Too Lazy to be a Villainess novel Chapter 190

Chapter 190: Hands Claimed, Hearts Revealed

[Talvan’s Estate—Same Day]

Eleania SLAMMED her door with enough force to rattle the walls. Her cloak flew across the bed, forgotten, as she spun on her heels, eyes blazing like twin fires.

"ARRRGHHH!!!" she shrieked, voice sharp and venomous. "THAT WRETCHED, INSOLENT PRINCESS!!!"

Her fists clenched so tight the knuckles turned white, trembling with fury. She could still see it—the way their hands had touched, Osric’s fingers wrapped around that... that crown princess’s hand. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"How dare... HOW DARE SHE—" Her voice cracked, each syllable a growl. "She had the audacity... the sheer, unbearable audacity—to claim him!"

Her lips twisted into a snarl. "’My man’—ha! MINE! That man has always been MINE! ONLY MINE!"

In a violent burst, she grabbed the nearest vase and hurled it against the wall. It shattered into jagged pieces, spraying the floor with porcelain shards and dirt. Her dark eyes gleamed with obsession and hate. "THEN HOW... HOW DARE SHE—CLAIM HIM AS HERS?!"

She sank to her knees, fists clenched, nails digging into the carpet. "I will END her. That wretched girl. I will destroy her—completely. Piece by piece. I will show Osric—SHOW HIM—that she is not the one he should be holding. It should... it MUST be ME!"

Her chest heaved as jealousy twisted through her. The image of them together burned in her mind. "He will see... she is nothing compared to ME. I will make him forget her. I will make her regret every moment she dared... dared to touch him!"

Her gaze hardened, a dangerous glint in her dark eyes. "Yes... I will rise above her. Take what is RIGHTFULLY MINE. And Osric... my Osric... you will know... only I am yours."

***

[Osric’s Pov—Imperial Palace—Dungeon]

"AAARGGHH!!"

The coachman shrieked, hands trapped beneath my boot. Lavinia stood beside me, arms folded, eyes cold as marble, watching silently.

"My lord... please... spare me," the coachman whimpered, voice quivering with terror. "I—I’ve only done what I was paid for!"

I tightened my grip, pressing my boot down further. "And... tell me, then," I said, my voice low and dangerous, the dungeon walls swallowing my words, "who... who is the one that paid you?"

"I... I don’t know, my lord... but... it was a noble... a young woman of high rank..."

Lavinia’s voice cut through the tension like steel. Calm, sharp, and commanding: "And... you didn’t see... her face? That noble woman’s face?"

The coachman’s jaw quivered as he shook his head violently. "I... I didn’t, Your Highness... she... she wore a cloak... and hid her face so well... I... I couldn’t see—"

I drew my sword with a fluid motion, the blade catching the dim torchlight, slithering through the shadows like a threat in its own right. "Seems... seems to me you still won’t speak the truth," I murmured, voice icy and deliberate.

Panic overtook him like a tidal wave. "I—I am telling the truth, my lord! I swear! I didn’t... I didn’t see her face!"

Lavinia sighed softly, an almost imperceptible roll of her eyes. "Aldric... give him the best treatment. And make sure... this time, he tells us the truth," she said, her tone calm yet laced with authority that brooked no argument.

Aldric inclined his head and began stepping forward.

"I... I am having a headache," Lavinia murmured, turning on her heel and walking away with a measured, almost lazy elegance that masked the fire burning in her veins.

I watched her retreat, every step precise and purposeful. My chest tightened—not with worry, not with fear—but with that familiar surge of needing to be near her.

I turned back to Aldric and Damien. "Handle it from here," I said, voice controlled, each word deliberate, edged with the command of a man who does not tolerate failure.

They nodded silently, understanding the weight behind the words.

And then... I followed Lavinia, the cold stone floor echoing my boots as I kept pace with her—shadow to her shadow, protector to her relentless, untouchable force.

***

[Imperial Palace—Hallway—Later]

As Lavinia’s steps echoed softly down the cold hallway, I quickened my pace and called after her, voice low but urgent.

"Lavi..."

She stopped mid-step, turning gracefully to face me. For a moment, worry still flickered in her crimson eyes, a twitch of her brow, before it melted into that calm, radiant smile that always made my chest tighten.

"I thought... you’d still be interrogating him," she said, tilting her head slightly, a teasing lilt in her tone.

I stepped closer, brushing a stray lock of her golden hair behind her ear.

"Nothing," I said softly, letting the words linger. "Nothing is more important than you, Lavi. And...trust me Aldric and Damien? They seem... very thorough. I’m sure they can handle torturing the truth out of a man far better than I could."

She let out a quiet, amused chuckle, the kind that tugged at something deep inside me. "Then you should go back... you must be tired too."

I couldn’t look away. My gaze lingered on her, drawn into the depths of her crimson eyes.

She... she was breathtaking. Every thought, every breath seemed to pause in her presence. And after... what had happened outside, after our first hug, something inside me surged, reckless and bold.

I reached out and pulled her into my arms again. Not a mere touch—this was deliberate, grounding, possessive.

"Let me... drop you to your chamber first," I murmured, my voice rougher than I intended.

She didn’t resist. Surprising even me, she relaxed against me, resting her head lightly on my chest.

***

[Dawnspire Wing—Later]

She gave a sharp, indignant screech, her beak nudging at my cheek. It almost sounded like, ’You’re late again.’

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