Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1534: Frostblade Household under attack?

”This is... way too big,” Mira muttered as she stood frozen at the entrance of the room.

Her eyes traced the lavish space slowly, taking in the glittering chandeliers, the sturdy tables polished to a mirror sheen, and the tall windows draped with curtains that fluttered softly as gentle air flowed inside. Her gaze drifted last toward the massive bathroom, nearly the size of her own house, and the oversized bed that looked impossibly soft, almost unreal.

”Ah... shit, this is really good,” Mira breathed out as her body sank into the fluffy bed. The mattress swallowed her weight so completely that her limbs felt heavy at once, warmth spreading through her muscles, her eyelids fluttering as if sleep might claim her in seconds.

”Make yourself comfortable here,” Victor said softly and measuredly as he turned toward the door.

”V-Victor,” Mira sat up suddenly.

”Yes?” Victor glanced back at her.

”I-Is this really alright?” Mira asked, her fingers curling into the sheets. ”I mean, me being here like this... staying in a place like this... It feels wrong somehow.”

Victor nodded once, ”I said it’s alright, and that’s the end of it. You’ve been through enough, so just take your time and get comfortable here.”

Mira hummed weakly as she watched Victor leave the room, her eyes following his retreating figure until the door closed softly behind him.

She fell back onto the bed, one arm draped over her eyes as a heavy sigh escaped her lips.

”Things are getting complicated, Mother,” she whispered in a quiet, trembling voice.

Meanwhile, Victor stood in the hallway, facing Emberlyn, who stared at him with a mix of curiosity and a faint pout.

Victor let out a small chuckle as he explained the situation in detail... He warned them carefully about the possibility of Mira becoming an enemy, and worse, something far more dangerous than she appeared.

”If she’s dangerous, then why did you bring her here?” Emberlyn asked, her brows knitting together as she crossed her arms.

”Because I need to keep her close,” Victor replied, ”You and the others make sure she never leaves the palace, watch her movements carefully, and check her room often. If you notice anything strange, especially odd seals or markings on doors, report it immediately. Do you understand?”

Emberlyn nodded, ”I understand. We’ll keep a close watch.”

”Where is everyone?” Victor asked after a pause.

”Thalia took Selene and Raven for training,” Emberlyn replied, ”Nyx is outside again, digging graves here and there like usual.”

”Hmmm,” Victor murmured as he nodded. ”Where are Delphine and Nightfire? And... did Aqualina leave already?”

At that question, Emberlyn’s eyes shifted away almost instantly, her lips pressing into a thin line.

Victor narrowed his eyes slightly.

”Mother-in-law?”

Emberlyn let out a long sigh before speaking. ”Aqualina left the palace earlier. Delphine has been sleeping in her room, but... Nightfire...” Her voice faltered, trailing off.

”Where is she?”

Not long after, Victor stood before Nightfire’s room. When he entered, the sight before him made his breath hitch. Nightfire was trembling violently beneath the quilt, her small frame curled inward as if trying to disappear.

”Nightfire?” he called softly, stepping closer... He crouched slightly.

The quilt flinched sharply before a broken, trembling voice echoed from beneath it. Each word sounded like it clawed its way out of her throat.

”N-No! No more food! Please, no more of that... that wicked food,” she cried, her breathing uneven. ”I-I don’t want it anymore... please... please, stop.”

Victor froze for a second and said, ”It’s me, Aether. You don’t need to be afraid. I didn’t bring any food, and no one is going to force anything on you.”

The quilt stopped trembling, its movement slowing before it gradually lowered. Nightfire’s wide, trembling eyes peeked out, her breath uneven as she stared at him in disbelief, fear still clinging to her face.

”A-Aether?” she whispered.

Victor nodded slowly, ”Yes. I’m here,” he said gently, taking a step closer. ”Are you alright-” he began, but the rest of his words never came.

Nightfire suddenly leapt toward him, throwing her arms around his neck with desperate force. Her body shook violently as she buried her face against his chest, clinging to him as if he were the only solid thing left in the world.

”A-Aether!!” she cried loudly, her voice breaking apart. ”It was so scary... sooooo scaryyy... that foooodddd!! I died... I FREAKING DIED!!” Her sobs poured freely as she trembled in his embrace, her fingers clutching his clothes.

Victor blinked in surprise before a weak, helpless smile curved his lips. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, one hand patting her back in slow, ”Sigh... I told you not to get curious,” he murmured softly. ”Now look at you.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently.

”B-But why didn’t you inform me directly!” Nightfire protested through her tears, her voice muffled against his chest. She pulled back slightly, eyes red and wet as she looked up at him.

”If you had given even a single hint properly, I would have never touched that thing in my life!”

Victor sighed quietly, brushing his thumb across her cheek to wipe away tears. ”Even if I told you,” he said calmly, ”you would have become even more curious than before. You know that yourself.”

Nightfire flinched, her lips parting as she realised he was right. She looked away, pouting weakly.

Still... he could have warned her properly about that disastrous thing.

It wasn’t even food, not really. If she had known how dangerous it was, she would have never eaten it, not even once.

It took a few gentle kisses, soft teasing, and patient reassurance before Victor finally managed to calm her completely. The real turning point came when he gave her actual food, warm and safe, which she devoured gratefully as if reclaiming her sanity.

Not long after, Victor quietly left the room. Nightfire, with loose clothes, lay sleeping peacefully on the bed, her breathing slow and even, a satisfied expression resting on her face. One hand rubbed her tummy unconsciously as a gentle smile curved her lips.

Victor checked on Delphine next, just to be certain. To his surprise, he found her sitting on the floor in a meditation posture, her eyes closed.

”What is she doing?” he wondered silently, watching her for a moment. He chose not to disturb her, sensing she was deeply immersed in something important.

”Snowflake?” he called softly.

”Hisss~”

From beneath the bed, Snowflake slowly emerged, slithering toward him with a smooth, graceful motion.

”Master?”

”It’s finally your time to shine again, my dear.”

Snowflake’s eyes glowed with purpose, her body tensing with excitement. ”Anything for my Master,” she replied eagerly.

After giving Emberlyn a few more firm warnings regarding Mira, Victor left the Empire.

****

Aether headed straight toward Mareth’s location in Naiadae.

Mareth’s workshop greeted him with an overwhelming sight... The room was filled with strangely shaped stones scattered everywhere, each glowing differently, pulsating with its own unique energy.

Power leaked from them visibly.

”This is amazing,” Aether muttered under his breath.

Mareth approached him calmly, a knowing smile on his face. ”Welcome, Your Majesty,” he said respectfully.

Aether nodded, his expression turning serious, ”Shall we start it?” he asked firmly.

Mareth nodded in return with a ready gaze.

***

Meanwhile, in the Frostblade territory,

”What’s going on here?!” Velc shouted furiously, his body covered in bruises and blood, cuts lining his skin.

He brandished his sword instinctively as a group of black-clothed figures infiltrated his mansion. He barely blocked an attack aimed straight for his heart, his blade flashing as he sliced off the attacker’s wrist in one brutal motion.

”How dare you enter my territory and attack me in my own house?!” Velc roared, fury burning in his eyes. ”Soldiers!!” he bellowed before plunging his blade straight into the throat of the black-clad figure standing before him.

Chukk~

Velc panted heavily as he clutched his wounds, his fingers slick with blood, his face twisted in pain.

”Without energy... my body feels heavy and painful,” he muttered hoarsely. He dragged himself toward the corridor, one shoulder pressed against the wall for support, his vision blurring as he looked left and right.

Dead bodies lay everywhere... Black-clothed figures were sprawled across the floor, mingled with his fallen soldiers whose blood stained the cold stone beneath them.

”W-What have we done to deserve this?” Velc whispered as despair crept into his chest. As far as he knew, nothing like this had ever happened before, not even when his father was alive.

And yet now, nameless rats had stormed his home without fear or hesitation.

”Is this... the Empress?” Velc muttered weakly, blood trickling down from his forehead into his eyes. ”Is the Empress trying to eliminate us?” His knees trembled as memories flooded his mind.

”I... I asked forgiveness... in front of everyone...”

”YOUNG MASTER!”

Velc flinched violently at the shout. Ignoring the pain screaming through his body, he forced himself upright and staggered forward.

His eyes widened in horror as he saw the courtyard.

Kai and his friends were surrounded by black-clothed figures, ”M-My son...” Velc trembled, his heart hammering wildly.

Kai clenched the sword tightly in his hands. He glanced toward his brothers, who were wounded just as badly, blood streaking their bodies as they fought on with furious expressions.

Standing at the centre of the trio was Vesperine, not a single wound marking her.

”Who are these people?” Leon roared furiously, flames pouring from his mouth as he burned one attacker alive. The moment the body fell, another stepped forward without hesitation or fear.

”Why are they attacking us?!”

”Who else do you think it is?” Kai snapped, his face twisted with rage. His sword severed a man’s leg before he drove the blade downward, then ripped it free and stabbed upward into another attacker. Blood splashed across his hand and dripped from his chin as his voice turned murderous.

”That motherfucker Aether should be the one! After knowing we know the way to save people, he must want our secrets. He wants all the glory and money, so he sent these bastards! This is why I warned you not to tell the truth!”

Finnian shook his head sharply. He spun his spear with deadly precision, sweeping it sideways and cutting through several necks in a single motion.

”If he wanted our secrets,” he said grimly, ”he wouldn’t send people just to kill us, right?”

Vesperine nodded slowly, her cold gaze never leaving the attackers. ”Yes,” she said calmly. ”From the looks of it, they are trying to eliminate us, not extract information. This must be another group.” She hummed thoughtfully.

Kai clicked his tongue in frustration. ”What if he already knew the truth and just wanted to silence us?” he shot back. ”It’s not impossible, right?” He dragged Timmy’s unconscious body closer, gripping his shoulder tightly.

”Wake up, Timmy. Don’t you dare fall now!”

Leo and Finnian frowned, exchanging tense glances before nodding slowly.

It wasn’t an impossible thought.

After all, what if Aether really was trying to take control of the Empire using this method?

Only he could save them; that’s why he became the ruler of the three Empires.

Who could say for sure?

”V-Vesp... is your spell ready?” Leon asked warily, flames bursting from his mouth again as he tried to keep the attackers at bay. Sweat and blood dripped from his face.

She did not answer. Instead, she stared coldly at the black-clothed figures, her expression unreadable.

Kai and the others fought desperately, but the enemies kept pressing forward, step by step, forcing them backwards.

They were pushed closer and closer to Vesperine.

One of the attackers raised his sword high, muscles tensing as he swung with full force toward her head-

Puff~

Pink smoke burst from Vesperine’s body instantly, expanding outward and swallowing the entire courtyard in a matter of seconds.

”W-What?!”

”Darling?”

”V-Vesp?”

The group was shaken as their vision was swallowed by the thick pink smoke, its sweet scent clinging unnervingly to the air.

Chuck~

Chucckk~

Arhh!

The sickening noise of flesh being pierced echoed from every direction, followed by painful screams that rose and were abruptly silenced, one after another.

When the pink smoke finally began to dissipate, like a curtain lifting from a nightmare.

What greeted them froze the trio-brother in place.

The black-clothed figures lay scattered across the courtyard, their own weapons embedded through heads and hearts. Bodies collapsed lifelessly, some slumped forward, others twisted at impossible angles, all fallen by each other’s hands.

The group turned back instinctively, their gazes locking onto Vesperine.

Vesperine smirked faintly, her eyes glinting with cold amusement. ”Whoever sent them,” she said calmly, ”they truly think little of me.” Her steps were slow and deliberate as she walked sensually toward the fallen figures.

She crouched beside one body and pulled away its mask, revealing pointed ears and sharp canines beneath pale skin.

”Vampire?” Vesperine frowned slightly.

Kai and the others followed suit, tearing off masks from nearby corpses.

Orc.

Skeleton...

”Void...” Vesperine muttered under her breath, disbelief flickering across her face.

”Why would Void try to kill me?” she whispered, ”I’ve never had any dealings with them.”

”Something doesn’t make sense,”

”Maybe that bastard paid those Void people to eliminate us,” Kai interjected.

Vesperine shook her head slowly, ”Void people are restricted from entering our Empires. They don’t cross borders so easily.”

”Oh, come on,” Kai scoffed, frustration spilling over. ”He’s the ruler now. He can do whatever he wants if he tries hard enough.”

Vesperine ignored him completely. Her eyes lingered on the dead figures, her expression turning colder, more distant, as if piecing together a larger, darker picture.

”Void...” she murmured again, ”Ah...”