening breeze brushing against his face as if the world itself had grown quiet to listen. His voice was calm, steady, carrying no fear as he spoke.

”I will accept everything from you,” he said softly, ”Even if it means death.”

He smiled warmly, his grip steady as he held the ring, its surface catching the fading light.

”But I know one thing with certainty. You would never harm me.... Not you.”

His gaze softened further. ”Because that is my Delphine.”

He exhaled slowly, as if releasing years of regret.

”I made mistakes. Huge ones. I lied, manipulated, and hurt you when I should have protected you. I know that.”

His voice lowered, heavy with sincerity.

”So I ask you, not as fate, not as a seal, not as an obligation.

I ask you as myself.

Please give this nobody man... one more chance.

Just one final chance.”

He lifted his head slightly, meeting her eyes fully.

”Let us start again from zero. This time, you will see only me. Not a liar. Not a manipulator.

Just Aether... Your Aether.”

His smile trembled, fragile, ”Now tell me, from your heart alone. Tell me what you truly feel about me.”

”Will you marry me?”

Drip...

Drip....

A soft sound broke the stillness as tears slipped from Delphine’s eyes, falling freely as she nodded again and again, unable to stop herself. Her lips trembled as she spoke, her voice filled with love and overwhelming happiness.

”O... Of course,” she stammered, lifting her left hand toward him without hesitation.

Aether’s smile deepened as he carefully slid the ring onto her finger, his touch gentle as if afraid to hurt her. The ring sat slightly loose, since she kind of lost her muscles, and the ring was made when she was cute and full!

He stared at it for a moment, then looked back at her, warmth flooding his expression.

”I love you,” he said softly, ”For eternity, Del.”

Delphine nodded furiously, tears slipping down her cheeks as a radiant, trembling smile bloomed across her face. She reached for him, pulling him closer with both hands as her voice broke softly.

”I... I love you too,” she whispered.

She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him gently before pressing her lips to his without hesitation, without fear, without another thought crossing her mind.

In that moment, there was only him... Just him, and him alone.

”Hmm~”

A soft sound escaped her lips as they kissed, simple yet it felt endless. Delphine’s tears slipped between them, warm and salty against their lips, strangely sweet!

The orange glow of the sky slowly deepened, fading into darker hues.

A gentle breeze wrapped around them, brushing past their bodies as if the world itself wished to linger.

They remained there, kissing quietly, holding each other close, sharing warmth, heartbeat, and love in an embrace that needed no words.

Meanwhile, The [Your POV] view slowly pulled away.

From the balcony of the palace, the scene widened, drawing back from the two figures locked in love. The perspective lifted higher, turning toward the distant horizon as it moved forward, gliding past bustling streets filled with life, busy cities glowing with light, towering buildings, sprawling industries, and vast mountain ranges.

The speed increased, the terrain below blurring into streaks of motion like a shooting star tearing through the world, until it finally slowed near a strange, jagged mountain cliff standing alone against the sky.

The view drifted closer.

A lone figure stood there, stepping forward slowly toward the edge.

Step...

It wore pure white clothing adorned with delicate golden embroidery, its posture half crouched, and a hood concealed its face. A staff rested firmly in its grasp.

The Prophetess.

Step...

Her foot halted at the edge of the cliff, and as she stopped, the staff in her hand touched something lying on the ground.

Another staff rested there, identical in shape and design... as if abandoned long ago.

The moment they made contact, the fallen staff flickered, unstable, like an old television struggling to awaken.

Its light pulsed unevenly as it slowly lifted from the ground by itself, still flickering, hovering for a brief moment before merging seamlessly into the staff she held.

The glow settled, leaving only one staff behind... as if the other had never existed at all!

She stood at the cliff’s edge, staring ahead in silence for several seconds, the wind brushing against her clothes. When she finally spoke, her voice carried a faint trace of sadness.

”So... you have finally chosen that path.”

The breeze whispered softly around her, lifting the edges of her white hood as a thin ribbon slipped free, fluttering gently in the air. She raised her gaze toward the sky... as if something unseen was watching her in return.

After a moment, she turned back slowly, her voice barely above a murmur.

”It is time to see what you have made for him.”

At that instant, a blinding light erupted at the top of the cliff, swallowing everything in its brilliance and leaving nothing visible behind.

SNGG!!