Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1446: Curse? Fu*k off!

Kaelen placed his hand firmly over his chest and straightened his posture, his voice carrying a respectful weight. "I am honoured to meet you again, alive and well, Professor Delphine," he said sincerely.

Though they had not shared many conversations, Delphine’s words from the past had stayed with him, lessons she had given when he had been reckless and rude.

She was always a good Professor to everyone.

Delphine smiled weakly at his seriousness. Her gaze shifted slowly until it met Liora’s. Liora stood with her arms folded, her expression stern and unreadable, watching Delphine with quiet intensity.

Liora nodded once. "It has been a while," she said evenly, her tone restrained yet not unkind.

That was all she offered, no more, no less.

Delphine nodded back, her smile soft and understanding. "Yes... It has been a while."

Aria stepped forward next, a gentle smile forming on her lips. "Professor... no, Ms. Delphine," she corrected herself softly.

"I am really happy to finally see you again."

Beside her, Maelona leaned in and carefully held out a small white flower.

"It helps calm the mind and ease stress," she explained. "And... it was my daughter who wanted to give it to you."

Aria’s cheeks flushed red as she shot her mother an embarrassed glare. Maelona only smiled serenely, completely unapologetic, as though she had not exposed her daughter’s feelings at all.

Delphine chuckled quietly and accepted the flower with one hand, the other still holding Selene close.

She brought it near and inhaled the soft, clean scent of its petals. The dizziness clouding her thoughts eased, her breathing steadied, and the tight pressure in her chest slowly loosened.

"Hisss~"

A familiar weight brushed her shoulder.

Delphine turned and met Snowflake’s glistening eyes as the little creature slithered closer, her body curling protectively against her.

"D-Del... are you alright?" Snowflake asked softly, worry trembling in her voice as she gently licked Delphine’s cheek.

Delphine’s lips quivered as she reached up and nudged Snowflake’s face affectionately. Tears welled in Snowflake’s eyes as she coiled around Delphine’s neck, rubbing her cheeks against her with desperate tenderness.

"I missed you... I missed you so much... I really missed you..." Snowflake whispered repeatedly, her voice breaking as she clung tighter, afraid to let go.

Delphine let out a quiet, breathy laugh as the ticklish sensation brushed her skin. "I am fine... really... Snow," she said gently.

Snowflake sniffed and nodded, her eyes still trembling as she puffed out her cheeks stubbornly.

"I am not leaving you alone! Hiss! You bad lady! Hiss! Making Snowflake cry! Hiss! I hate you!" she complained, though her tail tightened protectively instead of pulling away.

Delphine laughed softly and kissed Snowflake’s forehead with quiet affection.

Snowflake beamed instantly, her worry melting into joy. "Hisss~" she hissed happily before lifting her head with hopeful eyes.

"When Master wakes up, let’s make food together, okay? We eat together, all of us, like one big family. Okay?"

Delphine nodded slowly, her smile deep and genuine, something warm and true settling in her heart.

"Delphine..."

She turned toward Celestia, who stood with her usual calm, distant expression. Celestia bowed her head slightly, her voice low but sincere. "Welcome back," she said simply.

Delphine looked around the room, her gaze lingering on every face watching her, every presence that had stayed, waited, and worried.

They were not looking at her because of Aether.

They were not looking at her because of anyone else.

They were looking at her because she mattered, because she had returned, and because... she belonged here.

Just... Delphine!

As if there truly was a family waiting for her, no matter what she chose, no matter which path she walked, they would still stand beside her.

That certainty settled quietly in her chest, warm and fragile at the same time.

Delphine’s eyes trembled as tears gathered again. She nodded slowly, a weak, crying smile forming on her lips.

"Y-Yeah... I am back," she said softly, as if saying it out loud helped make it real.

Everyone around her smiled warmly, relief and quiet joy reflected in their eyes.

They enjoyed the moment quietly.

Just then, Selene tilted her head, her brows knitting together with concern despite the tear stains still clinging to her lashes.

"So... what do you mean when you say he is cursed?" she asked carefully.

Delphine blinked and looked at her, caught off guard by the sudden shift.

She stared for a moment before sighing lightly. "And.. here I thought... you were worried about me," she said with a faint, tired smile.

Selene’s lips twitched as she crossed her arms. "Come on, Aunt. You know I was worried," she protested. "Do you really think my tears were fake?" she added, pouting slightly.

Delphine shook her head gently and leaned down to kiss Selene’s forehead.

"I guess... I would be asking the same," she murmured.

Her smile faded soon after, her expression turning heavy as her gaze drifted toward the ceiling.

"We were caught inside... The Eternal Prison. In a darkness..... " she said quietly.

She spoke slowly, recounting how Aether had been seized by chains, how they wrapped around him and dragged him into a cracked, collapsing reality.

She did not speak of what happened before... Some memories were better left unspoken.

She continued, describing how she had been separated from him, lost in endless darkness, searching desperately for his presence.

How she had died again and again, hunted by something she could not see.

The room grew tense as her words sank in.

Faces paled, breaths grew shallow, and silence pressed down heavily on everyone listening.

"Y-You mean you could not even see it?" Thalia asked, swallowing hard.

Delphine shook her head weakly. "Yes... the entire space was dark," she replied. She swallowed again, her fingers tightening unconsciously.

"My neck kept breaking, over and over. I could not fight them. I could only run, and even running did not help. They broke my neck instantly and used his voice... they tricked me again and again."

A stunned silence followed. Several of them swallowed at once, disbelief and horror etched clearly across their faces.

As Delphine continued, her voice trembling, she spoke of wandering that darkness until she encountered Mother.

"Wait... Mother?" Sera and Helena exclaimed at the same time.

Delphine nodded slowly. "Yes. Without her, I would have died endlessly in that dark void," she said with certainty.

Sera frowned deeply, lost in thought as her gaze shifted toward Aether’s unconscious form.

’A prison meant for gods,’ she thought grimly.

Piece by piece, the truth aligned into a single, terrifying conclusion. Sera swallowed, a faint feverish heat creeping into her skin as the weight of it settled.

Helena clenched her fist tightly. "What was she doing in there?" she demanded. "If that place is truly a prison?"

Delphine shook her head. "I do not know," she admitted quietly. "But she was the one who told me... Aether is cursed."

Selene frowned deeply, "You mean... he was cursed there?"

"No... he was cursed from birth," Delphine said quietly.

As she spoke, she began to repeat Mother’s words exactly as they had been given to her. Those words had burned themselves into her mind, etched so deeply that even time could not dull them.

She told them everything Mother had said.

Every warning, every cruel truth, every certainty spoken without mercy. She did not skip a single line, as if leaving even one word out would somehow betray the meaning behind it. When her voice finally fell silent, the air around them felt heavier, tighter, as though the room itself was holding its breath.

"He was cursed from birth?" Thalia muttered at last.

"And those who share his fate..." Aqualina continued slowly, her expression darkening as the implication settled in. "Shall bear the burden of his curse?"

No one answered her.

One by one, their gazes shifted, drawn toward the same sight without conscious intent.

Aether lay there. He looked peaceful, almost fragile, as if the world had not already decided to punish him for simply existing.

Thalia suddenly clapped her hands together, realisation flashing across her face. "Now I get it," she said bluntly, "Why he only attracts broken women, women already carrying scars and pain."

Several lips twitched at once.

The words were rough, yet disturbingly close to the truth.

"So... does that mean we are going to carry his curse too?" Maelona asked softly, her gaze returning to Delphine.

Delphine shook her head slowly, "I... I do not know," she admitted. "Mother said the reason I was dragged into the Eternal Prison was because of his curse. A curse meant to break him. A curse meant to make him suffer.... A curse meant to strip him of everything until there was... nothing left."

If Mother’s words were true, then the most logical solution was painfully obvious, even if no one wanted to voice it.

"So," Selene said suddenly, "who is going to leave?"

Everyone flinched.

Seeing their reactions, Selene exhaled quietly and smiled, "Do not look so surprised," she said. "If anything, he would be the first one to let you go. If he knew he was the cause of pain for all of us, he would push you away without hesitation."

No one argued with her.

They all knew it was true.

If Aether ever learned he was cursed, he would isolate himself immediately. He would sacrifice his own happiness, call it responsibility, and believe it was the right thing to do.

A selfish bastard in the most selfless way possible.

They exchanged glances without speaking. No words were needed. Every thought was shared in that quiet moment.

It was not that anyone was considering leaving him.

They were simply stunned that such a curse existed at all.

"So what?" Thalia finally said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I do not give a damn about his curse. I love him for who he is," she said firmly. "He pulled me out of the depths and forced me to face the world again. He showed me how to keep moving forward even when there is nothing left to cling to."

Her hand clenched tightly, "If he is cursed," she continued, "then all I need to do... is crush it."

Red-golden flames flickered faintly around her body, responding to her resolve rather than rage.

Soft smiles spread through the room.

"Well," someone said quietly, "then it is obvious. Let us forget what we heard."

"Indeed," another agreed without hesitation.

One by one, they nodded.

A curse?

Let it try.

In one way or another, every one of them had been cursed from the very beginning.

Compared to that, this was nothing at all.