Too Lazy to be a Villainess novel Chapter 405

Chapter 405: The End of Traitors

[Haldor’s POV—Imperial Palace—After the Night of Fire]

The moment I reached the inner courtyard, my feet stopped on their own.

His Majesty—the Emperor of Eloria—was dragging Count Talvan across the marble floor by his collar like a sack of rotten meat. Talvan’s body scraped helplessly behind him, his hands clawing weakly at the ground.

"Y—Your Majesty... I beg you... I apologize... Your Majesty—"

His Majesty did not even slow down.

"Silence," he growled. "You apologized the moment you chose treason."

Talvan whimpered as he was hauled toward the dungeon corridor, half-conscious, dignity already dead before his body followed.

And then—I saw her. Standing behind him, hair slightly disheveled, eyes burning with life.

"Lavi—!"

She turned at the sound of my voice, "Haldor..."

She smiled, not the smile of an empress, not the smile of a tyrant. But the smile of my wife, who had returned from death. I crossed the distance in three strides and pulled her into my arms without thinking.

"Are you hurt?" I whispered urgently. "Anywhere? Tell me—"

She chuckled softly and patted my back. "I’m fine. Grandpa’s pendant saved me; it shielded me. I’m all fine."

My breath finally released, I held her tighter, as if letting go would make the nightmare return.

And then—

"It’s pissing me off."

Both of us froze; slowly, very slowly, we turned our heads.

The emperor stood there, having finally released Talvan to the guards. His crimson eyes were now locked onto me with murderous irritation.

"What exactly," he said calmly, "do you think you are doing with my daughter?"

"...Hugging her, Your Majesty."

"For how long?"

"...since she almost died."

Lavinia tilted her head. "Papa...?"

He crossed his arms. "You hugged her longer than I did."

I blinked. "...You were dragging a criminal."

"That is irrelevant."

Lavinia sighed. "Papa, he is my husband."

"Yes," he replied flatly, "and that is tragic."

Then he mumbled to himself, saying, "I should’ve banned the marriage."

Then his glare returned to me. "The way you’re smiling at her like that is unacceptable."

I stepped back half a pace. "With respect, Your Majesty—"

"You ran into his arms first," he accused Lavinia.

She raised a brow. "You were busy committing murder."

"That was necessary murder."

I swallowed. "Your Majesty... I was worried."

His eye twitched.

"She is not allowed to be rescued by you first."

"...What?"

"She is supposed to be rescued by her father."

Lavinia pinched the bridge of her nose. "Papa..."

He turned his back dramatically. "I raised you. I taught you how to kill. And now you collapse into this man’s arms?"

She walked up and hugged him.

Just like that.

He stiffened. "...Unhand me."

"No."

"...Lavinia."

"I wasn’t scared, Papa," she murmured. "But I knew you would come."

His grip slowly tightened around her shoulders. "...Of course I would."

I watched them, heart aching and relieved.

Then his gaze snapped back to me.

"And you," he said dangerously, "if you ever let her be taken again—"

"I will die before that happens," I answered without hesitation.

The emperor studied me long and hard.

Then he nodded once. "... Good."

Lavinia took my hand and smiled tiredly. "Can we go somewhere that isn’t on fire now?"

Cassius exhaled. "Yes. Before I execute someone else."

And for the first time since the night began, the palace felt alive again. Not with fear, but with family.

***

[Imperial Palace—Throne Room—Later—Emperor Cassius’ POV]

The throne room was silent when they were brought in, but not the respectful silence of court.

The frightened silence of prey.

Chains clinked against marble as the traitorous nobles were dragged forward—Count Talvan, his allies, their heads lowered, their pride already stripped from them. One by one, they were forced to their knees before my throne.

I did not rise, I did not shout, and I simply watched them, and that was worse.

"So," I said at last, my voice calm enough to terrify, "this is what treason looks like when it stops pretending to be loyalty."

Talvan lifted his head, trembling. "Your Majesty... this is a misunderstanding—"

I raised one finger, and he went silent.

"I built this empire with blood," I continued slowly. "I kept it alive with fear, and I gave you peace."

I leaned forward on the arm of the throne. "And you repaid me by touching my daughter."

A murmur rippled through the room.

I stood, every knight straightened. Every breath halted, "You plotted with foreign magic. You poisoned my city. You dared to use my Crown Princess as bait."

My boots echoed as I descended the steps.

"Do you know why tyrants rule longer than kings?" I asked softly.

"Because mercy is a privilege," I said. "And tonight, you have lost it."

"You accused her husband of treason. Yet it was you who sold this empire piece by piece."

"Your sister died because she betrayed the throne, and she misused her power; now you follow her."

"House by house. Name by name. You will be erased from Eloria’s history."

"By my authority as Emperor of Eloria," I declared, "you are stripped of your titles, your lands, and your names and will be executed by tomorrow morning."

The tyrant still ruled, and the empress was rising.

***

[Lavinia’s POV—The Next Day—Execution Ground]

"She’s the villainess!" he screamed, voice cracking. "She is the villainess of this empire!"

My smile did not waver. Papa did not even look at him.

"Execute."

Talvan was forced down, his head pressed to the block. Our eyes locked one last time. "You... are truly... a villain—"

SLASH. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Blood struck the stone like paint on marble. The crowd gasped. One by one, the traitors followed.

Screams ended. Silence returned.

Only the sound of falling heads and the flutter of ravens remained.

I leaned closer to Haldor and whispered, almost fondly, "I remember a similar day."

He turned to me. "What?"

I smirked faintly, "When Papa first found me... I was still a baby in his arms. He didn’t show me gardens. He didn’t show me the empire."

I watched another blade fall.

"He brought me here."

Haldor’s eyes widened. "Here...?"

"To the execution ground," I continued calmly. "The first thing I ever saw was justice. Maids who neglected me. Traitors who thought they could hide."

He stared at me. "That’s... horrifying."

I smiled. "I wasn’t scared."

He frowned. "But how could you understand what was happening? You were a baby."

I froze for half a heartbeat.

Damn it.

Then I laughed lightly. "Nanny told me later. She said, "Theon cried the whole night."

Haldor studied me, unconvinced, but said nothing. He slipped an arm around my waist. "Now that this is over... how about we—"

GLARE.

We both stiffened.

Papa’s voice cut through the air like a blade: "I do not believe this is a place for romance."

We coughed at the same time. Papa stood, his cloak sweeping behind him like a shadow of death.

"Lavinia," he said, voice echoing across the ground, "you will appoint the new nobles yourself."

The wind stirred my hair.

"And in two months," he continued, "you will take the throne."

I lifted my chin.

"Yes, Papa."

Behind us, the execution ground was washed clean with water. But the memory of blood remained.

Talvan’s eyes. His scream. My smile.

This empire would remember this day.

And so would I, and that’s how the day of me being an empress has come.