Princess’s Struggle for Survival

After carefully inspecting the area a few times, Astrid looked up and noticed that Lyra's sky-blue eyes, once resolute, were now clouded with a faint mist.

Her pale cheeks had also taken on a soft crimson hue at some point.

"What's wrong with you?"

Was she feeling shy again, or was there something wrong with the potion?

Realizing that her actions might have been a bit too forward for a young girl, Astrid reached up and lightly touched her lips, her expression calm as she studied Lyra.

"...No, it's fine," Lyra whispered in response, the metal knee pad on her calf scraping faintly as she shifted.

Princess Astrid hadn't noticed... Is she easily embarrassed by this kind of behavior...?

Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, Lyra tried to steady her breathing and clear her mind of the lingering images from that brief glimpse.

But before she could fully calm herself, Astrid's next words struck her like a thunderclap.

"It's okay..."

"Then do you mind if I hold you for a while?"

Hold me for a while?

Lyra let out a stunned "Eh?" at first, her sapphire-like pupils widening in shock as the words fully registered.

Wait, what was Her Highness Astrid saying?

Embrace... Hug me???

The sudden words caused Lyra's thoughts to stall for a moment.

However, the current protagonist, though simple in personality, was far from foolish.

After a brief moment of reflection, she realized that Astrid's request for her to drink the potion and the subsequent actions were likely part of testing the potion's effects.

Right now... it must be time to test the sense of touch...

Swallowing softly, Lyra's eyelashes fluttered slightly, her toes curling in shyness beneath her silky white socks, as if they might tear through the delicate fabric.

"If you need it... I don't mind..."

Each word required immense courage to utter, and Lyra couldn't quite understand why she felt this way.

After all, it wasn't unusual for girls to hug each other.

She had even hugged the younger sister of the village chief's family before.

Yet, none of those interactions had left her as flustered as she felt now in Astrid's presence.

This nervousness, this shyness, seemed to be reserved solely for the person in front of her.

Hearing Lyra's hesitant response, Astrid slowly extended her arms.

Her delicate body leaned in, and her snow-white arms gently encircled Lyra's slender waist.

The moment Astrid's hands came into contact with the knight's armor, everything unfolded as she had anticipated.

The cold, metallic touch against her skin was a stark contrast to the softness of the maid's dress Lyra usually wore.

Astrid's knees bent slightly, her slender legs, clad in light black silk, pressing against Lyra's sturdy knight's greaves.

There was no rustling sound from the friction of the fabric, but the soft flesh of Astrid's legs yielded slightly against the firmness of the armor.

Lyra's nose was filled with the rich, rosy fragrance emanating from Astrid's body.

The warmth of their contact seeped into Lyra's mind, causing her to tense the muscles of her back and waist.

Her delicate body remained motionless, but her heart trembled uncontrollably.

Sensing Lyra's nervousness, Astrid whispered softly, "Am I that terrifying?"

As she spoke, she tightened her arms around Lyra's waist.

Her other hand, which had been resting on Lyra's shoulder, began to slide slowly down the outer edge of her arm.

The maid's outfit Lyra usually wore wasn't off-the-shoulder, but the sleeves were short, leaving much of her arms exposed.

Now, under Astrid's gaze, the areas of skin that should have been soft and tender were instead covered by a layer of light protective armor.

The intricate metal design, with its honeysuckle patterns, perfectly blended the delicate and heroic aspects of Lyra's image.

As Astrid's fingertips traced a tingling path along her forearm, Lyra closed her eyes, pretending to be as still as a sleeping goose.

Unfortunately, losing her sight only heightened her other senses, and the resulting tension was even more overwhelming than before.

Lyra had to consciously control her breathing to maintain her composure.

When... will this end...?

Rather than questioning whether this was enjoyment or torment, Lyra secretly hoped that Astrid would soon end the embrace.

Yet, as soon as that thought crossed her mind, an entirely different feeling flooded her heart.

Let her hold me a little longer... It's just nervousness, not discomfort, after all...

And... I seem to like it…

####

When Elise returned to the palace, it was almost dark.

She placed all the spices Astrid needed in the storage room and then walked into the palace carrying a thick leather bag.

As she reached the door of the bedroom, the door directly opposite suddenly opened, and a pink-haired maid hurried out, her cheeks flushed with a noticeable redness.

Lyra felt like a steaming cauldron filled with boiling water, her ears were red, her whole body was hot, and her head seemed to be releasing wisps of steam uncontrollably.

She touched her arm, and it didn't matter... but how could Astrid bring up a leg lift...

The memory of Astrid staring at her arm as if it were some rare treasure, her fingertips rubbing back and forth, pressing slightly into her skin, made the flush on Lyra's cheeks deepen even further.

Especially at the end of the hug, when Astrid had forcibly parted her legs with her knees, the silky touch of soft flesh, separated only by two thin layers of stockings, had nearly left Lyra breathless with nervousness.

This kind of thing... It's so embarrassing...

At the same time, Elise, observing the pink-haired, waist-high Lyra in front of her, wearing a pure white dress, keenly sensed that something was amiss.

She immediately sent a surge of mental power to enhance her vision.

In half a second, Lyra had changed back into her classic black-and-white maid outfit, her hair now barely reaching her shoulders.

"Good evening, Miss Lyra," Elise greeted first.

Lyra was momentarily stunned by the voice but quickly replied in a low tone, "Ah, Miss Elise, you're back... Good evening..."

As she spoke, Lyra lowered her head, attempting to hide her scarlet face in the shadows cast by the light.

However, it was futile. When Elise returned, she could clearly see Lyra's flushed face, which looked as if she had just drunk something potent.

"You've drunk potion."

Her tone was not one of question but affirmation.

Lyra nodded slightly, her throat bobbing as she replied in a soft voice.

"Yes, Miss Astrid wanted to test the effects of a newly arrived potion, so she had me drink a bottle."

As for how the testing was conducted and what the results were, Elise didn't press further.

Lyra, still overwhelmed by her strange emotions, naturally felt too embarrassed to elaborate.

"Has Her Highness Astrid had dinner?" Elise asked next.

"Not yet..."

Noticing the bag in Elise's hand, presumably something meant for Astrid, Lyra lowered her eyes and whispered, "...Miss Elise, could you remind Her Highness not to skip her meal?"

Originally, Lyra had stayed in Astrid's room to ensure she ate on time.

However, after being used as a guinea pig for potion experiments and the ensuing events, she had completely forgotten her initial purpose.

Come to think of it, Lyra herself hadn't eaten dinner yet, but her current state of mind was far too preoccupied to notice any hunger.

Elise bowed slightly, stepped forward, and knocked on the door to Astrid's boudoir.

Meanwhile, Lyra turned back to her own bedroom, closed the door, leaned against it, and took a deep breath, pursing her lips.

She placed a hand on her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.

We're both girls, so why am I always so shy...?

If this continues... Sooner or later, Her Highness Astrid will completely break me...

On the other side, Elise entered the room and saw a silver-haired girl in a black dress standing by the table.

Astrid was holding a bottle of dark green potion, her posture straight, her gaze focused, and her crimson eyes glowing faintly.

"Elise, did you get the thing?" Astrid asked without looking up.

"Back to Miss Astrid, I have it,"

"How does it perform?"

"From ten meters away, it's difficult for ordinary people to observe with the naked eye."

Elise opened the leather bag and pulled out a stack of dark black fabric.

Astrid set down the potion and reached out to take it.

If it had been just a matter of purchasing spices, Elise wouldn't have needed so much time.

Her task wasn't merely to help Astrid prepare ingredients but also to retrieve the infiltrator's robe that had been specially ordered.

At first touch, Astrid felt the fabric's silky smoothness, a texture even finer than the skirt she wore or the stockings on her legs.

It also carried a faint chill.

Activating her elemental vision, Astrid observed darkness elemental particles clinging to the robe's surface like thick ink.

She tried to manipulate them with her mental power, but the darkness elements seemed bound by some special force, firmly adhered to the fabric and unmovable.

Astrid's eyes narrowed slightly as she quickly deduced that an unknown magic circle, powered by residual magic, was at work.

The palace was always bustling with people, and even at night, Astrid had to be cautious to avoid being spotted by idle onlookers or trespassers near Amalia's secluded areas.

If Emperor Hibbort found out, it wouldn't be a problem.

Given his deep affection for her, there would be no real consequences.

At most, he might reprimand her with a few words and then send her away from the castle.

One was an adopted daughter, taken in out of loyalty to an old friend, while the other was his own flesh and blood.

Yet, the way events unfolded was nothing like the dramatic soap operas of a past life.

No matter how one looked at it, the irony was undeniable.

However, compared to Hibbort, the real trouble would arise if Lucas discovered her sneaking around.

Such an incident would inevitably draw the former's attention to the fourth princess, hidden deep within the palace.

The conflict between the two princes has yet to reach its peak, so Amalia cannot make her move too soon.

Astrid held the robe against her chest, comparing its size, and then slowly draped it over her body.

The darkness elements woven into the fabric could absorb most light, and with the natural scarcity of light elements at night, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to spot her wearing the infiltrator's robe.

Looking at Astrid, whose figure was now blurred under the robe, Elise reached out and gently tucked a few strands of her long, bright silver hair into the neckline of the robe.

"If you wish to see Her Royal Highness the Fourth Princess, it would be best to wait another two hours."

Astrid hadn't explicitly explained her plans to Elise, but based on the tasks she had recently assigned and the conversation between Her Royal Highness and the Countess that night, the astute head maid had already pieced together Astrid's intentions for the near future.

Publicly, Astrid supported the succession of the eldest prince, creating a political stalemate with the second prince.

Privately, however, she was making moves to contact and support the Fourth Princess, aiming to position her as a future puppet emperor and gradually take control of the empire.

That said, Lyra's perspective had always been somewhat unclear, and she could only speculate that Miss Astrid had other plans unknown to others.

"I'm aware. At half past nine, there's only half an hour left before the shift change for the palace guards, and it's also the time when their vigilance is at its lowest."

Elise didn't need to remind her further; Astrid had already done her homework.