Chapter 1924: Aether got a Elder Sister! Wonderful, right?... RIGHT?

Grace... was genuinely surprised when she heard those words. She hadn’t expected him to give her an answer like that.

And, honestly, his answer surprised her more than she cared to admit.

For someone like her, who had never concerned herself with mundane emotions or the trivial attachments of others, she found herself strangely affected by what he had said.

She had expected him to come up with some lame excuse, perhaps something meaningless that would allow him to avoid admitting the real reason.

She had never expected him to say those words so plainly.

’So... the reason he didn’t let me out was because he thought I would abandon him? Huh...’

The thought caught her off guard, and a faintly impressed expression appeared on her face.

She knew she was angry with him when he nagged her all the time, but she also knew herself well enough to understand that she had enjoyed listening to him. She couldn’t simply blame him for everything when she had willingly allowed their conversation to continue.

And considering that he loved that insane bitch... she could understand why this boy had no idea how to properly express himself to others, even though he loved that insane bitch so deeply.

’It must be because of her that he never learned what to do,’ she thought, clearly placing the blame on that insane Mary who had corrupted this little boy.

Still, she was partially responsible for what had happened as well. After all, instead of pushing him away, she had listened to his story.

She had allowed him to speak, and somewhere along the way, he had grown closer to her without even realizing it himself.

’Such a pitiful child,’ she thought, looking at him with an almost pitying expression.

For someone who was the eldest of all her siblings, she understood what it meant to look after those younger than her.

She had always possessed an instinctive sense of responsibility toward those beneath her, even if she rarely showed it openly.

And in her eyes, he was no more than a child who needed guidance.

It was an elder’s duty to take care of the youngest one, wasn’t it?

In her view... he had become dependent on her, and for some reason, that realisation made her strangely happy.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she looked at him.

"Kiss my foot, boy, and I... might consider acknowledging you as my little brother."

She lifted one tiny leg and casually extended her foot toward him, turning her heel slightly as she revealed a beautiful, pale foot that had never touched the ground.

A faint red blush had appeared on her cheek.

She didn’t understand why her face was suddenly growing warmer. Perhaps it was because of the way he looked at her, almost like a lost puppy that had finally found someone willing to guide it.

There was something strangely amusing about it.

And, if she were being honest with herself... perhaps she found it just a little bit exciting.

Just a tiny bit.

To her, he was nothing more than a lost puppy that needed someone to guide him, teach him, and help him grow into someone who could stand properly on his own.

But then her expression gradually changed when she noticed that he remained completely still, silently staring at her with a blank expression.

Grace raised an eyebrow.

"What happened? You were so desperate to keep me beside you a moment ago. Surely you haven’t changed your mind already."

Lackey’s eyes immediately snapped back to her. He smiled, almost too quickly, and looked at her with an eager expression.

"O-Of course I want to keep you beside me... I want you to stay with me forever."

[+900]

That last word made Grace tremble slightly.

Lackey swallowed hard. The moment the words left his mouth, he inwardly screamed at himself.

’Damn you, asshole... don’t fucking fuck this up already.’

He cursed himself silently while desperately trying not to let his expression betray the panic rising inside him.

Grace, however, seemed completely pleased with his answer. She leaned forward slightly, resting her chin against one hand as she looked at him with a victorious smile.

"Come now, little brother. You wanted me to stay, did you not? You should at least be prepared to prove how sincere you are."

Lackey turned around and walked toward her. When he reached her, he stopped directly in front of her.

Grace slowly raised her hand and motioned with her fingers, gesturing for him to kneel before her.

Lackey obediently lowered himself onto his knees. His eyes immediately fell upon the tiny foot extended toward him.

For several seconds, he simply stared at it.

Then he slowly raised his eyes toward Grace, his expression carrying a mixture of disbelief and hesitation.

"Is that... really necessary?"

Grace nodded without hesitation. "Of course."

Her expression remained calm for a moment, but then her eyes gradually turned cold, the warmth disappearing from them as though someone had extinguished a flame.

"Or... do you not want to kiss your Elder Sister’s foot?"

The instant those words left her mouth, a deadly aura quietly leaked from her tiny body. It wasn’t loud or explosive, but the sheer pressure behind it was enough to make the air around Lackey feel heavier.

For an instant, he felt as though an invisible scythe had been placed against his throat, its cold edge resting against his skin.

Cold sweat immediately broke across his forehead.

’She’s threatening me now!’

Lackey gulped hard, forcing himself to maintain a smile despite the instinctive fear crawling up his spine.

"Haha... Of course. I love to kiss my E-E-E... ahem..."

He abruptly cleared his throat.

The words refused to come out properly. For some reason, saying them aloud felt incredibly strange, almost as though his pride was physically resisting every syllable.

Grace’s cold gaze remained fixed on him.

Lackey swallowed once more before finally surrendering to the pressure.

"Of course I do. I love kissing my Elder Sister’s foot."

[+900 AP]

!~Ding~!

[New Fetish Identified: Onee-san’s Feet... We’re not judging, Little Brother~ ??]

’Stop kidding me, Log!’ Lackey screamed inwardly.

Grace’s expression immediately softened into satisfaction.

"Do it, then..."

She slowly extended her foot toward him.

Lackey lowered his gaze and quietly stared at it.

Although her foot was small and delicate, he could still see the faint veins beneath her pale skin, along with the subtle flow of blood beneath the surface. Her tiny toes were perfectly formed, and the soft, rosy sole looked almost impossibly smooth, as though it had never touched the ground even once.

There was something strangely pristine about it.

Lackey frowned slightly.

’I’m pretty sure... I don’t have a foot fetish.’

[Well, well, well... You’re Down Bad, Little Brother~ ??]

Lackey’s lips twitched.

Yet despite his own thoughts, he couldn’t seem to look away.

His eyes lingered on her foot for several seconds longer than they should have, and he could feel his heartbeat gradually becoming faster.

’Why is my heart beating so quickly?’

He had no answer.

One thing was certain, though... He was freaking going to remember this humiliation for the rest of his life!

Grace was the only person who had ever made him kneel before her and... kiss her foot.

’What a time to be alive...’

He quietly swallowed his embarrassment, closed his eyes, and slowly leaned toward the extended foot.

Grace’s expression gradually became tense as she watched him approach.

The closer he came, the more strangely conscious she became of the situation. Her heart began beating faster, and she could feel a faint warmth spreading through her chest despite her attempts to maintain her usual composure.

’Why am I nervous?’

She didn’t understand it herself.

Then his lips finally touched her foot.

"~Chu~"

[+1000 AP]

The instant the contact was made, something extraordinary happened.

SPARK!!!

A sudden surge of energy shot through Grace’s entire body.

Her tiny wings erupted into a brilliant, glittering radiance, their delicate edges glowing furiously as countless points of light scattered through the air around her. The sensation ran from the sole of her foot all the way through her body in a single instant.

"Hmm-!!"

A faint, involuntary sound escaped her lips.

Grace’s eyes widened in absolute horror.

She immediately covered her mouth with both hands, her face betraying a mixture of shock and embarrassment.

’Did... did I just make that sound?’

For perhaps the first time in a very long while, the Goddess of Death found herself completely unable to understand her own reaction.

Lackey slowly lifted his head.

He had been wondering why her foot smelled so strangely pleasant when he noticed Grace staring at him with both hands covering her mouth.

"Grace?"

His voice was filled with confusion.

Grace immediately snapped out of her embarrassment.

She quickly withdrew her foot and composed herself, straightening her posture as she looked down at him with the dignified expression of an Elder Sister who had absolutely nothing unusual happen to her.

"Rejoice, Aether. From this moment onward, you shall be the Little Brother of the Goddess of Death, The Mighty Grace!"

Her voice carried an unmistakable sense of pride, as though she had just bestowed upon him an honour that countless beings would have sacrificed everything to receive.

Lackey stared at her for a moment before solemnly lowering his head.

"Of course, Elder Sister. Thank you for accepting this little brother."

[+1000 AP]

Grace nodded with satisfaction.

There it was.

That was exactly how a little brother should behave.

She folded her arms, looking down at him with the quiet satisfaction of someone who had finally acquired a responsibility she had secretly wanted.

Of course, he still needed some correction here and there. His manners were questionable, his understanding of proper respect was lacking, and his habit of saying whatever came into his mind would certainly need to be dealt with.

But those were merely small problems.

She would correct them one by one.

After all, she was his Elder Sister now.

Grace raised her chin slightly and folded her arms more firmly across her chest.

"And remember this well, Little Brother. I am not some cute little fairy you can tease whenever you please.

I am Death herself.

You would do well to remember who your Elder Sister is."

Lackey blinked.

He looked at her tiny figure, her delicate wings, and the adorable expression she was desperately trying to make intimidating.

He remained silent for a few seconds.

Then, with complete sincerity, he said,

"I’m... sorry, Elder Sister, but... you are so cute."

[+1000 AP]

"..."

Grace’s expression froze.

The corner of her eye twitched.

For several seconds, she simply stared at him in complete disbelief, as though she were trying to determine whether her newly acquired little brother had genuinely dared to ignore her warning.

Her face began to tremble.

"Rebellious!"

Her voice suddenly echoed through the surroundings.

"How dare you defy your Elder Sister’s words! I have just warned you not to treat me like some cute little fairy, and yet you immediately chose to challenge me!"

She raised one tiny finger toward him.

A strange force instantly wrapped around Lackey’s body.

His feet left the ground without warning, and his entire body floated helplessly into the air. Before he could even react, Grace casually rotated her raised finger.

Lackey’s body followed the movement, slowly spinning through the air until he was completely upside down.

His hair fell toward the ground as he stared at Grace in disbelief.

Grace looked at him with a cold, authoritative expression, although the faint satisfaction in her eyes betrayed how much she was enjoying herself.

"This is your first punishment for going against your Elder Sister."

She paused for a moment before adding with a faintly wicked smile,

"Perhaps after this, you will finally learn the importance of respecting the Goddess of Death."

Lackey blinked in mild surprise as he looked at Grace.

’If this is what her punishment is... I would have gladly taken her as my Elder Sister.’

A faintly amused expression appeared on his face.

After all, simply staying upside down was nothing new to him. He had already endured far worse during his training with Dora. Compared to some of the ridiculous exercises he had been forced to endure, hanging upside down hardly qualified as punishment.

He could stay upside down for hours if necessary.

So this shouldn’t be a problem at all—

"H-Huh?"

Lackey’s expression suddenly changed.

The air around his body seemed to distort, and an immense force began pressing down on him. The gravity beneath him rapidly increased, causing his entire body to feel unbearably heavy. His muscles tensed instinctively as though his body itself was trying to resist the invisible pressure.

Blood rushed toward his head, and his vision began to blur slightly.

"W-Wait... what’s happening?"

His voice trembled as he struggled to move his body. Even the simple act of turning his head suddenly felt difficult.

He looked toward Grace.

She was smiling.

Not her usual innocent smile, either.

There was something distinctly evil about the expression on her cute little face, and the contrast made it all the more terrifying.

Grace raised her chin slightly as she looked at him, her tiny wings fluttering gently behind her.

"You should have listened to your Elder Sister."

It was at that moment that Lackey finally realised his mistake.

’...I really messed up.’

Around two hours later...

Thud!

Lackey’s body finally fell to the ground.

"H... H... ha... ha..."

His breathing was ragged as he lay there, barely able to feel his own body. Sweat covered his skin, his hair clung messily to his forehead, and a thin trail of blood had begun dripping from his nose.

His limbs felt as though they no longer belonged to him.

He had spent the entire time hanging upside down, but that alone would not have been a problem.

The real nightmare had been the crushing pressure Grace had continuously increased around him. Every time he thought he had reached his limit, she had simply increased the pressure a little more, leaving him wondering how much longer his body could endure it.

At several points, he had genuinely wondered whether he was about to die.

Grace looked down at him with a cold expression.

"Next time you disobey your Elder Sister... you will remember what happens, correct?"

Lackey could only nod weakly, fear still lingering in his eyes.

"Yes... Elder Sister. I perfectly understood."

[+1000 AP]

Grace nodded with satisfaction.

She could sense the obedience in her new little brother, and the anger and annoyance that had been lingering in her chest gradually disappeared.

A strange sense of satisfaction settled over her.

She had finally found herself a little brother.

And she would personally make sure he became a proper man.

A perfect man, in fact.

The thought alone filled Grace with an almost indescribable sense of accomplishment. She couldn’t have been prouder of herself.

Yet, as she continued thinking about it, her expression slowly changed.

Her eyes became slightly dim.

Her gaze drifted toward the foot he had kissed earlier.

Grace quietly pulled one knee toward her chest and wrapped both arms around it. Her tiny wings became still behind her as she tilted her head slightly, her voice losing its previous playful arrogance.

"You should be grateful."

Lackey looked at her.

"None of my siblings have ever touched me like that... much less kissed my foot."

Her fingers gently tightened around her knee.

"You are the first."

The words were spoken quietly.

Lackey was about to nod like a well-trained robot when he stopped.

Something about her expression caught his attention.

For a moment, she didn’t look like the tiny, mischievous, cute fairy who had been tormenting him moments ago.

She looked like a mature woman carrying something far heavier than her small body should have been able to bear.

There was a solemn melancholy in her eyes.

The light from the sky behind her seemed to fall around her tiny figure, outlining her delicate wings and pale hair in a faint glow. Yet instead of making her appear divine, it somehow made her look lonely, as though the vastness around her only emphasised how isolated she truly was.

Lackey’s lips parted, but no words came out.

He didn’t know whether it was the way the light fell behind her, the unusual stillness in her expression, or the way her fingers unconsciously tugged at a strand of her hair.

But for the first time, he wondered if there was something beneath that playful and arrogant personality.

Something lonely.

Something painful.

Something she had carried for so long that she had simply learned to hide it behind laughter and arrogance.

And for the first time, a thought appeared in his mind.

’I want to know her...’

It was nothing more than a simple thought.

Yet it came from somewhere deeper than curiosity.

He didn’t want to understand her because she was useful to him. He didn’t want to know her because she was powerful or because she could serve as a tool.

He simply wanted to know her.

That was all.

A faint smile slowly appeared on Lackey’s lips—

"And now... we shall discuss the punishment for using your Elder Sister as fucking bait, little brother."

Grace’s voice suddenly changed.

The warmth disappeared.

A dangerous tone replaced it, accompanied by a wicked grin spreading across her face.

"..."

Lackey’s smile immediately vanished.

He froze.

His entire body became stiff as the realisation struck him.

She remembered.

She had never forgotten that part.

’Fuck!’

Lackey shouted internally.

"Fuck!"

He shouted aloud and immediately activated his skill, attempting to escape without hesitation.

But the instant he moved, his body abruptly stopped.

An invisible force had already wrapped itself around him.

He couldn’t move.

His expression slowly turned pale.

Grace’s wicked smile widened as she slowly approached him.

"Where are you running, little brother?"

Her voice became unnervingly sweet.

"You hurt your Elder Sister, you know~"

A shiver immediately ran down Lackey’s spine.

Grace’s wings fluttered as she lifted herself into the air and slowly flew toward him. Her expression was almost frighteningly cheerful now, and she stopped directly in front of him.

She looked straight into his eyes.

"Isn’t it an Elder Sister’s duty to reform her ungrateful, annoying, opportunistic little brother?"

Her smile widened.

"Haha~"

[+1000 AP]

[+1000 AP]

[+1000 AP]

[+1000 AP]

[+1000 AP]

[+1000 AP]

[+1000 AP]

It was at that moment that Lackey finally understood what kind of relationship he had gotten himself into.

He had thought Grace accepted him as her little brother because she genuinely wanted to guide him.

He had been wrong.

She had accepted him as her little brother partly because she had finally found someone she could torment to her heart’s content.

And judging from the way she was laughing...

She was having the time of her life.

In fact, Lackey was almost certain he had just witnessed Grace laughing more freely than she ever had before.

He nearly fainted from despair.

’Why did I ever agree to become her little brother?’

Unfortunately, there was no answer.

There was only Grace’s laughter growing louder as she dragged him away.

[But it’s too late. There’s no turning back now! ~Fu~Fu~ ??]

His Log offered those final words as though delivering a solemn farewell before dragging him straight into the abyss.