Too Lazy to be a Villainess - Chapter 368

Chapter 368: The Part of Her Story
[Lavinia’s POV—The Private Garden, After]

The garden was quiet again.

Not the brittle quiet of tension—but the softened stillness that follows truth, the kind that lingers after a storm has passed and the air hasn’t yet decided what it wants to be.

I watched from a distance.

Not as a ruler. Not as a commander. But as a woman who had just witnessed something sacred.

Haldor stood with Luke—no, his father—voices low, bodies angled toward each other in a way that spoke of years lost and time reclaimed all at once. Luke’s hand rested at the back of Haldor’s neck, protective and familiar, as if it had always belonged there.

My chest tightened.

Good.

This was good.

Rey shifted beside me, unusually silent. Sera clasped her hands together, eyes glistening despite her best effort to hide it. Even Papa—my terrifying, blood-soaked tyrant of an emperor—stood unnaturally still, arms crossed, gaze sharp yet… thoughtful.

Theon leaned toward him and whispered, “So… should we start planning a parade or give them a moment?”

Papa shot him a look that could kill kingdoms. Theon shut up instantly.

“Let them have this,” Papa said gruffly. “The boy earned it.”

I glanced at him, surprised. He didn’t look at me when he added, quieter, “So did the father.”

We waited.

Eventually, Luke stepped back, his hand lingering on Haldor’s shoulder a moment longer before he turned toward us. He bowed—deeply, sincerely.

“Your Highness,” he said, voice steady despite the redness in his eyes. “Thank you… for not keeping him from me.”

I inclined my head. “Thank you for never stopping your search.”

Haldor approached then. Not in armor. Not attentive.

Just Haldor.

His steps were slower than usual, as if he were still learning the shape of himself again. When his eyes met mine, something had changed.

He was steadier.

Whole.

And yet—still mine.

“Your Highness,” he said softly.

I stepped closer before protocol could catch up with me. “Captain.”

A pause.

Then I corrected myself—quietly, deliberately.

“Haldor.”

His breath caught.

“Yes,” he answered, just as quietly.

“I won’t ask how you feel,” I said. “You don’t owe me answers yet. But hear this clearly.”

I held his gaze—unflinching, unwavering.

“You are still my captain,” I continued. “Nothing you learned today changes that. Nothing you gain will cost you your place at my side—unless you choose otherwise.”

He straightened instinctively, emotion flickering across his face like sunlight breaking through clouds.

“I choose to stay,” he said without hesitation. “With you.”

Good.

Papa cleared his throat loudly. “As touching as this is, we will not have family reunions replacing proper protocol.”

Luke smiled faintly.

Haldor—almost—smiled too.

Papa’s gaze shifted, slow and assessing, like a blade being measured against armor. “You will need rest. Both of you. Tomorrow, we speak of titles, borders, and what this bloodline means for the empire.”

The kind of conversation that rewrote lives.

They nodded.

And just like that—Haldor had found his family. And for the first time in his life… he was no longer alone.

***

[Later—Lavinia’s Chamber]

Marshi purred contentedly in my lap, his warm little body curled like he had personally decided this was his throne now. I absentmindedly ran my fingers through the soft fur atop his head, my thoughts drifting—dangerously—where I kept telling them not to go.

Sera placed a teacup beside me with a soft clink and smiled. “I’m really happy for Sir Haldor,” she said gently. “He finally found his family. I hope… he gets all the happiness he deserves.”

“I hope so too,” I murmured.

Across the room, Rey was watching me. Not the usual lazy, amused stare—but something sharper. Knowing.

He smiled then, slow and infuriating. “You’re right, darling. Fate does seem to be returning everything he lost.”

I glanced at him. “Seems?”

He leaned back against the couch, folding his arms. “Yes. Because there’s still one thing missing.”

I frowned. “Hmm? What?”

He tilted his head, eyes glittering. “His love life.”

I choked.

“—Cough—cough—what?” I sputtered, grabbing the teacup too late to save my dignity.

Sera rushed forward. “Your Highness—slowly—!”

Rey, traitor that he was, smirked wider. “Careful, Princess. Tea is precious. Unlike your composure.”

I shot him a glare sharp enough to qualify as an assassination attempt. “Explain. Now.”

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, far too pleased with himself. “Well… Captain-turned-heir didn’t disappear for no reason. And unless my memory is failing me—which it never does—he already proposed to you.”

I stared.

Blankly.

“…He did,” I admitted after a heartbeat.

Rey’s eyebrow lifted. “So?”

“So—” I narrowed my eyes. “—Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?”

He blinked. Once. Then smiled innocently. “Eavesdropping is such an ugly word. I prefer accidentally existing in the same dimension, Princess.”

I pointed at him. “I can throw you into the dungeon on charges of treason, you know.”

He waved it off like an annoying insect. “Mm-hm. And yet you haven’t.”

Sera hid a smile behind her sleeve.

Rey tilted his head again, voice dropping just enough to be dangerous. “So… have you thought about his proposal?”

I sighed, leaning back, Marshi shifting but staying put like a loyal accomplice. “No. Not yet.”

Rey didn’t interrupt this time.

I continued, quieter, more serious. “Even if he proposed… it’s not just his decision anymore. General Luke’s opinion matters now. And more than that—Papa’s.”

I took a slow sip of tea. “And my papa does not let me marry easily.”

Rey hummed. “Yes. I’ve noticed our emperor treats potential sons-in-law like enemies at the gate.”

“That’s because they are,” I muttered. “Any man who wants to stand beside me also stands beside the empire. And Papa will tear them apart before allowing that.”

Sera looked thoughtful. “But… Haldor isn’t like the others.”

“No,” I agreed softly. “That’s exactly why this is complicated.”

Rey smiled again—this time not teasing. Certain. “Complicated doesn’t mean impossible, Princess.”

I looked down at Marshi, who purred louder, traitorous little creature.

“Fate,” I murmured, “has already played enough games with him.”

Rey stood, stretching lazily. “Then perhaps it’s time you decide whether you’ll play along… or rewrite the rules.”

I didn’t answer.

Because if I opened my mouth right now, something reckless might fall out.

Sera, however, had no such restraint.

She clasped her hands together, eyes sparkling with unfiltered delight. “I totally ship you two, Your Highness!” she burst out. “You and Captain—no, Sir Haldor—look so good together. Like something straight out of a romance chronicle!”

I turned slowly. “Sera.”

She froze.

Then smiled sheepishly. “S–Sorry, Your Highness. I just—he looks at you like you’re the only star left in the sky.”

Rey laughed softly, clearly enjoying this far too much. He pulled Sera into his arms with casual intimacy, resting his chin atop her head.

“Careful,” he teased her. “You’ll embarrass the future empress.”

I shot him a glare. “You’re already on thin ice.”

“Worth it,” he replied smoothly.

Then his tone shifted—subtle, sharp, and dangerous in its calm.

“Anyway,” Rey said, looking directly at me now, “before someone else raises the topic of your marriage in council… you should consider something.”

I stilled.

“In two years,” he continued, “you’ll wear the crown. After that, your marital status won’t be personal—it’ll be national.”

I said nothing.

“And if you don’t decide,” he added quietly, “others will decide for you.”

Sera glanced up at him, sensing the change. Rey’s eyes never left mine.

“And you should think carefully,” he went on, voice low and deliberate, “before another woman enters his life.”

That—That struck harder than any political argument ever had.

Another woman?

My fingers tightened around the porcelain cup.

I hated how quickly the image formed. Haldor standing beside someone else. Offering that quiet loyalty. That unshakable devotion. That tenderness he pretended didn’t exist.

It made something dark and possessive stir in my chest.

Why… do I feel angry?

Rey raised both hands lazily, already stepping back. “Just food for thought, Princess.”

He turned to Sera, smiling again, the seriousness vanishing as if it had never existed. “Come on, darling. I promised you a date.”

Sera brightened instantly. “Really? Where?”

“Somewhere with sweets,” he said. “And zero politics.”

She laughed, looping her arm through his. “I love you.”

“I know,” he replied smugly.

And just like that, those two lovebirds swept out of my chamber—laughing, whispering, utterly shameless—leaving behind silence.

And me.

I stared at the empty doorway long after it closed.

Another woman.

The thought refused to leave.

I exhaled slowly, setting the teacup aside. Marshi lifted his head, blinking up at me, then let out a small questioning chirp.

“Yes,” I murmured absently, stroking his fur. “I know.”

But somewhere deep in my chest—dangerous, hopeful, terrifying—I already knew the truth I was pretending not to see.

This wasn’t a proposal fate would allow me to ignore for long.

Because whether I played along… Or rewrote every rule the empire had ever known—Haldor was already part of my story.

And the empire was about to notice.