Too Lazy to be a Villainess novel Chapter 181

Chapter 181: Thorns Beneath the Crown

[Lavinia’s POV—Morning Tea, Imperial Garden]

I took a dainty sip of my tea, my eyes skimming the dramatic, ink-smeared newspaper sprawled before me.

"The people from the newspaper companies are so dramatic," I muttered under my breath.

Across from me, Osric leaned lazily against the chair, his gaze flicking over the dark, bold headline:

"TAX INCREASED—NOBLES ARE CRYING OVER THEIR BELLY."

I squinted at it and tapped the page. "I mean... I’ve never actually seen anyone cry over their belly. What’s next, nobles wailing that their ankles are too oppressed?"

Osric’s lips twitched, the corner of his mouth curving as he murmured, "Maybe they’re just reflecting your words. You know—like how you always do."

I blinked. "...Excuse me?"

He looked up from the paper, eyes locking onto mine with that infuriating, deliberate steadiness. Then—slowly, shamelessly—he smirked.

Saints save me. I really needed to build immunity to that face. My poor heart couldn’t keep breaking into song every time he looked vaguely handsome, which was always.

I tried to hide my fluster by gulping more tea. And that was when—

THUMP!

Something slid across the table.

A velvet jewel box.

I stared at it like it had personally insulted me. "What is... this?"

"Earrings," Osric replied smoothly, as if the answer were obvious.

"I—yes, Osric, I can see that." My voice cracked as I flipped the box open to reveal sapphire teardrops that sparkled in the sunlight like captured ocean. "...But why are you giving me this now? You already gave me a birthday present."

That damned smirk deepened. He reached across, his fingers brushing mine before he gently—too gently—took my hand.

"It’s not a birthday gift," he said. "It’s... a confession gift."

My brain short-circuited. "A... a what?"

"A confession gift." His voice dropped lower, silkier, his thumb stroking lightly over my knuckles. And then—oh saints—he leaned down, brushing his lips against my hand. "The day you wear those earrings, Lavi... I’ll take it as my answer. That you love me too."

...

Blink.

The world went fuzzy at the edges. My cheeks betrayed me, heating faster than boiling tea. I yanked my hand back, stammering like a complete idiot. "I—I get it, alright! Don’t just say things like that so casually!"

He only smiled—innocent, angelic, as if he hadn’t just detonated my heart in broad daylight.

And then, as if that wasn’t enough, his expression shifted. His hand curled into a fist, his jaw tightening.

"...And I’d like to apologize."

I froze, caught off guard. "...Apologize? For what?"

His gaze sharpened, shadows sliding across his face. "For not being there. When someone tried to kill you."

The words were heavy. Honest. They sank into me, quiet and unpolished in a way his usual confidence wasn’t.

I blinked at him, then gave a small smile. "...It’s alright. No one could’ve predicted that would happen. I just wanted to be myself for a moment... and I wasn’t in the right mind to drag anyone along."

My voice faltered, softer. "...And it’s not like I wanted someone to see me like that."

He studied me. Too intently. Then, voice low, he asked, "But... you didn’t sense who it was, did you? Man or woman?"

My stomach twisted. I let out a nervous laugh, fiddling with the edge of the newspaper. "No. I wasn’t exactly... in the right state to notice."

His confession made my brain crackle—I didn’t even notice someone standing behind me.

But that doesn’t mean I won’t find the traitor.

Rey, that useless guild master, had better uncover something soon. Still... my gut whispers I already know who it is.

Because during the entire party, one pair of eyes followed me—brimming with venom sharp enough to spill blood.

Eleania.

Every step I danced with Osric, every word I let slip—she glared at me with a hatred so sharp it could have carved through skin.

My lips curved, though my heart felt like steel. "Perhaps," I murmured, almost to myself, "I should hold a tea party."

"Tea party?" Osric echoed, brows furrowing, his deep voice laced with suspicion. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

I tilted my head toward him, reclining lazily against the chair as if the very idea amused me. "Yes," I drawled, letting the word stretch, "it’s time I mingled with society, don’t you think, Osric? A harmless gathering... lace and porcelain, smiles and poisoned words."

"Truly..." he drawled, brushing crumbs from his fingers, "the blood of tyrants runs thick in your veins, my princess."

***

[Emperor Cassius POV—Imperial Palace—Throne Room]

"Your Majesty... please... you must reconsider!" one of the nobles pleaded, his voice cracking with desperation.

Another joined, "Your Majesty, the Crown Princess must retract her decision—if she continues this path, the Empire will be ruined!"

"History will remember this as a dark age, Your Majesty!"

"The Crown Princess must reconsider!"

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