Too Lazy to be a Villainess Chapter 267: Operation: Take Responsibility

[Lavinia’s POV — Everheart Estate—Garden—Monts Later]

For a heartbeat, no one moved.

The world froze—the soft chirp of birds died mid-song, the wind held its breath, and sowhere in the distance, even the gods probably leaned closer for the drama.

Grand Duke Regis Everheart stood there, sword in one hand, face pale as the moon, eyes wide as saucers.

My brain: Oh no.

My heart: We’re dead. We’re so, so dead.

Beside , Osric had gone rigid. Completely still. Like a soldier caught committing treason—or, well, kissing a crown princess in broad daylight. His father’s sword clattered to the ground again, the sound echoing through my soul.

"Father," Osric croaked finally, voice strangled. "This... isn’t what it looks like."

Regis blinked. "It looks," he said slowly, each word pronounced like a royal decree, "like the Crown Princess of the Empire is devouring my son in my garden."

I opened my mouth to protest—to explain that I was not devouring him, just... passionately establishing my territorial rights—but the words got tangled sowhere between my pride and panic.

"Ahahaha... well... you see, Duke..." I started, smiling far too brightly. "It’s actually quite simple! I was just, uh... ensuring your son’s loyalty to the crown! Through... affection diplomacy?"

Regis’s face darkened. "Affection diplomacy," he repeated flatly.

Osric groaned. "Lavi..."

I elbowed him. "Don’t you Lavi ! You started the dramatic tension with that whole ’I’m not good for you’ nonsense!"

"Because it’s true!" he hissed back.

"Oh, for heaven’s sake!" I stood up, glaring at both Everheart n—father and son, tall, brooding, and equally exasperating. "Do all Everhearts co with this ’self-sacrificing, emotionally unavailable, brooding warrior’ curse?! It’s genetic, isn’t it?!"

The Grand Duke blinked. "Excuse ?"

I jabbed a finger toward Osric. "You raised him to think being noble ans being miserable!"

"Lavinia!" Osric hissed, half mortified, half ready to faint.

"Oh don’t you Lavinia , Sir Shirtless Hero!" I snapped, folding my arms. "You make chase you across estates, you ignore and don’t visit , and then your father—" I turned back to Regis, who looked both horrified and slightly entertained—"walks in right when I finally get him to admit he’s mine!"

Regis pressed a hand to his temple, exhaling slowly. "By the gods... you two are going to give gray hair."

"You already have gray hair," I muttered under my breath.

He heard .

Regis’s head snapped up. "I heard you, Princess," he said, voice dangerously calm.

I lifted my chin proudly. "Truth always hurts."

His eyebrow twitched. For a long second, he stared at —then, to my utter confusion, his lips curved into a smirk.

Uh-oh.

"Alright then..." he drawled slowly, crossing his arms. "Since you were caught devouring my son in broad daylight..."

I blinked. "Excuse —DEVOURING?!"

He ignored my outrage, the corners of his mouth lifting higher as that dangerous gleam appeared in his eyes. "You’ll have to take responsibility."

"WHAT?!"Osric and I shouted in unison.

Regis clasped his hands behind his back like a man about to announce a royal decree. "You two have publicly displayed affection in the family garden, in front of witnesses, servants, and one traumatized butler. The only honorable path left—marriage."

I choked on air. "W—what do you an honorable path left?! We only kissed!"

"Kissed?" Regis repeated, voice booming. "Princess, I nearly saw my son’s soul leave his body! You attacked him like a hungry wyvern!"

"Attacked?!" I sputtered, mortified and furious. "It was a perfectly mutual, romantic—"

"Unsupervised," he added, shaking his head solemnly. "Unacceptable. Utterly scandalous. The empire would never forgive if I didn’t imdiately offer my son’s hand in marriage to protect your reputation."

"Protect my—?! You just want as your daughter-in-law; tell the truth grand duke." I accused, narrowing my eyes.

The Duke froze for half a second. Then... he smiled. The most suspiciously pleased fatherly smile I’d ever seen.

"Well," he said smoothly, "I may have occasionally ntioned to His Majesty that you’d make an ideal Everheart duchess one day..."

Osric went rigid. "FATHER!"

Regis waved him off. "Oh, hush, son. Do you have any idea how many sleepless nights I’ve spent praying for a daughter-in-law who could keep up with your brooding nonsense?!"

I bit back a laugh, watching Osric’s jaw drop.

"Father, this is ridiculous—"

"Ridiculous?" Regis arched a brow. "You were just being eaten alive by the Crown Princess in broad daylight, and now you want to argue about formality?"

Osric turned red. "SHE kissed !"

"Correction," I said sweetly, folding my arms. "I rescued you from emotional self-sabotage."

Regis clapped his hands. "See? She already speaks fluent Everheart. Perfect wife material. Perfect to be my daughter-in-law."

Osric groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Father, please stop—"

"No, no, don’t interrupt," the Duke said, waving his son off like background noise. "Crown Princess Lavinia, as a father deeply concerned for both your virtue and my family’s reputation, I hereby humbly—no, enthusiastically—offer my son’s hand in marriage!"

. . .

. . .

I blinked and squinted. "You sound way too happy about this."

"Do I?" he said innocently, eyes sparkling. "Because I’m absolutely delighted. Think of the possibilities! The Everhearts and the royal line united! My grandchild might be the next emperor—oh, the glory!"

"Father!!" Osric practically shouted, looking like he wanted to sink into the earth.

I leaned toward Osric, grinning wickedly. "Well, look at that. You’ve been officially proposed to by your own father."

He muttered, "I have no dignity left..."

I smirked. "You lost that when I kissed you."

Regis, beaming proudly, placed a hand on Osric’s shoulder. "Son, I always told you—when love strikes, it hits like a thunderbolt."

Osric muttered darkly, "It hit like a siege catapult."

Regis sighed dreamily, completely ignoring him. "Ah, finally... my dream cos true. I can already hear it—’Duke Regis, father-in-law to Her Highness the Crown Princess.’ Such a fine title."

I buried my face in my hands. "Oh gods... what have I started?"

"An engagent," Regis declared cheerfully. "Now, how soon can we hold the ceremony?"

I lifted my head slowly, smirking. "Don’t forget, Grand duke... I have a father who’s an emperor. And he burns every marriage proposal he receives for —every day. Like he’s personally cursing the god of marriage."

Regis froze mid-breath.

The smile slipped from his face.

"...Oh," he said faintly.

Osric blinked. "Father?"

Regis’s eye twitched. "That’s right... that damn idiot Cassius..." he muttered under his breath, rubbing his temple as if suddenly struck by a divine migraine. "He does do that, doesn’t he..."

I nodded sweetly. "Every morning. Pile of letters. Whoosh—gone in flas. Sotis he even laughs while doing it."

Osric stared. "He... laughs?"

I nodded gravely. "No, that’s the rumor Theon spread that the emperor laughs like a man possessed."

Regis turned pale. "No, it’s true. Of course. How could I forget the Emperor’s delightful morning ritual of committing arson on diplomacy."

He began pacing back and forth like a condemned man, muttering under his breath, "It’s over. I’m dead. He’s going to kill . No, worse—he’s going to lecture for six hours first, then kill ..."

"Grand duke," I began, trying not to laugh, "You’re overreacting—"

"OVERREACTING?" He turned on dramatically. "Princess, the last man who sent you a love poem is still in exile. Do you know what he did to the Duke of Elhurst? That poor fool rely looked at you for three seconds during the benediction ceremony!!"

I mumbled, "Duke of Elhurst? When did that happen, again?"

Osric blinked. "Wait, that’s why Elhurst suddenly went to ’study trade routes in the East’?"

Regis groaned and covered his face. "Study trade routes my foot. The man’s still counting sand dunes sowhere near the desert border!"

I grinned wickedly. "Well, at least he’s getting so sun."

"Sunburn, more like!" Regis cried, throwing his hands in the air. "Cassius will never agree to this. Never! He’ll storm into my estate, sword blazing, demanding to know why his ’precious daughter’s lips were desecrated by so poor noble’s son!’"

"Desecrated?!" Osric spluttered. "Father, for the love of the gods—stop saying it like I’m a victim!"

"You are the victim!" Regis bellowed. "Do you have any idea what Cassius will do to when he finds out I encouraged this?!"

Osric and I replied in perfect unison, "We... don’t."

Regis blinked, as if offended we weren’t panicking enough on his behalf. Osric rubbed his temple, looking mildly guilty. "And... Emperor Cassius already knows about and Lavi."

Silence.Then—

"WHAT!?" Regis and I shouted together, our voices echoing through the garden so loudly that the maids in the distance ducked.

"When did this happen?!" I demanded, eyes wide.

Osric scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Just... one day."

"One day?" Regis repeated, his jaw dropping. He squinted at his son like he was trying to spot a ghost. "And you’re still alive?"

"I was wondering that too," I added, nodding seriously.

Osric stared between us, looking deeply unimpressed. "Glad to know my survival’s such a miracle."

"It is," Regis said gravely. "You must have nine lives. Or divine protection. Or both." He crossed his arms, muttering, "That tyrant must be losing his edge..."

"I heard that," I said sweetly.

Regis ignored and started pacing again, muttering furiously to himself. "Alright... alright... think, Regis. You’ve handled assassins, diplomacy, and your ex-wife’s family dinners. You can handle Cassius."

He stopped, looked between the two of us, and declared with the confidence of a dood man, "I need to find a way to convince him to approve your marriage."

I blinked. "You’re going to convince him?"

Regis nodded. I grinned and raised my thumb. "All the best, Grand Duke. I’ll pray for your soul."

He turned sharply and glared. "Call Father."

I froze mid-thumbs-up. "That’s... too soon."

A slow smirk crept across his face. "No, Princess... it’s too late."

My jaw dropped. Osric groaned quietly beside .

Regis, anwhile, threw his arms around his bewildered son’s shoulders, eyes shining with delusional pride. "My boy! You’ve done it! You’ve secured the crown princess herself! The Everheart na will finally have royal blood! I can die a happy man!"

"You might," I muttered under my breath. "Once my father hears about this."

Regis ignored completely, already lost in his fantasy. "I can see it now! A royal wedding! Lavish banquets! Little heirs running around the Everheart gardens calling Grandpa—"

"Alright, stop!" I yelped, red-faced. "You’re getting way ahead of yourself!"

Osric groaned, burying his face in his hand. "He’s not going to stop now, Lavi. You’ve unleashed sothing terrible."

"Ugh..."

And just like that—the chaotic days in the Empire were unleashed.