Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 971 971: Do you still like this... f###ed-up woman~? Hehe~?

Aether blankly stared at the long, wide transparent tube. Inside the shimmering liquid... a boy with blackish-blue hair, appearing to be around 15 years old, floated lifelessly within the glass chamber, his arms slightly parted, his head tilted downward, as if asleep—or dead.

”Kai?” Aether whispered, his voice trembling, his face contorted in utter disbelief. His eyes widened as if trying to confirm what they were seeing. The shock plastered across his face was unmistakable.

He stepped forward in a daze, unable to tear his gaze away, and slowly reached out, fingers barely inches from the cold surface of the glass.

”Donʼt,” Xara muttered sharply, her tone calm but firm, snapping Aether out of his trance-like state.

Startled, he turned towards her, his voice still shaky as he pointed to the boy inside the tube again. ”Kai...? Is that... really him?”

Xara nodded with a twisted grin forming on her lips. ”Kai... yes, and no. Itʼs him... but not exactly.” Her tone was playful, almost amused, like a puppeteer showing off her favourite marionette. She glanced back at the boy with a look of strange affection. ”Heʼs something more... something Iʼve carefully crafted.”

Aetherʼs brow furrowed in confusion and dread. ”What the hell are you talking about?” he asked, struggling to keep his voice steady. ”Why is he in there? What did you do to him?”

Xara tilted her head slightly, her grin widening as her eyes gleamed with mischief. ”Tell me, Aether... do you know the real reason why I married Velc?”

Aether hesitated, then nodded cautiously. ”You mentioned something about a deal... something important you wanted from him.”

”Indeed,” she said softly, her voice taking on a sultry, dangerous tone. She turned to him slowly, every word curling off her tongue like smoke. ”You see... for years, I searched endlessly. I hunted for the blood... for the truth... I chased after answers that always slipped through my fingers. No matter how many samples I took, no matter how many creatures I dissected, how many bloodlines I tracked... I couldnʼt find it. I was always missing something crucial.”

Her eyes shimmered with frustration as she paused, then continued, her tone rising, almost desperate. ”I was so close... yet so far. I tried everything. Every method. Every ritual. But the result was always the same—empty. Incomplete. Useless!”

She suddenly moved toward Aether, her face appearing inches from his like a ghostly wraith. ”And then... I met Velc. Completely by accident,” she added with a bitter laugh, backing away and twirling dramatically. ”I saw him, and I knew immediately... his blood wasnʼt like the others”

She walked toward the tube again, her fingers lightly brushing the glass as she spoke, her tone reverent. ”Unlike any creature Iʼve seen in all the Empire, Velcʼs blood was... unique. Not just rare. One of a kind... And I had to have it.”

Aether stared at her in horrified fascination, ”So you married him... just to get his blood?”

Xara turned back to him, her smile never fading. ”Of course. But it wasnʼt that simple. That bastard—Velcʼs father—was always guarding him. Always interfering. That old man... he wasnʼt easy to fool. I couldnʼt just kill Velc and take what I needed, no... the old bastard was insanely protective. You have no idea.” Her smile twisted into a snarl. ”He pretends to be noble, honourable... but I saw through it. Heʼs a manipulative, two-faced snake.”

She laughed softly, then shrugged. ”So I offered him a deal. I promised to take care of Velc. I swore I would watch over the territory, manage the affairs, and protect his legacy. I played the role of a loving, dutiful wife...”

She paused again, her expression darkening. ”To be honest, I expected him to refuse. I mean, what kind of father would allow his son to be turned into an experiment?

What kind of father would knowingly sacrifice his child?” She grinned wickedly.

Aetherʼs stomach twisted.

”But he accepted.” Her voice dropped, almost a whisper. ”As if... he had foreseen it all. Back then, I didnʼt understand. But recently... I learned... Velcʼs mother... was a Prophetess. A real one... And suddenly, everything made sense.”

She laughed again, a short, sharp bark of disbelief. ”That old man knew. He knew this would happen. He let it happen. And I... I thought I was in control, that I was the one pulling the strings. But now... I wonder if I was just another pawn in his game. Can you believe that? Me, Xara—being played!”