Too Lazy to be a Villainess novel Chapter 179

Chapter 179: When the Princess Smiles

[Lavinia’s Pov—Imperial Palace—Grand banquet hall—Balcony]

The world tilted.

Air rushed past me in a violent roar, tearing at my hair, clawing at my lungs. My hands flailed, reaching for a railing that was already behind me, slipping further and further away. My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I thought it might burst out of me.

Someone pushed me.

I couldn’t see the face, but who would dare commit such treason in the open?

The thought struck like a blade, sharp and merciless. Panic twisted around my chest until it was hard to breathe.

I wasn’t going to die. I knew that. The balcony wasn’t that high. But my bones... my body... it would shatter, crack, and bruise. I imagined the crunch of bone against stone, the white-hot pain tearing through me.

Rage boiled.

If I survived—if I crawled from the ground with fractured limbs—I would make that person regret ever laying a hand on me.

But right now... oh gods, I was going to snap my legs like twigs.

I screwed my eyes shut, bracing for the glorious symphony of pain. The courtyard stones blurred into a rushing smear of doom, closer, closer—

And then—nothing. I wasn’t falling anymore.

My stomach lurched, my body caught in an unnatural halt, like the air itself had clutched me in invisible hands. My eyes squeezed shut, but the silence—no wind, no rushing air—forced them open.

A hand gripped me. Not Osric’s. Not papa’s. Not anyone I knew.

When my gaze finally lifted, my breath stuttered.

A tall man stood there, as if he had always been waiting at the edge of the world. Brown hair fell across his forehead, his eyes as dark as obsidian. Nothing about him screamed extraordinary—his clothes were plain, and his expression was calm. Ordinary. Forgettable.

And yet... nothing about him felt ordinary at all.

His grip was steady, unyielding, his presence heavier than gravity itself. My heart recoiled, not with relief, but with something colder—like ice trailing down my spine.

"I didn’t know you’d be landing straight into my arms like some fairy... princess," he drawled with a smirk.

I froze. My blood turned to ice. I knew that voice.

"...Rey."

His eyes widened, just for a flicker, before curving into amusement. "Ohhh... so my little fairy finally recognized me?"

I let out a long, suffering sigh. "Yes, congratulations. You fooled me for a whole five seconds. Now, kindly put me down."

He grinned wider. "But why would I? It feels good, holding you like this. Almost like you were made to be carried around by me."

My jaw twitched. My fists clenched. And then—

WHAM.

My knuckles cracked against his face, and his arms immediately loosened, dropping me back onto my feet.

Rey winced, rubbing his jaw. "Gods above, can you not choose violence for a single day, princess?"

I glared, voice sharp as glass. "If you’d like to avoid it, then stop—behaving. Like. A. PERVERT."

He gasped, clutching his chest like I’d run him through with a sword. "Ouch! You wound me. Right in the heart. Do you enjoy watching me suffer?"

I snorted. "Immensely."

My eyes flicked upward, toward the balcony, catching the faintest shadow where the figure had stood. My lips curved into something between suspicion and annoyance.

"Who exactly was that?" I muttered under my breath.

Rey followed my gaze, expression turning flat. "Might’ve been someone who hates you, princess."

I gave him the driest look imaginable. "Oh really? What an observation. I never would’ve guessed. Truly, Rey, your insight astounds me."

He chuckled. "Glad you think so."

"I’m being sarcastic, you buffoon. Do you have any idea how long the list of people who hate me is? Honestly, it’s practically its own census. But to commit treason so openly..." My eyes narrowed. "That requires either stupidity, desperation, or both."

Rey tilted his head, lips quirking. "So... what are you going to do, princess? Leave it? You haven’t even seen who committed such a heinous act."

I scoffed, the sound sharp as glass. "Leave it? Do I look like the kind of delicate little princess who clutches her pearls and faints at the thought of betrayal?"

My fist curled tight, crimson eyes gleaming with heat. "Forgive and forget? That’s for saints and fools. And I," my lips stretched into a dangerous smile, "am neither."

I tilted my chin, letting my voice drop into a venomous hiss. "Looks like it’s time I remind them that I am the daughter of the Tyrant Emperor. And if they’ve forgotten what that means..."

My smile curved sharper, like a blade drawn from its sheath. "I’ll carve it into their memory myself."

Rey’s eyes practically sparkled, his grin wickedly delighted. "Saints above... every time you talk like that, I fall a little harder for you."

I shot him a flat look. "Do you want another punch to the ribs?"

His grin faltered instantly, hands rising in mock surrender. "Perish the thought, Your Ferocity. I’d very much like to keep breathing."

"Good," I said coolly, tilting my chin. "Then stop spouting nonsense."

Rey let out a dramatic sigh, clutching his chest like a star-crossed lover. "Tragic. My heartfelt confession, crushed under the merciless weight of your fists. Truly, the life of a guildmaster is cruel."

I rolled my eyes and turned on my heel toward the banquet hall. "Follow me, or get lost. I don’t care which."

***

[Imperial Palace—Back to the Banquet Hall]

"The princess...? Why is she entering from the main doors?"

"She looks furious...""

Something must have happened."

"And who is that man walking behind her?"

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