Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 558: Aren’t you hungry?

White Maple Town had been designated as the core of the defensive line thanks to its uniquely advantageous geography. Long before the fall of Liya Tower Fortress, Amalia and Charles had already discussed the next phase of defense, and preparations, including the deployment of mana-powered machinery and securing accommodations for troops, had been completed well in advance.

Among these preparations was the office belonging to Lyra Beckett, commander of this defense zone. Although not particularly large, the space was fully furnished with a sofa, a coffee table, a desk, and a map board.

However, since the room served as private office space rather than a conference room, many of the furnishings, including seating, were designed for single occupancy. Thus, as Lyra sat at her desk, there was no additional seat available for Astrid to sit.

Noticing Lyra had just emerged from a work-focused state, Astrid’s gaze briefly flicked towards the distant sofa, realizing it would be inconvenient for their conversation. Abandoning the idea of sitting there, she walked straight toward Lyra instead.

"Astrid, what brings you here?"

Seeing Astrid, Lyra spoke softly. Her smooth, silk-stockinged feet pressed firmly into her small leather shoes as she set down the quill she’d been using back into the inkwell.

"I was just in a meeting with Grand Duke Charles and the other nobles. When I heard your parade had ended and you were working in the command room, I thought I’d come see you."

Approaching the desk, Astrid noticed there was no extra chair. However, the newly occupied table still had plenty of open space. Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she gracefully stepped closer to the edge of the desk and, right before Lyra’s eyes, elegantly perched herself on top.

The Imperial Princess had never neglected maintaining her figure, even during her spare time. Combined with her naturally light frame, her seating on the desk caused no sign of instability.

Her dress, a tailored noblewoman’s silk gown, perfectly accentuated Astrid’s slender, alluring figure as she sat sideways. The elaborately decorated, solid black skirt naturally fanned out across the smooth desktop, resembling a water lily blooming in the center of a lake.

And because her seating position faced Lyra directly, the young girl unintentionally caught sight of Astrid’s soft thighs encased in fine black stockings. In the brief shift of the skirt’s hem, sheer, lace-trimmed stockings tightly embracing the Princess’s legs, leaving no wrinkles or excess fabric, effortlessly showcases the flawless, elegant curves of her legs. Her knees crossed delicately, radiating an unintentional charm.

If those legs wrapped in delicate black stockings could already be called works of art, then the satin high heels beneath Astrid’s feet only sharpen the Regent’s noble aura. A slender silver chain wrapped around her dainty, black-stockinged ankle, securing her tender, chocolate-hued foot firmly within the shoe.

The vivid red sole matched the hue of Astrid’s eyes almost perfectly. Rather than appearing vulgar, it harmonized beautifully with elements like the black dress, black stockings, silver hair, and crimson eyes, complementing each other perfectly. Paired with the thick feather-lined coat draped over her shoulders, her fair skin peeked through in tantalizing glimpses.

"Lyra... you seem to suit this position well..."

Resting her cheek against one hand, a pure black velvet glove pressing gently against her face, Astrid carefully examined the documents on the desk, her long legs crossed with elegant poise.

"In just one afternoon, you’ve memorized most of the soldiers’ names, and you’ve assigned defensive units based on specific needs, grouping them by magical proficiency and elemental affinity."

White Maple Town’s military layout resembles that of Liya Tower Fortress. The frontline soldiers would face the searing light magic assaults from the Church knights, those with higher light-element affinity were best suited for the front lines to withstand the attacks.

The center of the formation endures the most concentrated barrage of projectiles, requiring soldiers with sufficient mana reserves to maintain defensive barriers, serving as the core connecting both front and rear, as well as the left and right flanks.

As for the newest recruits, who possessed the weakest mana, they were stationed at the flanks. Having received minimal combat training since conscription, their primary skill was operating mana-powered weapons. Naturally, they will remain under protection, focusing solely on using these weapons to unleash attacks far beyond their individual capabilities.

At the mention of work, Lyra immediately snapped out of the aesthetic spell cast by the Empire’s most beautiful woman and began reporting earnestly to Astrid.

"Most of the credit goes to my Deputy and to the conscription law enacted by Her Majesty. The data they provided has allowed me to effectively compile and assess our combat strength."

"Even though White Maple Town’s walls are nowhere near as tall and imposing as Liya Tower Fortress, and our general troop quality doesn’t match Grand Duke Charles’s elite guard, our previous actions bought us ample breathing room. Spike traps cover the battlefield, mud pits slow down horses, Church of Light’s heavy cavalry can’t utilize their full power on the flat ground, and even their siege infantry are constantly hindered."

"Her Majesty the Empress... truly impressive.."

It was as if some forbidden magic had been used. The army, whose morale had nearly collapsed at Liya Tower Fortress, had now been reorganized and replenished with fresh recruits. Every soldier was equipped with desperately needed mana weapons, and their defensive structures were complete and sturdy, hardly resembling a force that had just suffered defeat.

Hearing Lyra praise Amalia, Astrid curved her lips into a soft smile, quietly agreeing.

"Amalia truly possesses the demeanor of a sovereign."

The Empress and the Regent exchange letters daily, whether for personal friendship or necessary work-related intelligence.

The results of the series of reforms Amalia had implemented since ascending the throne had completely eased Astrid’s lingering worries when she left the capital.

Thankfully, it was Amalia who had become Empress, not the licentious Crown Prince. Otherwise, the entire Empire might have been ruined by that good-for-nothing fool who only cares about indulging in women.

The only person in the entire Empire who could address the current Empress by name was the Regent standing before her.

Lyra once again marveled at the rare, intimate sisterly bond that had formed between two individuals from such distant royal bloodlines. She retrieved the quill from the inkwell and lightly tapped it against the paper in front of Astrid.

"By the way, Astrid... if time permits..."

"I think we could deploy some of the special mana-powered weapons we used at Liya Tower Fortress, those capable of instantly releasing destructive plasma."

At Lyra’s suggestion, Astrid shifted slightly, lowering her gaze to the ink mark on the paper.

"The Church knights have traveled a long way. They rely on large-scale spells like [Holy Radiant City] to shield themselves from the snowstorms."

Lyra’s voice remains calm and melodious, echoing gently through the office.

"We should consider strengthening our flanks. First, to prevent them from attempting surprise attacks, taking this risky path across Lutho Corridor to approach the supply lines on Losterling’s flank."

"Second, if the Kingdom of Velys falls behind in the clashes between Arcanist mages, we could attempt to shatter [Holy Radiant City] from the front. Once such a large-scale spell collapses, every mage involved in its casting will suffer severe mana backlash, sustaining heavy injuries."

"At that moment, those bombs could come into play, using powerful lightning-element resonance to further destabilize [Holy Radiant City]."

Once this field spell was forcibly terminated, the Church knights in the snowstorm will lose their temporary shelter. They would then face only two choices: either be buried beneath the blizzard or retreat to their previous supply point, the so-called great victory they had loudly proclaimed nothing domestically, which was now but the ruins of Liya Tower Fortress.

Astrid listened quietly to Lyra’s analysis. After a moment, she reached out and gently took hold of the hand that held the quill, guiding it to place ink marks on the paper.

"It’s feasible, but the distance is too close. We shouldn’t divide our forces right now. If the enemy seizes the chance for open-field combat and launches a decisive annihilation battle, the cost will outweigh the benefits."

Before the Church knights actually crossed into the nation’s borders, no one could accurately predict their encampment location. Even with analysis from multiple commanding officers, only several high-probability sites could be estimated.

Lyra’s plan was based on the assumption of a confirmed enemy camp location, something they simply didn’t have time for now.

That said, the idea wasn’t without value.

Holding Lyra’s hand, Astrid moved it across the map, drawing a demarcation line at a safe distance from the flank units.

"This is the minimum safe distance our troops can retreat to the fortress, assuming no Arcanist mages interfere."

Her cool voice reached Lyra’s ears, accompanied by the faint tapping of high heels against the desk. The wing-shaped silver ornament on the back of her shoe glimmered slightly under the light, making the already smooth black-stockinged instep appear even more lustrous and tender.

"If you want to proceed, Lyra, use this as your benchmark."

Specialization mattered. Lyra’s acuity in battlefield intelligence and analytical ability truly surpasses that of most. Hearing her out, Astrid acknowledged there was indeed room for optimization.

With the Regent’s strategic insight added, Lyra nodded slightly and continued discussing the deployment.

"In that case... perhaps we should first contact the commander of that defense zone..."

"Grand Duke Charles’s opinion is also crucial..."

"..."

Time slipped by unnoticed. Astrid had arrived close to dinnertime, and by the end of their conversation, the silver moon was already hung among the branches in the cold wind.

In her working state, Lyra shed the innocence and naivety of youth, transforming into a focused and serious war commander, a change not unexpected by Astrid. Yet the fact that she revealed not a trace of personal emotion seemed almost overly composed.

It seemed Lyra’s recent trials had been even more grueling than Astrid had imagined.

Closing the book, the battle preparations were temporarily set aside. Seated on the desk, Astrid felt the warmth of the room’s heating. The thick outer coat she had worn earlier against the cold wind now felt excessive, so she began to loosen the large, fluffy robe wrapped around her.

As the soft cloak slid down to her skirt, her long, slender swan-like neck was fully exposed to the air. The night-sky-colored neckline failed to fully conceal her ample curves, revealing delicate collarbones. Shifting outward, her full, weighty bosom caught the light, clearly stated.

A flicker of fine snow entered Lyra’s vision, blending with the light spilling from the edge of Astrid’s clothes, making the scene before her suddenly dreamy and alluring.

At the same moment, Astrid noticed it too. But she didn’t stop, instead, she placed both hands on the desk, letting the robe drape loosely over her arms, her fragrant shoulders slightly exposed.

"Lyra... I forgot to ask earlier..."

"Does it bother you that I’m sitting on your desk?"

Her soft thighs lightly bounced against the desk edge, creating a subtle, enticing indentation. One leg stretched straight while the other bent at the knee, propped against the desk, almost as if proactively monitoring something, as she turned her gaze toward Lyra.

She’d already sat down, already talked. Why ask now?

Staring at the Astrid before her, who resembled a reborn succubus, Lyra pressed her lips together, forcefully shifting her eyes away.

"...Not at all."

Indeed, no matter what the silver-haired Regent did, every movement carried an undeniable allure.

"Is that so?"

Upon hearing the answer, Astrid’s lips curled slightly upward. Propping herself up with both hands, she shifted her body, turning from a sideways seated position to face Lyra directly, gracefully crossing her legs.

Hearing the soft rustle of silk against wood, Lyra straightened her back. Her slightly weakened silk-stockinged calves tensed again, preventing her body from leaning back.

The silver-haired, crimson-eyed Imperial beauty gazed quietly at her. Her delicate features radiated a cold, seductive charm, two utterly contrasting traits perfectly fused in an instant. Like an elegant iceberg meant to be admired from afar, yet also like a passionate flame that would melt into tenderness at a single touch.

Regardless, in Lyra’s eyes at this moment, Astrid Calliste lacked only one slender tail to fully confirm her identity as a succubus.

What princess in the world could be both so dignified and so bewitched at once?

Her ankle gently slid across Lyra’s waist, causing the pink-haired girl to instinctively shiver from the tickle.

"It’s been a long time since dinner... Lyra..."

Astrid’s voice was sultry as she shamelessly tapped Lyra’s lower back with the tip of her high heels.

Aren’t you hungry?

Now that she mentioned it, she had originally come to see Lyra with the intention of sharing dinner.

Unaware, their work discussion had stretched all the way to eight or nine o’clock at night.

Watching Astrid’s lips part and close, soft, pink, and glossy like glazed porcelain, Lyra placed her hands over the Regent’s, her superior in title, then rose slightly onto her toes.

When Astrid said things like this... didn’t she clearly mean for her to lean in and kiss?

Then, she might as well grant her wish.

The back of her small leather shoe opened slightly, revealing two soft, pink-tinged feet as white and tender as ice cream. Using the front of the shoe for support, they lifted upward just a little.

But in the office... and sitting on the desk...

Wasn’t this just a little... Too stimulating?