Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 260: Reputation Ruined

"As expected of the young lady who defeated the instructor, Miss Lyra is indeed remarkable."

Lydia’s gaze fell on the pink-haired girl at the center of the dueling platform, and after a moment, she looked toward the front row to see Astrid’s reaction. However, she didn’t even catch a glimpse of her.

"Eh? Where did Princess Astrid go?" Lydia whispered.

The seat where Astrid had been sitting was now empty, leaving only Miss Livia and Professor Charlotte to watch from the sidelines.

On the dueling platform, the announcer used an amplification spell to broadcast the outcome of the duel to every corner of the venue.

"The winner of this duel is Lyra Beckett."

As soon as the announcement ended, the soundproof barrier was quickly lifted, and Lyra was met with a wave of applause from all directions. She felt slightly dazed.

Are they... applauding for me?

It was somewhat surprising that so many people were happy for her. Lyra’s gaze swept across the audience, recognizing many familiar faces, Linda, the class president from Class A, a few classmates she had sparred with before, and some of her professors.

Ah, right... Princess Astrid...

Lyra, suppressing the pain in her palm, turned her gaze toward the most important seat.

Her eyes met an empty, iron chair, and Lyra’s lips suddenly stiffened, a faint sense of disappointment creeping into her heart.

Princess Astrid... why isn’t she here...

Perhaps... she has something more important to attend to...

A slight sourness welled up in her heart, as if she had taken a big bite of a lemon. Although her rational mind told her that Princess Astrid was busy with her duties and might have had urgent matters that required her presence elsewhere, causing her to leave halfway through, at this moment, Lyra selfishly wished that she could have stayed in the audience, watching her.

"Miss Lyra, please come here for treatment." frёeωebɳovel.com

"Oh, right..."

Calming her emotions, Lyra limped toward the physician. Her blue eyes flickered slightly as she looked at Reneth, who was lying on the ground.

Regardless, the duel was over, and the winner had been decided. Lyra didn’t actually wish for Reneth to be seriously injured.

She only needed an apology, not a fight to the death.

As the physician channeled mental energy into the healing array beneath the dueling platform, Lyra felt the numbness in her right arm gradually subside.

The wound on her cheek felt warm, and the torn skin on her palm and the sprained ankle itched slightly as they healed.

For a one-gold coin treatment fee, it was indeed worth it.

If she had sought treatment elsewhere, this level of injury would have cost at least five to six silver coins, not to mention the high restoration fees for the damage caused during their fight.

Lyra silently felt the effects of the water healing spell. Meanwhile, the physician treating Reneth noticed something unusual in her mental energy and was about to report it to her colleagues when one of them spoke up first.

"Why is Miss Reneth’s mental energy so severely damaged?"

"How strange. It seems as if it was destroyed by a spell specifically targeting mental energy."

Whether intentionally or not, the amplification spell used to broadcast the duel’s outcome was still active, and the physician’s observation was clearly transmitted to every corner of the venue.

The audience, who had been preparing to leave, froze upon hearing this, their faces flashing with shock.

At the Elizabeth Academy of Magic or, to put it more broadly, in the entire magical world, spells that targeted a mage’s mental energy were strictly prohibited.

Duelists could interrupt each other’s spellcasting to cause a magical backlash, but they were never allowed to directly attack mental energy.

Mental energy was the foundation of a mage. Once damaged, it would permanently limit their future development. This was an irreversible process, and there were almost no means of recovery.

If Lyra had truly used a spell that targeted someone’s mental energy, according to the laws of the Valeria Empire, not only would she be expelled from the Elizabeth Academy of Magic, but she would likely face imprisonment as well.

As the physician finished speaking, the venue fell into a brief silence before a wave of whispers erupted from the crowd.

Vorelter, watching the nobles in the audience whispering among themselves, his eyes filled with a hint of malice.

The physician who had spoken carelessly was one of Vorelter’s agents.

Normally, the injuries of duelists would be studied slowly after the match, but by then, there wouldn’t be enough spectators to create the desired effect.

Moreover, it would give Princess Astrid ample time to respond, making it easy for things to go awry.

This was the only way to make a decisive move. This time, he wanted to see what Princess Astrid would do, whether she would stand against all mages to protect Lyra or be forced to abandon her and humiliate herself.

No matter which choice she made, if Lyra was found guilty, people would learn that the third princess’s close friend was someone with a vicious character, and Astrid’s reputation would suffer a severe blow, potentially even affecting the empire’s monthly magazine sales.

This was Vorelter’s ultimate goal.

Meanwhile, on the dueling platform, Lyra, upon hearing the physician’s diagnosis, froze for a moment, not quite understanding what they were talking about.

A spell that targets mental energy? What kind of spell is that?

But when she saw the audience, where many who had been applauding her were now whispering with stiff expressions, she quickly realized what was happening.

’Do they think I used some spell to harm Reneth?’

’How could they... I would never do something like that...’

Her throat felt slightly dry. Lyra looked at the professor who had taught her, who was now frowning slightly, watching her thoughtfully, and her heart sank.

The seed of doubt had been planted. Regardless of the truth, if she couldn’t immediately find a suitable explanation, this accusation would almost certainly stick.

’But... what can I do...’

Lyra was only eighteen, just an adult, and she had been framed in front of a crowd. Her body stiffened, and she didn’t know how to explain.

Her mind went blank, and her palms began to sweat. The gazes around her felt like sharp knives piercing her heart.

The physician, following Vorelter’s orders, was not about to let her off easily. After the initial statement, they added as if it were an afterthought,

"This injury... seems to have occurred recently. Otherwise, the reaction wouldn’t have been so quick..."

"At most, it happened within the past hour."

This was precisely the time they had been on the dueling platform, and this statement clearly pointed the finger at Lyra.

The whispers in the audience grew louder, and some of the second prince’s supporters seized the opportunity to fan the flames, demanding that the academy investigate Lyra thoroughly.

"At such a young age, she’s already so ruthless. What will she be like when she grows up?"

"How can someone like her be allowed to stay at the Elizabeth Academy of Magic?"

"These people from the countryside are always up to no good. I bet even Princess Astrid was fooled by her appearance."

’I didn’t... I really didn’t do it...’

Lyra opened her mouth, trying to explain, but when she saw the strange looks from the majority of the audience, she suddenly felt the words stuck in her throat, their emptiness and helplessness.

Anyone could say that, but it wouldn’t help.

Calm down... Lyra...

Struggling to control the panic in her heart, Lyra tried to think of an explanation that could clear her name, but the noise of the crowd and the gazes fixed on her made her feel physically suffocated.

"Reneth... what’s wrong with her?"

Upon Lyra’s question, the other physicians who were examining Reneth also looked serious.

Their findings were the same as their colleague’s, Reneth’s mental energy was severely damaged, her strength had dropped to the level of a early apprentice, and it would be difficult for her to progress further.

In this state, it was no exaggeration to say that she was completely ruined.

As the discussion deepened, some nobles began deliberately steering the conversation in a direction that was increasingly unfavorable to Lyra, even suggesting that the academy detain her temporarily.

"Lyra, your opponent has suffered some unexpected injuries during the duel. Therefore, we need to gather more information."

Upon hearing the announcer’s words, Lyra clenched the hilt of her sword, her sky-blue eyes lowering slightly. She unconsciously bit her pink lips with her pearly teeth.

If she followed the announcer, she would be detained in front of everyone by the academy’s administrators, and it would be impossible to clear her name.

But... what can I do to stop this...

After hesitating for a few seconds, feeling the unfriendly gazes around her, Lyra felt her limbs turn cold, and even the soothing water healing spell began to feel annoying.

No... I have to do something...

Just as Lyra felt that everything had reached a dead end and there was no way out, a clear female voice suddenly echoed in the air.

"Why talk somewhere else when we can discuss it here?"

The sound of high heels clicking followed, and Lyra’s heart skipped a beat as she turned to see the silver-haired princess standing elegantly in the sunlight.

Astrid was wearing a long black dress, her silver hair cascading down her back. Her delicate features were accentuated by the light, making her appear even more stunning and extraordinary.

"I also happen to have found something related to Miss Reneth," Astrid said.

She had to stop the rumors from spreading further. Once an official statement was made, Lyra’s reputation would be severely damaged. Even if she could protect her with her status, it would have a highly unfavorable impact on gaining noble support.

Astrid had anticipated that Vorelter would make a move, but she hadn’t expected him to strike so ruthlessly.

Fortunately, Elise had planted enough agents, and they were well-hidden. Even Reneth’s roommate had been won over. Otherwise, she would have suffered a major setback this time.

"Princess Astrid, what exactly are you referring to?"

The announcer looked at Astrid in confusion, signaling the staff to wait for further instructions.

Astrid pursed her lips slightly and spoke softly, "It’s about Miss Reneth’s current state."

"Many of the audience here must know Reneth, and her level should be clear to everyone."

"From being a Peak Apprentice to suddenly possessing the mental energy reserves and magical quality of a Sorcerer, it doesn’t seem very logical."

Reneth had performed exceptionally well in the duel, and after the match, it was discovered that her mental energy had been damaged. Anyone with even a basic understanding of mysticism would immediately suspect that she had used some costly method to forcibly enhance her mental energy.

However, the physician’s suggestive statement had temporarily distracted some people, leading them to initially believe that Lyra had played a dirty trick.

Moreover, the audience included many nobles from the second prince’s faction, who viewed the third princess Astrid as a supporter of the first prince and would not miss any opportunity to attack her.

Although some in the audience were clear-headed, they were hesitant to speak out due to the initial direction of the discussion, fearing to show any political stance on the matter.

As a result, the other scheming audience members quickly grouped together, easily steering the conversation in a direction unfavorable to Lyra.

Upon hearing Astrid’s voice, Vorelter in the audience slightly narrowed his eyes. Astrid happened to look up, her cold eyes meeting his face as if they were frozen with an unyielding chill.

"So, Princess Astrid, have you found the reason?"

Astrid calmly took the lead, her voice steady, "Yes, I happen to want to make this public."

With that, Astrid waved her hand, signaling the black-haired girl behind her to step forward.

"She is Miss Reneth’s roommate and a direct witness to this incident."

"Miss Reneth Aulwyn consumed a special potion before the duel, which temporarily increased her explosive mental energy strength and its corresponding reserves."

"The price, as everyone can see, is that the drinker suffered a magical backlash and severe damage to their mental energy."

As Astrid spoke, the head maid took the glass bottle from the black-haired girl’s hand and held it up. Her voice, amplified by the spell, was clear and resonant.

"This is the potion I mentioned, found in Reneth’s trash can under her bed."

Although it didn’t sound very pleasant, it greatly enhanced the credibility of her words.

Lyra, watching Astrid’s heroic appearance from behind, slightly pursed her pink lips, suddenly understanding something.

Princess Astrid wasn’t in the audience because she had already suspected something was wrong with Reneth and had gone to gather evidence.

She did it to protect me... not because she thought the match was unimportant...

Upon realizing this, Lyra’s heart tightened, and the warmth in her chest slightly dispelled the coldness in her limbs.

Perhaps because Astrid’s evidence was solid, or perhaps because her tone was convincing, Lyra felt a strong sense of security surrounding her.

It was as if as long as Princess Astrid was by her side, she could handle anything.

In the audience, Vorelter, upon seeing the familiar glass bottle in Elise’s hand, subconsciously furrowed his brow and waved his hand slightly.

In the midst of the bustling crowd, an untimely voice suddenly rang out.

"Princess Astrid, how exactly are you sure that this potion can produce the effects you mentioned?"

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