Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 299: What are they thinking?

In the Monster Mountains, Linda saw the bright light burning in the distance. She took a few seconds to contemplate what that light represented, then quickly shook awake her roommate who had just fallen asleep. She pulled a crystal stone from her pocket and released a rescue signal indicating their location.

Just as Lydia finished doing this, several towering beams of light erupted around them, likely from other students who had seen the signal and were responding to the academy’s arrangements, preparing to evacuate the forest in an orderly manner.

At 12:05 AM, as beams of light indicating their positions continuously lit up within the mountains, the final exam officially ended. The academy’s higher-ups, responsible for maintaining order, quickly flew towards the destinations based on the light beams.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Brennild, who had traversed the shadows and returned to the burial ground, saw the white light glowing on the horizon. Her lead-black eyes gleamed with a faint light, her expression still cold.

After a brief moment of respite, Brennild’s sense of fear slightly diminished. She quickly realized that the person she had just attacked must have already left the Monster Mountains and relayed her information to others.

"Who are you, really..."

Her hands plunged into the flesh, a strong aura of death enveloping Brennild’s arms and deepening the shade of her black robe. The undead creatures around her seemed to receive some signals simultaneously, continuously gathering towards her location.

Although she didn’t know how much time had passed since her era or whether people now truly know her identity, with someone like Astrid who could read Elders Speech, Brennild dared not let her guard down. She couldn’t bet on them not investigating her.

Her previous two awakenings had been artificially interrupted, and this time she couldn’t afford to fall back into her infancy.

As Brennild continuously absorbed the energy from the blood cocoon, its exterior, initially smooth, became shriveled. The eerie red color gradually faded, turning into pure black.

After about fifteen minutes, Brennild had drained all the residual energy from the burial ground. With a flick of her wrist, a dense black mist surged at her fingertips.

This revival not only caused her to lose her original state but also regressed her strength to this pitiful state...

Feeling that the authority she wielded was less than a fraction of her peak, Brennild felt a hint of irritation. She then turned and saw the undead creatures surrounding her. With a gentle wave of her hand, the black mist clinging to their skeletal surfaces was instantly drawn away. Clean bones and bloody flesh scattered across the ground like broken dolls.

Although reluctant to admit it, after her brief encounters with Astrid and Lyra, Brennild knew that her current level was insufficient to face the elites of this era.

It wouldn’t hurt to let these ants have a few steps ahead while she grew stronger. Once she truly understood the world and regained most of her former strength, it wouldn’t be too late to act.

Sensing several auras in the distance that faintly surpassed her own, Brennild moved northwestward, her body gradually blending into the night as she moved like a ghost through the shadows.

If a world map were placed before Brennild at this moment, she might realize just how right her chosen destination for her next move was.

Northwest of the Monster Mountains, beyond a vast expanse of barren land filled with marsh gas and toxic fog, lay one of the only two nominally unified human nations. A kingdom where the king and the pope coexisted, where royal and religious authority intertwined, claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Loren Empire, the Kingdom of Velys.

..........

"...Lyra?"

Shifting her gaze from the light outside the window to the bed nearby, Astrid saw Lyra’s slightly flushed face. Her pink hair, which had scattered over the pillow, appeared somewhat messy.

"Ah? Princess Astrid?"

Lyra’s instinctive response carried the previous honorific she used for Astrid. Hearing this, Astrid’s red eyes narrowed slightly. She looked down and noticed that the loose front of her dress had been slightly tugged open by her movements. She then reached out to pinch the hem, letting it naturally conform to her curves.

Astrid’s small gesture seemed to confirm Lyra’s earlier guilty conscience. The blush on the girl’s cheeks deepened, resembling the glow of a summer evening’s horizon.

Lyra didn’t know how she appeared in Astrid’s eyes at this moment and could only lower her head, avoiding the other’s gaze.

If she had to find an object to represent herself now, Lyra felt she would be like the magic-powered kettle in Astrid’s palace, bubbling with steam from the top whenever it boiled.

As Lyra’s heart was in turmoil, Astrid reached out and gently tousled the pink hair before her, her lips parting slightly.

"Lyra... so you weren’t looking out the window just now..."

The woman’s tone carries a hint of teasing and joke, light yet perfectly hitting Lyra’s mark.

For a moment, Lyra didn’t know how to respond. She clenched the blanket, her back sweating profusely.

She was indeed caught by Princess Astrid...

Would she think... I’m strange...

Looking at Lyra, whose eyelashes trembled slightly, her body curled up on one side of the bed, not daring to come closer, Astrid suddenly thought of something Charlotte had once done, a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes.

"Young as you are, yet you think quite a lot."

Her arm pressed against the bed, snaking deftly onto Lyra’s shoulder. The girl felt the warmth and instinctively froze, then noticed Astrid’s hand passing through her neck, gently cradling the back of her head.

In the next moment, Astrid’s arm exerted force, pulling the side-lying Lyra into her embrace. The girl’s forehead pressed directly against the soft breasts, and even through a layer of silk, she could feel the warmth and subtle fragrance emanating from Astrid’s body.

Previously, it was just looking, but now she could clearly feel the sensation. Her erect nose tip touched the white nightgown, and Lyra’s heart seemed to skip a beat at that moment.

Princess Astrid, she, she, she...

This hugging posture was something Lyra had only experienced when she was very young, held by her mother. Although she was just a child then, she had engraved that warm and peaceful feeling deep in her mind.

Now, with a different person, the warmth remains, but Lyra’s mental state is worlds apart.

Although the barrier between them was thick, she could still hear Astrid’s steady and strong heartbeat.

"What? Are you asleep?"

Seeing Lyra remained silent, Astrid spoke softly, her chin gently resting on the freshly washed pink hair. The faint fragrance combined with the smooth touch made Astrid, who had merely intended to tease, suddenly felt that holding her like this wasn’t so bad.

After a few seconds, Lyra’s voice trembled.

"N-no."

Perhaps her mind was muddled by Astrid’s warmth, but Lyra felt her consciousness blurring, as if she were dreaming.

This... isn’t real, is it...

Last night, she had also been held by Astrid on a bed, but back then, Astrid hadn’t pulled her into her embrace so directly. Instead, she had held her from behind. The impact of the two different ways of holding couldn’t be compared.

"Then why aren’t you saying anything?"

Astrid asked knowingly, her long, slender legs gently resting on Lyra’s knee beneath the blanket, causing the girl’s body to tremble again. Her breathing, brushing against the skirt, noticeably quickened.

"Because..." Lyra’s lips twitched a few times, her wildly beating heart making it impossible for her to form coherent sentences.

"...I don’t know what to say."

It wasn’t a deliberate excuse; she truly couldn’t say anything at this moment.

Feeling Lyra’s palpable nervousness, Astrid’s mischievous desire was partially satisfied. However, she didn’t stop there but instead gently parted her knees, entangling her legs with Lyra’s.

As the slippery sensation came from below, Lyra’s back straightened completely. Her hand rested on Astrid’s skirt, her pink, rounded fingernail adorned with a faint sword-shaped light mark.

Princess Astrid... is too much...

Actually, it wasn’t entirely Astrid’s fault. Lyra’s softness was simply too much to her liking.

In her previous life, Astrid had also witnessed intimate gestures between close friends, but her reserved nature had prevented her from being this close with anyone other than her sister.

Perhaps it was the personality shift from the soul fusion, or perhaps the lingering resentment Astrid Calliste had towards Lyra Beckett in the original story, but the current Astrid seemed to particularly enjoy this feeling of controlling Lyra’s emotions.

Especially seeing the other’s flushed yet helpless expression, the joy of successfully teasing her always makes her want to continue.

Teasing a shy and Holy Knight was just so much fun.

"If you don’t know what to say..."

"Talk about how you feel."

As for what kind of feeling, Astrid didn’t need to specify. She knew Lyra understood what she meant.

Compared to just looking, actual contact should provide a clearer experience.

Hearing this, Lyra’s brain completely shut down, as if bubbles were rising from her.

After a long while, the girl whispered, "Very... soft..."

Like the layer of cream on a cake, or perhaps, cotton yet to be picked.

Hearing this, Astrid’s lips curved slightly, and she continued.

"Then let’s sleep like this."

Not only could she gain an incredibly suitable pillow, but it also satisfied her indescribably mischievous desires, a win-win situation.

"..."

The light outside the window hadn’t faded, and the rising beams briefly dimmed the moonlight. To ensure every student can see it, this signal magic announces the early end of the exam will last for over an hour.

Feeling the lotus leaf edge of Astrid’s nightgown snugly fitting against the back of her hand, Lyra bit her lip, closed her eyes, and actively wrapped her arm around Astrid’s waist.

"...Okay."

Compared to being held by Astrid with trepidation before, this responsive embrace now gave Lyra a sense of fulfillment from within.

Holding Astrid feels like holding the entire world.

Noticing Lyra’s small gesture, a flicker of surprise passed through Astrid’s eyes, but it quickly disappeared. Her lips rested against the former’s hair, and her smooth, delicate legs pressed closer.

Since her legs weren’t covered in stockings, the distinctly different sensation from yesterday brought another feeling to Lyra’s heart.

Slowing her breathing, she exhaled heavily, trying her best to suppress the urge to hold Astrid tighter. Her hands clasped together cautiously, unlike Amalia’s usual active approach, where she would place her palms on Astrid’s back.

What is this? Giving up and not planning to resist anymore?

Astrid didn’t know the myriad thoughts swirling in Lyra’s heart, only assuming she was feigning composure. After holding her like this for a while, Astrid’s initial intention to tease gradually cooled, and she began to ponder the identity of the dark-haired girl.

Once back in the capital, she will first meet Charlotte to discuss the details of the battle at the Jones Farm and the shadow she had specifically mentioned.

Then she will seek out Professor Evelyn to learn more about contemporary mages’ understanding of Elders Speech and the highly speculated "world’s will."

She would also have Amalia try it, to see if this genius mage with direct royal lineage could cast ancient magic.

On the same bed, two people with completely different thoughts. Astrid was already contemplating what to do upon returning, while Lyra, whose heart had been stirred by her, couldn’t calm down for a long time, enduring this embrace that felt both like enjoyment and torture.

Lyra didn’t know if others facing their crush felt as intensely as she did, but at this moment, the impulse in her heart burned like fire.

She wanted... to kiss Astrid...

Really, really wanted to...

But she absolutely must not.

The inner torment and desire tugged at Lyra repeatedly, and coincidentally, Astrid, halfway through her thoughts, unconsciously rubbed her leg against Lyra’s.

"..."

Opening her mouth, the soft silk of the nightgown lightly brushed against her tender lips. The brief touch felt like drinking poison to quench thirst, so slight that no one could notice.

After a moment, Lyra pursed her lips again, simultaneously closing her eyes tightly.

It’s just sleeping together...

Don’t think too much, Lyra...

.........

At the Elizabeth Academy of Magic, in the student dormitory, the head maid looked at the empty bed next door, then changed at the dark-haired girl lying on Astrid’s bed, her eyes calm and unreadable.

Has Princess Amalia not fallen asleep yet?

In the three days since Astrid left, the fourth princess had visibly become colder, staying in the dormitory all day, going nowhere.

She must be missing her sister.

Hearing faint movements from the bed diagonally across, Amalia looked up to see Elise getting up and placing mosquito-repellent grass in the middle of the dormitory.

Their eyes met, and Elise asked Amalia if she wanted some sleep-inducing milk. The latter shook her head and softly declined.

"No need."

Holding the pillow Astrid had slept on, her body slightly curled up, the petite girl leaned her back against the wall, feeling inexplicably restless.

Something bad must have happened.

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