Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 541: Sleeping with maid

Unlike Liya Tower Fortress, an imperial stronghold purpose-built for war, Losterling City lay south of the second defensive line, positioned safely behind the strategic buffer zone. Its urban construction relies on the severe rigidity of border fortresses, and being inside didn’t evoke the urgent urgency of war.

Precisely because of this, Lyra, who in Liya Tower had only enough time each day to rinse off before collapsing into bed to conserve energy, could finally enjoy the rare luxury of soaking longer in a bathtub here, savoring the comfort of warmth enveloping her entire body. Before Astrid returned each day, tying up her hair and sinking into warm water was the most relaxing moment of Lyra’s entire day.

Noticing the bathtub’s inner wall felt slightly slippery tonight, Lyra carefully sat down, still in a tipsy state. She channeled her mental power to activate the crystal stone, letting the warm water gradually rise past her ankles.

Next to her, a storage basket holds a clean nightgown. The white blouse and stockings she’d just removed had already been taken by Astrid for washing the next day. Besides these, only two towels for drying and a large bathrobe for covering remained.

It was just past eight in the evening. Astrid’s one-day role as a maid had less than four hours remaining.

As the water level rose, her pale, smooth legs submerged in the warmth appeared even more radiant. Lyra relaxed, her eyes half-closed, the back of her neck resting against the tub’s edge, arms hanging loosely at her sides.

Although she’d consumed a significant amount of alcohol and used mental power to slow its breakdown, Lyra was nowhere almost completely drunk, she was merely pleasantly tipsy.

This was the enhanced alcohol resistance granted by a Master Knight-level physique. If another fragile mage, say, even an Arcanist-level mage like Charlotte, had drunk this much without magic, they’d likely already be disoriented, a languid beauty easily toppled onto the bed.

To have held out this long, she was truly impressive.

Lyra thought this, her mind hazy, vision blurred and fragmented. Unconsciously, she straightened her knees, her two jade-like, smooth legs stirring the water, creating faint ripples.

So warm. So comfortable.

She didn’t need to think. She doesn’t need to do anything. Just lying here, wrapped in warmth and light.

Alcohol and warm water combined, makes Lyra’s skin flush slightly. Rising steam diffused through her narrowed vision, finally condensing into dampness on the girl’s perky, fluttering eyelashes.

Modern medicine advises against bathing immediately after drinking, stimulating warm water accelerates blood circulation and alcohol absorption. At this moment, Lyra felt her consciousness steadily weakening, like the prelude to falling asleep.

The water rose past soft pink, gently covering delicate snowy mounds, naturally stopping at the beautifully lined collarbones.

Lyra lay there, feeling the constant touch of warm water on her skin, listening to the profound silence around her, broken only occasionally by the sound of dripping water.

Oppression, desire, joy, bitterness, sorrow, her chaotic mind couldn’t contain all these emotions, only sinking deeper, eventually recalling nothing at all.

Lyra gradually entered the hazy state she’d been curious about before drinking. At this moment, she had completely forgotten why she’d done it in the first place.

But if even her purpose was temporarily forgotten, didn’t that mean the bottle of wine had done an exceptional job at alleviating her sorrow?

Closing her eyes, she saw a faint red light. The girl’s slender, pale feet beneath the water rose and fell with her thoughts, like a silver moon cresting the horizon, or moonlight scattered in shimmering ripples across the sea.

Apparently noticing the different buoyancy when parts of her legs and feet entered and exited the water, Lyra gently swayed her legs, slowly bobbing up and down. Besides the occasional drip, a faint sound of ripping water now reaches her ears.

If Astrid saw her, she’d surely think she was acting like a child.

She’d already come of age, yet still enjoy playing with water during baths, where was the steady demeanor of a knight?

But... Astrid isn’t here now...

So whatever.

She could blame it all on the alcohol. Unlike usual, Lyra didn’t immediately stop herself upon realizing she was acting childish. Instead, she fully followed her heart. Her fair cheeks dipped slightly, bringing her lips to hover just one or two centimeters above the water’s surface, feeling the gently rippling water kiss her skin, pretending she was a little mermaid who hadn’t come ashore.

Before she realized it, even the hair Astrid had neatly tied up had come loose, naturally spilling into the water.

The bathroom’s light was warm and cozy. The smooth porcelain tub cradled the water and her body, everything resembles a dream made of bubbles, difficult to escape.

.............

It was nearly nine when Lyra emerged from her bath. Before she’d gotten in, she’d merely been tipsy; now, after soaking in warm water and steam, her thoughts were even heavier.

"Astrid, I’m done."

Seeing Lyra in a white nightgown, wearing thin-strapped sandals, walking to the bed’s edge, Astrid gave a slight nod, guiding a gentle breeze through her cherry-colored hair.

"The black tea is ready, placed by the bedside."

Feeling the tender touch through her hair, Lyra sat on the bed’s edge. The part of her buttocks wrapped in the nightgown sank slightly into the soft mattress the moment it made contact, its plush texture clearly visible.

After hearing Astrid’s words, Lyra picked up the nearby teacup and took small sips. Once her hair was completely dry, she heard Astrid speak again.

"Tonight, does Miss Lyra need her maid to sleep beside her?"

"..."

Even though Astrid wasn’t normally a maid, they still slept together. Why ask her tonight?

Lyra savored the soft, sweet scent on her tongue, knees quietly pressing together as she spoke softly.

"Mm."

Could it be... "sleeping aside" meant that kind of "sleeping aside"...

Her head was still a bit dizzy. Even thinking of those intimate scenarios only triggers instinctive acceptance rather than rational consideration of whether she should refuse. Lyra’s cheeks flushed faintly. Her delicate, sandaled feet slipped out quietly, gently pressing against the hanging bedsheet.

Hearing this, Astrid’s lips curled slightly upward. Her voice was alluring. "As you command, my master."

The crisp female voice faded, and Astrid stepped forward with long, graceful legs toward the washroom, leaving Lyra only with a silver silhouette.

Watching the woman’s soft calves wrapped in fine white stockings, and those exquisite white-stockinged ankles illuminated by moonlight as she walked, Lyra held her teacup with both hands. For a fleeting moment, her hazy blue eyes cleared.

Why does this atmosphere... feel a bit off...

But clarity was short-lived. Hearing the washroom door close and the faint sound of silk brushing against skin echoing in her ears, Lyra’s thoughts grew hazy again, capable only of processing the cup of tea before her, emitting a faint milky fragrance.

After sipping the tea to the last drop, Lyra slipped her legs under the covers. Inside, the temperature was nearly identical to her body heat, neither cold nor hot.

This luxurious mansion, specially prepared by the city lord for the Regent, is equipped with a full set of magic-powered devices. Even in the northern regions during late autumn, the room remained comfortably warm. Warm air flowed in from all directions of the bedroom. Even the carpet beneath their feet conceals fire-element crystals at its base, providing underfloor heating.

After a bath, lying on a soft, spacious bed at just the right temperature, drowsiness quickly crept over Lyra. But reminded that Astrid had rarely appeared in her maid role, the pink-haired girl wanted to spend more time with her resisted the sleepiness, waiting patiently.

It’s not like she’s dying to... so that "sleeping beside" thing with Astrid...

Thinking this, Lyra curled her legs slightly. Twenty minutes passed, and the sound of running water in the washroom gradually ceased.

Lyra, who’d assumed Astrid would take a long time washing, snapped alert. Her head turned gently on the pillow, her gaze fixed on the lavishly decorated bathroom door.

The water stopped quickly, but the time spent changing clothes was unusually long, nearly a quarter of the bathing time.

Five minutes later, the bathroom door opened, and a silver-haired maid in a black-and-white maid dress entered the bedroom.

The same iconic outfit from earlier: the striking X-shaped shoulder straps and cleavage-revealing neckline, the skirt ending above the knees, her long, straight legs wrapped in delicate white stockings.

Not a nightgown... but the maid uniform emphasizing her role...

Watching Astrid approach the bed, Lyra’s mind grew even more distracted.

"Astrid... why are you still wearing this..."

She’d already thought during the day that this outfit looked overly stunning on Astrid. Now, under the deep night and bright moonlight, the fabric shimmered, making the smooth, tender skin beneath appear even softer and silkier. Just the sight conveyed a faint, cool, alluring fragrance.

Hearing this, Astrid blinked her vivid red eyes, mimicking the tone of a head maid.

"Because I am Lyra’s personal maid. Even during nighttime service, I must always emphasize my status."

Staring at the Empire’s most beautiful woman, whose every breath and movement exuded exceptional grace, Lyra’s voice unconsciously softened.

"Then..."

"...It’ll be midnight soon."

Tomorrow, Astrid will resume her position as the noble Regent, making such pretense unnecessary.

Astrid feigned confusion, glancing at Lyra before softly replying.

"I don’t quite understand what my master means."

"I am your personal maid for an entire day. That means it should be counted from when we wake up in the morning."

In other words, her maid status will actually continue until the next morning, not ending at midnight.

Having spoken, as if deliberately pressing something, Astrid continued.

"Tonight, I belong entirely to Lyra as her maid. I will obey any command."

She would certainly perform basic duties like serving tea and massaging shoulders and legs. As for other things, it all depends on Lyra’s interpretation.

With that, Astrid removed her slippers, her two white-stockinged feet lightly stepping onto the soft bed. Her cool-scented, delicate figure slipped under the covers.

"Please give your orders, Lyra," Astrid said.

Hearing the silver-haired maid’s words, seeing her breathtakingly beautiful face so close on the adjacent pillow, Lyra’s legs instinctively tensed.

They were already lying face-to-face on the bed... and she still had to give orders?

Wasn’t this... pure suggestion?

Staring into Astrid’s gorgeous red eyes, Lyra’s cheeks grew increasingly flushed. Her gaze lowered, the cooling effect of the maid dress wasn’t much different from a regular nightgown, and even the soft, pressed contours were clearly visible, making her ears burn.

Belonging entirely to her, and willing to obey any command, when words had reached this point, wasn’t it clearly implying that kind of thing?

The kind of bad, intimate acts most nobles performed with their personal maids.

Just let Astrid serve her properly as implied.

Perhaps alcohol had numbed her reason, or maybe the accumulated negative emotions from prolonged war had suddenly found an outlet. An unusually intense, sinful thought echoed in Lyra’s mind.

Her skin grew slightly hot. Her nose filled with the intoxicating, pure fragrance of a maiden. Lyra turned her head, burying her face in the soft pillow, her heart pounding.

No... absolutely not...

To do that to Princess Astrid right now...

Even though relationships of that nature between nobles and maids were an unspoken rule among the upper class, in Lyra’s heart, the prerequisite for taking the final step had to be a romantic relationship between both parties.

A kiss, she could still convince herself that Astrid truly liked her beyond friendship, that they were moving toward each other.

But this... it was still too fast...

Sensing Lyra’s struggle, Astrid fluttered her eyelashes, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from beside the pink-haired girl’s ear, revealing a luscious, dewy earlobe.

If it were Amalia, faced with such advances, she’d probably already demand Astrid take her fiercely, making her a true adult in every sense.

But the person before her now was Lyra, her reaction was completely within Astrid’s expectations. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

She’d always been a Holy Knight with morality far above average. Expecting her to break her principles and make bold moves toward herself was nearly impossible. However, if she continues suppressing herself like this, the purpose of Astrid’s actions today will lose its meaning.

Perhaps... she should add a little more fuel to the fire...

Thinking this, Astrid leaned her head close to Lyra’s profile. Her legs, covered in smooth white stockings, gently entwined around Lyra’s knees, her voice soft.

"Master... are you certain you won’t give me an order?"

"Or... would you prefer if I took the initiative?"

Finishing her words, Astrid drew even closer. Her astonishingly soft, bountiful curves pressed against Lyra’s arm, her warm breath swirling by Lyra’s ear.

"After all, this outfit was made specifically for Lyra. Even the fabric is soft and smooth."

"And... only today will it be white, you know..."