CHAPTER 178: HIS TRUTH, HER FALL

[Lavinia’s POV—Imperial Palace—Grand Banquet Hall]

My spine stiffened. My face burned. My life flashed before my eyes.

I hissed under my breath, "Oh splendid, Osric. Just splendid. We’ve poured an entire barrel of oil on a fire of rumors."

Osric—calm as a spring breeze, utterly unbothered by the weight of a hundred gazes—kept his hand steady and warm at my waist. His eyes glimmered like secret storms, and his lips curved in a way that made my pulse stumble.

"Mm," he murmured, his voice low and velvet-smooth, brushing against my ear like a caress. "And what a glorious blaze it is." He leaned closer, his breath fanning over my skin. "But...I don’t mind the rumors, Lavi."

I froze and Slowly turned. My eyes are wide. "W-What do you mean?"

He didn’t answer—not with words. Instead, he smirked—infuriatingly, devastatingly—and without breaking our gaze, he lifted my hand. His lips brushed the back of it, not with haste, but with reverence. The kiss lingered... searing itself into me like a secret brand.

The world narrowed to that single point of contact.

When he finally spoke, it was silk and fire all at once. "May I have the honor of this next dance, Princess?"

For a heartbeat, the world tilted. Something unfurled in my chest—something terrifying, unfamiliar, and unbearably sweet. My heart hammered as though it wanted to leap free from my ribs... and land in his hands.

I couldn’t form words. I couldn’t even breathe. But when I looked into his eyes—storm-dark and suddenly soft, speaking in a language no court had ever taught me—I couldn’t look away.

I gave the faintest nod. That was all it took.

He guided me forward with quiet certainty, his hand never leaving mine. The crowd parted—almost as though the ballroom itself bowed to him—and suddenly, we stood at the very center.

The music began. Strings rose like dawn, gentle, lilting, radiant.

Osric’s hand returned to my waist, firm yet achingly careful, as though I were a treasure he dared not break. His other hand laced with mine, our fingers weaving together like they had always belonged this way.

And then... we moved.

His steps were steady and assured, guiding me effortlessly across the marble floor. It was as though we’d danced in another life, as though our bodies had long known the rhythm our hearts now struggled to accept. My gown swirled like a painted flame beneath the chandeliers, light catching in silk and glass. His presence consumed me. His warmth steadied me. His gaze—unyielding, locked on me alone—burned me alive.

For the first time in years, I wasn’t a princess. I wasn’t an heir. I wasn’t a duty or expectation. I was... just a girl, lost in a fairytale, spun into the arms of someone who felt too dangerous and too perfect all at once.

Just like a Princess and his prince.

...Prince? Did I just think prince? Osric of all people—how could I—

"Relax," he whispered, his voice brushing my ear, his thumb tracing a feather-light circle at my waist. "The world is watching, yes... but tonight, it’s only you and me."

I dared to meet his eyes—and drowned.

He twirled me once, the crowd blurring into streaks of color, before pulling me back—closer this time. My back pressed against his chest, his heartbeat steady and strong, syncing with mine as if they sought each other.

Then... his lips grazed the edge of my ear. Barely there. Enough to send a violent shiver down my spine. His voice came low, raw, trembling with truth.

"I always thought I’d wait, Lavi..."

I tilted my head, breath caught. "What—"

"That I’d wait for the right time, the right place, the perfect moment to tell you." His arm tightened at my waist. "But tonight, watching all those men look at you as if they had the right to touch you... I realized I can’t wait anymore."

My heart clenched. "Osric... what are you saying?"

He smiled then—not the perfect, cold mask the world knew, but something softer, unbearably tender. He spun me again, only to pull me back—this time leaving no space, no doubt. His forehead lowered to mine. Our breaths tangled, the music fading into silence.

And then—three words: steady, burning, unshakable.

"I love you, Lavi."

The world shattered around me. Or perhaps it bloomed. I couldn’t tell.

My breath caught, my chest squeezed painfully tight, and my heart thundered so violently I was certain the entire hall could hear it.

Did I... did I hear that right? Did Osric just—

His hand trembled around mine as he pressed another kiss to my skin, lingering, desperate. His voice cracked, fierce and vulnerable all at once.

"You didn’t hear wrong, Lavi," Osric murmured, his gaze locked to mine. "You heard me... perfectly. I love you. I have loved you in silence, in shadows, in stolen glances that I thought no one noticed. And now... I can’t keep it buried anymore."

His words poured like fire, unstoppable, scorching me where I stood.

"I love you so much that every time someone dares to look at you with desire, I want to tear the world apart to keep you safe. I love you so much that the thought of letting go terrifies me. If I could hold this hand for all eternity, I would."

Our gaze locked, and I could see warmth in his eyes but it’s a warmth that felt magical.

He continued, "I love you so much that if I could trade my life for your smile, I would do it without hesitation. And if holding your hand meant defying every law of this empire, then, Lavi... let them all burn. I love you so much that—"

My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst free from my chest. His love was a storm, and I—helpless, fragile—was standing right in the middle of it.

"Stop—!" My trembling hand flew to his mouth. My cheeks blazed, my throat closed, yet my palm lingered as though it belonged there. "Tha... That’s enough, Osric. Please..."

His lips curved into a faint, wicked smirk against my palm. But his eyes—oh, his eyes—were nothing but raw, aching tenderness.

"I want an answer, Lavi," he whispered against my touch. "But not tonight. I won’t steal it before you’re ready. Take your time. But don’t make me wait a lifetime."

He guided my hand to his chest, pressing it over the wild rhythm of his heart.

"Feel this?" His gaze locked to mine, unflinching. "This heart beats only for you. Whether your answer comes with the next breath or a thousand more—I’ll be here, waiting. Always. Right beside you."

And then... he let me go.

And I? I stood frozen. Trembling. My hands were still tingling with his warmth, my chest aching with his vow.

What just happened? Did I dream it? No. It was Too vivid. Too real.

Then—

"Did you see that? Their dance was far too intimate."

"Ohhh, it’s true then, isn’t it? Just like the rumors say..."

"Shhh! Keep your voice down!"

"But look—her face! She’s completely lost in him."

"And him? He’s never looked at anyone like that. Never."

"If this is love, then... we’ve just witnessed it with our own eyes."

The whispers wrapped around me like poisoned honey, sweet and sharp. I felt every gaze pierce me, every murmur coil my name tighter and tighter.

But still—his heartbeat echoed in my palm.

"My precious," Grandpa Thalein’s concerned voice broke through the haze. "... Are you alright?"

I managed a shaky smile. "Yes, Grandpa. I... I think I just need some fresh air."

Without another word, I slipped through the crowd, my heels clicking against the marble as I made my way to the balcony.

And as the cool night air kissed my flushed cheeks, a sharp contrast to the heat still racing through my veins. My heart slowly began to calm—or at least I thought it had.

The cool night air kissed my flushed cheeks, sharp against the heat still racing through my veins. I pressed a trembling hand to my chest, as though I could will my heart to steady.

"Gods..." I whispered, the word slipping out in a shaky breath. "Did that just... did he really...?"

My heart only pounded harder in answer, wild and frantic, as if it were trying to remind me of every word he’d just spoken.

"I love you, Lavi..."

The memory of his voice, raw and unshakable, echoed in my ears. My pulse throbbed in time with it, refusing to let me forget.

I shook my head, pressing both hands over my face. "This can’t be real. But...why do I feel so good?"

No matter how hard I tried to breathe, it wasn’t enough. He had stolen the very air from me.

"...Why does my heart tingle like this?" I murmured, clutching at my chest again. My hand trembled, my fingers curling into silk. "Why won’t it stop..."

I gave my chest a light thump, muttering under my breath, "Man... c’mon, calm down."

Of course, my traitorous heart wasn’t listening. It only pounded harder, every beat echoing with his voice, his touch, and his words.

I exhaled shakily, trying—failing—to steady myself.

And then—

A hand pressed against my back.

Before I could turn and see who it was, before I could even breathe—a sudden, violent PUSH.

The world tilted. The marble railing vanished beneath me. Air rushed past me like a scream I couldn’t release. My hands clawed at nothing, my body spiraling into the void.

And in that final, frozen heartbeat, one thought carved itself into me like a blade:

Someone had pushed me. Deliberately. Someone wanted me dead—here, at my own banquet.