Princess’s Struggle for Survival

"Did anything unexpected happen yesterday?" Astrid asked Lyra.

"Your Highness, everything went smoothly. No one noticed your absence from the room."

According to Elise, Princess Astrid used to enjoy socializing with noble ladies, but recently, her attitude toward them had noticeably cooled.

Over time, fewer visitors came to see her, and it became less likely for anyone to notice even if Astrid disappeared for an entire day.

Recalling Elise's words from yesterday, Lyra suddenly realized that the once reserved and efficient head maid seemed to have become less taciturn than before.

As she pondered this, a crisp sound reached Lyra's ears. Astrid gently kicked off her high heels, revealing a pair of delicate feet wrapped in sheer black stockings. The smooth, alluring back of her feet glowed softly under the light.

Seeing the woman standing barefoot on the carpet, Lyra didn't hesitate. She bent down to neatly arrange the shoes Astrid had taken off and spoke softly.

"Your Highness, are these the clothes you changed out of?"

Noticing Lyra's gaze on the intimate garments in her bag, Astrid slowly ran her fingers through her hair, her pink lips parting slightly.

"Yes, give them to the other maids to wash later."

"I've already bathed at the castle, so I won't need to fetch new clothes for today."

With that, Astrid sat on the edge of the bed and began to undress, her knees bending as she removed the black stockings from her legs.

"If there's nothing else to report, I'll rest now."

Having not slept for two days and a night in the castle, Astrid was utterly exhausted. She felt that the moment she lay down, she would fall asleep in less than half a minute.

Ultimately, it was due to her delicate and untrained body. Unlike Lyra or Elise, who were knights and warriors constantly honing their physical strength, they could alleviate some of their fatigue through meditation even after staying awake for three days and nights.

"There's nothing else, Your Highness. Please rest well," Lyra said.

As soon as the pink-haired maid finished speaking, Astrid lay down in bed, her hands resting at her sides, and slowly closed her eyes.

"By the way, I brewed some calming tea. Would you like to drink it before sleeping, Your Highness?"

The clear, pleasant voice echoed in the room, but there was no response. Lyra listened to Astrid's gradually steady breathing, pursed her lips slightly, and sat down on the solid wooden chair beside the princess's bed.

It seemed Princess Astrid was truly tired... She had fallen asleep so quickly...

After folding the dress Astrid had taken off and placing the rolled-up black stockings in the laundry basket, Lyra sat beside Astrid, her hands resting on her knees, her white-stockinged legs tightly closed in an exceptionally well-behaved posture.

Having not seen Princess Astrid all day, Lyra felt that something was missing, whether in her studies or work.

Gazing at the other's delicate and serene sleeping face, her slightly flaring nose with each breath, and the thin, upturned eyelashes that concealed her eyes, Lyra was momentarily entranced. Her sky-blue pupils reflected Astrid's beautiful face.

Recalling Elise's words, that when Astrid returned this morning, she should urge her to rest early and not engage in any physically draining activities, Lyra thought to herself.

There was no need for her to urge anything. Princess Astrid had fallen asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.

Lyra leaned her arm on the chair, her wrist gently supporting her chin, but her gaze never wavered, fixed on the silver-haired beauty in the bed.

She must have been so exhausted... I wonder what Princess Astrid and the Fourth Princess were doing yesterday...

Since she had nothing else to do and the maids responsible for daily routines hadn't woken up yet, Lyra decided to stay with Astrid a little longer, waiting until the others started their work before handing over the clothes.

Time passed minute by minute, and the sunlight falling on the carpet gradually grew brighter. Lyra stood up to close the window when she suddenly heard a low moan from behind.

Thinking that Astrid might have been disturbed by the sound of the window closing, Lyra froze for a moment, slowing her movements even further. When she turned around, she realized Astrid hadn't woken up. Instead, her pink lips were slightly parted, and soft murmurs occasionally escaped her throat.

Seeing this, Lyra blinked with concern and quickly returned to her seat.

She noticed that Astrid's long, delicate eyelashes were trembling slightly, and her brows, like distant mountains, were unconsciously furrowed.

Your Highness... are you having a nightmare?

Lyra bit her lip, wondering whether to wake Astrid. After five or six minutes, the latter's breathing steadied, and her furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

Is everything alright now?

Lyra watched the person before her, her expression filled with tension.

Fortunately, Astrid didn't experience any further episodes and slept until half past noon. Realizing it was almost time for lunch, Lyra carefully woke her.

"Your Highness, it's time to get up for lunch."

Hearing the familiar voice, Astrid groggily opened her eyes, her palm resting on the bed sheet, her voice soft and lazy, carrying a hint of sleepiness.

A moment later, Lyra brought over the calming tea to quench her thirst, sat by the bed, and gently handed the porcelain cup to Astrid.

After a few sips of the warm tea, her throat felt less dry, and Astrid's mind gradually cleared. She lightly stroked the silver hair that had fallen over her shoulders.

She had just had a very strange dream.

In the dream, she was in a small, confined room, surrounded by dim candlelight and a bed that was slightly larger than a single person's. She seemed to be bound by something around her wrists, and no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break free.

Later, she dreamed that a small, shadowy figure entered the room. The figure had golden hair, wore a white dress, and a crown. Although she couldn't see the expression, the pair of light blue eyes revealed hatred, pain, and a complex emotion she couldn't quite decipher.

Amalia stared at her silently. After what felt like an eternity, she suddenly pulled at the shackles in her hands, forcefully pushing her onto the bed, and then began to bite her skin like a wild beast.

Sharp teeth sank into her shoulder, and sharp nails clawed at her skin. In less than half a minute, her body was marked with several bloody wounds, the crimson cuts on her back resembling red plum blossoms blooming in the snow.

But then, the other's actions quickly turned gentle. Flecks of green light, representing life force, floated in the air. Amalia softly chanted a spell, then extended her pink tongue, gently and carefully licking the wounds like a small animal tending to itself.

The scene that followed became blurry. Astrid only felt Amalia pressing down on her, her fingers reaching for the ties at her back, and with a slight tug, the tightly fitted dress loosened.

Everything stopped abruptly, and when she woke up, she saw Lyra sitting obediently beside her, holding a cup of warm tea.

The content of the dream was extremely bizarre, yet it felt incredibly real.

Recalling the dream, Astrid could only think of one place, the prison mentioned in the original novel, the final destination of the villainous princess, Astrid Calliste.

Why did she have such a strange dream?

After taking a few more sips of tea to soothe her throat, Astrid thought of Amalia, who was alone in the castle. At this time, the girl should be having lunch and then starting to paint.

Astrid swallowed the tea, shook her head to signal Lyra to take the cup away, and the latter obediently removed the porcelain cup and brought a silk handkerchief to dry her mistress's lips.

"Lyra, there's something I want to discuss with you."

Dreams were, after all, just unfounded flights of imagination. Astrid quickly put it out of her mind and began to consider another matter, how she should teach Amalia magic.

At fourteen, it was a bit early to start training her mental strength, but it wasn't impossible.

Hearing Astrid call her, Lyra tilted her head in confusion.

"What is it, Your Highness?"

"I'd like to borrow your little notebook."

"Little notebook?"

Lyra repeated the words and immediately realized what Astrid was referring to.

"Is it the compilation notebook I showed you before?"

The compilation notebook recorded the various difficulties Lyra had encountered since she began learning magic, most of which were common challenges faced by apprentices.

Astrid nodded slightly, casually brushing her slightly messy hair.

"My sister is also preparing to learn magic, so I'd like to teach her the same way I taught you."

Due to her knowledge of Elders Speech, Astrid had hardly encountered any difficulties in her magical studies, so it wasn't easy for her to directly teach someone with no foundation at all.

Lyra's compilation notebook was an excellent reference. Not only would it make teaching Amalia twice as effective, but it would also help bridge the relationship between the two individuals who were destined to cross paths in the future.

In the original novel, Lyra and Amalia's relationship wasn't bad in the early stages.

The former was known as the bulwark of the Valeria Empire, while the latter was the emperor of the entire empire. Their interests often aligned.

Unfortunately, Amalia later became militaristic, neglecting the welfare of the people and waging wars, which led to a continuous deterioration of her relationship with Lyra, ultimately resulting in irreconcilable conflicts.

In Astrid's memory, by the time she passed away, the novel's plot had reached the point where Lyra infiltrated the palace at night, hoping to force Amalia to stop the war and restore normal production through a military ultimatum.

Now, with her as the transmigrator, Amalia and Lyra wouldn't reach that point.

Astrid would never allow the former to become the tyrannical loli emperor from the story. At the very least, she would firmly control Amalia, turning her into a figurehead on the throne.

Lyra blinked a few times, pondering the fact that Amalia was also about to learn magic. Soon, she replied in a gentle tone.

"Of course, I'll go get the notebook for you right away."

Lyra had never intended to hide anything. In the heart of this destined heroine, there was no reason not to help others, especially when it was such a simple task.

Moreover, there was a crucial point, she could sense the importance and respect Astrid placed on her from the tone of her voice.

Astrid was her teacher, having taught her much about magic and the occult. Even if Astrid hadn't asked and simply taken the notebook to use, there would have been nothing to criticize.

Yet, Astrid had still actively sought her opinion, without a hint of coercion.

By asking for her thoughts and respecting her decision, Princess Astrid, who had no romantic involvement, was truly a gentle person at her core.

"Your Highness's sister... is it Princess Amalia..."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Lyra realized she had overstepped. As a mere maid, she shouldn't ask so many questions.

Astrid didn't hide it and softly acknowledged.

"Yes, it's her."

With that, Astrid threw off the blanket, her snow-white legs resting on the edge of the bed as she slowly stood up.

"Then... I'll go organize some more materials and jot down some insights I haven't recorded yet."

"Good, thank you for your hard work."

Astrid picked up the pure black gauze dress prepared by the maid and gently changed into it.

After a moment, she sat down again, her legs slightly bent, the velvet fabric rubbing against her skin, producing a subtle and fleeting, yet delightful sound.

Seemingly caught off guard by Astrid's words, Lyra was momentarily stunned. After a few seconds, she replied, somewhat flustered.

"It's... it's not that much work."

"Just a few small additions and edits. If it can help Your Highness, then that's all the better."

Watching Lyra, who had lowered her head and seemed a bit at a loss, Astrid's lips curved slightly, a flash of warmth in her eyes. But she quickly composed herself, her expression returning to its usual icy demeanor.

Lyra's personality was indeed unique in the entire novel. Her constant desire to help others, no matter the time or place, was almost excessively endearing.

Truly the destined heroine. How obsessed must the original Astrid have been with Tristian to want to utterly destroy such a good girl.

After changing her clothes, Astrid went into the bathroom for a quick wash and tidy-up, then headed to the dining room with Lyra for lunch.

"Miss Astrid, are you planning to meet with Earl Tristian today?" After serving Astrid her meal, Elise, who had been busy all morning, finally found time to speak with her.

Astrid gently wiped her lips with a napkin, her tone calm. "Let's discuss it tomorrow evening. If he's free, we can have dinner together."

After all, he was an important future partner. It wouldn't do to keep him waiting indefinitely.

"Understood. I'll arrange for someone to convey your message," Elise said.

As soon as she finished speaking, Elise glanced at Lyra, who was staring at Astrid, her teeth lightly biting her pink lips, seemingly deep in thought.

Recalling the incident at the banquet, Elise lowered her gaze and silently left the dining room.

It seemed the situation was far more complicated than she had imagined.