CHAPTER 169: CRUSHING FATE

[Osric’s POV—Imperial Palace—Afternoon]

The afternoon sun spilled across the marble of the imperial palace, turning the dewdrops clinging to the hedges into scattered gems. My steps were measured, but my mind was elsewhere—on the reason I was heading to His Majesty’s office.

And then I saw her.

Lavinia walked out of the room, arms stretching lazily as if shaking off the weight of the work. A soft, almost petulant mumble left her lips—

"Papa is torturing his precious daughter..."

She looked so careless. So unaware. So infuriatingly unserious. Yet every time I looked at her, I saw something more. Something... dangerous to me.

Her crimson eyes—bright, vivid, and brimming with life—caught the light, and I felt myself drown in them all over again. Her golden hair, tumbling in gentle curls down her back, glimmered as though even the sun had conceded she was the brighter of the two.

The confidence in her stride, mingled with that lingering trace of childishness, was disarming. I wondered if there could possibly be another woman in this empire who could rival her beauty—inside or out.

And I knew the answer.

No.

I could watch her for hours, for days, for years, and still never feel bored. But was it love? Or was it obsession?

I didn’t know. Perhaps I didn’t want to know.

Because obsession wasn’t the right word—it sounded too dark, too consuming.

This was... survival.

She was my survival. My air. My world. And if it meant being lost in her forever, I would gladly be lost.

Sometimes I still couldn’t believe she was His Majesty’s daughter—a tyrant emperor feared across continents. A man who would turn kingdoms to ash for her sake. But... I would do the same.

If anyone dared to lay a single wrong finger on her...

The thought alone made my blood boil. I would feel the irresistible urge to rip their head from their shoulders, to make them regret the moment they even thought of touching her. Not because of duty. Not because she was the princess. But because she was Lavinia.

And Lavinia was mine to protect—whether she knew it or not.

In my last life, I lost her because of one foolish decision. But in this life... I swore I would be hers, and she would be mine. That was the real reason behind my oath—not just to protect her but to love her until my last breath.

That’s when she noticed me. Her lips curved into a smile. "Oh! Osric."

And then her brow furrowed almost instantly as she rushed towards me.

"Where were you? Does it take this long to come?"

She looked... like an angry little rabbit—ears twitching if she’d had any. I almost laughed at the sight, and unfortunately, I let out a low chuckle.

Her gasp was sharp. "You—! Are you laughing at my misery?"

"I’m not," I said quickly, though my lips betrayed me.

"Yes, you are." She took a step closer, narrowing her eyes and scanning my face. "I can see amusement hiding in your lips."

Too close. Far too close. Her perfume drifted up to me—soft, sweet, and maddening. Every breath felt like an invitation to lean in, to close the space. My chest tightened at the thought.

Then, with no warning, she let her body slump against my shoulder.

"Papa," she groaned dramatically, "made me read those dreadful documents and announced that starting tomorrow, I will have to manage the palace budget."

My heart was already thundering from her proximity, and now... now I had her warmth pressed to me.

"I know you can do that, Princess," I murmured, the corner of my lips lifting into a smirk. "You’re... very smart."

She leaned back just enough to meet my eyes, a proud grin forming. "Hah... I know I’m smart."

Then she sighed heavily, her head dropping again. "But I feel so tired just from looking at those documents. All those numbers... they look like an army of ants marching to war."

I chuckled, tilting my head so my words brushed against her hair. "If it’s war, then I’ll fight those numbers for you."

Her hand lifted lazily, fingers curling into my shirt as she murmured, "Careful, Osric... If you keep saying things like that, I might start thinking you actually like me for real."

My voice dropped lower, almost a whisper. "What if I do?"

. . .

Her head tilted just slightly, eyes flicking up to meet mine. And for a moment—just a moment—neither of us moved.

The air between us was too warm, too heavy... and I wasn’t sure if it was her heartbeat I heard, or my own.

Then—WHACK!—she smacked me on the shoulder hard enough to make me stumble.

"Stop daydreaming and move, before Solena rips Marshi’s fangs out—and Marshi rips Solena’s feathers out in return."

I couldn’t help the smile tugging at my lips. Of course she could shatter a moment like that with one absurd sentence."Are they still going at it?" I asked, lengthening my stride to match hers.

"Yes," she said with exaggerated exasperation, "half a day now. They’re still snarling like they were born for this. And, by the way, the knights are running a full-scale betting ring. I’m not saying morale is high, but..." She lifted a brow. "morale is high."

I snorted. "So who’s your money on?"

She gave me a sly side glance, the corner of her mouth curving into a smirk. "Obviously, my Marshi will win. He’s a beast and the best."

"Mm." I tilted my head, feigning deep thought. "And yet, Solena’s got that wicked brain. Plus, her toes are sharp enough to jab an eye out—your ’beast’ might just end up blind before lunch."

Her eyes narrowed like I’d just insulted her bloodline. "Oh, it’s war now."

"War?" I grinned. "I thought we were talking about them, not us."

"Nope," she declared, pointing a finger at me like a royal decree. "You’ve chosen the enemy. The lines are drawn. And when Marshi wins, you’re buying me dessert for a year."

I chuckled low. "Fine. But when Solena wins, you’ll address me as ’Your Majestic Highness, Master of Predictions, Seer of All Outcomes’—for an entire day."

She rolled her eyes. "Don’t push it."

"Too late. Bet’s on."

And just like that, I followed her into the chaos—because whether it was this bet or the rest of our lives, I already knew I’d follow her anywhere; this is the fate I chose for myself.

***

[Emperor Cassius’s POV—Imperial Palace—Cassius’s Office]

I stood by the tall arched window of my office, gazing down at the ground below. There she was—my daughter, my girl—patting that oversized divine beast of hers with a smug little smirk tugging at her lips. She looked so damn pleased with herself, so sure of her place in the world, and Marshi’s tail was flicking like some arrogant banner of victory.

And standing across from her... was him.

Osric.

He was watching her with a look I despised. Warm. Gentle. Reverent, even. It was the kind of gaze a man shouldn’t dare aim at my daughter—not in this life, and not in any life to come.

His divine bird glared at Marshi, talons curling as if it wanted to rake my daughter’s beast to shreds.

But that look in Osric’s eyes...That was the thing that truly made my blood boil.

"Your Majesty..."

Ravick entered, bowing low, his voice pulling me away from the sight only slightly.

"I have sent our spies to the neighboring kingdoms, as you ordered," he reported.

"Ravick..." My tone was low, deliberate.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

My gaze never left the scene below. "What do you think of Osric?"

I felt him hesitate, the air stilling for a fraction of a second before he followed my line of sight.

"He’s... responsible," Ravick began carefully. "A capable young man. Loyal to his duties. A good person."

"And," I drawled, my voice cooling to steel, "what do you think... of Osric and Lavinia?"

Ravick’s silence stretched. He knew exactly what I was asking.Finally, his answer came, steady but without hesitation—he understood me well.

"He is not the one for our princess, Your Majesty."

A slow, sharp smile curved my lips. "That is exactly the truth, Ravick. That boy is not worthy of my daughter. No matter how much he dares to show affection for her, no matter how fate toys with their paths, I will not allow it."

My eyes hardened, cutting through the glass to the oblivious pair below.

"He lost her once in the last life..." My voice was a low growl now. "And he will lose her in every life to come. If fate decides to weave that ridiculous thread of love between them—" I turned to face Ravick fully, my presence filling the room like a shadow— "Then I, as her father, will shred that thread with my own hands. It is my duty to crush it before it takes root."

Ravick bowed, his voice firm. "Yes, Your Majesty... and I stand with you in this."

I looked back out the window, my smirk returning like a blade catching the light.

"Good," I murmured. "Then we will make certain—Osric will never have my daughter. Not now. Not ever. Even if I have to tear the world apart."