Princess’s Struggle for Survival

A... All clothes changed by Astrid?

Every single piece?

Receiving confirmation, Lyra instinctively froze, her fingers pausing at the collar of her nightgown as she unconsciously tugged at the fabric while glancing inward.

Where light-blue fabric should have been, there was now snow-white cloth, its edges adorned with lace patterns that added a touch of cuteness to the entire design.

How did she remember... it wasn't this one before...

Lifting a corner of the blanket and gently flipping the hem of her nightgown, the garments underneath once again confirmed Lyra's suspicion. Ignoring the dull aches triggered by her movements, the girl turned her face aside, using her hand to brush aside strands of pink hair that had fallen over a sliver of flushed skin.

If Astrid had only changed her outer clothes or removed the white stockings from her legs, that would've been harmless enough. But she had even replaced the innermost layer.

That meant... she'd been completely seen by Astrid...

Just thinking about it, when she was unconscious, Astrid had undressed her completely. Every tiny detail of her body might have been thoroughly examined, every inch of skin possibly touched by Astrid's hands, Lyra's mind became a chaotic mess, the emotion called shame instantly spread throughout her entire body.

It was true she liked girls, no denying that. But for the person she had secretly admired, no, now it was more accurate to say openly admired, to do this...

There was just no way this could be normal!!!

"T-That... um..."

Realizing the current situation, Lyra opened her mouth slightly, her inner tension no less than that before the start of the final match, when she walked alone down that short path beneath the arena. She couldn't even bring herself to lift her eyes and look at Astrid.

"Astrid... you just... changed the clothes, right...?"

Hearing this, Astrid let out a low, quiet "Oh," her long, slender legs, covered in sheer black stockings, crossing and uncrossing slightly. The finely crafted diamond-studded high heels encased her smooth, delicate feet, and the exposed part of her foot in the black stockings shimmered like dark chocolate under the light, swaying distractingly.

"Of course. Otherwise, what else could I have done?"

After speaking, noting Lyra slightly loosening her grip on the blanket, the mischievous imperial princess narrowed her cool red eyes and added meaningfully:

"Could it be, Lyra, that you hoped I'd do something more while changing your clothes?"

"You seem... a bit disappointed?"

Disappointed? Where did she see that?

Without wearing the Holy Armor or holding the Sword of Light, Lyra lying in the sickbed now seems softer in demo compared to her sharp presence on the battlefield. Facing Astrid's obvious teasing, she merely bit her lip slightly, turned her head aside, and unconsciously curled her pristine white toes against the bedsheets.

"I'm not..."

From another perspective, had she unintentionally been taken advantage of by Astrid?

Although Lyra didn't mind physical closeness with her, and bathing and changing clothes were necessary steps for proper recovery, there was no intentional impropriety, still, having her body so easily handled while unconscious, especially by the girl she admired, made Lyra's cheeks burn hot, an indescribable tingling sensation crawling across her heart.

Lyra... even if someone's already seen everything, a girl should still maintain dignity, dignity, and more dignity...

Wait... bathing?

Suddenly, Lyra recalled her clothes from the battlefield, splattered with water and dust, and the white thigh-high stockings on her left leg soaked with blood. After such an intense battle, if her clothes were in that state, her body surely couldn't have been much cleaned. Astrid couldn't have just changed her clothes without cleaning her body.

Realizing this, Lyra's cheeks flushed even redder, her shyness creeping from her neck all the way to her ears, her head buzzing with heat.

"Astrid... you didn't just change the clothes, right...?" the girl murmured softly, her heart pounding wildly.

"The blood on me... and the dust... you cleaned that too?"

Astrid nodded slightly in response, her tone calm and matter-of-fact.

"Correct. That was all part of the clothing change process."

"After all, I couldn't leave Lyra dirty and still wearing her battle outfit. What difference would that make?"

Having experience helping clean others' bodies in both her past and present lives, especially since she'd always had a younger sister, handling an unconscious pink-haired knight was naturally no challenge for Astrid.

Receiving Astrid's professional, detached attitude, Lyra's previously burning heart now feels a strange, indescribable emotion.

Although she might be slightly less stunning compared to Astrid, the "Empire's most dazzling gem" personally designated by the Emperor, Lyra was still the village beauty of Morin Village. Since coming to the capital, plenty of people have complimented her looks.

Could it be... that in Astrid's eyes... she had absolutely no charm at all...

In an instant, she was embarrassed over being cleaned by someone transformed into doubts about her own appearance, evolving into a touch of gloom and uncertainty. Lyra didn't even know when she had become so sentimental, her thoughts wandered aimlessly like scattered hammer blows.

After a long pause, unsure how to respond to Astrid, a suddenly disheartened Lyra finally announced quietly:

"...Alright."

Being embarrassed in such a situation was the normal reaction, right?

Why was she overthinking so much...

Sensing Lyra's emotional shift, Astrid blinked, raising her hand before the girl's face and gently waving it in front of her eyelashes.

"What's wrong? Not happy?"

"I really didn't do anything. I just cleaned your wounds and washed off the dirt that got on you."

After all, Lyra was a girl, and a rather serious one at that. Such teasing jokes were fine in moderation, no need to truly tease the poor girl too much.

Time passed too quickly; even Astrid didn't fully grasp the true reason behind Lyra's emotional fluctuations. But seeing Astrid's hand in front of her, Lyra quickly snapped out of her confusion. Her legs gently rubbed against each other beneath the blanket, her lashes fluttering as she lightly scratched Astrid's palm.

"It's nothing..." Lyra replied softly.

"It's just... I feel a little strange..."

As for what exactly felt strange, whether it was Astrid bathing and dressing her, or her own mood changing like unpredictable weather, neither speaker nor listener reached any consensus.

Gazing at the one part of Lyra she could confidently confirm was uninjured, Astrid slowly lowered her hand, first gently rubbing the pink-haired girl's head, then using her index finger and thumb to softly pinch her cheeks.

"There, there, I know."

"Lyra is indeed a shy girl."

After casually ruffling Lyra's hair, still as pleasant to touch as always, Astrid was about to speak, but Lyra beat her to it.

"Ah, um... Astrid..."

"Were my old clothes left in the infirmary?"

Hearing Lyra's question, Astrid shook her head.

"When Elise left, I had her take all the dirty clothes back to the dormitory."

"As for the stockings and such, I just threw them away. They're disposable anyway, and they were already slashed by sword energy, and can't be worn anymore."

To nobles, these silk-made garments, though expensive, weren't particularly worth grieving over when discarded. Normally, they'd wear out after just a few uses.

Come to think of it, those outfits of Lyra's were purchased by Elise at Astrid's request during her maid days. After entering Elizabeth Academy of Magic, the number of clothes in Lyra's wardrobe had remained constant, only changing slightly with the seasons.

To prevent Lyra from feeling too guilty about the cost, Astrid gently opened her pink lips and continued:

"In a couple of days, once Lyra's body isn't sore anymore, I'll take you to the Royal Tailor's Workshop and properly outfit the Empire's great hero."

"Then you can freely choose whatever style you like. Lyra brought unparalleled glory to the Empire, even emptying the entire workshop, I'm sure Father wouldn't mind."

The nobles of the Valeria Empire care most about interests and appearances; even the Emperor couldn't truly escape these two concerns.

Hearing this, Lyra nodded slightly, the complex emotions in her heart gradually dissipating through these few words.

Previously, she hadn't cared much about what she wore, clean and decent was enough. But now, in front of Astrid, Lyra wanted to dress beautifully.

She wanted to always show her best self to Astrid, whether in appearance, personality, or achievements, she wanted to excel in every single way.

Seeing the noticeably softer demeanor of the girl before her, Astrid couldn't help but ruffle the pink-haired puppy's head again.

"You really did wonderfully, Lyra."

"The atmosphere on stage might not have been intuitive, but from my seat in the audience, when I saw the light wings unfold behind you, everyone's attention focused solely on Lyra. That breathtaking moment, when every spectator held their breath, it was truly exhilarating."

"I think no matter how many years pass, those who witnessed the match live will never forget Lyra's brilliance. The name Lyra Beckett will forever be engraved in the history of Elizabeth Academy of Magic."

"In other words, you've already been reminded by history."

Praise her, praise her heavily. Given the honors Lyra had earned, no amount of admiration was excessive. As the supporter behind the Holy Light Knight, Astrid naturally wouldn't withhold her words.

And she clearly understood one crucial point: Lyra would undoubtedly feel immensely happy from her compliments. Just by speaking, she could make the usually somewhat insecure girl joyful and more confident, why not do it?

Predictably, upon hearing Astrid's words, Lyra indeed felt embarrassed. She raised her hand to half-cover her eyes, her pink, soft tongue gently licking her lips as she murmured quietly:

"...I wasn't that amazing..."

Even so, a faint joy seemed ready to overflow from her sky-blue pupils.

Seeing this, Astrid's lips curved upward slightly. Seizing the moment, she pressed on:

"You were amazing. I'm increasingly convinced my judgment back then was excellent, able to immediately recognize Lyra and firmly believe you'd shine brilliantly in the future."

Facing Astrid's relentless praise, Lyra's heart filled with sweetness. Her hands fidgeted under the blanket, opening and closing, her ears feeling hot, as if she were about to turn into a steaming maiden.

'So happy... even happier than when I passed Elizabeth Academy of Magic's entrance exam…'

If standing beside Astrid was a long journey requiring slow progress, then right now, she had already taken the first step toward changing her life.

Keep going, Lyra.

Astrid is watching you.

Seeing Lyra close her eyes, as if soaking in syrup, continuously emitting sweet, sugary bubbles of joy, Astrid's mood brightened considerably, even temporarily forgetting the unease and melancholy brought by the sight of the imperial heirs sitting together in the morning audience seats.

"Keep up the good work, Lyra."

"Also, I have one more thing I'd like you to take a look at."

As she spoke, Astrid handed Lyra the parchment on the nightstand, simultaneously changing the position of her smooth, crossed legs, from left leg over right knee, to let the black shoe tip lightly tap the bed frame with a crisp "tap" sound.

"This is the draft I wrote for the next issue of the Empire Weekly while you were asleep. It covers the final match of the Magic Exchange Competition, along with brief character introductions and backstage stories. I thought Lyra, as a participant, might offer some suggestions I hadn't considered."

Accepting the parchment from Astrid, Lyra examines it under the light.

Main title: [Magic Exchange Competition Concludes Successfully, Imperial Knight Lyra Claims Victory by a Narrow Margin]

'It seemed decent.' Lyra's eyes downward, her blue irises moved fluttering slightly as she noticed the subtitle.

[Victory Through Leveling Up and On-the-Spot Breakthrough, A Rising New Star in the Valeria Empire]

[Two-and-a-Half Years of Dedication, From Apprentice to Magnus, The Academy Girl Shines Brightly, Forging a New Legend]

It fits the typical writing style of the Empire Weekly, but when applied to herself, it feels somewhat embarrassing.

Continuing to read, Astrid's descriptions weren't as exaggerated as Lyra had imagined. The woman used delicate strokes to portray a second-year student who studied diligently every day to win the match. Overall, it remains grounded in reality.

"How does it feel?" Astrid asked.

Lyra nodded, "It's good."

If her parents saw this article, they would surely be proud of her.

Seeing Lyra had no objections, Astrid took back the draft, gazing at the pink-haired knight's gentle expression under the light, and smiled.

"If there are no issues, I'll hand it to Elise for publication tomorrow."

As soon as she finished speaking, Astrid leaned slightly forward, a faint, cool, sweet rose fragrance wafting towards Lyra.

"There's one more thing~"

"What kind of reward does Lyra want?"