Too Lazy to be a Villainess novel Chapter 261

Chapter 261: The Void Between Us

[Lavinia’s POV—The Void Between Light and Shadow]

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.

She stood there—real, solid, and impossibly bright in this sea of nothing. My fingers twitched at my sides, aching to reach out, but I didn’t. I couldn’t.

I was afraid that if I touched her, she’d vanish like the others.

"Mother..." I whispered again, the word catching in my throat.

Her smile was soft, the kind that once soothed monsters under beds and nightmares behind eyelids. "My sweet girl," she murmured, closing her distance until we were eye-to-eye. "You’ve grown so beautifully. You look ...exactly like him."

Him? She means Papa.

Then she said flatly with a glint in her eyes, "But...the smartness you got from me, not from that Idiot."

. . .

. . .

Did she call Papa Idiot?

. . .

. . .

She’s too casual in this situation. I stared at her—those emerald eyes, the gentle tilt of her lips, and the faint shimmer of light around her. Every detail was perfect. Too perfect.

"I... I don’t understand." My voice trembled. "You’re... You’re gone. You died."

Her expression didn’t change. Calm. Serene. Unshaken.

She reached out, her fingertips brushing against my cheek—warm. Real. That simple touch sent a shiver through me. "You’re right," she said softly. "I am gone..."

Then, her voice softened further, wrapping around me like a song. "But my dear... how could I not come when my daughter is here all alone? A mother can never leave her daughter alone, my dear."

Her hand cupped my face, gentle and sure. The warmth spread through me—slow, steady, and comforting. It was a warmth I didn’t know I’d been missing until that moment. It wrapped around me like a forgotten lullaby—one I must’ve once heard before falling asleep as a baby.

Tears—or something like them—burned in my eyes. She noticed instantly. Smiling faintly, she brushed her thumb across my cheek, wiping away what the void tried to take. Then she leaned in and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"I missed you... my dear," she whispered.

I blinked rapidly, the ache in my chest tightening. "You did?"

She nodded, her eyes softening with that unmistakable tenderness only mothers seem to carry.

"You were such a small bundle when I held you," she murmured, voice thick with emotion. "So tiny... you could barely open your eyes. And now—" her fingers brushed through my hair, "—now you’ve grown so beautifully. Too fast for me to see."

I didn’t know why...

Even though I had never truly known her—never missed her, never seen her—the tears still fell, unbidden. They slipped down my cheeks and disappeared into the darkness, as if even the void couldn’t bear to hold them.

"Why... why are you only coming now?" I asked, my voice breaking halfway.

Her smile faltered, but her eyes stayed warm. "Because," she whispered, "some doors only open once, Lavinia. And I wanted to use mine when it was truly needed."

Something inside me cracked. A sob escaped my throat before I could stop it. I moved without thinking—I threw my arms around her, burying my face in the fabric of her gown.

"I don’t want to go back, Mama..." My words came out as broken gasps. "Papa lied. Osric lied. Everyone lied, Mama. Everyone..."

She said nothing for a moment—only held me. Her arms wrapped around me with quiet strength, her fingers stroking my hair in slow, patient motions.

"It’s okay," she whispered finally, her voice like silk over raw wounds. "It’s okay, my dear. I am here now. You don’t have to carry it anymore."

Her hand rested on the back of my head, her tone almost like a lullaby. "You wanted rest, didn’t you? Then rest. I will keep you safe here... until he comes to get you."

My breath hitched. "Until... Papa comes?"

She smiled faintly, pressing her forehead against mine. "If he can find you," she said softly, "then yes. But until then, my love, stay here. Don’t hurt anymore."

Her voice lowered, sweet and persuasive—the kind that could convince a storm to sleep.

***

[Emperor Cassius’s POV—Imperial Palace, Dawn]

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