Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Her face turned horrified… almost as if her face was drenched in literal sweat!!

"PLEASE FORGIVE ME, YOUR MAJESTY!!"

'Arrh! There we go again,' Aether thought, watching Emberlyn, who had a horrified expression as she stood up from the chair, bowing her head furiously.

Aether knew no matter what he said, she was not going to accept, so...

"Sit down," Aether ordered her. Emberlyn flinched, sensing an indifference in his tone... a chill, glacial calm that made her stomach twist.

She gulped, worried if Aether was truly angry at her, as she slowly sat down without any words. She muttered softly, almost whispering to herself, "I… I didn't mean to touch your head—"

"Continue what you're doing."

"H-Huh?"She blinked, wide-eyed, startled out of her spiraling thoughts.

"I said continue what you had been doing." Aether's tone was getting even stricter and more indifferent.

Emberlyn hesitated for a second before raising her hand and softly patting his head. For a second, nothing happened; she just patted, and Aether calmly ate the food.

Emberlyn's face turned really awkward and slightly worried, seeing Aether turn silent and just eating while she kept patting. It felt super weird right now. Her heart pounded in her chest.

After a moment, Aether finally muttered, "See… did something happen?"

"Huh?"

He turned to her and asked calmly, "For a second, you showed your true self rather than an Emperor's subject…"

Emberlyn slightly turned awkward. "I didn't mean to… it's just—"

"I didn't say I didn't like it, did I? So please stop treating me like that. We are one family, and when you acted like this, I felt insanely happy to see your true self…"As he leaned towards her, his eyes softened, "I like to see more of Emberlyn. The real one, not the servant who trembles at my title."

Emberlyn slightly blushed as she pulled back her face awkwardly along with her hand, but then,

"I didn't say you could take your hand away?" he asked with a frown.

Flinching, she put her hand back, her cheeks burning.

[+4000 AP]

Aether chuckled, shaking his head. "Here…" he said as he took a piece of meat and moved it towards her.

Emberlyn blinked. "I already ate, it's f-fine," she stammered a bit, but Aether insisted. That made her feel a little bit shy and she slowly parted her lips as she took the bite.

"Hmm…" Emberlyn munched as she covered her mouth, munching slightly with elegance.

Aether nodded. "See… that's not hard, right? Be yourself… all I ask is that… well, that's what I have been asking for months," he said with a soft tone before continuing to eat the remaining dishes.

Aether later asked about any news and what's going on with everyone. Emberlyn nodded and started to explain what's been happening inside the palace,

"Selene, as usual, is lying on her bed, always buried in books… She barely leaves her room, unless you drag her out. Thalia is running around, challenging anyone she finds, picking fights for fun.

And Raven, well… sometimes she looks over the Empire, but most of the time she just sleeps. But to be fair, Selene and Thalia do help Raven with managing things now and then. So, I wouldn't say they're completely lazy about it, but they could definitely be more… productive."

Emberlyn paused, searching Aether's face for any sign of impatience, then continued, "As for Nyx… she just arrived not long ago, so I don't know much about her yet. Except she asked me about the graveyard—she wanted every little detail. I'm not sure why, but it felt strange… She wouldn't tell me her reason.

And Nightfire… well, she locks herself in her chamber"

Aether hummed quietly as he listened to those details, a thoughtful glimmer in his eyes.

It sounded like everyone was doing whatever they pleased, which was fine for a while, but…He let out a small sigh.

Things were changing... new challenges, new threats, new information about the world outside.

He realised it had all started because he kept them inside the palace, believing it would keep them safe at first. But as the months passed, the girls grew too comfortable.

Especially Selene… she always lay on her bed and did nothing but read.

'Wait… Did Dora finish her academy?' he wondered, frowning.

Maybe that would be the spark they all needed.

He nodded to himself, making a silent promise to ask Dora when she opened her academy.

As he finished eating, he washed his hands in the basin. He glanced at Emberlyn, who was already reaching to gather the empty utensils when—

"Do you have anything to do in your life?"

Ember halted, her fingers curling around a spoon. She looked at Aether with a confused expression, her brow furrowed. "I… I don't get it?"

Aether smiled softly, tilting his head, "I mean… do you have any dreams? Anything you truly love, or something you want to achieve for yourself? Not just duties or the Empire… but something that would push you to your limits? Is there something you wish for?" as he walked towards her while drying his hands.

Emberlyn blinked, her expression turning blank with confusion. For a moment, she said nothing, her mind swirling with memories and empty pages.

Aether frowned slightly, trying to draw her out, "Mother-in-law?"

Emberlyn snapped out of her thoughts, meeting his gaze with a slightly awkward smile. "I… I'm sorry, this is the first time someone's ever asked me something like that… I really never thought about it before."

Aether raised his eyebrows, "Really? Never thought of anything—not even as a child? What did you want to be when you were young?"

When he mentioned that, Emberlyn tilted her head, as if peering through the fog of old dreams. "Young… ah? Hmm… Well, I once imagined running a small restaurant... a cosy place by the lake, the smell of fresh meat everywhere… But everything changed after I got married. You know, life turned, and I focused on the family instead."

Her eyes softened, a faint sadness mixed with joy in her voice.

Aether stared into her eyes for a long, thoughtful moment before nodding his head, "Show me your Origin Card."

Emberlyn blinked, her lashes fluttering in surprise, but nodded her head in response. She summoned her card and presented it to Aether.

<

Pyra Emberlyn

Occupation: Servant of Her Saviour

STR: 20

INT: 21

AGI: 40

CHR: 85

SIN: 05

>

Aether raised his eyebrows, noticing her CHR was almost as high as Celestia's... but her other attributes… well, not quite as impressive.

His gaze sharpened when he read the word "Occupation." He looked up at Emberlyn, who only smiled innocently, as if unaware of the weight in those words.

He understood now… In her heart, she truly saw herself as nothing more than a servant to her saviour. He was the one who rescued her, wasn't he? Maybe that was why it was etched there, burned into her soul.

Aether stared a moment longer at the card's occupation before his eyes drifted upward, taking in the two stars at the top and… the image that pulsed on the surface, wreathed in red flame.

Was that her desired weapon?

"What's your desired weapon?"

Emberlyn raised her hand, her fingers trembling with a shy pride, and—

Puff~

A small tongue of red flame spurted into existence in her palm.

"This is it," she murmured, almost embarrassed, the flame dancing between her fingers.

"…Pardon?" Aether asked, genuinely confused, his brows knitting together.

Emberlyn smiled awkwardly, glancing away as she waved her hand. The flames vanished with a faint sigh.

"When I was young, I couldn't pour out flames like the other children," she confessed,

"Back then, I didn't understand why. I only knew how much I longed to be like them… so flames became what I desired most. That longing etched itself into me, so… yeah."She flipped her hand again... flames appeared, softer now, "But this is the most I can do."

Aether hummed thoughtfully, piecing it all together. "That means you know…"

"Yes." Emberlyn's eyes met his, finally steady. "After Thalia awakened her bloodline, I finally understood why I couldn't perform like the other dragons… It's because I have diluted Phoenix bloodline in my body."

Aether stared at her for a second before handing the card back to her.

"See… you don't need to owe me anything, okay? Don't think of yourself as my servant—"

Before he could finish, Emberlyn, for the first time, interrupted him with a serious face, her eyes shining with a fierce, gentle pride.

"Please, Sir… I'm doing what I want. In this lifetime, I owe you more than my life. When I was trapped in that glass tube, broken—unable to cry, unable to move, unable even to die—you were the one who came to me. You saved my soul from the horrors of those endless, lonely nights.

Even if I worked for you every day and night until the stars went out, it would never come close to what you have done for me."

Aether stared at her blankly. Deep down, he knew the truth: he had done those things for his own reasons, for his own gain.

"Even so… treating you like my servant, I don't want it," Aether said quietly.

Yet Emberlyn only smiled,

"It's not about being a servant. It's about repaying my debt. And if you still feel awkward about it, then think of it as me doing this as your mother-in-law. Would that be fine, then?"

She smiled, an amused sparkle in her eyes, as if daring him to argue.

Aether couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head. "Well, if that's what you want… do as you wish."He wouldn't force her to change, not when she looked more resolute about this than anything else he'd seen.

Still, he walked over and pulled her into a small, warm hug, patting her back gently,

"Sometimes, you really are a stubborn one…" he muttered softly.

Emberlyn's eyes widened in surprise, her heart skipping a beat at his sudden embrace. For a moment, she let herself lean into it, feeling warmth blossom in her chest before quickly shaking off the feeling. She cleared her throat and asked,

"You asked so many questions tonight… If you don't mind, can I ask one?"

Aether raised an eyebrow, "Go ahead."

Emberlyn, with a faint blush tinting her cheeks, looked up and asked, "Which one do you like? Mine… or Ms. Maelona's?"

"…Pardon?" For a moment, Aether's mind short-circuited.

Was she really asking what he thought she was asking?

Her or Maelona?

Emberlyn quickly explained, cheeks burning, "I mean… our cooking! Which do you like the most?"

"Oh? Oh… right…"

He exhaled in relief, shaking his head as he composed himself.

"You'll tell this to Maelona, won't you?"

Emberlyn nodded, her face breaking into a happy grin.

How else could she show off if he didn't choose her?

Aether flashed a big smile. "I'm going to sleep… tata~"

Without another word, he vanished from the room in a rush.

Emberlyn blinked, caught off guard, then pouted slightly, crossing her arms as she sulked.

"You really do like mine… why are you hesitating!!"