CHAPTER 211: BETWEEN WOLVES IN A CARRIAGE

[Inside the Royal Carriage—Continuation, Lavinia’s POV]

I was still perched on his lap, my heart pounding so wildly it felt like it might leap into his chest. His arms circled me like iron, protective and unyielding, as if the world outside the carriage no longer existed.

I shifted slightly, trying to steady myself, but his grip only tightened. "Don’t," he murmured, voice low, rough, and almost dangerous. "Just stay... like this. Don’t move away from me."

My breath caught. His chin brushed against the crown of my head, his warmth wrapping around me until I thought I might melt entirely. It was overwhelming. Too close. Too much. And yet... not nearly enough.

"Osric..." My voice trembled, soft and uncertain.

"Yes, Lavi?" he asked, but his tone—controlled as it was—crackled with fire beneath.

I twisted the edge of his sleeve in my fingers, unable to meet his eyes. "...You’re holding me too tightly."

He chuckled, deep and low, the sound rumbling through his chest and into me. "Too tightly? No, Lavi. Not nearly tight enough." His breath tickled my ear as he whispered, "You’re mine. I’ve been dying—aching—to hold you like this. Do you have any idea how much I’ve endured to kiss you like this for real?"

Heat flared in my cheeks. I tried to turn away, but his fingers caught my chin, tilting it up. His brown eyes—fierce, unwavering—captured me, burning with possession and something deeper, something that made my heart stutter.

"You’re mine, Lavi," he said softly, each word deliberate, heavy with promise. "Mine to protect. Mine to guard. Mine... always. Tell me I’m right."

My lips parted, but no sound would come. My throat closed, too full of emotion, too unsteady. So instead, I did the only thing I could—I buried my face in the curve of his shoulder, hiding the blaze of red that had consumed me.

His laugh came again, but softer this time, gentler, curling around me like velvet. He pressed his cheek against my hair, his grip firm on my waist as though anchoring me to him.

"Shy again?" he murmured, voice rich with amusement. His arms tightened. "Good. Be shy... but only for me, Lavi. No one else should ever see you like this."

That made me smile. I snuggled closer, letting the steady thrum of his heartbeat calm the wild pace of mine. His warmth seeped into me until I felt as though I belonged nowhere else but here—in his arms, on his lap, surrounded by him.

Then his voice dropped, deeper, rawer, threaded with emotion that shook me to my core. "I love you, Lavi. So much it feels like madness."

The words struck me like lightning, sparking through every corner of my being. My chest tightened, my throat ached, and still—I smiled, brighter than ever, wrapping my arms around his broad shoulders and holding him as if I’d never let go.

"I love you too, Osric," I whispered against his neck, the words trembling but true. "So much... so, so much."

His embrace tightened once more, as if he’d heard every ounce of meaning in my words and vowed never to release me. And the time? It had stopped for us.

Knock. Knock.

We jerked apart instantly, hearts still tangled, breaths uneven. Osric’s brows furrowed as his jaw tightened.

"It must be the driver," he muttered, his voice low and clipped.

I nodded quickly, smoothing my skirts as if they could disguise the wildfire on my face. Osric opened the door, his expression darkening the instant he saw who stood outside. His voice dropped to a growl.

"...You."

Curiosity got the better of me. I leaned forward and peeked from behind his broad frame—only for my eyes to widen.

"Oh... Rey?"

"Hey there, Princess." His grin was lazy, mocking, and infuriatingly confident.

I blinked, utterly caught off guard. "What are you doing here?"

He swung himself into the carriage without hesitation, plopping down as if it were his own. "Had some work nearby. Saw your carriage and thought—why rent one when you’re right here?"

I blinked, still processing. "Work? What kind of work?"

He sighed dramatically, slumping back like a man carrying the weight of kingdoms. "The work you gave me. About Caelum—" He stopped mid-sentence. His gaze sharpened, narrowing on me like a hawk spotting prey.

"Princess..." His tone shifted, suspicious.

"...Hmm?"

"Why," he drawled, leaning in closer, "is your lipstick smudged?"

. . .

. . .

"Wha—WHAT?!" My hands flew to my mouth in horror. I scrambled for my pouch, desperate for a mirror, but all I found inside was a gleaming dagger. Useless!

"Hold still. I’ll help you," Rey said smoothly, his hand already reaching out, thumb hovering dangerously close to my lips.

Before he could touch me, Osric’s hand shot out, iron-clad around Rey’s wrist. His voice was cold steel. "Don’t. Touch. Her."

The air between them crackled. I blinked at both of them, caught like a rabbit between wolves.

Rey raised a brow, smirking as if daring Osric to push further. But Osric ignored him entirely, turning to me instead. From his coat, he took out a crisp napkin and spoke gently, "Show me, Lavi..."

I froze, my face burning, before I hesitantly tilted toward him. Carefully, delicately—his fingers brushed against my chin, steadying me as he dabbed and adjusted the smear with a tenderness that made my pulse race all over again. His gaze lingered far too long—too intimate, too consuming.

"There," he murmured, pulling back just enough to meet my eyes. "Perfect. It’s over."

I exhaled in relief, still flustered. "It doesn’t look bad, right? I still look beautiful, don’t I?" My hands fumbled for a mirror again, still pulling out nothing but that ridiculous dagger.

Osric’s lips curved into a slow smirk. His eyes, molten and intent, locked on me. "Beautiful? No, Lavi... you look absolutely breathtaking."

My cheeks flamed. I quickly looked away, clutching the dagger as if it could shield me from his gaze.

And then—

"Princess..."

Rey’s voice cut through, sharp as an arrow. My head snapped toward him. He was leaning back with arms folded, eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, glaring at me with all the judgment in the world.

"...Are you, perhaps," his tone dripped venom, "cheating on me?"

The carriage went dead silent.

My jaw dropped. "...EXCUSE ME?!"

Rey, utterly unbothered by my outrage, pressed a hand dramatically to his chest, his expression carved with the deepest betrayal. "I... I can’t believe it. Cheated. At such an early stage in our relationship."

I sputtered, nearly choking on my own indignation. "WHAT relationship?! When, exactly, did we enter one for me to cheat on you?!"

Before I could slap sense into him, his gaze lowered, a flash of shame and—good heavens, was that actual hurt?—shimmering in his eyes. His voice cracked with absurd sincerity as he declared:

"...Since the day we met."

I froze. Osric trembled beside me, fury rolling off him like a storm about to break, but all I could do was gape at Rey in disbelief. "Since the—since the DAY WE MET?!"

He nodded solemnly, as if he’d just confessed some tragic fate. "Yes. That very moment. Our eyes met. Destiny sealed. My heart claimed. Yours... apparently reckless."

I groaned into my hands. "Oh, for the love of heavens—"

Then my gaze flicked to the pouch at my side. Slowly, deliberately, I pulled it open and found not one but two daggers tucked inside.

My lips curved into a cold smile. "Now I understand... why Sera stuffed two daggers in here."

Rey blinked. "...Wait, wait—Princess, don’t tell me you’re—"

I didn’t even unsheathe the blade. No need. I simply hurled the dagger, pouch and all, straight at his smug face.

"ME. WITH YOU?!" My voice rang through the carriage, sharp as thunder. "Ha! Keep dreaming, you delusional idiot!"

Rey yelped, jerking back just in time, the pouch bouncing off his shoulder instead. He clutched at his chest again, groaning dramatically. "You wound me! Physically and emotionally!"

Beside me, Osric’s jaw clenched so hard I swore I heard his teeth grind. His hand was already gripping the hilt of his sword, knuckles white, voice dropping into something low and lethal.

"...Can I kill him, Lavi?"

My head snapped toward him. His eyes weren’t even on me—they were fixed on Rey, sharp and blazing, like a predator already calculating how to tear his prey apart.

Rey paled instantly, both hands shooting up in surrender. "H-Hey—what! Are you serious, Lord Osric?!" His voice cracked as he tried to laugh it off, scooting an inch farther away. "I was just joking! No need to go all murderous on me!"

Osric’s fingers tightened further, the blade half-loosened from its sheath.

Rey scrambled, words tumbling over themselves in desperation. "A-And besides—you can’t just kill an innocent citizen without a weapon, right?!" His eyes darted everywhere, searching desperately for some imaginary law to save him. "That would be... illegal! Highly illegal!"

The air in the carriage was thick, tension crackling like a drawn bowstring.

And me?

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "...Saints above. One of you is ready to commit murder; the other is writing laws in panic."

Truly, my life.

While I was trapped in this carriage with two ridiculous men—one far too possessive, the other far too dramatic—the nobles out there were busy preparing for the tea party.

And me?

Oh, I was preparing too.

Because this tea party... was going to be damn fun.