Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1577: Aether and Mary shocked... Nyx rocked!

Seated upon a temporary throne, the blurry figure observed the two before her with quiet authority.

One stood tall, posture unyielding, pride etched into every line of his frame, while the other bowed her head with delicate restraint, fingers clutching the hem of her clothes.

The blurred figure dismissed the proud, striking man without so much as a flicker of interest. Her attention settled entirely upon the bowing girl.

”It has been a long while, Nyx Shadowfall.”

Nyx lifted her head just enough to respond, her expression carefully composed, her tone steady and respectful.

”Indeed, it has been a long while, Your Majesty. I have often wondered how you have been faring in my absence.”

Yet beneath that calm exterior, her thoughts stirred with quiet intensity, a warmth she could neither suppress nor fully understand.

’She remembers me... even after everything, she remembers. I knew it... she has not cast me aside. She still cares.’

Mary’s lips curved into a faint, knowing smile,

”I have been well,” she replied with a gentle amusement. ”But tell me, Nyx... how has your life unfolded since then? Has the world treated you kindly, and more importantly... has your husband proven worthy of you?”

Nyx straightened slightly, her fingers loosening their hold as a soft blush crept across her cheeks, betraying the composure she tried to maintain.

”My life has been... peaceful, more than I expected,” she answered, her voice quieter now, touched by something intimate.

”And my husband... yes, he treats me well. He cares for me every single day without fail.”

Her gaze faltered for a brief moment.

Mary’s smile widened, a soft laugh escaping her as she leaned back against the throne.

”I see... so he truly was your destined one after all,” she murmured, a trace of something wistful slipping into her tone.

”How fortunate you are, Nyx. To find someone who chooses you every day... that kind of bond is not so easily forged.”

Nyx lowered her head again, her blush deepening, unable to meet Mary’s gaze any longer as emotion quietly bloomed within her chest.

Mary tilted her head, her smirk returning.

”Oh? Look at you... blushing like this,” she said, her voice laced with soft laughter. ”How delightful. I had almost forgotten you were capable of such expressions. It suits you more than I expected.”

”Y-Your Majesty... please, you must not tease me like this,” Nyx replied, her voice wavering slightly despite her attempt to remain composed.

Mary’s laughter followed, echoing faintly through the vast chamber.

Meanwhile, standing just a few steps away, a lone figure remained frozen in place, his presence starkly disconnected from the strange warmth unfolding before him.

And there was only one thought in his mind,

’What the hell is going on here?’

Aether stared at the exchange, disbelief written plainly across his face as the scene continued to unfold.

They were not speaking like ruler and subordinate. This felt... intimate... Like a mother who had sent her daughter away, now reunited after years of silent longing.

A sharp breath left him as unease crawled beneath his skin.

’What is this... feeling?’

Aether rubbed his arm unconsciously, as though trying to dispel the goosebumps that had risen at the sound of Mary’s voice.

There was something deeply unsettling in the tenderness she displayed!

’No... I understand Nyx’s side. In her memories, Mary was the one who accepted her, the one who stood where no one else would. It makes sense... it makes sense that she would cling to that image, that she would act like this.’

His gaze shifted slowly toward Mary.

’But this...’

Mary leaned forward slightly, ”So tell me, Nyx... when should I expect a grandchild?”

Aether’s entire body stiffened, his thoughts slamming into a wall of disbelief.

No! Absolutely not.

His head shook instinctively.

’That is not Mary.’

He stared at her.

Mary, as he knew her, did not speak like this. She did not indulge in such warmth. Her care was absolute only for her daughter.

Others were nothing to her.

At best, they were pests.

No... not even pests. Most did not exist in her eyes at all.

’Something is wrong. This is not her!’

Mary’s smile lingered, hidden behind the veil of blurriness. Her gaze flickered toward Aether, catching the subtle shift in his expression, the disbelief he failed to conceal.

”Sorry,” Nyx’s voice broke through the tension, soft but firm despite the lingering blush on her face.

”I am not planning for a child anytime soon.”