Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 161: Lyra is looking forward for warming bed

Early the next morning, Astrid left the dark castle in the thick morning fog, heading back to her palace.

Staying at Amalia's place for an entire day was already beyond the plan. She hadn't brought enough food for several days, and the reserve of transformation potion was almost used up. Continuing like this, even the identity of Livia couldn't be maintained.

Moreover, she hadn't informed Elise in advance. As an imperial princess, being absent for a day was already pushing the limits. Staying longer might lead to other unforeseen incidents.

Climbing over the wall, just about to follow the remembered route back, Astrid suddenly heard a crisp sound behind her, like hard-soled shoes stepping on the ground, neither heavy nor light.

At this time, there shouldn't be anyone around, and she had just used her spiritual power for a quick scan, indeed finding no targets.

The other party's strength far surpassed hers.

Realizing this, Astrid's eyes sharpened, her thoughts racing.

But the next second, she heard the other party speak, the familiar voice instantly relaxing Astrid.

"Miss Astrid, it's me."

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on freeweɓnøvel.com.

In the hazy morning fog, a black-haired woman in a black and white maid dress, wearing white stockings, walked up to Astrid, looking at her calmly.

"Elise, why are you here?" Astrid touched the hairband on her head, her voice gentle.

Hearing this, Elise slightly lifted her skirt, her white-stockinged legs crossing as she crouched. "Reporting to you, Miss, to ensure your safety."

If Astrid didn't return today, Elise would consider entering the ancient castle herself.

For Astrid Calliste Valeria, the most beloved imperial princess, visiting the ancient castle of the fourth princess wasn't a big deal. But as a maid, entering Amalia's secluded place without her master's guidance was definitely a violation of palace rules.

Of course, Astrid could easily protect her, at most being scolded by the emperor.

Receiving the head maid's response, Astrid nodded without saying much, letting Elise lead her back to the palace.

This was clearly not the place to talk; any issues could be discussed back at the palace.

Fifteen minutes later, Astrid returned to the familiar palace, where Lyra had been waiting at the door for a long time. Seeing a figure in a blurry robe following Elise, her eyes lit up slightly.

Entering the room and removing the infiltrator's robe, revealing the iconic silver hair, Astrid sat at the desk, looking at the prepared tea and pastries, and spoke softly.

"You are so thoughtful, Elise."

The head maid shook her head slightly, replying in a low voice.

"Reporting to Miss Astrid, the pastries and tea were prepared by Lyra."

Hearing Elise's response, Astrid turned her gaze to the pink-haired maid beside her. Lyra, seeing this, lowered her head shyly, looking at her shoes, her fingers lightly twisting together.

"Miss Lyra is becoming more and more like a qualified maid."

Was this Astrid's way of complimenting?

Lyra blinked, still lowering her head.

"It's my duty."

Princess Astrid had finally returned, and she seemed to be in good spirits, so nothing bad must have happened.

Lyra's heart, which had been hanging in the air, finally settled. While listening to Elise recount the events of the previous day, she secretly observed Astrid, who was sipping tea and occasionally scooping a bite of dessert.

Even though she was starving, she maintained her noble demeanor, her already pink lips becoming glossy with cream.

After hearing Elise's report, Astrid nodded, not stinting on praise for her two personal maids.

"You did well with the emergency measures while I was away, truly my best head maid."

"Lyra too. As a reward, you can receive two extra gold coins this month."

Hearing this, Lyra blinked her eyelashes several times, her lips curling up slightly, openly showing her joy.

Compared to the reward, she seemed to care more about Princess Astrid's praise.

It was great to be able to help Princess Astrid.

Looking at the pink-haired maid, who seemed either delighted by the praise or overjoyed to see Astrid back, Elise glanced at the silver-haired princess who was taking small bites of her meal and spoke silently.

"Princess Astrid, please rest well. I will inform Countess Charlotte, and the specific meeting time and place can be determined after you finish lunch."

"If there's nothing else, I'll go make the arrangements."

Leaving the private space for the master to interact intimately with her companion was also something a perfect maid should do.

Hearing this, Astrid nodded and said "Okay," watching Elise leave the room.

Truly the perfect and elegant head maid, she never disappointed.

Closing the door, only Astrid and Lyra remained in the princess's chamber. The latter stood quietly by the desk, watching Astrid eat.

When Astrid was almost done, she handed over a silk handkerchief for her to wipe the cream and crumbs from her lips.

"Princess Astrid, your clothes are ready. Would you like to take a bath?" Lyra placed the used handkerchief on the tray, her tone respectful.

"Mm." Astrid slightly nodded, changed her shoes, and entered the bathroom.

Seeing the light in the washroom turn on, Lyra bent down to neatly arrange the high heels Astrid had taken off, then took away the used tray, poured another cup of tea, and mixed it with milk in a specific ratio.

Half an hour later, Astrid came out of the bathroom in her nightgown. Lyra immediately stepped forward to help Astrid, who had sat by the window, dry her hair.

Softly chanting the common wind magic spell to blow dry the water droplets from her hair, Lyra stood behind Astrid, her line of sight just able to see the round and smooth shoulders and the enticing collarbone.

The gentle morning light fell on Astrid's skin, still damp with water vapor. Filled with the faint scent of her hair, Lyra's heart, which had just settled, trembled again for some reason, and she couldn't help but ask.

"Princess Astrid, why didn't you return yesterday?"

In principle, a maid had no right to interfere with her master's schedule, nor should she be so curious.

Hearing this, Astrid opened her eyes, looking at Lyra's reflection in the mirror.

"Are you curious?"

The cool voice immediately brought Lyra back to reality. The girl paused her movements, then continued to dry the hair.

A few minutes later, as if afraid of Astrid misunderstanding, Lyra gathered her courage and spoke softly.

"Not particularly curious..."

"...I just wanted to care about you, Princess Astrid."

Lyra wasn't particularly good at being direct in the original novel. To be more specific, this Holy Light Knight was an absolute shy girl in the early stages of the story, unwilling to trouble others or openly express her emotions.

As the story progressed and she gained more experience, Lyra's personality became increasingly reserved, and she would never say something like she cared about someone.

Feeling the person behind her pause slightly, Astrid spoke calmly.

"There was a small accident at Amalia's place. Just to be safe, I stayed there for an extra day."

Hearing Astrid's explanation, Lyra continued to fiddle with her hair, spreading the wet silver strands across her fingertips and letting the wind dry them.

"Then... is everything handled?" Lyra asked softly after a while.

Astrid picked up the black tea on the table, took a sip, and replied, "No."

She could sense the complex emotions Amalia felt towards her and understood her fear and unease. The biggest obstacle between them now was the lack of trust.

She needed an opportunity to make Amalia trust her again, or rather, a chance for Amalia to accept both Livia and Astrid, breaking the ice in their relationship.

Hearing this, Lyra silently lowered her gaze and continued to carefully help Astrid arrange her hair. After a while, she spoke softly.

"Although I don't know what happened..."

"But I believe things will get better in the future."

It was no wonder she was the destined heroine. Her thoughts and words were so naive they were almost cute. Astrid, looking through the mirror at Lyra, who was intently focused on her hair, couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Miss Lyra is as optimistic as ever."

Astrid's tone always gave Lyra the feeling that she was about to be harshly criticized, but this time, Lyra was clearly mistaken.

"But I'll take your words as a blessing. Thank you," Astrid added.

Hearing this response, Lyra's pupils slightly contracted, and she leaned forward a bit, a strange emotion stirring in her heart.

This was the first time she had heard Princess Astrid speak to her in such a tone. Previously, Astrid had only spoken like this to Elise.

As the mistress, Princess Astrid didn't need to say such things to a maid.

For a moment, Lyra didn't know how to respond. She increased her mental energy, letting the wind between her fingers pass through every strand of hair more delicately.

Feeling the gentle touch from behind, Astrid closed her eyes and leaned back against the chair.

Having not slept for two days and nights and eating very little, the combination of sweets and milk tea had raised her blood sugar, making her drowsy.

If it weren't for thinking about Amalia and the afternoon meeting with Charlotte, Astrid estimated she would have fallen asleep by now.

After a long pause, Lyra finally managed to say, "...You're welcome."

Astrid didn't respond further, just silently finished her tea, her breathing gradually evening out.

Once her hair was completely dry, Astrid sat on the bed and fell into a long-awaited sleep. Lyra moved a chair to the bedside, ready to serve at any moment.

As a personal maid, even when the mistress was asleep, she had to be on standby.

Looking at the silver-haired princess sleeping peacefully in the bed, Lyra finally felt a sense of relief. She crossed her legs, elbows resting on her knees, her chin propped up by her hands.

Princess Astrid had finally returned...

A hint of joy flickered in her eyes, and Lyra unconsciously curved her lips, her blue eyes narrowing slightly.

Seeing Astrid return to the palace unharmed, Lyra felt a sudden sense of security.

The increasingly bright sunlight outside fell on the soft woolen carpet. Lyra got up to close the curtains and then sat back down, staring at the girl's curved and upturned eyelashes for a long time.

Suddenly remembering something, Lyra's cheeks turned bright red, and even her ears felt hot.

Recently, she had heard some rumors from other maids about the unspoken rules of being a personal maid.

In the eyes of most nobles, a personal maid not only had to take care of the master's daily needs but also had to warm the bed when necessary.

It's summer now, so she probably wouldn't be needed, but come winter, would she have to...

The thought of using her own body heat to warm the bed made Lyra feel even more embarrassed.

That clause wasn't in the contract she signed, so she didn't know if she had to do it.

Maybe she should ask Princess Astrid someday?

This thought was immediately dismissed by Lyra.

Given her relationship with Princess Astrid, even if warming the bed was necessary, it should be Elise who did it.

Thinking this, the heat in Lyra's cheeks gradually subsided. She moistened her lips, her elbows slightly sinking into the smooth flesh of her thighs.

Somehow, a strange, indescribable feeling suddenly arose in her heart.

It was as if... she was inexplicably looking forward to something…