Princess’s Struggle for Survival

Astrid observed the morning market with quiet interest, her expression mostly unchanged.

However, the vendors couldn't help but notice the silver-haired girl with her striking appearance and luxurious attire, their eyes inevitably drawn to her.

Fortunately, Astrid paid no mind to the stares.

She walked calmly, occasionally glancing at the vegetable stalls on either side or at Lyra, who was slightly shorter than her.

As they ventured deeper into the market, the air grew heavier with unpleasant smells. Astrid turned to look at Lyra, who happened to meet her gaze at the same moment.

Their eyes locked briefly, and Lyra's ears turned red. She quickly lowered her head and murmured, "Astrid... should we continue further?"

"I don't mind," Astrid replied indifferently.

After a brief pause, Lyra extended her hand toward Astrid, a faint blush coloring her neck.

"The road ahead is dirtier, so it's better if you stay close to me..."

Low-level wind spells weren't precise enough, especially when cast on someone else.

For Lyra, controlling the magic was even more challenging.

Keeping the two of them close together and enveloped in the same spell would make it easier to focus her mental energy and reduce the risk of mistakes.

Astrid thought for a moment, then slowly took Lyra's hand, gripping it firmly.

"Isn't this easier to control?"

The warmth and softness of Astrid's hand sent a subtle shiver through Lyra.

She glanced at Astrid, whose delicate profile was partially visible over her shoulder.

The princess's long, silvery hair cascaded down, framing her snow-white skin and small, elegant ears.

Though they had held hands before, during the dungeon, the urgency of that moment had left no room for overthinking.

Now, in this calm setting, the warmth of Astrid's palm seemed to seep into Lyra's veins, sending a gentle current all the way to her chest.

Lyra's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly nodded, her voice soft.

"Mhm."

Perhaps it was just her imagination, but even though their bodies were separated by layers of fabric, Lyra could faintly sense the brush of Astrid's skirt against her thighs, causing a faint, tingling sensation.

As they stepped into the combined range of the wind spell, the fishy stench in the air lessened noticeably, replaced by the sweet, fresh scent of Astrid's natural fragrance.

Lyra steadied herself and continued walking forward, her pace measured.

Half an hour later, Astrid and Lyra left the market.

Lyra carried a small basket of eggs and a few bottles of milk.

When Astrid noticed her struggling slightly with the load, she offered to help, but Lyra shook her head, insisting she could manage.

"Why did you suddenly buy these? I thought the kitchen was well-stocked," Astrid asked, her tone curious.

Lyra blinked and replied in a soft voice, "It's not the same as what's in the kitchen..."

"What's the difference?" Astrid pressed.

Lyra glanced at the milk bottles in her hand and answered with a light tone, "I bought these with my own money."

None of the clothes or fabrics sold in the market could compare to what the princess wore, and the various trinkets didn't capture Astrid's interest enough to make her pause.

After wandering the streets for a while, Lyra had a clear idea of what to give her.

She planned to use the ingredients she'd bought to make ice cream for Astrid and Elise.

Astrid's confusion lingered for a moment, but after studying Lyra's expression, she quickly pieced it together.

"You're going to make something for me, aren't you?"

Lyra nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Yes, ice cream."

The memory of the cold, sweet dessert she'd tasted outside the palace gates had left a lasting impression on her.

"You could have just used the ingredients in the kitchen. All you needed to do was inform Elise. I wouldn't have objected."

"I know, but I want to make this gift for you entirely through my own efforts."

The results might be the same, but the meaning was entirely different.

It reminded Lyra of when she was fifteen and earned her first commission.

She had used that money to buy her father a bottle of coarse ale and her mother a new set of clothes.

The feeling of giving back to her family with the fruits of her own labor was incomparable to simply using her parents' money.

If the original Astrid had heard Lyra's words, she would likely have looked at the ingredients in her hands with disdain and declared that she would never eat something made from such "unknown" materials.

But times had changed.

The current Astrid didn't mind at all, let alone say anything hurtful. Instead, she asked Lyra in a calm tone, "Do you know how to make it?"

"Not yet, but I can try a few times. That's why I bought so much milk and eggs."

Lyra had watched Elise bake cakes for afternoon tea and was familiar with the process.

She knew how to whip cream and the proportions of various ingredients needed.

Seeing Lyra's confidence, Astrid's expression remained unchanged as she said coolly, "Then I'll wait and see."

"Alright, I'll start as soon as we get back!"

After purchasing the ingredients, Lyra lost interest in further shopping and hurried back to the palace.

It wasn't until they were near the palace gates that she realized she had been holding Astrid's hand the entire time.

Her cheeks flushed crimson, and her voice became as faint as a mosquito's hum.

"...Can I stop wind magic?"

"Okay."

Astrid responded casually, making no move to pull her hand away.

Lyra grew even more flustered, her heart racing.

It wasn't until they entered the palace gates and Astrid reached up to adjust her hair that she finally released Lyra's hand.

The sudden loss of contact made Lyra feel as though she had been jolted by an electric shock, and her fingers immediately let go.

"Did I hurt you just now?"

Seeing Lyra's reaction, Astrid frowned and asked in a low voice.

"No, no," Lyra quickly replied, realizing her behavior might seem odd.

She shifted the milk bottles to her other hand and tried to steady her tone.

Astrid glanced at her a few more times before casually brushing aside the silver hair that had fallen over her chest.

"Shall we go then? Should we have lunch first, or should we start on the ice cream right away?"

"Are you hungry?" Lyra asked softly.

Astrid shook her head. "No."

She was more curious about how Lyra's homemade ice cream would turn out, especially since she had no prior experience making it.

"Let's make the ice cream first, and have lunch later..."

Lyra whispered, trying to regain her composure.

She lifted her hair gently, mimicking Astrid's earlier gesture.

The difference was that while Astrid was genuinely tidying her hair, Lyra was using the small action to hide the redness creeping up her ears.

Carrying the ingredients needed to make ice cream to the dessert room, Lyra entered the door and immediately noticed a familiar figure.

Elise, still dressed in her black and white maid outfit, stood alone in front of the oven.

Hearing the footsteps, she turned her head and noticed Astrid beside Lyra.

Elise respectfully placed a hand on her chest and bowed slightly.

"Good Afternoon, Your Highness Astrid, and Miss Lyra."

Astrid glanced at the black-haired maid, who had lifted her skirt slightly.

Shaking her head, Astrid spoke in a calm tone.

"You don't need to salute me so often in the future..."

She had initially intended to ask Elise why she was still wearing the maid's outfit on vacation, but upon reflection, she realized that Elise had never worn anything other than the maid's dress in her presence.

It was likely that Elise had never prepared any regular clothes for private use.

"Are you making desserts?"

Astrid noticed that the oven behind Elise was on, and the room was slightly warmer than the outside.

Unlike the primitive method of heating pastries with charcoal fire, which often produced smoke and dust, the nobles of the palace preferred to use fire attribute crystals engraved with temperature control arrays.

These crystals were placed in an iron box, providing even and dispersed heat for baking desserts.

Elise nodded and replied softly, "Yes, Miss Astrid, I'm making Tallinn cakes."

"Tallinn cakes? The ones I made before?"

Some time ago, after the maid team disbanded, Astrid had made a batch of desserts every few afternoons and let Elise taste them.

Elise seemed to have developed a particular fondness for the sweet muffins filled with rich jam.

"Yes, this time I added strawberries and cherry jam. When it's done, Miss Astrid can taste it first."

Unfortunately, there were no more berries available in the market, so Elise had to settle for strawberries and cherries, hoping that mixing the two might recreate the unique sweetness she remembered.

Shifting her gaze from Astrid's cheeks, Elise looked down and noticed Lyra holding a few bottles of milk and a basket of eggs.

She spoke softly.

"Does Miss Lyra want to make dessert too?"

Lyra hummed softly, "I want to make ice cream."

After observing Elise's desserts, Lyra realized she had forgotten something, she should have bought more jam for seasoning at the market earlier.

But since she hadn't thought of it at the time, she decided to let it go.

After all, it was her first time making ice cream, and she wasn't sure how it would turn out.

Besides, plain milk ice cream would still taste good. If it turned out well, she could experiment with other flavors next time.

"Do you need any help?"

"Not today. I want to make it for the two of you myself."