Too Lazy to be a Villainess - Chapter 304

Chapter 304: The Crown and the Crossroads
[Lavinia’s POV — Dawnspire Wing, Next Morning]

When I opened my eyes, the world was already screaming. Not literally—but close enough.

The sound of distant bells echoed from the palace courtyard, followed by hurried footsteps and the distinct hum of chaos. Sera burst into my room before I could even blink, holding a stack of papers like she was about to announce my execution.

“Your Highness! The morning reports—!”

I groaned into my pillow. “If this is about Eleania’s disowning, let me sleep, Sera. I am so tired.”

“It’s not about the Talvan family!” she squeaked, nearly tripping over Marshi, who made an indignant noise from under the bed. “It’s worse!”

That made me sit up. “Worse than Disowning news?”

She shoved one of the papers toward me, eyes wide with horror and fascination. “See for yourself!”

The front page of the Imperial Morning Herald greeted me in bold, elegant letters:

“CROWN PRINCESS WALKED HAND-IN-HAND WITH IMPERIAL CAPTAIN — GRAND DUKE LEFT BEHIND!”

I stared at it.

Blink. Blink.

There was even a sketch. A sketch. Of me. Holding Haldor’s hand. With dramatic lighting.

“…They gave him hero lighting,” I said flatly.

Sera nodded solemnly. “It’s… quite flattering, Your Highness. The artist even added sparkles.”

Marshi let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter. I dropped the paper onto the bed, staring blankly ahead. “Sera.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“Tell me we’re burning the printing press today.”

Sera froze mid-breath. “Should I… send someone to confirm that, or—send a decree?”

I stared at her. Then blinked. Twice. “Forget it,” I muttered, pressing a palm to my face. “If I start signing decrees before breakfast, we’ll be at war with the paper industry by noon.”

Sera exhaled in obvious relief. “Noted, Your Highness.”

I pushed the blanket aside and stood, stretching my arms as the early sunlight slanted through the curtains. “Prepare my bath, Sera. We’ll receive the border reports today.”

Her posture straightened instantly. “Yes, Your Highness.”

As she hurried to ready the adjoining bath chamber, I walked toward the balcony, tugging my hair into a loose knot. The faint chill of morning air brushed my skin, carrying the scent of dew, steel, and… smoke from the barracks below.

Training drills. Soldiers are already awake.

My gaze drifted toward the far horizon—the faint, bluish line where the Meren border slept beneath the clouds. It felt like staring at the edge of a storm we all knew was coming.

“Today,” I whispered to myself, “we decide whether the Empire stays quiet… or starts to burn.”

The words hung in the air, heavy as prophecy.

I closed my eyes briefly. I don’t want war.But wanting peace doesn’t always mean you get it. Especially not when your enemies mistake restraint for weakness.

A knock came at the door.”Your Highness,” Sera called softly. “The bath is ready.”

I turned from the balcony, my reflection flickering in the glass—crownless, still, but with the shadow of one already taking shape.

“Good,” I said, stepping toward the warm haze of steam drifting from the bath chamber. “Then let’s begin the day.”

Because whether it ends with diplomacy or blood, today would decide the Empire’s next move.

And mine.

***

[Lavinia’s POV — Dawnspire Wing, Corridor—Later]

When I stepped out of my chamber, the air was already bright with sunlight—and unbearably still.

Sir Haldor was waiting, of course. Perfect posture, polished armor, composed as if he’d been standing there since dawn itself.

He bowed the moment our eyes met. “Good morning, Your Highness.”

I smiled faintly, the weight of the morning’s duties briefly lighter. “How are you, Captain? How does it feel to wake up with a new title and half the Empire whispering your name?”

He blinked once, expression as flat as ever. “I feel ordinary, Your Highness.”

I stared. “…Ordinary?”

He nodded.

“Sir Haldor.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“At least pretend to feel glorious. Say something like, ‘It feels extraordinary,’ or ‘I feel honored to stand second only to the Crown Princess.'”

Without even a flicker of expression, he replied, “A Captain should never lie to the Crown Princess.”

. . .

. . .

I stared flatly. “Ah. My mistake then.”

“You,” he said quietly, “can never make one, Your Highness.”

I sighed, turning down the corridor, the soft echo of my heels bouncing off the marble. “I am human, Captain. Humans tend to make mistakes.”

“…Just like yesterday, Lavi?”

The voice came from behind me—calm, familiar, but carrying a weight that hit like a blade’s flat edge.

I stopped walking. Slowly turned. Osric stood at the other end of the corridor.

The sunlight behind him burned gold across his shoulders, but his expression… cold. Composed. Dangerous in its stillness.

“Osric,” I said quietly.

He stepped forward, every footfall deliberate and controlled. His gaze flicked—once—toward Haldor. That single glance was sharp enough to split the air.

Then he bowed. Low. Perfect. Formal.

“Greetings, Your Highness,” he said, voice calm but hollow. His eyes shifted briefly toward Haldor. “And to you as well… Imperial Captain.”

The words landed like iron.

Sera’s hand flew to her chest with a sharp inhale. Even Marshi, curled lazily near the steps, froze mid-tail flick.

And Sir Haldor—steady, unreadable Haldor—flinched. Just barely, but enough that I caught it.

For a heartbeat, no one breathed.

Osric straightened slowly. The smile that followed didn’t reach his eyes. “I wanted to ensure I followed proper etiquette,” he said softly. “After all, rank matters… doesn’t it, Your Highness?”

His words hit harder than any accusation.

I met his gaze—steady, unreadable. But inside, something twisted.

Yes. I knew. I had made a mistake last night. I’d ruined the engagement announcement, walked away when I should have stood beside him, and might have also ruined his coronation day. But even then—Even then, I didn’t regret what I did.

Because I was right. Because my people mattered more to me than any love.

And yet… standing there under that cold gaze, I felt something in me falter.

This wasn’t the Osric I knew. This wasn’t the man I loved. Not the boy who smiled through endless diplomacy meetings. Not the man who stood by my side when I doubted myself.

The silence between us stretched—tight, thin, suffocating. The kind of silence that used to be filled with laughter and plans.

Now it was filled with unspoken words and wounded pride.

I forced myself to look away first. The movement felt heavier than armor.

“You did well, Grand duke. Now, Let’s go,” I said quietly, my voice steady but distant. “We have more pressing matters.”

The words weren’t sharp, but they were final.

I turned, my gown brushing against the marble as I began to walk. Sir Haldor followed instantly, silent and straight-backed, his presence a steady wall between me and the storm behind us.

Sera trailed after, her expression tight with unease. Even Marshi, normally unbothered by human tension, kept close to my heels, tail flicking with quiet irritation.

And yet, as I walked down the long corridor toward duty, toward the war council that awaited me—I could feel it.

Osric’s eyes on my back. Cold. Hurt. Confused. Watching me leave. Just as I had the night before.

I didn’t look back.

Because if I did… I wasn’t sure which part of me would win—the Crown Princess who needed to walk forward, or the woman who wanted to turn around.

But one thing was certain. The throne did not wait for hearts to heal.

So I walked.

Because there were lives standing before me—soldiers waiting for command, families waiting for peace, a nation waiting for strength.

A single misstep in my heart could cost them their future.

“Your Highness,” Sir Haldor’s voice broke through the silence beside me, quiet but steady. “Are you… alright?”

His question lingered in the air, gentle yet heavy.

I didn’t stop walking. “I am perfectly well, Sir Haldor,” I said softly, though my voice carried that practiced steadiness only the crown could forge. “You needn’t worry about me.”

A faint pause. Then his quiet reply, “Understood, Your Highness.”

Our footsteps echoed down the long marble corridor—the rhythm of duty, of resolve. Of choosing empire over emotion.

The golden doors of the council chamber loomed ahead, carved with the crest of my bloodline—the twin phoenixes of the golden door, wings spread over flame. The symbol of power. Of rebirth. Of burden.

As the guards opened the doors, the sound of muffled arguments and the rustle of parchment filled the air.

Inside, Papa stood at the head of the great table, the generals and nobles arrayed before him like an army of anticipation. The scent of ink, steel, and tension thickened the room.

War hovered in the air—unspoken, waiting.

I straightened my shoulders. Whatever ache lingered in my chest was folded, buried, and locked behind my crown.

Because love could wait. But the Empire could not.

And with that, I stepped into the chamber—no longer the girl who had walked away from a man the night before, but the Crown Princess of Elorian, walking toward the weight of an empire.