Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 287: Sleeping Together

Sitting for too long is not good for the body, especially for a grand knight like Lyra who often engages in high-intensity battles. Maintaining a high level of physical flexibility is of utmost importance.

If she could remain vigilant while lying down, perhaps changing her posture for night watch would be more beneficial for Lyra to conserve energy for tomorrow’s hunt.

Today, most of the hard labor was done by her. If she couldn’t rest even at night, Astrid felt somewhat guilty.

Looking at the silver-haired beauty who had lifted the blanket, revealing the alluring scenery beneath, Lyra was momentarily stunned, her hand on the hilt of her sword tightening slightly.

Wait... What does Princess Astrid mean...?

Swallowing imperceptibly, Lyra felt as if her feet were rooted to the ground.

Though the distance was less than two or three meters, she couldn’t seem to take a step forward.

Sleeping with Princess Astrid...

Although she had some unrealistic fantasies before the assessment, now that the moment had arrived, Lyra suddenly realized her heart was as tangled as a ball of yarn that Auri had played with.

Noticing Lyra’s hesitation, Astrid brushed aside a strand of silver hair, propped her cheek with her hand, and looked at her sideways.

"What... Are you worried about accidentally falling asleep?"

As a grand knight, Lyra had strong control over her body. As long as she focused a little, she shouldn’t fall asleep easily.

After Astrid spoke, Lyra remained standing, her fair cheeks tinged with a faint blush, like the evening glow of a sunset.

The thought of lying in the same bed with the person she loved, possibly even having some intimate physical contact, made Lyra’s heart pound so hard it felt like it might leap out of her chest.

Seeing Lyra’s reaction, Astrid, who was suffering from insomnia, narrowed her eyes slightly, her crimson pupils like flowing red wine in the light.

"Or is it..."

"Lyra, are you shy~"

Astrid’s last few words were spoken slowly and softly, laced with a hint of temptation, making them even more alluring in the deep night.

Hearing this, Lyra’s cheeks turned even redder.

Noticing this, Astrid’s smile widened, thinking that she must have spent too much time with her teacher, Evelyn, and had started to sound like her.

However, teasing a shy girl was indeed an easy way to have fun.

While Astrid silently enjoyed the pleasure of making the innocent girl blush, Lyra, on the other hand, gazed at the beautiful scene by the bonfire, her teeth gently biting her pink lips.

"I..."

Saying "no" would probably seem like a cover-up. Even without a mirror, judging by the temperature of her skin, her face was definitely red.

After a moment of hesitation, Lyra bit her lip and replied, "Just... a little..."

In fact, she was almost bursting with nervousness.

Hearing this, Astrid chuckled and then spoke.

"We’re both girls, no need to be so shy, or... nervous."

With that, Astrid moved back, leaving more space. The blanket she used as a bed was large enough to comfortably accommodate two people.

Seeing this, Lyra swallowed hard, her fingers on the sword hilt slightly damp with sweat, her thoughts in turmoil.

She did want to do something intimate with Princess Astrid, but faced with the current situation, Lyra hesitated.

It wasn’t about shyness, but her moral principles restrained her.

As Astrid said, they were both girls, so there was no need to be shy or nervous. In other words, Astrid hadn’t considered any other possibilities.

If that was the case, since she harbored feelings for Astrid, she shouldn’t be so intimate with her as a same-sex friend without Astrid knowing her true feelings.

This... wasn’t right, was it...?

Seeing Lyra biting her lip with a complicated expression, Astrid, sensing some inner conflict, spoke again.

"Come lie down. If you keep sitting like this, how will you hunt tomorrow?"

"And Lyra, if you keep hesitating like this, I might start to think I’m some kind of terrifying monster."

It wasn’t that exaggerated, but for Lyra, it was almost the same.

Looking at Astrid’s overly beautiful face, the pink-haired girl stood still for half a minute before finally adding a few logs to the fire and slowly walking to the bedding.

For tomorrow’s hunt, resting now would indeed be better.

And if it was just sleeping together without doing anything...

It should be fine... Just like friends...

"Remember not to dirty the blanket," Astrid reminded.

Lyra nodded, "...Oh, okay."

After taking off her boots and neatly placing them beside Astrid’s, Lyra stepped onto the blanket and slowly sat down in the space Astrid had left.

With a gap of about ten centimeters, Astrid could sense the slight stiffness in the girl beside her and spoke up, "Aren’t you going to lie down?"

If she just sat there like this, what was the point of coming over?

Hearing the voice so close, Lyra nodded and said "Okay," placing her sword of light within arm’s reach and gently sliding her silk-clad legs under the covers.

Though the space was large, the blanket was only so wide. Once they lay down, some physical contact was inevitable.

The soft rustling of silk against her legs and the warm touch made Lyra’s calves stiffen, and she quickly moved her hand from her waist to her stomach.

While Lyra lay on her back, slightly tense, Astrid seemed much more natural.

The woman lay on her side, her thick, smooth silver hair covering the hand that supported her cheek.

Her usually cold features now carried a hint of drowsiness, adding a particularly alluring charm.

Without needing to sniff, Lyra could smell the fragrance emanating from Astrid’s body.

The familiar and enchanting rose scent filled the blanket, stirring her already heated heart.

Seeing Lyra as if facing a formidable enemy, Astrid rubbed her legs together, the pleasant sound mingling with the crackling of the fire.

Why did her ears suddenly turn even redder... Was she really that shy...?

Watching Lyra’s adorable reaction, Astrid blinked a few times, recalling what a certain blonde girl had done the first time they shared a bed.

After a brief thought, she naturally rested her forehead against Lyra’s left chest.

Feeling the weight and the soft silver hair against her chin, Lyra’s breath hitched, and her mind went blank.

The warm breath brushed against her clothes. Since it was summer, Lyra’s attire wasn’t thick, allowing her to feel the faint airflow penetrating the fabric, lightly touching her skin.

Thump, thump, thump...

The girl’s heartbeat was rapid, and Astrid could easily sense her nervousness.

After a moment, having successfully teased Lyra, Astrid moved her head away and whispered softly.

"Your heart is beating so fast. Is this the first time you’ve been this close to someone your age, Lyra?"

She was so shy, one might think they were about to do something.

Hearing this, Lyra turned her head slightly, her eyes downcast. In the blind spot of Astrid’s vision, she licked her dry lips with a moist tongue.

"..."

"Mm."

In every sense, it was the first time.

"No wonder you’re so nervous."

Astrid paused, then added.

"I thought my charm might make Lyra a little more composed."

Luckily, Lyra had turned her face away, and Astrid had moved her head from Lyra’s chest.

Otherwise, once this joke was out, she would immediately feel the girl’s heartbeat skip a few beats.

After half a minute, making sure her voice wouldn’t tremble, Lyra spoke softly.

"Astrid... is indeed very charming..."

In her eyes, no one could capture her attention like Princess Astrid.

Hearing Lyra’s praise, Astrid chuckled softly, her tone gentle.

"Lyra sure knows how to compliment."

Having experienced a fusion of souls or a memory awakening, Astrid found Lyra’s straightforward words quite flattering.

After exchanging a few words, realizing that more time had passed and her sleep duration was shrinking again, Astrid, considering tomorrow’s activities, stopped talking and closed her eyes, trying to sleep.

Perhaps it was because there was someone beside her, or perhaps she was genuinely tired, but this time Astrid could clearly feel the drowsiness washing over her, and the feeling of wanting to sleep but being unable to was gradually fading.

Meanwhile, Lyra remained stiff, lying flat on the bedding.

After all, Lyra had just come of age, her thoughts still naive. She hadn’t considered that sleeping in the same bed with her crush without confessing her feelings was a form of immense torture.

She wanted to turn and embrace Astrid, to have more intimate contact, but she was constantly afraid that her feelings might inadvertently escape through her eyes, be noticed by Astrid, and scare her away.

This feeling was terrible, like ants crawling all over her.

Her heart was in turmoil, and her other leg, not touching Astrid, gently pressed her knees together.

Her cute, smooth silk-clad feet fidgeted under the blanket as Lyra tried to calm herself and enter a meditative state.

But just then, she suddenly felt an arm around her waist.

Princess Astrid?

Lyra was slightly stunned and turned her head to look at the silver-haired princess beside her. Astrid had actively wrapped her arm around Lyra’s waist, but her eyes were still closed.

Was she awake... or asleep...?

The next second, realizing that Astrid had placed one of her legs over her left calf, Lyra’s already unsettled heart became even more turbulent.

This was... too unfair...

Suppressing her racing heartbeat, Lyra maintained her position, quietly feeling Astrid’s changes.

Astrid’s breathing was long and steady, her slender, slightly curved eyelashes like a small brush covering her clear, bright crimson eyes.

Her moderately rounded chest rose and fell gently, showing no signs of waking up.

Does Princess Astrid... like to hug people while sleeping...?

Recalling that in the dormitory, whether during naps or at night, Amalia would always appear in Astrid’s bed on time, embracing her and falling asleep together.

Thinking about it, it had been almost half a year. Sleeping with her sister every day would inevitably leave a habit.

If that was the case, did Princess Astrid see her as a substitute for Amalia?

Thinking this way, it seemed like she had become some kind of forced replacement.

Lyra’s previously fiery emotions suddenly tinged with a faint sourness.

However, as Astrid rested her head on Lyra’s shoulder, the fragrant breath brushing her neck made Lyra momentarily lose her ability to think.

Should she struggle... or just let Princess Astrid hold her like this...?

The guilt in her heart faintly couldn’t suppress the burgeoning desire. Lyra closed her eyes, her pink lips tightly pressed together.

It was Astrid who had asked her to lie down and rest, and now it was Astrid who was actively holding her.

It should be fine... It should...

As Lyra struggled, Astrid’s leg around her tightened slightly. Through the two layers of silk, Lyra could feel the softness of Astrid’s thigh against her. The sound of the silk stockings rubbing together was like a beautiful symphony.

Why was she pressing even closer...?

Not just her leg, but Lyra could also feel the softness of Astrid’s body against her arm, and this time it was even more intense due to the different position.

The night was long. The burning bonfire illuminated the two figures nestled together on the bedding, as well as Lyra’s scorching heart.

"..."

Maybe... just let it happen naturally...

Looking at the woman’s high, delicate nose and full lips beside her, Lyra suddenly felt her throat dry, her fingers slightly clenching, with an inexplicable impulse in her heart.

She wanted to kiss her, to know what it felt like to kiss, as described in books.

Would it make her reluctant to stop?

Her blue eyes reflected those rose-like pink lips. Lyra was momentarily dazed. After a while, her cheek moved closer as if possessed, the distance between her and Astrid shrinking rapidly.

When only a few centimeters remained, close enough to count Astrid’s eyelashes, the woman’s breath brushed her lips.

Lyra suddenly realized what she was doing, her head slightly turned, her fingertips digging into her palm.

No, no, what was she thinking?

She absolutely couldn’t do this without Princess Astrid’s knowledge.

Taking a deep breath, Lyra turned her head, forcing her gaze to shift from Astrid’s lips to the bonfire beside them.

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