Too Lazy to be a Villainess novel Chapter 241

Chapter 241: Fractured calm

[Lavinia’s POV — Carriage Ride—Later]

After that, Osric had insisted on stopping me from entering the Divine Library, and by the time people in the ceremonial hall realized I was missing, it was too late. Yet... the more their nervous whispers reached my ears, the more determined I became. That library held answers—answers about Papa, about Osric, and about the sudden, inexplicable tension I had felt during the Benediction.

One day... no matter what, I would uncover it.

"What are you thinking about, my dear?" Papa’s voice, deep and resonant, cut through my thoughts.

Marshi yawned beside me, resting his head lightly on my lap, and I absently stroked his fur, feeling the warmth and weight of his calm presence.

"Just... this and that, Papa," I murmured, eyes drifting to the window. The streets of the capital city passed by in a blur of colors—merchants shouting, carts laden with sweets rattling along cobblestones, and children darting between crowds.

Then... a flicker of something caught my attention. "Oh, this necklace..." I whispered.

I looked down at the pendant Grandpa Thalein had given me when I was just a child visiting Nivale. Once a simple pink gem, it now glowed a deep, almost liquid shade of pink.

"Maybe... because of the Divine Benediction," I mused.

Papa’s stern gaze softened slightly as he looked at the pendant and nodded. "Thalein told me... it would change the color once the holy light fell upon it." And with an annoyed expression, he added, "Useless pendant, yet somehow... useful."

I blinked and chuckled lightly. "It has a special spell papa. It will protect me whenever I am in danger."

He scoffed, a sharp edge to the sound. "As if I care what you call it. What you must understand, Lavi... is that I will not—cannot—allow you to face danger alone. That pendant... it may seem trivial, but it is both shield and key. I cannot tell you to remove it, because it may be used one day... when you will be Empress."

. . .

Oh, he’s worried.

I tilted my head, studying him. "Are you... worried about me, Papa?"

"Of course," he said, voice low, each word heavy with weight. "Who else would be, if not your father?"

I smiled faintly, trying to ease the tension. "Don’t worry, Papa... everything will be fine."

He let out a long, measured sigh, eyes narrowing as he scanned the streets below. "Marquess Everett and Caelum... they are dead, Lavinia. But that does not mean you are safe."

His tone darkened, his voice carrying a tyrannical edge, like steel wrapped in velvet. "This world... it is crawling with corruption. Far more snakes than there are saints. Another will rise, I know it. And we do not yet know... how poisonous this new serpent will be. That is why—never remove that pendant. It may seem useless now... but when the time comes, when the threads of fate tighten... it will reveal its power."

His words sank into me, heavy as iron, and I swallowed the lump in my throat.

He was right. Everett and Caelum had been the story’s greatest villains—but that did not mean it end of the story was over. What if they had only been pawns in a larger game? What if an even deadlier snake was maneuvering in the shadows?

Sigh...looks like I will be very busy now.

Because this time... I would not only face those hidden serpents, but I also had to unravel the truth behind Papa and Osric’s sudden nervousness. That vision I had seen... the one where death and betrayal were entwined with Rey... it would not leave me.

I need to find out. I need to find a chance to go to that divine library. but how?

I sighed, loud enough that I startled even myself. "I feel... so complicated."

. . .

. . .

Damn it! I said that loud.

Papa’s eyes, sharp and unyielding, fixed on me. Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, he slid beside me. His massive frame seemed to shield me from the chaos outside as he drew me close, letting my head rest against his broad shoulder.

"I am here, my daughter," he said, voice dropping into a low, grave rumble, equal parts tyrant and protector. "I will fight every battle with you. This time... I will not leave your side."

"This time?" I asked softly, tilting my head to study him.

Am I truly ready to uncover what Papa is hiding? Can I endure the truth that he and Osric have both been protecting me from? If I pull at the threads, at the tangled skein of secrets and lies... will I survive the collapse of everything I think I know?

***

[Osric’s POV — Everheart Estate—Night—Office]

"...Papa holding me in his arms at the altar... and Rey... he was there, in robes... standing in the place of the High Priest."

Solena only glared at him, wings spread in an exaggerated flourish, as if she were declaring, I bow to no one—not even your panic, little man. She swooped again, the wind of her wings scattering more papers in a beautiful, infuriating chaos.

What if she remembers... everything? What if...she finds everything we have been keeping away from her? What if...she recalls this is her second chance at life? What will happen? Will everything crash?

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify