Chapter 646: Stepping in new Era
"And... life now is so much better than before."
Those words weren’t just about how her relationship with Astrid had changed; they were also Lyra’s own life realization.
Compared to a few years ago, when she arrived alone in the imperial capital to study in a strange land, Lyra had now achieved her original goal and gained the lover she adored.
Even if she pushed the memory back a few months to that bitter, desolate time at the Liya Tower fortress, those days were nowhere near as comfortable as lying immediately in a soft, warm bed, not fearing death could drop in at any moment, not worrying about a summons the next second and being too scared to even take off her clothes to sleep.
"Astrid is doing things that make this world better, right?" Lyra whispered gently.
Convenient magical devices, reform bills that uplift commoners, the widespread promotion of basic magics in the academies.
Everything Astrid did matched the path Lyra idealized. Rather than fretting that Astrid had little free time to spend with her, Lyra worried she might fall behind.
A lover was an amazing person; she should try harder, do what she could, and not become an emotional burden.
Hearing Lyra say that, Astrid understood and pinched her cheek, replying in a tender voice, "Even so, I want to spend more time with you."
"Not only out of duty as a lover, but because I want to draw strength from Lyra."
Companionship shouldn’t be one person constantly accommodating the other. If it’s treated as merely a task, it loses the warm colors of love.
Seeing Lyra blush, Astrid smiled and parted her lips softly. "Lyra is so adorable, who wouldn’t want to stick closer?"
On nights when everything was done, the only thing that could keep Astrid from worrying about tomorrow’s chores was the soft, warm embrace, whispering to her lover like two people soaking in syrupy sweetness.
Compared to her early days after reincarnating into another world, when the Third Princess Astrid always fretted over the next move, looking back now, those had been hard times indeed.
Lyra’s face reddened further. She rested her hands on the outside of her thighs, cradling the soft, delicate flesh of her white-silk-covered legs.
"...Really?"
"Of course."
Astrid proved the truth of her words with a kiss, resting her chin in Lyra’s hair. Lyra threaded her arms around Astrid’s waist and buried her body in her beloved’s arms.
"I love you most, Astrid," Lyra said.
"Today the capital feels livelier than even the opening ceremony at Elizabeth Academy of Magic," Astrid murmured.
"So many people, almost every street’s clogged."
Astrid asked softly, "The stretch from the academy to the palace?"
When she left she’d noticed the passage guarded by palace guards and relatively clear, while an entire street farther off was packed with people and flowers. Lyra nodded and hummed in agreement.
"With this exhibition over, New Year’s is soon, and after New Year it’s back to school, the capital will be restless."
There was also the city reform led by Amalia, which would soon be in full swing. The capital would see another wave of visitors.
"Most likely." Astrid agreed in a warm voice, her thoughts drifting.
The Kingdom of Velys was in internal turmoil, royalty versus nobles, secular powers versus religion, grinding each other down while the Valeria Empire quietly accrued strength, reforming and developing. When the winter passed, the military gap between them would only widen.
That would give them the confidence to penetrate enemy lands and deal with war criminals.
Sensing Astrid’s tension, Lyra, who had long been close to the empire’s foremost beauty, tilted her head and rubbed her cool, glossy pink hair against Astrid’s chin.
"The roasted lamb chops at lunch were really good. I think you ate a bit more than usual."
"Hmm. That dish was made by the restaurant’s head chef. We’ve been there together before, didn’t you forget?"
"Huh? He made it?"
"How could... it’s been so long you even forgot the taste?"
Astrid stretched back on the soft bed; Lyra fell forward onto the silver-haired beauty, and in an instant the overflowing scent and warmth covered her face.
Eyelashes brushed snow-white skin. Lyra swallowed hard, her slippers slipping off onto the rug and revealing two smooth, delicate white-silk feet.
"I... might have forgotten a bit."
"I remember it very clearly." Feeling Lyra’s heartbeat quicken, Astrid spoke in a languid tone. "Back then Lyra was still my personal maid, and she didn’t hold such wicked thoughts toward her mistress."
"She was amazed she could even dine in that kind of restaurant."
"She didn’t even dare to look up when I glanced over."
Unlike the pink-haired little dog she was now, the maid Lyra had been more like an overly wary little rabbit.
Lyra hummed in response, her heart racing. She didn’t bother retrieving the lost slippers; her white-silk feet deliberately wound around Astrid’s glossy black stockinged calves.
"It was because Astrid... was too mean back then," she said. "Always picking on me. If you suddenly treated me nicely, I figured you must be up to something."
"So you’re not mean now?" Astrid asked.
After a pause, Lyra answered, "...Worse!"
Only the way she teased had changed.
Having said that, Lyra lifted her pretty face and, like a little dog, kissed Astrid’s neck, then continued, "If you like it, I’ll try to learn to cook it when I have time."
She’d always enjoyed the quiet pleasures of domestic life, cooking, gardening, and now there was someone else to share them with.
"Fine, I’ll be looking forward to it," Astrid replied.
As soon as she spoke, Astrid’s knees pinched Lyra’s legs. "Also, did you drink too much today?"
"Even in that setting, you don’t have to overdo it. Next time drink some juice."
"..."
"Well... you drink less too..."
Could she say honestly that she hadn’t been drinking for social reasons, just to taste a newly sent imperial vintage?
After a few seconds Astrid replied softly, "Alright, alright, I promise."
Still, it was true that the optimal alcohol intake was always zero, Lyra was a fragile mage; Astrid should protect her delicate body.
They chatted about the day’s trivialities, nothing about work or state affairs, and before they knew it night had deepened. Lyra bathed and lay in bed first, patiently waiting for Astrid.
With the busiest day’s opening ceremony over, the next two days would be visited by other nobles and academy students. Astrid’s pressure would be much lighter and she could breathe a little.
Listening to the faint drips from the washroom, Lyra clutched the edge of the quilt, her fine pink hair fanning across the pillow like a little rose-colored stream.
After a while the washroom door opened, and a silver-white silhouette stepped out.
There was no click of heels on the carpet, only the soft sound of someone walking without shoes.
Lyra turned and saw the silver-haired beauty moving in the moonlight. Her fingers loosened from the blanket and her blue eyes widened.
Astrid wasn’t wearing a nightgown but a gorgeous, night-sky-colored evening dress. Her slender, polished arms emerged from the sleeves, their usual porcelain whiteness veiled by a layer of sheer black fabric.
She sat at the bedside and crossed her legs gently. The fullness of her softness wasn’t entirely hidden by the skirt; the curve of her upper thigh was faintly visible.
Like those white arms, the trembling pale flesh was obscured by the hazy black stockings, matching the arm coverings and lending a half-concealed, half-revealing seductive beauty.
"It’s the gift I mentioned before, my dear knight-miss~" Astrid placed the glove-covered tip of a finger at her lips and leaned in, whispering. "Prepared especially for Lyra."
The bedside lamp was dim, and together with the moonlight it fell across Astrid’s two raised black-stockinged legs, the sheen of the fabric making them look even smoother.
From the material and the color there was no mistaking the point.
"..."
Is there anything more succubus-like than Princess Astrid in the empire?
At least in Lyra’s mind, nothing else had such pull, one glance made her cheeks so hot she could fry an egg.
Tonight would be sleepless.
Still, one encouraging thing: thanks to Astrid’s initiative, lv 10 Lyra successfully leveled up to lv 11.
The day she overtook the imperial princess was not far off.
...
"Astrid looks well today."
"Is that so... Theresa does too."
The next morning, after breakfast in her chamber, Astrid was informed that Theresa had come to pay a visit and sent a maid to bring her in.
When the dragon walked in, Theresa’s first words were to compliment Astrid’s complexion. Lyra, standing behind Astrid in a sweet pleated skirt with one hand resting on her arm, was momentarily stunned, her little shoes tapped on the tiles as a faint blush lifted her face.
Was it that obvious...?
Shouldn’t staying up so late make one look tired?
Astrid, still composed in her blue dress, asked, "Is the palace food to your liking, Theresa?"
"Very much so. I must say, humans use spices in their cooking far more than dragons do."
Sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, every taste was present. It was nothing like what Theresa had eaten in her dragon lands, where trying to improve flavor meant chewing strange fruits as seasoning. As for ordinary meats, if they were cooked and not overdone, that was considered good enough.
Astrid smiled and smoothed her silver hair. "If you’d like, I can have some taken back for you when you leave."
A few years ago the Valeria Empire hadn’t used chili peppers much in cooking; those piquant spices were more commonly used for home ornamentation or as magical materials in potions. Adding chili to food to raise the heat was a trend led by Princess Astrid, and it gradually spread even to the small towns around the capital.
"That would be wonderful." Theresa inclined her head slightly, gratitude in her eyes. "Humans are even more hospitable than I imagined."
"Or perhaps it’s Astrid who is hospitable."
Having tasted the carefully prepared dishes of human chefs, Theresa found herself thinking of staying in the capital longer. Who could go back to rough, reheated meat once they’d known true culinary care?
Astrid narrowed her red eyes at the sincere praise and smoothed her hair. The girl before her was young by dragon standards, but older than Astrid by human years. How naive she still was.
"One should treat distant guests well, that’s imperial etiquette. Any noble would do the same."
"And besides, our guest is such a learned, beautiful lady."
After a few polite exchanges, Astrid asked what Theresa intended to do next. "Will you continue looking at magical devices at the exhibition, or examine the spatial formation?"
As Astrid had suspected, Theresa had also hit a wall with the ancient human ruins. Without knowledge of the elders speech she couldn’t restart the formation like Charlotte could.
Theresa replied honestly, "I’ll visit the exhibition first. I can’t draw any meaningful conclusions about the spatial formation just yet."
At her current level she could only skim the surface.
Astrid nodded in understanding, and Theresa then spoke, "Astrid...I have a request. I hope you’ll agree."
"..."
After a brief pause Astrid propped her chin on her hand and asked gracefully, "What is it?"
"I’d like to stay in the capital a while longer after the magical device exhibition ends," Theresa said. She wanted to examine the spatial formation further, and to witness the changes in the human empire, Theresa could see that under Astrid Calliste’s regency, the Valeria Empire was stepping into a new era.
She wanted to be a witness to that history.
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