Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1528: Vesperine Wants to Marry Aether?

After signing the required documents, Aether formally took the title and responsibility into his hands. The moment the final seal settled, the Elders collectively released a breath they had been holding for far too long, their tension melting away as if they had feared Aether might reject the responsibility even at the last moment.

Without lingering, they departed the throne room one after another, eager to spread the news of the new Law and the awakening of Aether’s authority throughout the empire.

Aether exhaled slowly as he settled back into the chair, fingers resting against the armrest while his gaze swept across the suddenly emptier hall.

"I only see a few elders here. Where are the others? Did they not like it, or is something else going on?"

Kaelen offered a tired smile, the kind that came from long nights and heavier responsibilities than his age suggested. He straightened slightly before answering,

"Every Elder agreed to this. They simply left the clause writing to those who were capable of handling it. Not everyone has the authority or skill to draft a law of this scale."

"I see..." Aether nodded slowly, a faint crease forming between his brows as he processed the explanation. His eyes remained thoughtful rather than relieved.

"But what if some of them dislike the clause once it spreads? What happens then? Would they disagree?"

"Dad, leave that to me," Kaelen replied, "I will handle it properly. You don’t need to worry about that part, okay?"

Aether studied his son for a moment before nodding. He shrugged lightly and leaned back into the chair.

"So this is what you wanted to talk about?" he said with a small sigh. "You almost had me worrying all night. Yesterday, you looked so serious that I started wondering if it was about the barriers or those metallic figures... Haha... come on man, lighten up a bit~"

Kaelen did not smile back. His posture stiffened, and the air around him subtly changed as his expression turned solemn.

Aether’s chuckle faded the moment he noticed. His brows lowered, "There’s more, isn’t there?"

Kaelen nodded, hesitation flickering across his face.

"D-Dad... I am not sure how to say this properly. I... I just need you to promise me something first.

Please don’t get angry before you hear everything... Please?"

Aether frowned slightly but nodded nonetheless. A trace of unease crept into his chest.

What could Kaelen possibly have done to make him angry?

Aether tilted his head, searching Kaelen’s face for answers. As far as he knew, nothing had gone wrong.

Nothing should have gone wrong that made him angry.

Kaelen swallowed before speaking,

"I found a way to increase the Value in our Cards."

As he spoke, he summoned his Origin Card, holding it between his fingers before placing it carefully in front of Aether.

Aether’s eyes widened slightly as he leaned forward. His brows rose when he noticed the change immediately.

The right corner, where the value ’0’ had always remained immutable, now displayed a clear and undeniable ’1’.

"How?" Aether asked, "You actually found a way?"

His voice sharpened with disbelief and awe.

This was not a small discovery.

This was a breakthrough that many had failed to even approach.

Aether and countless others had struggled to understand what the Cards truly represented, what governed their limits, and what conditions were required.

Yet Kaelen had managed to push beyond that wall.

Pride welled up in Aether’s chest as he stared at the card, his gaze lifting back to his son.

"Tell me," he said quietly, "how did you do it?"

Kaelen hesitated, his fingers curling slightly at his side. That hesitation alone sent a ripple of concern through Aether.

Aether’s expression hardened.

"Did it... cost something important? Life?"

"N-No, Dad!" Kaelen replied immediately, shaking his head. His voice cracked with urgency.

"Of course not. I would never do something like that."

"Then why are you hesitating?" Aether pressed.

Kaelen bit his lip, the silence stretching painfully before he finally exhaled.

"Forgive me, Dad... but the one who told me how to do it was actually Vesperine."

He paused before adding softly, "My ex."

The air in the throne room turned cold. Aether did not speak as he stared at Kaelen, his expression unreadable and heavy with restrained emotion.

Kaelen flinched under that gaze, his heart pounding as he hurried to explain.

"D-Dad, I swear I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t go back to her or trust her blindly. I just listened."

"I thought you had forgotten her," Aether said at last, his voice low and edged with disappointment. "I thought you didn’t want to involve yourself with someone like her again."

His jaw tightened. "She nearly broke you once."

"DAD, LISTEN FIRST!!"

Kaelen shouted in panic. Aether fell into silence, his gaze locking onto Kaelen with an intensity that felt heavier than words, as though his eyes alone were saying that he was listening, fully and without interruption.

Kaelen drew in a deep breath, forcing himself to steady his racing heart before speaking again.

"It’s not me, Dad... I didn’t go after her. Please believe me. I would never do something like that," he said, his hand clenching into a tight fist as fear and desperation twisted through his chest.

Aether hummed quietly and contemplatively. He finally exhaled, his shoulders sagging as tension drained from his frame, and his voice softened when he spoke.

"I believe you."

Kaelen released a breath he had not realised he was holding. Relief washed over his face, and a faint, grateful smile appeared as his posture relaxed.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

Aether straightened slightly, his expression returning to one of focus rather than anger.

"So?"

Kaelen nodded and continued, his voice more composed now,

"She told me that our individual Origin Cards are actually linked to the Values showing up in the sky."

Aether frowned deeply, his brows knitting together as the implication began to settle. His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest as he processed the idea.

"You mean that in order to increase the value in the sky, we have to increase the values in our Cards?" he asked.

Kaelen nodded slowly.

Aether blinked before shaking his head, confusion and doubt overtaking him.

"That’s impossible. I mean... didn’t you see the sky? Those values were already there even when we hadn’t done anything. None of the victims’ Cards changed at all, not even once."

Kaelen sighed, "Because... it was Vesperine who had been doing it all along."

"... What?" Aether snapped, his eyes widening.

"Yes," Kaelen said firmly. "Vesperine is the one increasing our Value, and she did it without saying a single word about it."

Aether shook his head sharply.

"She’s lying. She’s just trying to get inside your head."

"That’s exactly what I thought," Kaelen replied, his tone dropping. "Until I saw her Card."

Aether went silent.

"She has 109," Kaelen continued, his voice heavy. "The same number as our Empire’s Value in the sky, Dad. The same value that has been frozen since the last metallic figure we captured alive."

Aether frowned as his mind raced through memories and calculations... After waking up, Delphine and others explained what was going on while he was sleeping, so he knew about the sudden and strange halt of metallic figures appearing after their first successful capture.

Since then, no metallic figures had emerged at all.

The Values of each empire had remained unchanged, except for Terra and Void.

Aether frowned deeply.

"Wait... if she has one hundred and nine, and each of our four Empires also shows one hundred and nine, then that doesn’t add up-Wait..."

His words faltered mid-thought, his eyes widening as the answer struck him with sudden force.

"Chosen ones..." he muttered under his breath.

Kaelen nodded wryly.

"Leon, Kai, and Finnian, too. She’s helping all of them. Everyone is sharing the Values equally. That’s why our Empire has remained the same throughout."

Aether hummed as he pondered, listing the names aloud as pieces finally aligned.

"Leon from Pyra... Kai from Naiadae... Finnian from Aurora."

His eyes widened slowly as comprehension settled fully.

"Now it makes sense. By increasing their individual Values, the Empires they are connected to rise alongside them. Interesting, so it is kind of collective values or something, I guess..."

He looked back at Kaelen, "Isn’t that right?"

Kaelen nodded.

But then Aether frowned, his expression tightening as another thought surfaced. His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest while he spoke,

"And that leaves Zephyra... Vesperine is from Zephyra?" he muttered before shaking his head slightly. "But according to Celestia’s report... Vesperine is from Aurora."

He paused, "Hmmm... something isn’t making sense here," he added under his breath.

Vesperine.

The more time passed, the more that woman felt like an unsolved riddle.

Aether set that thought aside for now. Whatever games Vesperine was playing could wait. There was something far more important pressing against his mind.

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp as it returned to Kaelen.

"So how do you do it?" he asked. "How do you increase the Values in our cards?"

Kaelen hesitated but gave in as his shoulders tensed before he finally spoke,

"She said that part would remain a secret... at least until we agree to a deal with her."

"Tsk," Aether clicked his tongue in irritation, leaning back with a scoff.

His expression darkened, annoyance flashing through his eyes.

"What does she want?" he asked bluntly.

"Don’t tell me she wants to marry you. That woman has never been subtle about her intentions."

Kaelen gulped, fear flickering across his face as he shook his head quickly.

"N-No!"

"No?" Aether blinked in genuine surprise.

No?

That was unexpected. Vesperine, of all people, passing up an opportunity to cling to Kaelen?

’Hah... what a fucking idiot.’

Inside, Aether laughed quietly to himself, relief washing over him.

At least she didn’t try to entangle Kaelen in her schemes again.

That alone felt like a small mercy.

"Then what?" Aether asked, "Money? Wealth? Authority? Tell me... I will give it to her."

If it were any of those, he would agree without hesitation... And once everything was over, he would simply discard her like excess baggage.

Simple and Clean!

Hehe~

Easy-peasy.

However—

"It’s you, Dad."

"I see—wait, what?"

Aether’s face stiffened, horror flashing across his face as the meaning landed all at once.

Kaelen’s face turned red instantly. He lowered his head, unable to meet Aether’s eyes as he spoke, his voice tight with embarrassment and disbelief.

"She wants to marry you... in exchange for the details."

"..."

Aether went completely silent. The throne room felt strangely still as his mind stalled, struggling to process the absurdity of what he had just heard.

After a moment, he finally spoke, his voice oddly flat.

"Huh... is that so..."

Kaelen blinked, staring at his father in confusion.

That reaction was far too mild... wasn’t it?

He had been expecting destruction... Shouting... Maybe even bloodshed?

Aether’s lips slowly curled into a smirk, amusement glinting faintly in his eyes.

"Definitely... that woman is—"

"If you’re done talking, can I give you this?"

The voice cut through the air sharply.

"I need to leave. My mom will worry about me."

Both Aether and Kaelen flinched, snapping their heads toward the source.

Lia stood near the doorway, arms crossed, her expression clearly annoyed.

Aether frowned slightly.

When did she get there?

He hadn’t sensed her presence at all.

Did she hear everything?

His instincts hadn’t picked her up... not even a trace.

Did this mean Lia was getting stronger?

Even Kaelen, whose senses were sharp enough to detect changes in sound and scent, hadn’t noticed her approach until now.

With a small smirk, Lia walked towards them.