Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Surprised? Definitely.

From Nyx? Freaking unbelievable!

Aether dragged a long breath through his nose as he stared at the black cage surrounding him.

Even now, part of his mind refused to accept the absurd reality before his eyes. Out of every possibility he had imagined, every disaster, battle, and death… getting imprisoned by his own wives had never truly settled into his thoughts.

Well… not completely.

It wasn’t like he had never expected something similar. A few of them carried frighteningly obvious yandere tendencies.

Still, he believed he could manage it.

As long as he acted carefully. As long as he loved them properly. As long as he kept their hearts satisfied and their fears under control, everything should have been fine.

That was what he thought.

He thought everyone would remain in the palm of his hand… until now.

“Damn it!”

The metallic growl echoed as Aether grabbed the thick black bars with both hands and pulled with force. Veins rose along his forearm while the cage groaned faintly under the pressure, yet the bars did not even tremble.

Not a bend.

Not a scratch.

Even his natural physical strength could not damage it?

Aether slammed his foot against the metal floor, the sharp clang ringing throughout the cage, before his gaze shifted toward the lone figure standing outside the cage.

“Starla…” His tone softened slightly, “Can’t you help your poor lord a little? Just open the cage and pretend nothing happened.”

Starla remained motionless.

The woman stood straight like a knight sculpted from frost itself. Her cold eyes remained fixed slightly above the cage bars, carefully avoiding direct eye contact with him.

The top of the bars was almost aligned perfectly with her eye level.

Not even a twitch crossed her face.

Nyx had personally ordered her to remain there and watch over Aether. If he needed anything besides escaping, she was to fulfil it immediately without question.

As for her… well, she said she had an important thing, so she left.

But escaping?

Absolutely not.

Aether slowly released the bars before leaning back against the cold wall with a tired sigh.

Honestly… he understood Nyx.

He really did.

He was preparing to walk into a nightmare where death waited around every corner. A place where he might die over and over again just to achieve what he wanted.

And Nyx was the only one who truly understood what that meant.

No…

She was the only one who had actually experienced it.

Of course, she hated this.

Of course, she wanted to stop him.

No sane person would calmly watch their beloved throw himself into endless suffering between life and death.

Hell, if their roles were reversed… he might have chained her down himself.

Aether rubbed his face roughly before exhaling another curse beneath his breath.

He could understand… he definitely could… but…

“Fuck…”

His eyes slowly drifted back toward Starla.

She still stood there like a perfectly disciplined statue.

Aether stared at her for several long seconds before the corner of his lips curled upward into a dangerous, teasing smile.

“Well now~” His voice turned smooth and playful. “Are you avoiding your Queen’s husband because you’re scared your naughty little thoughts might leak onto your face?~”

Starla visibly flinched.

It was tiny.

Barely noticeable.

But Aether caught it instantly.

Her sharp gaze snapped toward him, carrying clear irritation beneath its icy surface.

“I do not possess such disgusting thoughts, My Lord.”

Aether rested his chin against his knuckles while watching her carefully. Despite the coldness in her expression, faint traces of red had quietly appeared near the tips of her ears.

Small and almost invisible.

But definitely there.

His grin widened like a wolf spotting blood in fresh snow.

“Really?” he asked lazily. “Then why were you avoiding me earlier? And why did you keep staring at me like you wanted to devour me alive?~”

Starla’s brows twitched violently.

“And here I thought,” Aether continued dramatically, placing a hand over his chest, “that perhaps you planned to use my innocent body once and throw me away afterwards. How cruel. My heart may never recover.”

“You are unbelievable…” Starla muttered under her breath.

“Hm?”

“I said,” she replied coldly while narrowing her eyes at him, “please refrain from speaking such shameless nonsense without any proof.”

Inside, however, her thoughts were far less composed.

’S-Shameless! How could one person say such things so naturally?!’

Her fingers tightened slightly behind her back while she maintained her expression with military precision.

Unfortunately for her, Aether noticed every tiny reaction.

And that only made his smile grow more dangerous.

However, Aether’s smile only deepened.

“I may not have proof,” he murmured lazily, “but I do have… something else~”

He snapped his fingers.

The thin illusion covering his body like a second skin instantly shattered into scattered fragments of light before disappearing completely.

And then…

!!!!

Starla’s face exploded into crimson.

Her breathing hitched violently the moment his true appearance entered her sight. That ridiculously handsome face, those sharp eyes filled with dangerous amusement, the sculpted body standing behind the bars like temptation itself…

For one horrifying second, an utterly inappropriate thought flashed through her mind.

’That fucking sexy face… I want to put my pu-’

“OH MY GOD!!!”

Starla practically screamed in horror as the thought died midway.

Her entire body stiffened as if struck by lightning.

Aether’s wicked smirk only widened further, and somehow that expression alone made her blush deepen even more. She instantly turned her face away, refusing to look at him directly.

“M-My Lord, what kind of sorcery are you using?!” she stammered in near panic. “I thought you had returned to normal and now… now this?! WHY?!”

She genuinely sounded like she was about to cry.

Because no matter how much she denied it, her own thoughts had betrayed her in the most humiliating way possible.

Aether tilted his head innocently.

“Returned to normal?” he repeated with a casual shrug. “But this is the normal me, though.”

As he spoke, he slowly stood up before stepping closer to the bars.

Then he leaned slightly forward and looked at her through the gaps between the bars.

“Fuck…” Aether clicked his tongue dramatically while staring at her.

“Look at those eight packs… sexy as hell. Makes people want to lick them or something~”

Starla’s body shuddered.

Even without directly looking at him, those shameless words alone were enough to send heat rushing through her ears. Instinctively, she raised a hand to cover her perfectly toned stomach.

Unfortunately, that movement only created another problem.

The motion subtly pushed her breasts upward, deepening the shadow of her cleavage beneath the torn battle uniform she once wore in war.

Aether noticed instantly.

Aether’s gaze shamelessly lingered there while a dangerously lustful grin spread across his face.

“Oh?” His voice turned softer, more amused. “What do we have here? Are you trying to tempt me now?”

Starla’s eyes widened. “I-I am not!”

“Mhm.” Aether leaned lazily against the bars while openly studying her reaction. “That outfit already does enough damage on its own, you know.”

Starla immediately crossed her arms defensively, her expression cold despite the overwhelming redness spreading across her face.

Aether clicked his tongue again before speaking in an exaggerated tone of disappointment.

“What a terrifying woman…” he sighed. “Elegant body, disciplined personality, secretly adorable reactions… honestly, you’re unfair.”

“S-Stop saying strange things!”

“Strange?” Aether raised a brow. “I’m only being honest.”

Licking his lips in deliberate provocation. “I wonder what they would taste like… Looking at you, I can already guess. Small, soft nipples, right? Kind of cute… just like your heart~”

!!

Starla’s eyes widened instantly in horror.

’H-How does he know?!’

For a brief moment, genuine panic flashed across her face.

Meanwhile, Aether himself was secretly stunned inside.

Honestly, he had only been making shameless guesses to provoke her. He never expected to actually be right.

Still…

There was absolutely no way he would ruin the moment now.

So instead, he slowly tightened his grip around the black bars and leaned closer with a dangerously seductive smile.

“Oh my~” he murmured softly. “Did you really think I know nothing about you?”

His eyes locked onto hers.

“I’ve seen your memories, woman.” His voice lowered further. “I know every single thing about you.”

The atmosphere instantly grew heavier.

Starla gulped unconsciously.

’R-Right… he saw my memories…’

The realisation struck her all over again.

Which meant…

He truly knew things no one else possibly could.

“S-So he really knows everything about me…?” she thought in utter disbelief as her body instinctively staggered back a step.

Aether smirked deeply, “And I know no man has ever touched that elegant, sexy body of yours before.” His voice lowered into something smoother, more dangerous.

“No one has spoiled you. Loved you. No one has ruined that cold little mask you wear every day.”

Starla froze.

Aether’s fingers tightened around the black bars while his seductive smile slowly deepened.

“What a waste,” he whispered. “What a terrible pity~”

Starla staggered back a step in disbelief.

But beneath the embarrassment and panic, one thought quietly surfaced inside her head.

…What exactly was there to pity?

She was a proud woman in her prime.

She had fought until the very end without bending her head, without surrendering, without begging for mercy. Even death failed to break her dignity.

There was nothing to pity.

At least, that was what Starla believed.

Aether, however, merely watched her with that infuriatingly knowing smile before speaking again.

“That’s exactly why,” he muttered softly, “after being given a second chance, you started harbouring indecent thoughts toward your new master’s husband, didn’t you?”

“You wanted to feel like a woman at least once this time around…”

“NONSENSE!”

Starla’s voice exploded.

Her face burned crimson as she finally looked directly at him after avoiding his gaze for so long.

“I am not some disgusting woman who would do something like that!” she snapped fiercely.

“My heart and body belong to My Queen!”

Aether’s smirk only widened.

“Whatever belongs to my wife…” he said lazily, “belongs to me too~”

Then his gaze shamelessly drifted lower.

Very lower.

His eyes slowly travelled across her long thighs wrapped beneath the tight uniform.

The kind of legs built through endless combat and discipline rather than vanity.

Aether bit his lower lip dramatically.

“Damn…” he muttered under his breath. “I wonder what it feels like to be hugged by those thighs~”

Starla instantly stepped backwards.

“P-Pervert!”

Her lips trembled violently while heat rushed across her entire face. Even her ears had turned bright red by now.

How could someone speak so shamelessly with a completely straight face?!

And worse…

Why did his gaze feel so intense?

It was as if he could see directly through her.

Not merely her appearance.

Her.

Wait…

Body?

Starla suddenly froze.

’I DON’T EVEN HAVE A BODY!’ she screamed inwardly in complete disbelief.

She was a soul.

Yet somehow his eyes still made her feel painfully exposed.

Starla gritted her teeth hard before glaring at him.

“M-My Lord, please stop looking at me with those filthy eyes!”

Aether blinked innocently.

“Filthy?” he repeated while placing a hand against his chest in fake disbelief. “Me?”

Then he slowly leaned closer to the bars.

“Even though you’re the one secretly harbouring naughty thoughts behind your Queen’s back… now I’m the filthy one?”

“Tell me honestly, Starla.”

His eyes locked directly onto hers.

“On the oath you swore to your Queen… tell me you never once imagined such things.”

Starla’s body trembled violently.

Her lips parted.

But no words came out.

If it were merely a question, she could have denied it immediately.

But an oath?

No!

She could not lie upon the pledge she devoted her entire existence to.

And that silence…

Was more than enough.

Even Aether looked momentarily surprised before a victorious grin slowly spread across his face like a predator cornering its prey.

As if he caught the cat, he was about to play very well ~

“Oh my~” he purred teasingly. “So naughty after all?”

His gaze slowly wandered across her body again.

“So filthy~”

Starla flinched.

His eyes felt suffocated.

Like countless invisible hands brushing against her skin despite the fact that she technically possessed no real flesh at all. The sensation crawled beneath her thoughts and left her feeling unbearably naked.

Which made absolutely no sense!

She was literally a soul!

Finally, unable to endure it anymore, Starla shouted back furiously.

“I-I-I am just a soul, for God’s sake!” she yelled while pointing at herself aggressively. “I don’t even have a real body, you perverted bastard! This is only a phantom recreated from my past! Nothing more!”

Her chest rose heavily as she glared at him with burning embarrassment and anger.

“Get your head together already!”

At this point, she had completely abandoned formal respect toward him.

And honestly?

Aether looked far too entertained by that fact.

Hearing those words, Aether tilted his head slightly as if genuinely confused by her reaction.

“Oh?” he asked casually. “So that’s what you’re worried about?”

Starla blinked at him in confusion.

Worried about?

Aether’s lips slowly curled upward into a shameless grin that instantly triggered every danger signal in her mind.

“Don’t worry,” he said proudly. “I can fuck a ghost.”

“…”

[…]

Even the Log inside his mind seemed to fall silent in complete disbelief.

If it possessed a face, it would absolutely be staring at him with the most exhausted deadpan imaginable.

Bro. Really?

Meanwhile, Aether completely ignored the invisible judgment surrounding him and continued speaking with the confidence of a corrupted young master who had never once known shame in his life.

“You see,” he declared proudly while placing a hand against his chest,

“I possess a magical dick.”

His gaze shamelessly drifted downward toward the torn skirt wrapped around Starla’s lower body. The old battle uniform hugged her toned figure tightly despite the damage accumulated from countless battles long ago.

“I can still satisfy you even in this form~”

The blush on Starla’s face instantly vanished.

Only pure disgust remained.

“Oh my fucking goodness!” she shouted while clutching her head in disbelief.

“STOP IT! What is actually wrong with you?! Don’t you already have wives?! Real wives! Women with actual flesh and bodies! Why are you even targeting me in the first place?!”

Aether shrugged without the slightest embarrassment.

“First, I’m perfectly fine.”

He raised one finger.

“Second, yes, I do have wives.”

A second finger rose.

“And third…” His grin softened slightly. “Well… you’re kind of cute.”

“H-Huh?”

Starla froze completely.

’Cute? Me?’

Her thoughts short-circuited instantly.

For a brief moment, the terrifying warrior who had survived for thousands of years looked genuinely lost.

Unfortunately, Aether noticed that reaction immediately.

And naturally…

He attacked.

“So don’t worry,” he continued with a sly smile. “We can do plenty of naughty things behind your Queen’s back~ Doing behind her back while I do your back~Hehe~”

He winked wickedly.

“Isn’t that exciting? Secret meetings… forbidden tension… while your Queen has no idea what her loyal servant is doing behind closed doors~”

Starla’s face turned pale in horror.

Yet despite herself, a violent blush still spread across her cheeks from the sheer absurdity of the images forced into her mind.

“Y-YOU!!”

For the first time since their conversation began, Starla finally grabbed the massive sword resting beside her.

The blade hummed sharply.

“D-Don’t you dare say another word…”

But Aether only became worse.

“Oh? And maybe once she finds out,” he continued thoughtfully, “we could let her join too. A Queen and her loyal servant together under one man… honestly, that sounds pretty good, while she rides my cock, you ride my mout—”

“One. More. Word.”

Starla’s voice dropped into an icy, murderous tone that instantly froze the air itself.

Her cold eyes stared directly at him without mercy.

Yet the redness covering her face still refused to disappear.

Her fingers tightened around the sword hilt hard enough to creak the metal, though she still held herself back with monstrous restraint.

Aether watched her carefully from behind the bars before snorting inwardly.

’Look at her… Such absurd willpower.’

Honestly, surviving thousands of years as a lingering soul suddenly made complete sense.

Even now, she refused to lose control completely.

Still…

Aether merely crossed his arms arrogantly.

“It seems you still don’t believe me,” he said with a smug expression. “How about I demonstrate the magic personally?”

“H-Huh?”

Under Starla’s stunned gaze, Aether’s hand slowly moved toward his pants.

Then…

Zzzzipppp!

The sound echoed in her ears like a last drum of war.

And the moment his fingers touched the zipper…

“DAMN YOU, YOU PERVERTED BASTARDDDDDDDDDD!!!”

Starla exploded.

The massive sword swung instantly with full force toward the cage without even a fraction of hesitation. At that moment, she no longer cared whether he survived or not.

Her entire mind screamed only one thing.

Shut him up!!

Before she completely lost her sanity.

“Hehe~”

Aether smirked while watching the blade descend toward him with terrifying speed.

The sword howled through the air violently enough to split the atmosphere itself.

Then suddenly…

“Stop, Starla.”

A calm voice echoed behind her.

Instantly, the sword halted mere centimetres away from the cage.

BUFFFF!

The leftover force still erupted outward like a storm despite the blade stopping completely. Violent wind pressure blasted across the cage, forcing Aether to shield his eyes briefly.

“Tsk.”

Clicking his tongue, Aether lowered his arm.

And there she was.

Nyx.

She slowly walked toward the cage with her usual composed elegance while behind her floated dozens of ghosts carrying furniture, blankets, bookshelves, and even decorative items.

Aether stared silently for a few seconds before letting out a tired laugh.

“Heh…” he muttered weakly. “She really plans to keep me here for a while, huh?”