Princess’s Struggle for Survival

"It seems Lyra is still not very familiar with how to use this armor..."

Gently patting her coat to brush off any dust that might be on the fabric, Astrid spoke calmly and helped Lyra put on the clothes with a soft gesture.

"Or is this what you wanted to show me?"

It was indeed breathtaking.

The soft fabric effectively blocks the wind that surged after the light dissipated, and also preserves Lyra's body temperature well. Astrid looked at the shivering pink-haired girl in front of her and continued to speak.

"Lyra is quite cunning~"

After helping to put on the clothes, she then began to satisfy her own mischievous desires. Lyra pursed her lips, thinking in her heart that perhaps it was through these small, unintentional details in life that Princess Astrid had gradually captured her heart.

She is really so good.

"...It's not like that," Lyra whispered in response.

With an extra layer of coat, the chill on her back was slightly lessened, but the front was still cool. Lyra raised her arm, blocking Astrid's line of sight while slightly pressing against her snow-white skin.

Even if she didn't know that girls could like girls, Lyra would still feel embarrassed and uneasy in such situations.

Having her entire body exposed in front of someone else was really hard to ignore, especially since the person looking was her favorite, Princess Astrid.

A double sense of shame filled Lyra's heart, making her too afraid to look at Astrid, so she could only lower her head and grab her other arm with her hand.

Seeing the redness on the girl's earlobe about to overflow, Astrid narrowed her eyes, suddenly wanting to reach out and touch it.

In fact, she did just that.

"Huh??!!"

The next second, Lyra trembled like a frightened little rabbit, her delicate body shaking uncontrollably, the surging and swaying snow-white skin and the tightly pressed white silk legs creating a scene of enchanting springtime from top to bottom.

"After knowing each other for so long, Lyra is still so shy."

Astrid whispered softly, her fingertips lightly pinching Lyra's earlobe before letting go and stepping back.

"Since it's really embarrassing, I won't look anymore. Go ahead and change."

This coat was what she wore during the day to shield herself from the sun. The hem was quite long, reaching down to her thighs, and now it was quite suitable for covering up.

Feeling the fragrant breeze around her nose slightly fade, along with the sound of the woman's footsteps leaving, Lyra swallowed imperceptibly, her body stiff and not daring to move.

After a while, the girl gently pinched the edge of the coat with her fingers, slightly raised her head, and glanced at Astrid with the corner of her eye.

All she could see in her field of vision was a pair of slender heels and smooth, chocolate-like calves covered by soft black stockings.

Making sure Astrid was now facing away from her, Lyra took a deep breath, let go of the arm covering her softness, and gently slipped her hands into the sleeves.

As the clothes fully adhered to her skin, a faint warmth spread around her body, and the sense of security wrapped in fabric finally reappeared.

Smoothing the cuffs and gently pulling the hem of the coat down to cover a third of her thighs, although Lyra could still vaguely see her garter belt, it was much better than the completely bare state before.

Gently stroking her chest through the clothes to make sure everything was covered, Lyra's erratic heartbeat gradually calmed down, and her previously curled white toes finally relaxed and stretched out.

It was really... too embarrassing...

Before she can master the use of the armor or find a method to ensure her clothes remain intact, she absolutely, positively, will not summon the armor in front of others again.

Once was enough.

Since the coat was previously stored by Astrid in the internal storage space of the ruby, its state remains as it was when it was put in. Astrid last used it this morning when she wore a sleeveless black dress, so the coat was also imbued with much of her fragrance.

Smelling the familiar scent of roses, Lyra tilted her head to see Astrid with her back turned to her, feeling a wave of emotion in her heart, and softly spoke.

"A, Astrid..."

"Um... I'm done changing..."

Hearing this, Astrid did not turn around immediately but first turned her head, her small ear hidden among her silver hair, her cold and clear red eyes and the side of her face illuminated by the light instantly falling into Lyra's view.

Just this one glance made Lyra momentarily dazed. The next second, she was awakened by the crisp sound of high heels and looked up at Astrid walking towards her.

This coat...also suits Lyra quite well...

Astrid looked at the pink-haired girl in front of her, her red eyes calm and unruffled.

Lyra rarely wore dark-colored clothes, usually opting for white with blue or pink, leaning towards a pure and youthful style. Now wearing this black coat that didn't quite fit her size, it gave her a different kind of charm.

The front of the coat was stretched out, with small gaps around the buttons revealing the snow-white skin underneath. Looking up, one can see her delicate collarbone and smooth chin. Except for the neatly arranged cuffs, other parts of the coat had many wrinkles, and it was this faint sense of disorder that added a bit of beauty beyond Lyra's usual purity.

It was somewhat like a girl who had just woken up, still drowsy and confused, wearing her lover's clothes by mistake?

Staring at the stretched-out clothes on Lyra for a while, Astrid softly spoke.

"Quite beautiful. It's not bad for Lyra to try dark-colored clothes occasionally."

"It gives a sense of contrast."

Hearing Astrid's straightforward compliment, Lyra, who could usually accept such praise calmly, now appears somewhat shy. She held the top button of the coat with her left hand and only spoke after a while.

"Astrid... looks better in it..."

Especially when paired with her smooth and long silver hair, the effect was even better.

Hearing this, Astrid faintly smiled: "Thank you for the compliment."

"Today's Lyra also gave me a feast for the eyes."

Astrid did not mention the Holy Light Armor but spoke of the person wearing the armor. As for whether the feast for the eyes was Lyra clad in sturdy armor or the pink-haired girl with nothing but panties and white garter stockings after the armor was removed, it was up to interpretation.

"..."

Clearly, Lyra interpreted it as the latter, her cheeks instantly turning red like tomatoes.

Princess Astrid is speaking nonsense again... the armor she wanted to show has disappeared, where does the feast for the eyes come from...

----------

After that awkward night, Lyra no longer dared to let Astrid observe her casually when she hadn't yet mastered the art of summoning her armor.

Astrid never brought up the incident again, as if their candid moment in the training room had become a secret shared only between them.

Fortunately, Lyra now lives in the palace rather than the dormitory. Otherwise, if she had returned wearing only Astrid's coat with her inner clothes missing, Amalia would have seen it, and by the next morning, Astrid's collarbone would have been adorned with a few more "strawberry marks."

However, it was exactly because of this experience that Lyra became even more determined to grow stronger.

Over the two months of her life as a maid, aside from attending to the princess's daily needs, she devoted all her remaining time to studying magic and practicing combat skills.

By the time the new semester at the Elizabeth Academy of Magic began, Lyra had fully solidified her foundation as a Middle Grand Knight and was on the verge of breaking through to the next stage.

Over the next four months, which marked Lyra's second semester at the Elizabeth Academy of Magic, she successfully advanced to the rank of Middle Grand Knight with the help of various courses and clinched the top spot in the semester-end comprehensive evaluation.

"As expected of Lyra, her overall scores firmly placed her first in Class A," Astrid remarked in her gentle tone, her legs crossed, as she listened to Elise report the rankings in the dormitory.

"Without any surprises, you should be able to advance to Peak Grand Knight next semester."

Astrid had witnessed Lyra's hard work over this period and had to admit that her achievements were not only due to the exceptional talent bestowed upon her by fate but also her tireless effort.

To wear the crown, one must bear its weight. Even a chosen one favored by destiny must possess enough resilience to match the elusive aura of a protagonist, whether it truly exists or not.

After hearing Astrid's words, Lyra nodded.

"Yes, it shouldn't be too difficult to continue at this pace."

The growth of her strength had gradually boosted her confidence. Now, with her formidable combat abilities and her solid ranking at the academy, Lyra's mindset is entirely different from before.

It was only when considering Astrid's noble status as a princess that this scheming maid felt a surge of unavoidable inferiority.

There was still a long, long way to go before she could stand beside Princess Astrid, and she couldn't afford to slack off.

Her sky-blue eyes reflected the face bathed in warm light. Lyra stretched her legs, her hands resting slightly on her knees, her smooth pink hair caught between her back and the desk.

Moreover... just matching in status and position didn't mean anything when it came to love...

Take Earl Tristian, for example. As the first heir of the Velmont family, he was destined to inherit the title of Grand Duke. His abilities weren't lacking either; At least, the rumors Lyra had heard painted him as a talented nobleman, a desirable match for many noble ladies.

If someone like him stood beside Astrid, anyone would say they were a perfect match.

But Princess Astrid didn't like him. She didn't like him, and that was that. Even if they were well-matched in status, she would reject his marriage proposal for that simple reason.

So... would Princess Astrid like her...?

Would she...?

Lyra couldn't find an answer to this question. Astrid seemed to maintain a reserved demeanor with everyone, almost like an unyielding block of wood.