Too Lazy to be a Villainess novel Chapter 263

Chapter 263: Returned from the Void

[Lavinia’s POV — The Void]

I reached out, desperate. "Mama—wait, what do you—"

"LAVINIA!!!"

Papa’s voice cracked through the void like a thunderclap, reverberating in every corner of my chest.

I looked at Mama, and she smiled gently, brushing my hair back. "It’s time... you go back, my child. The world still needs its dawn."

And then I heard it again. "Lavinia..."

I looked forward. There he was, running toward me. The Emperor. My father. And when our eyes met, he froze. For the first time, I saw him not as a tyrant, not as a ruler, but as a man... trembling, tears filled in his eyes.

"Papa..." I whispered.

He didn’t answer. He just pulled me into a crushing hug. "My child... my daughter... are you okay?"

Am I?

I didn’t know. But I knew one thing—I couldn’t hate my Papa. No matter what...I love him and will always love him.

I hugged him back tightly. "Papa... you’re a terrible person. You’re a Liar."

He patted my back with solemn indulgence. "Yes... yes. I am. I am a terrible person... You can punish me as you like, my child. But... do not leave my side."

We clung to each other like it was both the first and last time. He gently wiped my tears. "Everything is fine... my child. As long as I am here, everything is fine."

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. His gaze then fell on Mama.

He blinked. She smiled. He frowned. She smiled wider.

"...So," Papa said cautiously, teeth clenched, "you’re the one who trapped my daughter here?"

. . .

Mama’s smile faded into a flat, deadly calm. "Ah... I see. You’re still an idiot tyrant."

Silence. Deep silence that even the void seemed to shiver. A silence heavy enough to make shadows pause.

Papa ground his teeth. "You... you... how dare you insult an imperial!"

She scoffed, tilting her head. "People were right. Truth hurts. I have seen this personally now."

He faltered. She smirked.

"Thanks to me, my child got my brain," she said lightly, "or else this empire would have drowned in blood and rage by now."

Papa’s eyes narrowed. "She’s my child, not yours."

Mama’s gaze glittered. "...And I am the one who gave birth to her. So... where’s the thank you?"

Papa opened his mouth, closed it, blinked, and looked utterly dumbfounded.

And me? I just stood there, an innocent child caught between two impossible forces.

Mama looked around the void, her expression softening slightly. "It’s time... go back. Before it shrinks."

My heart clenched. Even for a fleeting moment, I had spent time with the woman who had birthed me. I stepped forward, voice trembling. "Will you... come to see me again, Mama?"

She smiled, stepping closer. Her hand brushed my cheek, and she pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. "I hope... in the next life, I get to raise you, my child."

She gave me a gentle push. "And tell my father... that I loved him, and not to feel guilty. Got it?"

And then the void began to shrink, the threads of light curling around us like a final embrace. Papa gripped my hand tightly.

Mama’s voice echoed faintly as we fell into the light: "Remember, my child... live, laugh, and... make sure that you forgive your love!"

And just like that, the world around us collapsed, leaving only warmth, light, and the bond between a father and his daughter.

***

[Osric’s POV — Imperial Chamber]

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