Chapter 33 Renounce My Villain Era
First things first:
I am no longer the villainess.
I made it official this morning. Stood up at the palace balcony. Held up a scroll. Declared it to the confused crowd of nobles and one tourist caravan.
"I, Verenia, retire from the role of token antagonist, romantic plot device, and disaster princess. I am now simply: The Girl Who Lived (Through Way Too Much Narrative)."
Then I dropped confetti. Which exploded. And caught a curtain on fire.
Liora had to put it out with her hat.
Ashrin, from below: "That was extremely you."
In unrelated news: the duck now has a job.
Apparently, during my spontaneous confetti proclamation, the duck wandered into a portal and somehow ended up negotiating peaceful trade with a race of glitter moths.
The resulting treaty?
Annual festivals.
Magical pastry exchange.
The duck named honorary ambassador.
Caelis held a press conference to announce it. In rhyme.
I gave up trying to make sense of this two story arcs ago.
The real moment, though?
Happened at twilight.
I was on the palace terrace. Alone. (Or so I thought.)
Lucien appeared first, holding tea.
"You're not a villainess," he said quietly. "But you are unforgettable."
Then he kissed my cheek.
Ashrin showed up next.
Offered me a flower he probably didn't steal.
"You're not the antagonist anymore," he said. "But you'll always be the girl who broke my blade and stole my heart."
He kissed my hand.
And Caelis?
He didn't say anything at all.
Just walked up, pulled me close, and kissed me.
Really kissed me.
No spell. No script. No timer.
Just lips and breath and the dizzy sense that yes, this was real.
Afterward, none of us said much.
We just sat together on the terrace.
Watching the stars glitch once—gently.
Like the world was exhaling.