Princess’s Struggle for Survival

Suddenly hearing Iris ask if she wanted to dance with her, Lyra was slightly stunned. It was exactly this moment of daze that caused her to miss the familiar footsteps behind her.

"Dance?"

Iris nodded upon hearing this and placed the vessel in her hand on the shelf nearby.

"Yes, the predecessor of the Kingdom of Velys's court dance was the dance of the upper aristocracy of the Lorin Empire. The current ballroom dance of the Valeria Empire is just a modification of the latter. In general, they are not much different."

"I learned to dance from a young age and am familiar with various dance steps. The foundation laid during my dance practice also provided me with much convenience for practicing knight combat techniques in the future."

People who practice dance from a young age usually have better flexibility and body control than children of the same age. With a good foundation, everything is twice as effective. This is also one of the reasons why Iris was able to perform various exquisite dodging movements while wielding her sword later on.

Looking at the strands of hair hanging down from the blue-dressed girl, and her slender, white right hand that had never held a sword, which shone with a gentle luster, Lyra pursed her lips, her fingertips rubbed the foot of the cup.

Although Lyra had been active in the upper-class society of the Valeria Empire as the personal maid of the third princess for some time and knew that these noble etiquette were common in daily interactions, she still found it a bit difficult to accept when actually practicing them.

She didn't know if she was too conservative or if she simply couldn't get past a certain point. This dance called ballroom dance, in Lyra's opinion, was a bit too intimate.

Especially since there were steps involving waist-holding, back-supporting, and leg-lifting. Iris, being a woman, might not feel anything dancing such steps with another woman, but Lyra was completely different.

She clearly recognized she wasn't straight. Whether she danced the male steps or the female steps with Iris, it felt a bit too ambiguous for Lyra, whose mindset had changed.

'Or else... should I find a way to refuse…'

If the other party were a man, Lyra wouldn't have to think twice and would directly tell him she wasn't feeling well and couldn't dance today.

It was exactly because Iris was of the same sex and acted so generously that she hesitated for a moment.

"What's wrong, Miss Lyra?"

Seeing Lyra holding the wine glass, her slender white knuckles clenching tighter than before, Iris seemed to have thought of something and spoke slowly.

"Are you not very good at ballroom dancing?"

Although this princess of the Kingdom of Velys was not very well-informed about the news network in the Valeria Empire, she had heard from the students that Lyra was not the descendant of some noble family from the Empire, but a genius born from the common class.

Coming from an ordinary family, studying magic had already taken up most of her time, so it was indeed highly likely that Lyra was not skilled in dancing.

Iris's words seemed to offer a step down, giving Lyra the perfect excuse to refuse her. The girl was silent for a moment, then replied with a hint of apology in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Miss Iris..."

"...I am indeed not very proficient in ballroom dancing."

This excuse was polite enough and not too abrupt.

Iris nodded upon hearing this and did not insist further.

"Miss Lyra is too polite. It's my fault for not considering it carefully."

It was just a bit of a pity that she couldn't dance with this outstanding figure from the Valeria Empire.

Raising her eyes, Iris's gaze passed over Lyra's shoulder, and a silver-white figure appeared in her sight. Seeing Astrid approaching, the girl spoke softly.

"Good evening, Miss Astrid."

Who... Who Astrid?

Hearing a very familiar name from Iris's mouth, Lyra's waist stiffened, and her two legs wrapped in white stockings instinctively straightened. She inexplicably felt a sense of guilt.

She... hadn't agreed to anything just now...

Her gaze involuntarily lowered to the silver high heels beneath her. It hadn't felt like anything before, but at this moment, Lyra felt that these exquisite and beautiful shoes were exceptionally ill-fitting.

Meanwhile, Astrid replied softly upon hearing this.

"Good evening to you too, Miss Iris."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lyra felt a faint rose scent waft past her nose. Astrid strode gracefully to Iris and elegantly picked up a goblet half-filled with red wine from the shelf.

"It's been a few days, and Miss Iris's demeanor is as elegant as ever."

Looking at her current state, she didn't seem like someone who had been injured.

Iris nodded slightly upon hearing this: "Miss Astrid, you too."

"As expected of the most dazzling gem of the Valeria Empire, praised by the Emperor himself. Miss Astrid's presence is always so radiant."

This statement was not flattering at all. As a princess of the kingdom, Iris considers herself to have seen many beauties, but none could compare to the noble, silver-haired, red-eyed imperial princess before her.

If Lyra on the competition stage, clad in silver-white armor and wielding the Holy Sword of Light, was as sacred and dazzling as the rising sun, then the exquisite and beautiful girl in a fitted black dress now was probably the bright moon hanging in the night sky, elegant and cold.

"I am not as perfect as Miss Iris says. It's just that the farewell banquet is very important, so naturally, I have to tidy myself up and attend in full regalia."

The nickname "dazzling gem" came from Hibbort's words. Astrid would not be overly humble and deny it in public. By appropriately shifting the topic to her emphasis on the banquet, she could both respond to Iris's words and appropriately show the respect of a princess of a kingdom towards her guests, killing two birds with one stone.

Understanding the meaning behind Astrid's words and recalling what Monica had told her about the third princess, Iris's heart became a little more serious, and her gaze became more focused.

"Even without makeup, Miss Astrid is an exceptional beauty."

Clinking her wine glass slightly with Astrid's, Iris took a sip of wine and continued.

"I've heard that Miss Astrid has extensive research in magical devices and has even created vehicles that can soar in the sky."

"When our ancestors were still exploring the land and getting to know the oceans, Miss Astrid had already begun to try to conquer the sky..."

"It is truly impressive, an impressive and great feat."

In Iris's opinion, Astrid Calliste, who could think of this, was already far ahead of most people. Not to mention that she had put her ideas into practice and truly built a behemoth that could carry ordinary people into the clouds.

Therefore, even though the two were similar in age and status, Iris had to admit that the other's vision was far broader than her own, or rather, than that of many high-ranking officials in the Kingdom of Velys.

"I've just done something that others wanted to do but never did," Astrid said calmly, her red eyes quietly fixed on Iris.

"When humans living on this land look up at the sky, how many have ever imagined that they could soar like birds?"

"I happened to have the conditions, so I tried it."

Astrid never felt that the "Fearless" was entirely her own achievement. It also belongs to the craftsmen who pieced together planks and ropes, Professor Elandor, who was responsible for the hull design and magic pattern carving, and the Arcanist mage Charlotte, who carved the magic circles to transmit crystal energy.

Iris felt a surge of admiration, and her pink lips parted slightly.

"Miss Astrid's humble and gentle personality is as outstanding as her appearance."

No wonder Monica had changed her previous view and believed that Astrid was the key to repairing relations between the two countries in the future.

Thinking of this, Iris's brows furrowed slightly, and her thoughts drifted back to the night Monica had spoken to her.

The Saintess of Light believes that although magical devices had only temporarily improved the lives of the nobles of the Valeria Empire, upon closer examination, it held even greater potential.

Magic-powered carriages were more stable than ordinary vehicles, and magic-powered beasts that could fly could cross mountains and transport goods over long distances.

Then, in the future, would there be magic-powered machinery that could replace water wheels and irrigate farmland regardless of terrain, or magic-powered plows that could easily turn soil without manual digging?

At that time, all production activities would become simpler than they are now, the kingdom's annual grain output would greatly increase, and meat on the table would increase year by year. Coarse ale would no longer be a luxury that commoners had to drink sparingly; they could drink to their hearts' content until dawn.

However, everything had its pros and cons. While enjoying the convenience of magic-powered machinery, new contradictions will arise. Farmers whose hands were free might face unemployment. The land that originally required ten people to cultivate might only require two in the future.

According to Monica's implied meaning, the moment the Kingdom of Velys ended the war, the suppressed conflicts within the country would immediately erupt, and the entire kingdom would face a great reshuffling.

And this was also a rare opportunity. If handled properly, they can update the old order, remove the dross hidden beneath the original system, and usher in a new kingdom with a production model more suited to the reform of magic-powered machinery.

"Miss Iris, are you preoccupied?"

A melodious female voice suddenly came from beside her. Iris snapped back to reality and looked at the silver-haired princess in front of her.

"Why did you suddenly stop talking and keep staring at the floor tiles?"

Astrid spoke softly, her long eyelashes fluttering up and down with her words.

She had indeed seen the struggle in Iris's eyes, but she didn't understand what the other party was thinking.

Was it the "Fearless," or more things related to magic-powered machinery?

After all, any intelligent person could see the enormous war potential hidden beneath this magic-powered airship.

Upon hearing Astrid's question, Iris hesitated for a moment and did not voice her concerns.

"No, I was just lost in thought for a moment."

Given Astrid's identity, she couldn't possibly say these things to her, especially since Monica had not yet confirmed whether she could reach a cooperation agreement with this third princess.

Right, where was Monica?

Glancing around peripherally, Iris found the mature figure in the white evening gown among the crowd.

Monica also noticed Iris's gaze, gently licked the wine from her lips with her pink tongue, and looked at her with her orange-gold eyes.

Did this mean... the initial goal was achieved...

Her gaze lingered for a moment longer. Iris scanned Monica's revealing evening gown and the night-sky colored sheer fabric that was more suitable to match Astrid's black dress today than pure white.

Iris remembered that when they entered the Valeria Empire, Monica's spatial storage items were left at the main cathedral of the Holy Light Church. This dress undoubtedly came from Astrid's wardrobe.

Having received enough information, Iris raised her eyes and continued to look at Astrid, unaware that her recent actions had been fully observed by the latter.

"How young... Princess Iris..."

However, it was these subtle exchanges that allowed Astrid to roughly guess Iris's concerns.

Assuming Monica had shared some of her thoughts with Iris, the princess would undoubtedly understand the three conditions that must be met to cooperate with her.

The culprit who started the war, the King of the Kingdom of Velys, must be brought to justice. And that person was Iris's biological father. Even if their political views were incompatible, it was far from the point of resorting to arms.

Family ties, morality, etiquette, faith, Iris had to make a choice and sacrifice among them.

Moreover, besides the king, many of her relatives, friends, and acquaintances were likely to be warmongers, and they would also be held accountable after the war.

Astrid's mercy was quite limited; she will not show any leniency to warmongers.

"Miss Iris."

Astrid swayed her wine glass, the deep red liquid blended with her pupils, adding a touch of soft charm.

"If you are distracted, breathing some fresh air will do you good."

Back on the competition stage, Iris's knightly act, besides giving Lyra a chance to defeat her head-on, had also successfully won Astrid's favor.

In the game of power, noble integrity might not help Iris get what she wanted, but putting politics aside, a person of high moral character was undoubtedly more worthy of respect.

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Astrid. I'll keep that in mind."

Iris pursed her lips and replied in a low voice.

Breathing fresh air...

Undeniably, this trip to the Valeria Empire had made her feel even more uncertain, not only because of the problems within the kingdom itself but also because of the war prospects that Iris had not been optimistic about.

The Valeria Empire was not as weak as her father had imagined. The casualties caused by the drawn-out war would bring misfortune to more families.

Seeing that Iris was still somewhat dejected, Astrid raised her wine glass and took a sip. The pure black neckline partially covered her collarbone, and her slender, smooth swan neck was rendered particularly fair and tender by the light.

"If breathing fresh air still doesn't help, then you might as well seriously consider the root cause of your distraction."

"And also think carefully about what is most important to you."

Think about why she came to this land. If she lacked the awareness to make choices and sacrifices, and only charged forward with ideals, it would be too naive.

Reality was not a simple knight's duel.