Princess’s Struggle for Survival

Since Morin Village is located in the northern part of the Valeria Empire, a typical high-latitude region, even during the peak of summer, the nighttime temperature in the village is not high, making it very suitable for a walk after a bath.

Lyra and Astrid walked one after the other on the gravel path leading to the lake. According to the former's description, there is only one path the villagers take to reach the lake named Centhes. Over time, even without deliberate paving, the rough stones have been pressed into the soil or worn smooth, becoming part of the roadbed.

Feeling the breeze brushing against her skirt, Lyra walked with light steps, her small leather shoes tapping against the gravel path, creating a crisp rhythm that harmonized with the intermittent chirping of insects, forming a particularly pleasant melody on this midsummer night.

Since the end of the last semester's exams, they had never been alone together like this.

The opportunity was rare, but recalling what Astrid had said at the stairwell earlier, Lyra's heart couldn't help but tighten, and a sense of foreboding welled up in her mind.

What couldn't be said inside, that it had to be said in a place where no one could disturb them.

Was it about their way of interacting... or the heart that Astrid already knew about, filled with longing and uncertainty...

The answers to all these questions will be revealed by the person behind her at their next destination.

Perhaps... Astrid was just in a bad mood and wanted to take her out for a walk...

The sound of wind rustling through the branches reached her ears, and the heroine of the adventure story once again began a rather adorable self-deception.

But no matter what, this self-deception seems useful for the time being.

At the bottom of her vision was a country path made of sand and stones, accompanied by a few glowing green lights from fireflies. Lyra exhaled softly, her restless heartbeat gradually calming with each step.

The two walked in silence, their movements even in sync. If not for the steady, long breaths from Astrid behind her, Lyra might have thought she was walking alone.

Upon reaching Centhes Lake, Lyra hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Astrid.

"We're here."

The silver light reflected in those crimson eyes, adding a touch of allure to their coldness, making Lyra's heart skip a beat.

Hearing this, Astrid nodded, walked to Lyra's side, and then continued forward, passing her.

Compared to the lakes they had seen in the Monster Mountains, Centthes Lake was small, more like a large pond than a lake.

"Is this Centhes Lake?"

Hearing Astrid's question, Lyra nodded.

"Yes, it was formed by water flowing down from the Forlith Mountains long ago. Although it's not very large, it's a very valuable asset for the village."

Living off the mountains and the water, the abundant aquatic resources of Centthes Lake have indeed improved the villagers' lives to some extent.

Hearing this, Astrid's expression became thoughtful, her cool eyes sweeping over the lake before finally resting on a large rock by the shore.

Seeing Astrid about to move forward again, Lyra stepped forward to follow until Astrid leaned against the rock, then stopped.

"Don't you get tired standing all the time?"

Looking at Lyra's straight, white silk-clad legs, Astrid spoke softly, pointing to the spot beside her.

"Sit down for a while, keep me company."

It's finally coming...

Lyra instinctively licked her lips, then bent her knees and sat down next to Astrid.

Because they were close enough, when she sat down, Lyra's hand naturally rested on the edge of Astrid's nightgown. The moment her palm touched the silk, the girl trembled as if shocked, quickly moving her hand to support the rock beside her.

Noticing Lyra's skittish state, Astrid blinked, her hips half-leaning against the rock, her long, jade-like legs naturally stretched out.

"The little maid who used to take care of my daily needs, why are you now shy even to touch my clothes..."

Astrid looked at Lyra, her cherry-colored lips moving.

"What do you think... Lyra?"

Just two simple sentences, but they exploded like a fire in Lyra's mind.

What did Astrid mean by that... did she figure out her feelings...

Her heart had never beat so fast, the vibration in her chest even stronger than when she had pinned Astrid down before.

Under the influence of all these chaotic thoughts, as expected, the brain of a certain foolish knight short-circuited, and she staggered, unable to say anything.

Seeing Lyra's slightly flushed cheeks and the confusion in her blue eyes, Astrid sobbed inwardly, realizing that if she revealed everything now, it would probably take a while for the other to recover and have a normal conversation. She then spoke.

"Forget it, let's change the subject..."

"Lyra, how long have we known each other?"

Astrid's cool voice quickly brought Lyra back to her senses. After a brief thought, the pink-haired girl answered softly.

"Counting from the time of the ball, it's been two and a half years."

Lyra is now a second-year student at the Elizabeth Academy of Magic, plus the year they spent together, which was ostensibly a delay but actually a time to nurture their feelings, it indeed adds up to that.

"Ah... it's been that long..."

"It feels like it was just a blink of an eye."

In two and a half years, she successfully changed the fate of the heroine, avoiding the tragic ending that Astrid Calliste was supposed to face in the original worldline. Her initial goal had now been fully achieved.

Or, to be more precise, the completion of this plan was somewhat excessive, to the point where Astrid needed to spend more time thinking about her relationship with Lyra.

"..."

After a brief silence, Astrid reached out and gently cupped Lyra's cheek, lifting it softly so that those clear, pure blue eyes fell into her gaze.

In the original story, Astrid disliked Lyra not only because of Tristian but also because she was jealous of the latter's ocean-like clear eyes. She had even gone so far as to do things that left Lyra ability to see with only one eye for a period of time.

Of course, the current Astrid would never do such a thing, and Lyra wouldn't have such a twisted experience.

"Lyra... there's something I've always been curious about..."

Holding Lyra's face like this, Astrid's gaze rested on the girl's cheek, the crimson eyes shimmering with fragments of light, as if complementing the vast sky and bright moon behind her.

"You're nineteen now, at this age, girls should be somewhat curious about love."

"What kind of person would Lyra like?"

Astrid's words were like a direct card reveal, although there was still a thin layer of paper left unbroken. Hearing this, Lyra's expression froze, her heart almost leaping out of her chest.

Astrid... was asking her about the person she liked...

Should she confess?

She wanted to blurt out that she liked someone like Astrid, but under the other's calm gaze that made her somewhat uneasy, Lyra's heart skipped a beat, and a sense of tension, as if gripped by a hand, flooded her entire being.

"..."

After a half-minute pause, Lyra lowered her eyes, not daring to look into those crimson eyes that seemed to see through her thoughts. Her gaze rested on the woman's snow-white skin and delicate collarbone, and she murmured softly.

"...I, I like gentle people."

People like Astrid.

Lyra added in her heart, then continued.

"And also, everyone who is good to me."

Actually, she wanted to say a lot more, like Astrid who is strong, like Astrid who is smart, like Astrid who is beautiful.

In the end, once she realized the other's place in her heart, Astrid had become the perfect image in Lyra's eyes.

She's really too good, but probably doesn't like her.

Even at this point, Lyra still didn't know if she should be like the brave knights in novels, charging forward whether on the battlefield or in matters of the heart, facing enemies or emotions head-on.

"Gentle, good to you?"

Astrid repeated, silently comparing herself, and the result was obvious.

She was gentle enough in front of Lyra, and as for being good, the former had expressed countless times that Princess Astrid was the best to her.

"Just these two points are too vague..."

Confirming that she wasn't just feeling good about herself and jumping to conclusions, Astrid continued.

"Then let's narrow down the scope... Lyra..."

Looking at the woman's lips, as if painted with cherry glaze, full and glossy, moving up and down, Lyra tensed her entire body, her delicate feet inside her leather shoes slightly lifting.

"Would you like girls?"

The crisp voice echoed over the quiet Centhes Lake, the evening breeze blew, the shimmering surface of the lake rippling, just like the heart of a love-struck girl stirred by words.

After Astrid finished speaking, Lyra still stood there dumbfounded, her hand supporting the large rock, her small mouth unconsciously opening.

Noticing the pink-haired knight's somewhat scattered focus, Astrid's hand slid down from her cheek, her index finger soon resting on Lyra's lips, the pale fingertip lightly tapping the latter's lip bead.

"Was my voice too soft?" Astrid smiled charmingly, enunciating each word.

"I said, does Lyra like girls?"

If even this Lyra admitted, then the last bit of wishful thinking in Astrid's heart would completely disappear.

If she still thought the other had no feelings for her, then she was just deceiving herself.

After a few minutes, Lyra swallowed her saliva, not answered directly, but speaking very softly.

"Why does Astrid ask that?"

In the Valeria Empire, aside from the nobility who often had same-sex scandals, the commoners, due to educational issues, had very rigid thinking, and few considered partners other than the opposite sex.

Astrid's question itself was somewhat strange; who would directly ask about liking the same sex when talking about love?

Hearing Lyra's tentative tone, Astrid's expression didn't change. Seeing the place she had touched on the girl's face, like a canvas stained with paint, quickly turning from snow-white to scarlet, she spoke after a moment.

"Lyra hasn't had any close interactions with any member of the opposite sex, whether as my maid or as a student at the Elizabeth Academy of Magic."

"And, I've never felt any curiosity from you towards men."

"So I think, maybe Lyra likes girls a bit more?"

Astrid calmly stated her motivation for asking the question, her long eyelashes covering her eyes, making it hard to discern her emotions as she spoke.

Hearing this, Lyra gently bit her lip, the hand not resting on the rock unconsciously clenching into a fist, pressed between her breasts.

Once this question was answered truthfully, whether Astrid knew her feelings or not, the way she treated her in the future would definitely change.

From being close same-sex friends to possibly being a secret admirer, though that's not entirely wrong.

After hesitating for half a minute, Lyra grabbed her skirt, as if making a decision, and answered in a tone that tried to remain calm.

"Astrid is right."

"I... do like girls..."

She couldn't lie to Astrid, nor did she want to take advantage of her same-sex convenience, intentionally or unintentionally, to take liberties with her crush.

Nor did she want this already sprouted affection to remain buried in the dark.

"Would Astrid dislike me for that?"

"As a girl, also likes other girls."

Taking this opportunity, Lyra also wanted to confirm Astrid's thoughts.

At least to know Astrid's attitude towards same-sex love.

"Of course not." Astrid answered firmly.

"Love is an uncontrollable impulse in the human heart, whether same-sex or opposite-sex, ultimately it's just a choice that suits oneself. I respect everyone's thoughts."

This was also Astrid's personal view on love.

After hearing Astrid's words, Lyra's eyes lit up slightly, and even her non-existent tail seemed to wag.

So... Astrid doesn't oppose her liking the same sex...

Then... does that mean she might accept her confession...

The sealed love cocoon suddenly cracked, and the feelings of affection uncontrollably leaked out more and more. Before Lyra could sort out her emotions, Astrid leaned down, her sweet scent spilling over the girl's nose.

"???"

Feeling the soft, warm pressure on her chest, along with the sight of the fine snow slightly deformed by the force, Lyra's thoughts instantly disconnected.

"Then in Lyra's eyes..."

Astrid half-pressed against Lyra, casually brushing aside a few strands of silver hair hanging at her temples. Her delicate features were still flawless even up close, and the alluring charm she exuded with her movements was hard to resist.

"...Do I look good?"