Too Lazy to be a Villainess novel Chapter 238

Chapter 238: Beneath the Gaze of Gods

[Temple of Eternal Flame —Ceremonial Hall—Lavinia’s POV]

With so many unwanted questions swirling in my mind—and Papa’s tense reaction when he glanced toward the library door still burning in my memory—my legs twitched restlessly, aching to burst through those ancient doors and uncover the truths they held. But with a heavy heart, I forced myself to follow Papa and High Priest Calvein down the stone corridor toward the Ceremonial Hall.

The guards bowed low and pushed open the doors for us. The doors groaned, heavy and ancient, as if they had been waiting centuries for this single moment.

A hush fell over the hall.

The Ceremonial Hall stretched vast and awe-inspiring before me. Arched ceilings were painted with golden flames, walls etched with sacred vows, and the floor of polished obsidian reflected every flicker of torchlight like dark, liquid mirrors. The thick, curling scent of incense wrapped around me like unseen fingers, filling my lungs with both reverence and unease.

Nobles lined the hall, silks whispering as they bowed low. Their eyes never left me. Some glittered with admiration. Others gleamed with envy. And far too many sharpened with barely concealed malice.

It wasn’t the assassins in the forest that unnerved me now. It was this silence. This suffocating, watchful silence.

I caught Count Talvan’s poker face. Lady Elenia’s hissed expression. Lady Sirella’s serene and smiling face. And further along... My Osric, Grand Duke Regis, Grandfather Gregor, and even Grandfather Thalein, sparkling with pride and happiness.

Brother Lysandre and Brother Soren waved with more sparkles than etiquette would allow, and a few elves flickered with their faint ethereal glow. Nothing new there.

I walked forward until I reached the altar. My gaze rose... and almost broke my neck. The statue above me towered impossibly high, a figure so massive I could barely make out its form.

"What... I can’t... see the god’s face," I muttered, craning my neck.

Rey stepped beside me, calm and unfazed. "You’ll never see the god’s face, Princess."

I blinked at him. "Huh? Why?"

He spoke flatly, almost matter-of-fact. "Because... no one has. No one has ever seen it."

. . .

. . .

I squinted. "So... you’re saying this is a... headless statue?"

Rey’s eyes widened in mock horror. "Don’t say that out loud... the god will be offended."

I let out a sigh, feeling both amused and exasperated.

"Remember, Princess," Rey continued, his voice lowering slightly, "we don’t pray to the statue. We pray to that power... the one no one has seen, but everyone knows exists. The god... is someone who left proof of existence, even if some people doubt it."

I tilted my head, studying him. "What kind of proof?"

He smiled faintly, eyes drifting back to the towering statue.

"Everything around you... is proof, Princess. From the tiniest insect crawling at your feet to the birds flying high above. From the plants and the trees... to the beasts that hunt and the winds that howl. From the vast universe itself, to the smallest human brain, the beating of hearts, the organs that work in silent rhythm... even the sun, the moon, the tides, the seasons... everything is living proof that someone created it all. And yet... people still question if it exists."

Wow...that was too deep.

I looked up at the statue again, then back at him, astonished. "You... you speak as though you are the god’s spokesperson."

Rey blinked, then proudly puffed out his chest. "Because... I am."

I froze. Dumbfounded. My mouth went dry, my mind racing with disbelief and awe. He was serious. He had to be serious.

And yet, somehow... I felt the truth in his words, resonating deep within my bones.

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