Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 544: Not Yet

Although due to the position, Astrid couldn’t clearly see Lyra’s face as she spoke, the seriousness hidden within her tone was something she simply couldn’t ignore.

"I know Astrid has always treated me kindly, personally asking the head maid to teach me the fundamentals of magic, helping me manage all household affairs, shielding me from the malicious gazes in daily life..."

Lyra placed one hand over her chest, breathing in the crisp, icy fragrance of roses lingering in the air. Her smooth, rounded knees pressed tightly together as she spoke softly.

"Reaching this point today, if it wasn’t for Astrid always being by my side, the difficulties I faced might have been hundreds or even thousands of times greater. I might not have even made it this far."

Having experienced so much, she was no longer the naive girl who first arrived in the capital. Looking back at the countless moments spent beside Princess Astrid, the other had given her far too much help.

It wasn’t limited merely to economic support like meals and lodging, but extended into countless unseen, subtle aspects.

Just think, what kind of trouble would a beautiful girl from the countryside, with no notable status or backing, face upon arrival in the Empire’s most prosperous imperial city? Her mere appearance alone would invite trouble. The Crown Prince was the most obvious example.

And even if she somehow avoided the Crown Prince and the grasping hands of certain vile nobles, the jealous noble ladies wouldn’t let her off so easily. Many probably wished nothing more than to tear her apart, though Astrid’s social circle was relatively clean, Lyra, as her personal maid, could still sense the class divide in the way some people looked at her.

Contempt, coldness, disdain, and a hidden trace of envy, envy that an ordinary girl like her had become the personal maid to the Third Princess.

"I’m deeply grateful for Astrid’s help..."

As she spoke, the rise and fall of her chest caused the soft fabric behind her to sway gently. Without turning around, Lyra could roughly imagine the alluring sight she must present.

"But... the embraces, the kisses, everything that happened just now..."

"Was Astrid really doing all that purely out of friendship? As one friend helping another?"

"I don’t understand."

They’d gone so far, only a single step remained from becoming lovers.

Listening to Lyra’s words, tinged with a hint of moisture, Astrid fell silent for a moment. Then she gently released the hand she’d been using to braid the other’s hair, wrapping her arms once more around Lyra’s neck and softly resting her head on the pink-haired girl’s shoulder.

"Didn’t I already tell you, Lyra, about why I kissed you first... and why I don’t mind your closeness?"

She thought she’d made it clear back then, but apparently Lyra still only grasped it halfway.

"In my heart, Lyra... you’re someone very special." Astrid whispered gently.

Since she’d been reincarnated into this fantasy novel, no, more accurately, since she’d awakened her past-life memories, her soul had never separated. She’d always follow the same logical framework: a fusion of the villainess side character from the novel and the cold, loveless perfumer from her previous life.

And at that crucial turning point, facing Lyra, the novel’s destined heroine, drenched in red wine and looking like a drowned cat, Astrid’s first thought wasn’t to cleanly eliminate the threat and crush it in the cradle. Instead, she chose to reframe herself, completely avoiding the doomed, destructive ending that awaited her.

Of course, there was a strong element of personal gain in that choice, but to claim no emotional factors were involved would be impossible.

She was the Third Princess, and she was a perfumer. The former operated on emotional logic, sometimes appearing overly emotional to the point of seeming foolish. The latter leans heavily toward rationality, so much so that even her own sister sometimes thought she was too stiff, like an unfeeling stone.

Two entirely different environments had shaped the same soul into two drastic different forms. The final, unified Astrid Calliste, born from the merging of memories, had made what was undoubtedly the best decision so far, pushing the novel’s heroine to a higher destiny.

It wasn’t just because it benefited herself. It was also because Lyra Beckett’s personality was exactly the type she’d loved reading about: pure, strong, born wrapped in warmth and beauty, like a spotless white sheet of paper, and yet still able to maintain a heart that the world loved even after endless millions of injustices.

Undoubtedly, if this world weren’t a novel but a galgame, complete with a "likability" meter, Astrid’s affection for Lyra would have been at an extremely high level from the very beginning.

Who wouldn’t adore a knight of holy light who was upright in character, valued emotions deeply, showed mercy when appropriate, and acted decisively when needed?

As for the unavoidable topic of "doormat" tendencies, judging by Lyra’s matured conduct, whenever something requires selfless sacrifice, she’d step forward herself. She’d never burden her allies, nor would she be like those hypocritical do-gooders who use others’ lives and potential dangers to satisfy their so-called kindness.

Her knightly code constrained only herself, never others.

Hearing Astrid’s words, Lyra’s grip on her skirt tightened further, her knuckles turning white.

"Someone special..."

"Then... how special exactly...?"

Under normal circumstances, just those words would’ve made Lyra happy for days. But tonight, she wanted a clearer answer.

Or rather, not necessarily clearer, just the answer she longed to hear.

"Special enough that..." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Astrid lowered her voice, the tip of her finger lightly touched Lyra’s collarbone.

"Even I didn’t understand at first why I’d indulge my personal maid so much, to the point of behaving unlike a high-and-mighty princess."

When dealing with Charlotte, Amalia, or even the head maid whom she considered as family, Astrid never showed her mischievous side. But with Lyra, she couldn’t help but want to be a teasing, playful villainess.

She wanted to hear Lyra’s voice tremble slightly when teased, wanted to see her sky-blue eyes grow misty with moisture at her suggestive words, wanted to feel the way Lyra’s back would instantly stiffen at sudden physical contact.

And then there was the way Lyra would glance, then quickly look away, blushing, whenever Astrid casually crossed her legs, letting the elegant heel of her shoe dangle.

That Lyra who wanted to look but was too shy, who always adhered to her knightly code and feared defiling herself, she was just unbearably adorable.

"I suppose... I really do like Lyra."

That was why she didn’t mind being physically close to her, why she was willing to make time for her amidst her busy schedule.

In fact, most of the time, she was deliberately tempting Lyra, testing how far she could go, rather than just flirting and leaving.

Truthfully, Lyra’s moral standards were indeed higher than nearly all nobles and half the commoners.

"Like... me?"

At Astrid’s words, Lyra’s eyes brightened, her gaze fell on the pair of white-stockinged feet gently pinning her legs in place.

"Mmm." Astrid affirmed softly, her voice gentle.

"Otherwise, I wouldn’t do these things to you."

The special-style maid outfit, the series of provocative intimate actions, calling it outright bullying wouldn’t even begin to cover it. Dig deeper, and it was clearly teasing a certain little pink-haired girl.

If someone with even slightly weaker willpower were treated this way by the Empire’s most dazzling gem of a princess, they’d probably lose control of their instincts instantly, eager to switch from passive to active and thoroughly savor her. Only Lyra, whose virtue had been recognized by the Sword of Light, could barely resist.

"Lyra is someone truly wonderful in my heart. Someone worthy of being loved by everyone."

"This has nothing to do with status or wealth. Even the Imperial Regent is merely drawn in by Lyra’s noble and pure character, nothing more."

Her smooth, slender legs in white stockings quietly crossed, forming an X shape leaning against the pink-haired girl. Astrid wrapped her arms around Lyra from behind, her voice as gentle as water.

"Do you understand now, my dear Lyra Beckett?"

Understand that she wasn’t someone who only took from love, but often gave as well, providing warmth and support to Astrid in ways she didn’t even realize.

She didn’t need to be so careful, didn’t need to place herself so low, like a pink-haired puppy constantly afraid of being abandoned, desperately trying to please its master, yearning to be loved.

A knight of holy light could be humble, but never so low as to bury herself in the dirt for someone else.

That was why Astrid had chosen the maid outfit and willingly availed her status, to properly care for Lyra today, and to talk about the topic of affection.

Lyra had always positioned herself too low, so low that even the smallest response from her would send her into ecstasy.

"You’re an amazing knight of light, just like in the storybooks: honest, fair, strong, kind, someone who can face down dragons with a sword, yet also kneel to protect the weak."

"Even I, the Imperial Princess, can’t help but admire your bravery."

Her elegant legs in white stockings gently rubbed against Lyra, the delicate, thin fabric transmitting its smooth, cool sensation through her soft calves to Lyra’s skin, like gliding water, or perhaps the finest warm jade.

Facing down dragons, protecting the weak... I admire your bravery...

Astrid... truly thinks that of me?

Is she really that amazing?

Her head felt hot, even hotter than the brief moment of pleasure earlier. Lyra’s hands hung limply at her sides, her entire weight seeming resting on Astrid behind her.

The next moment, Astrid buried her nose in Lyra’s hair, her faint breath drifting through the sea of pink, caressing the girl’s pale neck.

Although she didn’t know how much of this Lyra would truly take in, or whether it would have the intended effect, at least it could help her, to some extent, shake off the constant anxiety and ingrained sense of insignificance that had plagued her.

Don’t let your light dim for anyone. In the original novel, Lyra was a symbol of defiance against tyranny, she wouldn’t back down even against powerful nobles resistant to progress.

"A-Astrid..."

"Mm?"

"...I like you too."

After holding it in for so long, that was all she managed to say.

Astrid faintly smiled, then slowly lifted her hand to cup Lyra’s cheek, gently turning her head to her face.

Those brilliant, luminous blue eyes seem to hold galaxies within, or perhaps a sea rippling under moonlight, beautiful enough to steal one’s heart.

No wonder Astrid Calliste had been envious of Lyra’s eyes, so bright, so captivating, impossible to forget.

Raising a hand to gently stroke her eyelid, Lyra obediently closed one of those watery eyes. The other blue orb remained open, glistening as it gazed at Astrid, reflecting her image while still carrying a trace of the wet afterglow from their recent climax.

She’d almost forgotten, just moments ago, the places where Lyra had lost moisture weren’t limited to just one.

Gazing at those eyes, still healthy and unharmed, unlike in the novel, where someone had suddenly injured them, Astrid leaned down gently, pressing a light kiss to the pink lips.

As the kiss ended, Lyra, limping in Astrid’s arms, let out a soft whimper.

"S-So... are we lovers now?"

Not yet.

"Eh?"

Lyra blinked in surprise, her moist lips parting slightly.

Isn’t this... a confession?

"Give me a little more time to adjust. And give Lyra herself some space to think, before making the final decision on whether to continue with me."

Astrid whispered softly, her thoughts drifting back to the imperial capital deep within the Empire’s heartland.

"I’m not nearly as good as Lyra imagines. At least until certain matters are clarified, it wouldn’t be right for us to take that final step."

The situation with Amalia was a tangled mess, details she needed to reveal to Lyra first, so she could decide for herself whether to become the lover of someone as indecisive and emotionally entangled as she was.

At least for today, let Lyra stand on equal footing with her, not as someone passively longing to be loved in a relationship, but someone who understands she could also refuse Astrid’s unreasonable requests, because Astrid longed for her just the same.

Eh... are there things Astrid hasn’t told her yet?

Although Lyra didn’t fully grasp what Astrid was hesitating about, the words spoken tonight were enough to make her happy.

If it was just a matter of time, she could wait.

At least now she understands Astrid’s feelings. It wasn’t one-sided affection.

From here on, let life help them grow together.

"U-Um... Astrid..."

After a while, Lyra spoke softly.

"...Let’s lie down."

Although she’d already shifted out of that awkward position where Astrid had her legs propped up, forming a shameful letter-like shape, continuing to be held in the silver-haired maid’s arms with her legs crossed made sleeping nearly impossible.

Astrid nodded, then slowly drew her crossed legs together, slightly cradling Lyra’s waist near the edge of the blanket. Her soft thighs and the lace trim of her white stockings pressed gently against Lyra’s nightgown.

Feeling Lyra tremble, Astrid teased softly.

"Next time, should we try black?"