Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 117: I want to bite those lips

In the bedroom of the Third Princess, within the chambers of the Imperial Princess Astrid, two young maidens lay intertwined on the bed.

Princess Astrid's body was so soft... and her hair smelled so good...

The distance between them was almost negative, and both could keenly sense the delicate smoothness of each other's skin.

Lyra could smell the cool rose fragrance emanating from Astrid's hair.

Her smooth, white silk-clad legs were pressed against the outer side of Astrid's thighs due to their position, and the woman's warm yet cool body temperature seemed to seep through the stockings into Lyra's skin and even her blood vessels.

Her heart was beating unusually fast, and everything around her seemed to slow down.

Lyra instinctively held her breath, but she couldn't stop the alluring scent of Astrid's body from drifting into her nose, tickling her heart like a small brush.

The atmosphere suddenly turned ambiguous.

The ticking of the wall clock gradually fell out of sync with the rhythm of her heartbeat.

Lyra gazed at Astrid's tender, moist lips, as red and soft as blooming roses, exuding an irresistible allure.

Princess Astrid's lips felt even softer than cake. I wonder what it would be like to bite them.

Seeing Lyra momentarily dazed as she lay on top of her, Astrid narrowed her beautiful eyes and parted her cherry lips.

"Is it fun to press down on me like this, Miss Lyra?"

Her knee slightly bent, pressing against Lyra's thigh, urging her to get up quickly.

But Astrid had clearly forgotten one thing: Lyra was a knight, while she was a mage. Their physical constitutions were inherently incomparable.

Hearing Astrid's cold tone and feeling the knee gently rubbing against her left thigh, Lyra belatedly realized what she had done.

Her hands, which were propped on either side of Astrid's neck, suddenly went weak.

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Her arms bent, resting on the sheets, tightly pressed against Astrid's smooth silver hair that was spread out behind her.

With just this one movement, the distance between them grew even closer.

So close that Lyra could feel the fragrant breath from Astrid's nose and the soft, warm sensation from the parts of their bodies that were touching.

Seeing that Lyra not only didn't get up but instead moved even closer, Astrid reached out and placed her hand on the girl's waist, lifting the white shirt that, in her eyes, existed but was practically non-existent.

At the same time, she raised her leg, and the black knee-high stocking, which was halfway off, pressed against Lyra's white gartered stockings. The friction of the silk fabric made a soft rustling sound.

Looking into Astrid's crimson eyes, which were so close, and hearing the cold, threatening tone that came from her pink lips, Lyra instantly realized her predicament. Her cheeks burned red with embarrassment.

"I... Princess Astrid... I didn't mean to..."

Just as Lyra was about to explain, the tender flesh on her waist was gently pinched by Astrid's jade-like fingers.

The cool touch of Astrid's fingertips against her skin made the girl instinctively let out a soft cry.

"Eh?!"

However, it was clear that Lyra was only momentarily stunned and didn't feel any more discomfort. This, in turn, surprised Astrid, who had mistakenly thought that the waist was Lyra's sensitive spot.

The next second, Lyra got up from Astrid and quickly spoke.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry."

"Princess Astrid, I didn't mean to!"

Suddenly leaving, the warmth and softness in front of her were gone. A sense of reluctance welled up in Lyra's heart, but it was soon drowned out by more guilt and shame.

What had she just done... She had actually pressed down on Princess Astrid...

What kind of maid would do that? This was a great disrespect to her master.

Astrid slowly straightened up and looked at Lyra, who was apologizing profusely. She reached out her hand and silently touched her collarbone.

She had been hit by a crystal earlier, and because she rarely got sun as a princess, Astrid's skin was so tender it seemed like it could be squeezed to produce water.

With that touch, her delicate collarbone turned a faint red, standing out starkly against her snow-white skin.

"Stop apologizing and find the crystal."

It didn't hurt much. Compared to herself, Astrid was more worried about whether the crystal had been damaged.

The image engraving had nearly drained all her mental energy. If the crystal was damaged, she would have to redo it tomorrow, wasting another day.

Hearing Astrid's command, Lyra quickly snapped out of it and looked down, searching around.

Finally, she found the crystal that had flown out near Astrid's black silk-clad feet.

"Give it to me."

"Okay, okay, Princess Astrid."

Handing the crystal to Astrid, Lyra noticed the faint redness on her collarbone.

She bit her lip, the burning in her heart slightly subsiding, replaced by a faint sense of guilt.

Why was she so clumsy... She had accidentally hurt Princess Astrid...

Astrid channeled her mental energy into the crystal, letting it circulate inside.

After half a minute, she confirmed that the internal magic circle hadn't been damaged by external force.

She sighed in relief and looked at the foolish maid who was staring at her collarbone, her pink lips bitten pale.

"It didn't hurt. You should be glad the crystal wasn't damaged."

Feeling that Astrid's tone was unexpectedly gentle, Lyra raised her face, her gaze falling on her own reflection in Astrid's eyes.

"Princess Astrid... are you really not hurt..."

"When we sparred and I got hit by a wooden sword, that hurt much more than this."

"But..."

"There's no 'but.' I'm not as delicate as Miss Lyra imagines."

With a few words, Astrid dispelled Lyra's guilt. She handed the crystal back to her and continued to take off the black knee-high stocking that had been halfway down her leg.

"Get ready to help me with the image. Don't be so careless this time."

"..."

"Okay, Princess Astrid."

This time, Lyra placed the crystal by her leg instead of tightly clutching it in her hand.

The intimate scene from a few minutes ago seemed like just a minor interlude.

Astrid picked up the clothes she had prepared earlier, her jade-like fingers gripping the stocking, her toes gently pulling it up. Her beautiful face showed no trace of abnormality.

Watching Astrid smooth out the wrinkles on the black stockings on her legs, Lyra couldn't help but think of the moment when their skin had touched. Her cherry lips unconsciously tightened.

What had she been thinking when she was pressing down on Princess Astrid...

It seemed like she was thinking how beautiful Princess Astrid was, more beautiful than any girl she had ever seen.

Her body was so soft and fragrant, completely different from the cold demeanor she usually displayed.

Her lips also looked so tender and soft. It would be nice to bite them. They would probably feel better than cream cake, though she wasn't sure if they would be as sweet.

Wait... What was she thinking...

Pressing the blanket against her nose and taking a light breath, Lyra brought her legs together and curled up under the blanket.

Wanting to bite her lips... Wasn't that the same as...

Kissing Princess Astrid.

This shocking realization exploded in Lyra's heart.

She closed her eyes, and images of Princess Astrid being pressed down by her flashed through her mind.

Astrid's silver hair was disheveled on the sheets, her red eyes staring intently at her, wanting to break free but unable to do so.

She could only gently rub her smooth, black silk-clad legs against Lyra, as if warning her or perhaps even pleading.

Could it be... that she liked Princess Astrid...

No, impossible, absolutely impossible.

How could a girl like another girl?

Having grown up in a village and never seen much of the world, the innocent maid Lyra was plunged into deep confusion.

It must be because Princess Astrid was too beautiful... That's why she had acted so inappropriately...

Wanting to kiss her was only because her lips were so delicate, looking soft and petal-like, nothing more.

At the same time, Lyra thought of something else. Her sky-blue eyes suddenly lowered, and her head drooped as well.

Princess Astrid liked Earl Tristian... Even keeping her by her side was because of that man...

Recalling the night when Astrid and Tristian had dinner together in the private room, Lyra's mood gradually sank. Her previously tightly pursed lips slightly loosened.

She had almost forgotten that besides being master and servant, she and Princess Astrid had another potential relationship, that of "rivals in love."

Was Earl Tristian really that good... That Princess Astrid liked him so much...

"What are you daydreaming about?"

A cold female voice suddenly rang in her ears. Lyra looked up and saw Astrid, who had already changed her clothes, standing in front of her.

A milky white high-necked shirt, a deep black pleated skirt that reached her knees, slightly sheer black stockings that matched the skirt, and a pair of shiny black leather shoes.

This outfit, compared to the formal court gowns, no longer emphasized Astrid's perfect figure but instead highlighted the youthful beauty of the wearer.

Especially the honeysuckle brooch on her chest and the silver metal cufflinks on her sleeves, they exuded a refined yet cold elegance, perfectly complementing Astrid's innate noble demeanor.

"Nothing... nothing..." Lyra weakly answered Astrid's question, only to hear her speak again.

"What do you think of this outfit on me?"

Lyra swallowed and glanced at her for a while, then whispered.

"It looks really good."

After all, with her looks, no matter what she wore, it would look good. Lyra thought that even if Astrid wore a sack, she would still be stunningly beautiful.

"That's good." Astrid nodded and stood a few steps away from Lyra.

"Let's begin. Point the side with the dense circle at me, then press the surface of the crystal three times in a row."

Lyra obediently followed the instructions. As a faint blue arcane wave passed by, the image of the woman was engraved into the magic circle.

Astrid opened her elemental vision and examined the crystal, confirming it was correct.

She then sat down at the desk, turned sideways, and crossed her black silk-clad legs, letting Lyra continue with the image collection.

One image engraving circle could store five images at the same time.

Astrid gave front, side, and back standing poses, as well as front and side sitting poses.

She believed that with Mary's painting skills, he would know how to depict her best.

Looking at the projected image of Princess Astrid's stunning beauty, Lyra blinked and suddenly asked softly.

"Princess Astrid, how much does a neutral crystal like this cost?"

"Five to six gold coins, why?"

"Nothing... I was just curious..."

Such a small piece of stone cost five or six gold coins, almost half a month's salary for her.

So expensive, and the engraving circle could only be done after she became a Sorcerer. Even if she spent that money, she might not be able to capture Astrid's image.

Thinking of her parents working hard back home and looking at Princess Astrid in her casual clothes, Lyra's eyes darkened, lost in thought.

Taking the crystal from the pink-haired maid, Astrid put it back in the drawer and then glanced at the knight boots placed in front of the carpet.

The potion's effect hadn't worn off yet, and the clothes Lyra had changed out of still hadn't undergone any transformation.

The hallucinations stemming from her psychological state were still affecting her.

Wait for the next dose and see if there's any change.

A little over an hour later, the effects of the transformation potion were about to dissipate.

Astrid promptly had Lyra take another dose and continued to observe the reaction.

At 6:40, the effects of the first potion completely vanished. The knight outfit showed no changes, indicating that as long as Amalia saw Livia during the hallucination period, her mind would continuously correct her image towards that.

As long as she realized that the clothes were the ones she had changed out of, then when the second potion took effect, the hallucination wouldn't go wrong.

A heavy weight lifted from her heart. Astrid touched the hairband on her head and was about to have Lyra get dressed when she heard a knock on the door.

"Miss Astrid, your dinner is here."

Glancing back at Lyra, who was blushing and curled up in the blanket, knowing she was no different from a shy mimosa at the moment, Astrid didn't let Elise in as usual.

Instead, she walked to the door and turned the handle.

The door opened, and Elise noticed Astrid's changed outfit. Her eyes slightly widened, but she quickly concealed her expression and asked softly.

"Shall I bring it in?"

Taking the desserts, juice, and fruit from the head maid, Astrid weighed them in her hands, feeling there was a bit too much, and replied gently.

"No, Elise, you can go rest."

As soon as she finished speaking, Elise's peripheral vision caught sight of a pair of shoes by the blanket that didn't belong to Astrid. She immediately realized that Lyra was still there.

No wonder Princess Astrid had come to get the meal herself, which was rare. Was she afraid that Miss Lyra would be too shy to see anyone right now?

"Alright, Miss Astrid."

With that, Elise added appropriately.

"Miss Astrid, take care of yourself. Don't overwork."

After such a long period of physical exertion and having to meet Amalia tonight, if her focus wasn't sharp enough, it wouldn't be good if someone noticed.

Astrid thought the head maid was just concerned about her and replied softly.

"I know, you too."