Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 519: Can’t Pretend

A faint muffled groan echoed among the bed sheets. With her eyes tightly closed, Lyra seemed to be dreaming of something unpleasant, her pink lips slightly parted, releasing a delicate, breathy moan.

The sound resembled that of newborn kittens or puppies: soft whimpers naturally produced in sleep when one’s body is unconsciously touched. That explanation would work just as well.

It was just a little far-fetched.

But since Lyra had initially chosen to pretend to be asleep, even the slightest chance to keep up the ruse was better than being discovered by Astrid and becoming the subject of her teasing.

Carefully controlling her body to avoid displaying any further signs that she was awake, Lyra maintains her earlier breathing rhythm, her slightly parted pink lips remaining open.

Even now... you’re still pretending to sleep?

Seeing that Lyra made no response to her question, Astrid curled her lips into a smile, her crimson eyes glinting with subtle amusement. She continued gripping Lyra’s delicate, silk-clad ankle, drawing the girl’s smooth, pale legs completely against her own body.

Then, Astrid leaned forward, her nose gently sniffing the air. Warm breath brushed against Lyra’s skin, bringing with it the floral fragrance mingled with the elegant, cool scent unique to the Imperial Jewel.

Lyra’s vision remained pitch black, but from the approaching warmth, the soft breathing, and the increasingly distinct fragrance, she could still tell that Astrid was drawing closer.

Is she going to... kiss me... like in the carriage?

Her heart fluttered with nervousness, yet a quiet spark of anticipation flickered within. As she felt Astrid’s warmth, Lyra momentarily forgot even that her foot was being held.

The distance closed. Lyra’s pale, flawless face grew larger in Astrid’s view.

Even after enduring so much, the Holy Light Knight’s skin remained tender and smooth, like a freshly peeled egg, without the slightest flaw.

In that sense, it perfectly matched her personality.

Thinking this, Astrid fluttered her eyelashes. Her lips, nearly touching Lyra’s cheek, paused. Under the covers, her hand slides lower, fingertips brush through the silk to touch the soft sole of Lyra’s bare foot.

The thin, silky stocking stood no chance against Astrid’s deliberate touch.

"Eeep..."

A girlish, high-pitched moan escaped as the sudden pressure shattered Lyra’s final pretense. The pink-haired girl, pretending to sleep with her eyes closed, snapped open her bright, dewy eyes and shyly bit her lip, gazing at Astrid before her.

Having her legs held like this was one thing, but now it was bent and stretched entirely at Astrid’s whim. And now, even the part of her body meant for walking was firmly under Astrid’s grasp.

And... she was using her fingers to tickle...

Even if she had truly been asleep, such a series of actions would’ve woken her by now.

"Astrid... when did you find out..."

Lyra murmured, softening her blue eyes with a touch of guilt.

Based on her understanding of Astrid, if the latter hadn’t realized she was pretending to sleep from the beginning, she wouldn’t have made such teasing moves. Instead, to avoid disturbing her rest, Astrid would’ve stayed as still and properly as possible, quietly lying beside her, eyes closed, lost in thought.

In other words, Astrid only indulged her playful mischief when she knew Lyra was fully conscious.

Hearing this, Astrid blinked. Her hand, still holding the girl’s silk-covered feet, didn’t let go. Her fingertip pressed gently against the soft, plump sole, the smooth, velvety sensation like holding a sweet ice cream cone.

"Who even sleeps so perfectly still? Lying on your side without a single strand of hair out of place, neatly tucked behind your ear?"

Having shared a dorm room with Lyra at Elizabeth Academy of Magic, Astrid had naturally seen her sleeping posture before. While generally well-behaved, it was definitely not as unnaturally stiff as it had been just now.

"And also..."

The soft, squishy sensation between her fingers strangely addicted Astrid. She curled her fingers and gently pressed. The silk-covered, snow-white foot beneath her palm instinctively tried to pull away, causing both leg and body to tremble slightly.

Astrid, of course, wasn’t about to let go so easily. With just a slight increase in pressure, Lyra’s resistance weakened, as if accepting this kind of touch. Her teeth clamped down on her lower lip, her cheeks flushed bright red.

"...When I slipped under the covers, Lyra’s eyelashes were trembling."

Even though her muscles were tensed, without any unnecessary movement, those tiny, involuntary physical reactions couldn’t be faked.

I see.

Knowing exactly where she’d slipped up, Lyra still bit her lip, her blue eyes glistening wetly, as if already thoroughly teased.

Pretending to sleep in front of someone you like turns out it’s incredibly difficult.

The moment the words left her lips, Astrid looked at Lyra and continued.

"So, Lyra, still awake at this hour..."

"Could it be... you were waiting for me?"

Otherwise, what else could it be? She’d promised to warm the bed, warmed it for so long, yet no one came.

She’s doing it on purpose!

Thinking this, a rare spark of pride flared in Lyra’s usually reserved personality. Gazing at the elegant, beautiful silver-haired beauty before her, her tone carried a hint of playful irritation.

"I just couldn’t fall asleep..."

She wasn’t lying about that, at least.

As for why she couldn’t sleep, whether the specific reason had anything to do with Astrid, well, that was a different matter entirely.

"Can’t fall asleep? Simply no tiredness?"

"No."

"Then... something on your mind?"

"..."

Of course it was. She was wondering, this late already, would Astrid even come back to sleep here at all?

Before Astrid opened the door, Lyra had been mentally counting flower petals, wondering if the bed was warm enough, occasionally stretching her legs to the side to heat up more space, making it easier for Astrid to slip in and sleep.

If Astrid never came back, she would’ve carried that anxious feeling deep into the night, eventually forcing herself to sleep in disappointment to regain energy for tomorrow’s work.

The delicate, snowy foot held in Astrid’s palm shifted slightly, her small, exquisite toes curling inward. Lyra moistened her throat and spoke softly.

"I was thinking... whether Astrid would come back, no, whether you’d come over to sleep..."

The moment the words left her mouth, even Lyra felt a little embarrassed. Saying it like this, she sounded exactly like a lonely noblewoman left alone in her chambers, lying in bed, waiting for her husband to return and comfort her.

No, her longing was practically solidifying into reality!

Quickly clearing away these strange thoughts, and realizing Astrid was right here beside her, the proud part of "prideful" melted away, leaving only the "shy." Lyra, still in the position Astrid had arranged, actively pulled the other girl into a tighter embrace.

It was Astrid who had her leg pinned, Astrid who held her back, Astrid who gripped her foot.

So... anything she did from now on would be justified...

"I want to..." Lyra took a deep breath and spoke up.

"Kiss."

After waiting so long, almost believing Astrid wouldn’t come to sleep, her longing had reached its peak. Now that her beloved was in her arms, Lyra could no longer suppress her desire to be close.

Seeing the pink-haired girl finally utter only these words after such hesitation, Astrid’s eyes sparkled with even greater amusement.

"Lyra... where do you want to kiss?"

With that, Astrid released the hand around Lyra’s back, casually tugging at one of her shoulder straps. The beautiful curve of her collarbone was revealed against the white fabric of her dress, looking especially tempting.

Lyra paused for a moment, then answered in a whisper.

"On the... face... and..."

"Lips."

Even though they’d done it in the carriage today, something like this could never be too much.

"So greedy, Lyra."

Astrid’s fingers traced down the elegant curve of her collarbone, sliding into the hollow between her breasts. The pale, cool skin exposed beyond the fabric was fully visible.

"But... as you wish."

Without adding more teasing words, Astrid cleanly agreed to Lyra’s request.

"...Huh?"

This time, it was Lyra who froze, her clear blue eyes reflected Astrid’s face.

Just like that... she accepted?

She had already braced herself for Astrid to tease her until she was burning up, only to force herself to hold back.

"Mm."

Astrid gave a light nod, her voice soft as she added,

"If you want to kiss me, just go ahead."

She didn’t dislike being close to Lyra. In fact, Astrid Calliste shared the same longing for the one she loved.

Right now, with Lyra’s leg pinned against her, her fingers lightly tracing the sensitive, creamy-smooth, silk-covered sole of the girl’s foot, watching Lyra’s face turn rosy red from her actions, yes, it really did feel good.

"It’s not just tonight. From now on, whenever you want to kiss me, you can just do it."

Seeing her little maid flustered and blushing, yet still restrained by her own moral code from making any bold moves, Astrid felt both her mischievous side satisfied and a pang of affection for Lyra.

"However..."

Halfway through, Astrid’s tone shifted. Watching Lyra hold her breath in anticipation, she continued.

"You also need to consider whether the setting is appropriate, and whether I’m in the mood to accept it."

The first point, someone like Lyra, a proper little knight, would naturally know her limits. Things like military inspections or public speeches were obviously off-limits. The second was Astrid’s personal boundary.

Her psychological age wasn’t as youthful as she appeared, a twenty-something imperial princess in the prime of her life, lacking the overflowing, continuously radiating passion that Lyra or Amalia possessed.

Take Amalia, for example. If left unchecked, that tiny-looking loli empress could easily confess on the first night, order a semi-transparent special silk nightgown on the second, and demand Astrid take her on the third.

Lyra wouldn’t go that far, but thinking back on all the times she’d teased the girl without following through, letting cool things down on her own,

Perhaps, the obedient, well-behaved pink-haired puppy had grown addicted, and would now cling to her every chance she got, showering her with nonstop kisses.

After hearing Astrid’s words, Lyra felt as if struck by a meteorite.

Astrid meant... from now on, she could just kiss her whenever?

Right? She couldn’t have misunderstood.

The usually composed and calm knight captain was incredibly clumsy in matters of the heart. It took her nearly half a minute to finally confirm that Astrid’s meaning matched her own thoughts.

"A-Astrid..."

"Um... I also..."

Stammering in response to Astrid, Lyra nervously tried to rub her legs together, only to find one leg still pinned by Astrid. Instead, she gently rubbed the smooth fabric of her stocking against Astrid’s clean, newly bathed legs, which still carried a faint trace of moisture.

"You also... what?"

"If Astrid wants to kiss me..."

"At any time."

In that instant, all traces of feminine modesty were tossed aside by Lyra.

But then again, it probably didn’t matter anymore, after all, Astrid was the one who said it first. She was merely responding in kind.

She just emphasized it a little.

Seeing Lyra’s ears burn even redder, Astrid leaned down and gently brushed her lips against the girl’s.

The cool, smooth sensation disappears in an instant. Lyra froze, her fingers lightly touched her lips. Once she realized what had just happened, she leaned her flushed cheek against Astrid’s.

At that moment, active or passive no longer seemed important. Mutual desire and mutual satisfaction achieve a strange, harmonious balance.

After the gentle kiss, Lyra’s cheeks remained rosy. Her pale, pink-tinged silk-covered toes lightly nudged Astrid’s hand.

"Astrid... how long are you going to keep holding my feet..."

Holding a girl’s foot might not feel much like the holder, but for the one being held, the embarrassment would bubble up like steam from a boiling kettle.

Astrid slowly released her grip upon hearing this, adding softly,

"The way Lyra looks with her ankle held... is really cute."

That natural, unguarded shyness was truly captivating.

Hearing Astrid’s words, Lyra’s face flushed even deeper, yet she didn’t immediately pull her leg away. She simply let Astrid keep it pinned.

"It’s only because Astrid’s never experienced it herself..."

Suddenly recalling something, Lyra’s ears grew even hotter, and she quickly changed the subject.

"What did you talk about with Professor Charlotte today?"

"You came back so late."

Astrid casually recounted her conversation with Charlotte, omitting the more complex parts due to time constraints.

For instance, the entire theory regarding arcane factors.

Lyra nodded thoughtfully, then softly said after a pause,

"You talked for so long... didn’t Professor Charlotte invite you to stay the night?"

She had assumed that, given Astrid’s relationship with Charlotte, she probably wouldn’t have come back.

"She did invite me to stay... for a long night of conversation."

Pinching Lyra’s cheek, Astrid continued,

"But... considering someone might be eagerly waiting to sleep with me..."

"I had to decline."