Too Lazy to be a Villainess - Chapter 352

Chapter 352: When Secrets Stir and Hearts Tremble
[Lavinia’s POV—The Day of the Celebration—Morning—Two Days Later]

The palace was already buzzing with preparations—silk banners unfolding, musicians tuning their harps, nobles choking on their excitement—but I barely noticed any of it.

I sat in my private sunroom, tea steaming on the table, morning light spilling through crystal windows. Rey sat across from me, looking far too pleased with himself for someone who had probably not slept in two days.

“…So you’re saying Haldor was brought to the orphanage when he was four?” I asked slowly.

Rey nodded, sipping his tea as if discussing the weather. “Yes. And he never got to bury his parents’ bodies.”

My brows furrowed deeply. “Why?”

Rey placed his cup down gently… then met my eyes. “Because… they never died.”

Silence slammed into the room.

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice low and sharp.

Rey slid a stack of old documents across the table toward me. “I couldn’t find any official portraits of Haldor’s parents—none. Erased or hidden. But…”

He tapped the second page.

“At the Eastern–Southern border, a count’s daughter went missing five years before Haldor was born.”

I blinked. A missing noblewoman.

“And how,” I asked slowly, “does that relate to Haldor?”

Rey leaned back, crossing his arms with a victorious smirk. “Because the missing count’s daughter was brought back alive… by a man from Astreyon.”

My heart jolted.

Astreyon.

That land again. Its secrets tangling deeper into our lives.

“And,” Rey continued, “behind the Southern Hills… there is a border that connects directly to—”

“Astreyon,” I finished, breath catching.

Rey’s grin widened. “Exactly.”

“And Luke,” I whispered, “is from Astreyon.”

The puzzle pieces no longer felt scattered—they were rearranging themselves into a dangerous picture.

Rey lifted another document. “We cannot confirm anything yet, but Astreyon’s people… once they step outside their border, it’s almost always for one reason.”

“To strengthen security,” I murmured, recalling what Father once told me. “To ensure no outsiders enter their kingdom.”

Rey nodded. “Which means… if the count’s daughter escaped her kidnappers and stumbled close to the Astreyon border… she could have easily encountered an Astreyon man patrolling it.”

My breath hitched as I mumbled, “What a tricky coincidence.”

Rey leaned forward, eyes shining with the thrill of uncovering fate. “Fate is tricky, Princess. Sometimes trouble drags you right into the arms of the person meant to save you. Maybe that girl escaped… and a man from Astreyon found her. Maybe he protected her. Maybe…”

“Maybe they fell in love,” I whispered.

“…and maybe Haldor was born from that story,” Rey finished softly.

I stared at the parchment with a tight, aching chest.

“Did you find out the name of the noble family?” I asked.

Rey nodded. “Yes. The daughter belonged to the Valencourt House.”

Valencourt… A quiet noble line. Barely heard of in the last decade.

“Anything else?” I pressed.

Rey exhaled. “No. Not yet. But…”

He gave a sly smile.

“…I already sent my men to Astreyon. They may return with more.”

My eyes widened. “You sent people into Astreyon? That border is impossible to cross—how did you even—”

Rey lifted his chin proudly. “I am the Supreme Mage, Princess. There is no priest alive who can close a door I wish to open.”

I sighed. “Rey… you’re going to get yourself killed one day.”

“Probably,” he shrugged. “But I’ll die fashionable and mysteriously, so it’s fine.”

I rolled my eyes and leaned back on the couch, letting his information settle.

A missing noblewoman. A man from Astreyon.…A child with blue eyes so familiar they haunted even my Papa.

Haldor.

“Princess…” Rey asked quietly, cautious for once, “will you tell him?”

My fingers tightened around the parchment.

Not now. Not yet. Hope is heavier than truth. And hope, once lit, can destroy a man when extinguished.

“No,” I said firmly. “Not now.”

Rey nodded slowly.

“I need absolute proof,” I whispered. “If I tell him without certainty… I will raise a hope that could break him. I won’t do that.”

He pushed himself to his feet. “Understood, Princess.”

I closed my eyes briefly, exhaling the invisible weight settling on my shoulders.

Haldor… If this is true… Your past isn’t lost. It was simply waiting to be found.

My voice barely rose above a whisper. “What about the noble lady? Is she still alive?”

Rey paused near the door. “I have to check the Valencourt family tree… if it even exists anymore. They were never prominent, so records may be scattered or buried.”

“Meaning?” I pressed.

“Meaning,” Rey said, sliding a hand through his hair, “I’ll need to send people to the southern-eastern border, dig through the region’s archives, and possibly break into three libraries and bribe an old man who hoards genealogy scrolls like treasure.”

I blinked. “…Do whatever you need.”

He grinned. “Always.”

“No rush,” I added. “Just get the information right.”

He winked at me. “Accuracy is my strongest trait, Princess. Right after my unparalleled charm.”

I stared.

He sighed dramatically. “Fine. See you at the party.”

And just like that, Rey left—robes fluttering behind him as if a dramatic exit were more important than uncovering lost histories.

I turned to my teacup, letting myself breathe—CRACK!!!

My head snapped up.

“Huh?”

A vase? A window? A spell…from the opposite side from where Rey left.

I stood, taking one step forward—and froze. Because standing just inside the threshold…

Silent.Unmoving.Watching.

Was General Luke.

My heart jolted.

Damn. Did he hear?

His expression was carved stone—cold, unreadable, with eyes darker than usual. The kind of man who could swallow secrets whole without ever showing he tasted them.

He bowed stiffly. “Your Highness.”

I swallowed. “General Luke.”

“I apologize for entering abruptly,” he said. “We received a letter from General Arwin. I came to deliver it personally.”

His tone was calm.

Too calm.

Not angry. Not questioning. Not… aware.

Which meant—He didn’t hear Rey’s investigation, yet I feel like he heard.

I accepted the letter with steady hands. “You may leave.”

He bowed again—precise, disciplined. But before turning away, his eyes lingered on me for a fraction of a second.

Cold.Searching.Almost… haunted.

Then he left, closing the door behind him with a quiet click. Only when his footsteps faded did I let myself breathe again.

I unfolded Arwin’s letter.

Routine report. Supply lines stabilized. Border repaired. Meren’s nobles were pacified. Nothing unusual. Nothing alarming.

Just… normal.

But normal felt strange now—when everything around me was sinking deeper into old secrets.

“Your Highness,” Sera called softly from the doorway, her eyes gleaming with excitement, “it’s time to get ready.”

I sighed, shoulders dropping. “Yeah… I know.”

A celebration awaited me.Music.Dancing.Nobles with fake smiles and sharp tongues. And somewhere in the crowd…two men with the same blue eyes.

One carrying the past. One carrying its ghost.

And me—caught in the crossroads of secrets that were finally stirring awake, but whatever, if Haldor’s family is alive…he deserves to know about it, and I need to find out more about Astreyeon.

***

[Later—Lavinia’s Chamber]

Sera practically vibrated with excitement as she looked at me.

“Tonight,” she said, eyes sparkling like stolen gems, “the entire empire will remember your entrance for centuries.”

Marshi stretched on the rug like a loaf of arrogance.

And the room—when I looked at myself, my breath caught.

It was unlike anything I’d worn before—a deep midnight blue gown, darker than the night sky, stitched with silver constellations that glimmered when touched by light.

The skirt flowed like water. The sleeves draped like moonlit veils.

But the back… The entire back was bare—a single, sweeping curve from shoulder to waist, framed with delicate silver chains that danced like falling stars.

Elegant.Bold.Imperial.

“I am fabulous,” I smirked.

Sera chuckled. Her hands wove through my hair like magic, braiding silver ribbons into dark curls pinned half-up, half-down. A crescent-moon comb slid into place. Soft strands framed my face.

She brushed a faint shimmer across my collarbones, highlighting the lines of the backless gown.

Jewels clasped around my wrists. Earrings glinted at my neck.

By the time she stepped back… I barely recognized myself. Not as a warrior. Not as a princess drenched in blood and dust. But as a woman.

A beautiful one.

A dangerous one.

A future empress.

Sera gasped softly. “Your Highness… Now you look like a prophecy.”

I smirked, and she said, “Today, men will collapse. Women will cry. Nobles will combust.”

It’s perfect; tonight wasn’t just a celebration. It was the first time I was stepping back into the palace as a victor… and as a woman whose heart and fate were shifting quietly, dangerously.

A knock sounded at the door.

Soft, controlled, unmistakable. Sera hurried to open the door—her excitement nearly bursting from her seams—and then she froze.

Because standing there was: Captain Haldor.

Dressed in formal military black, embroidered with silver threads that caught the candlelight.Hair combed neatly. Sword sheathed at his side. Posture perfect—disciplined, composed, carved from duty itself.

But his expression—his expression shattered the moment his eyes met me.

He didn’t blink.Didn’t breathe.Didn’t move.

It was as if time itself stilled around him.

Those blue eyes—usually cold, sharp, and unreadable—widened in something raw and helplessly human. Awe washed over his features, softening every edge.

He looked at me like a man seeing something impossible.

As if the world had frozen…and in its silence, he had found something he was never meant to want—yet could not look away from.

His lips parted.

His breath caught.

And in that stolen moment—Captain Haldor was utterly mesmerized.