Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 88: Homesick

"Miss Lyra, from today onwards, you no longer need to wake Her Highness Astrid every morning."

Upon hearing Elise's words, Lyra looked at the head maid with a hint of surprise.

"In that case... Lady Astrid won't even have breakfast..."

"Well, I'll have the maid team prepare some additional snacks. If Her Highness feels hungry upon waking, you can serve them to her."

Before Lyra became her personal maid, Astrid rarely ate breakfast.

She often slept until around nine or ten o'clock, calling it her beauty sleep, and then combined breakfast and lunch into one meal.

Of course, back then, Astrid slept in simply because she enjoyed staying in bed.

Now, with her additional evening activities, she compensates for her lack of nighttime sleep by resting during the day.

"Understood," Lyra replied softly.

Though she wasn't sure of the reason, Elise had served Astrid for many years and was undoubtedly familiar with the princess's habits.

Lyra decided it was best to follow instructions without question.

To ensure that at least one personal maid was always stationed outside the princess's chambers, Lyra adjusted her meal times to avoid overlapping with Elise's.

Standing by the door, her thoughts drifted aimlessly to the scene she had witnessed in the room the previous night.

A Transformation potion alters the user' appearance in the eyes of others, enhancing their image based on their original attributes and inner desires.

Lyra couldn't help but wonder how Astrid perceived her after consuming the potion.

A maid, a rival in love, a country girl... and somewhat clumsy when it came to learning magic...

These disparate elements combined created an image that was hard to envision.

She stared at the marble floor tiles beside her shoes for a long while.

The reflection was blurry, but she could vaguely make out the black of her skirt and the white of her stockings.

Lyra exhaled softly, folded her hands neatly, and adjusted her posture to the standard maid stance.

Over a month ago, she had struggled to get used to wearing maid uniforms and the comfortable pantyhose.

Now, she could perform most noble etiquettes with ease, leaving no room for criticism.

As the protagonist, Lyra's remarkable learning ability often revealed itself in subtle ways throughout her daily life.

However, surrounded by so many extraordinary individuals, even she remained unaware of this talent.

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Meanwhile, in the princess's boudoir, Astrid lay in bed, clad in a black silk dress.

Her long, silky silver-white hair cascaded around her face, partially covering her delicate ears.

A few strands rested on her fair, pink-tinged skin above her collarbone, resembling delicate silk petals encircling a flower's stamen.

Her expression was serene, her breathing steady.

Her hands rested naturally at her sides, and her long, straight eyelashes fluttered slightly with each breath.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Astrid slowly awoke.

Her bright red eyes flickered with confusion at first, but she quickly regained her bearings upon recognizing the familiar surroundings.

She sat up, straightened her back, and rose from the bed.

Last night, after discreetly observing Astrid for a while during the initial cleaning, Amalia had remained alone in the bedroom, showing no interest in further conversation.

Thinking that Amalia might peek out if unable to sleep, Astrid had waited in the castle until five in the morning.

With nothing else to do, she sat by the window, counting the stars in the night sky to pass the time.

Compared to the heavily polluted starry sky of her previous life, the night view of capital City appeared pristine and pure, with scattered points of light surrounding the bright moon.

Every frame, every moment, felt worth capturing with her eyes.

Thinking of the cold and aloof girl sleeping next door, Astrid couldn't help but recall her sister from her past life.

Although she had mentally prepared herself for their separation, it was impossible not to miss her after so much time had passed.

Lyra, who was far from home, could at least exchange letters with her family.

No matter the distance, they could always look up and see the same starry sky and the same moon.

Astrid was different. She was a traveler from a foreign land, her soul adrift in an unfamiliar time and space.

Despite Charlotte's care and Emperor Hibbort's affection, the deep-seated loneliness in her heart never faded, not even for a moment.

She didn't belong here.

Perhaps it was the solitude of the late night, or her inability to sleep, but Astrid found herself lost in thought that night, feeling slightly off-kilter.

She chalked it up to her own unreasonable sentimentality and decided that the next time she came, she would bring a book to pass the time.

Though the starry sky was beautiful, staring at it for too long could easily leave one feeling disoriented.

Bare feet stepping into soft plush slippers, Astrid walked into the bathroom to wash up.

After a good night's sleep, she had returned to her usual calm demeanor.

The melancholy she had felt in the night vanished with the sound of running water in the basin.

Pushing her long silver hair back and gazing at her flawless reflection in the mirror, Astrid spat out the chewed cleansing grass, picked up her toothbrush, and rinsed her mouth.

When she looked up again, her eyes were cold and resolute.

No matter what the future held, she would continue to move forward alone.

Picking up the towel, she dabbed it into the water from the blue crystal basin and carefully wiped her face.

After a quick wash, she returned to the bedroom, changed into an elegant princess dress paired with over-the-knee black stockings, and sat at her dressing table to fix her hair without calling Lyra for assistance.

Elise had strictly regulated the shift changes for the palace guards, significantly reducing the risk of Astrid being discovered during her comings and goings.

She planned to gradually establish contact with Amalia but knew she couldn't afford to be careless about other matters.

Today, she would prepare a dinner for Emperor Hibbort, and later, she would inspect the perfume factory mentioned by the Velmont family.

Work kept her busy, and time waited for no one.

A quarter of an hour later, Astrid, now neatly dressed, left her room and headed for what was essentially her breakfast but served as lunch.

Afterward, she went straight to the alchemy workshop to experiment with new perfume blends that might be used for future trade.

She worked diligently until a little past five in the afternoon before returning to the kitchen to prepare dinner for Emperor Hibbort.

"Lyra, come and help me," Astrid called.

Lyra nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."

She gave instructions to the pink-haired maid, who promptly followed them and began washing the vegetables with care.

In truth, Lyra had never seen Emperor Hibbort up close.

During their first two encounters, either Astrid hadn't brought her along, or she had been standing too far away to get a clear view.

As a law-abiding citizen of the Valeria Empire, she, like most people, longed to catch a glimpse of the noble Emperor in person.

Sensing Lyra's quiet excitement, Astrid glanced at her but said nothing, focusing instead on the dishes she was preparing.

By the evening, Emperor Hibbort was seated in the dining room, waiting punctually.

Astrid sat across from him and instructed Lyra and Elise to serve the dishes on time.

"My cooking skills are still a work in progress, so I've prepared only four dishes. I hope you enjoy them," Astrid said modestly.

Hibbort's expression softened, his eyes as kind as ever. "It's the thought that counts. The taste is secondary."

As a top noble, Hibbort had sampled every delicacy imaginable, so he didn't hold high expectations for Astrid, who had only been cooking for half a month.

As long as the food was edible, he would be satisfied.

At least, from what he'd heard from the servants, Princess Astrid's dishes looked presentable.

The father and daughter chatted for a while until the kitchen divided each dish into two portions and handed them to the two personal maids to serve.

Lyra took her plate and brought the dishes to the table with a composed expression.

Once the dishes were set, she and Elise stood about five meters behind Astrid.

That… is Emperor Hibbort…

Lyra observed the blond man seated at the table, his dignified demeanor, sharp features, and the royal aura that emanated from his every movement.

She pursed her lips, feeling an overwhelming sense of pressure, far greater than what she experienced around Astrid.

He was the pinnacle of nobility, embodying the supreme authority of the empire.

Just as she was about to look away, a sharp gaze suddenly fell on her. Hibbort's eyes shifted slightly, landing on the pink-haired maid standing nearby.

His deep green eyes were calm but piercing.

His Majesty the Emperor had noticed her observing him.

Realizing this, Lyra quickly lowered her head, her fingers twisting nervously.

Hibbort, an intermediate Crusader, was particularly sensitive to the gazes directed at him.