As the class monitor of Class A and the daughter of the great noble Marquis, Linda Jostlin has always presented herself as a dignified and elegant young lady, never showing her emotions. But at this mont, Lyra suddenly felt an unnaturalness in her that was very different from usual.
"Well, the holidays are coming soon, so I wanted to return the books I borrowed from Linda."
Out of courtesy, Lyra didn’t look around the room, just took out the books she was holding and showed them to Linda.
"This ’Knight Combat Skills of Cortelos,’ and ’Flexible Attachnt of Joints and Muscles’...."
"I gained a lot from them, thank you."
Taking the books from Lyra, Linda nodded politely and replied, "You’re welco," then casually asked, "Are you going ho or staying in the capital, Lyra?"
"I plan to stay in Capital City, already arranged to continue as Princess Astrid’s personal maid."
Noticing that Linda used her left hand, which she usually didn’t use much in daily life, to take the books, Lyra’s gaze naturally fell on the other hand hanging by her side. Linda’s slender, smooth fingers were slightly rubbing together, occasionally trembling.
It feels... Linda is acting strange...
Thinking this, Lyra quickly noticed that Linda’s skirt was a bit wrinkled, and the shoulder strap was off to one side, almost slipped off her shoulder.
"Linda... are you feeling unwell?"
Out of concern for her friend, Lyra gently asked.
Hearing this, Linda was started for a mont, swallowed, and gradually moved her hand behind her back.
"It’s nothing, just a bit groggy from just waking up, it’s fine."
Seeing the slight evasiveness in Linda’s eyes, Lyra guessed that Linda might have sothing she didn’t want her to know, so she considerately replied.
"Is that so..."
"Since Linda just woke up, I won’t disturb you by coming in."
But it’s strange, it’s almost al ti, and Linda just got out of bed.
Is she still the diligent class monitor I know, who is always the second to enter the classroom every day?
Just as she turned to leave, Lyra’s peripheral vision caught the bedding on the left side of the bed suddenly moving, followed by a "thud" as a dark matte shoe fell from the edge of the bed to the floor.
"..."
This shoe... was it on the bed just now?
Lyra blinked, her white silk legs standing still.
If she rembered correctly, that bed belongs to Linda Jostlin.
"Does Linda have a habit of putting shoes on the bed..."
The style was one Lyra was very familiar with, the standard loafer that every maid’s wardrobe had.
Hearing this question, Linda’s mouth twitched, and she glanced at the bed. By the iron bed rail, a thin white silk stocking hangs on the ladder, not hidden under the bedding in ti. As Lyra’s gaze up, the quilt seed to prepare to move closer to the wall.
After a brief silence, Linda found a sowhat awkward excuse.
"Maybe it was put there soti..."
"You know, my study companion maid is quite clumsy, always losing things."
The maid Linda ntioned was soone Lyra knew, a cute, round-faced girl with glasses who often followed Linda around.
"Oh... I see..."
"That makes sense..."
Lyra pretended to be fooled, very understandingly giving Linda a way out, forcibly ignoring the soft, dense dark hair at the edge of the bedding.
Seeing this, Linda also knew that Lyra had noticed soone was in her bed, so she bravely continued.
"Even putting shoes on the bed this ti, I must really teach her a lesson."
As soon as she finished speaking, the quilt trembled slightly again. Lyra continued to pretend not to see it and softly said, "Alright, I won’t disturb your rest then."
"See you next ti."
After speaking, the hard soles of her uniform shoes made a crisp sound on the floor. Linda looked at Lyra’s side face slightly obscured by her pink hair and unconsciously called out.
"Lyra."
The girl paused, turned back to look at Linda, who adjusted her shoulder strap and whispered, "Don’t spread today’s matter, it might affect the Jostlin family’s image."
This statent, whether it referred to not managing her maid well or sothing else, Lyra nodded upon hearing and agreed.
I understand.
Hearing Lyra’s response, Linda looked at her deeply, then added, "Thank you, see you next ti."
The door closed, briefly blocking the cold air from the ice attribute crystal inside. Lyra looked at the door, identical to her own dorm room, recalling Linda’s unusual reaction, and her mind began to have so strange thoughts.
When she knocked, the room had a one-way soundproof barrier, clearly set up intentionally to prevent sounds from being heard outside.
And Linda said she just woke up... logically, she wouldn’t have had the chance to cast that spell...
Also, there was clearly soone else in her bed, who could it be?
The image of the shoe that shouldn’t have been on the bed and the white stocking hanging on the rail naturally made Lyra think of the little maid who usually dresses like that around Linda.
If that’s the case... weren’t they sleeping together...
The more she thought, the more plausible it seed. As if to confirm this suspicion, Lyra’s mind involuntarily recalled more details she hadn’t paid much attention to before.
Linda’s lips, which should have been dry from just waking up, were moist and slightly red, as if bitten, her expression sowhat dazed, and the skin where the shoulder strap had shifted had a strange, flower-like red mark.
And the slightly trembling hand, the not-so-neat skirt, and the final request to keep it a secret, all seed to point to Linda Jostlin doing sothing with her maid that she didn’t want others to know about.
Thinking this, Lyra quickened her pace, her mind feeling chaotic.
She did know that so nobles arranged for maids to handle their personal needs, and even the position of "personal maid" she once held was, in the eyes of many upper nobles, a euphemism for a bed companion. Before, Lyra thought nothing of it, mainly because Astrid was also a girl, so there shouldn’t be any strange developnts between them.
But now, after stumbling upon Linda and her maid’s relationship, Lyra couldn’t help but let her imagination run wild.
The specific process of male nobles asking maids to do such things, though Lyra, having just turned eighteen, hadn’t specifically looked into it, she was an adult and knew roughly what might happen.
Then... Linda and that maid...
What could two girls do?
Unknowingly, she passed the staircase and reached the other end of the corridor. Lyra looked at the green plants in the large vases by the windowsill, turned around, and walked back.
The smooth floor tiles reflect her waist-length pale pink hair, her milk-smooth white silk legs swaying and crossing with each step. Lyra pursed her lips, her ears unknowingly turning a deep red.
Besides kissing... what else would she want to do with soone she likes...
Princess Astrid...
"..."
Without realizing it, she returned to Linda’s room. Sensing the subtle flow of magic inside, Lyra knew another one-way soundproof barrier had been set up, further confirming her speculation.
Shaking her head, blocking out the shallow breaths and low moans that might be inside the room but were kept out by the barrier, Lyra walked to the staircase and descended step by step.
Since it’s a girl and a girl... they should understand each other’s needs and thoughts best...
If it were her, what would she want her lover to do to her?
Linda’s room was in a different dormitory building from Lyra’s, so she had plenty of ti to think about this question before returning.
Exiting the dormitory, Lyra felt the midday sun on her body, the warmth seeping through her clothes.
Psychologically, she hoped Astrid would hold her, casually talking about daily events, sharing her joys and sorrows.
As for the other thing... Besides kissing...
Suddenly recalling Linda’s slightly trembling hand hidden behind her back, Lyra, who had never experienced such things and was as pure as a blank sheet, suddenly realized sothing. She gently raised her hand towards the sunlight on the road.
...........
anwhile, in the imperial palace, Astrid looked at Emperor Hibbort Valeria, who seed to have aged a bit more by the window, and softly said, "I hope Father can take good care of his health."
After speaking, Astrid crouched down, held the hem of her intricately decorated skirt, and perford a standard farewell salute.
"If there’s nothing else, I shall take my leave."
Hearing Astrid’s words, Hibbort, with his fluffy golden hair and a posture like a resting lion, opened his erald green eyes, looked at the blazing sun high in the sky, and replied slowly, "You too."
"My most dazzling imperial gem."
Closing the door, Astrid, slightly overwheld by the authoritative aura constantly emanating from Hibbort, relaxed a bit, adjusted the silver hair by her shoulder, and walked away in her diamond-studded high heels.
The morning eting was mainly for noble conservatives to express their dissatisfaction with the idea of equipping ordinary with magic weapons in the future soldiers. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Gregor, proposed a related restriction bill, requiring developers to incorporate restrictive magic circles when creating magic weapons, ensuring mages’ absolute control over such weapons.
The restrictive magic circle involves identity verification, ntal energy transmission, weapon circle outlining, and a series of operations, the difficulty of which was self-evident.
But Astrid could understand, it wasn’t an unreasonable request. Without regulation, magic weapons could not only threaten the high-ranking nobles but also truly affect social stability.
Through conversations with Hibbort, Astrid basically confird the emperor’s stance on magic weapons. He chose to equip the military, especially the defense forces under Duke Charles guarding the borders and the imperial guards protecting the royal authority, with these weapons as quickly as possible.
One gun facing the enemy, one gun aid inward, these were normal thoughts. The only thing that made Astrid feel complicated was Hibbort’s slightly urgent demand.
In the original story, the emperor’s detail was described as "the accumulated old injuries causing his life force to continuously drain, a natural withering like leaves in autumn, with no ans to stop it, no magic to reverse it."
By now, Hibbort should know his ti is limited, therefore he wants to stabilize the situation quickly, preventing external forces from taking advantage of the power transition to attack the Valeria Empire.
But unfortunately, human energy is limited. Balancing the relationship between the royal family and the nobles, stabilizing various interests, has consud much of Hibbort’s ti, forcing him to choose between two immature heirs to inherit the throne.
If Hibbort had ten more years, perhaps he could use iron-fisted thods to remove the hidden dangers within the empire, ensuring a smooth power transition, rather than having to make certain compromises to the nobles for political buffer.
Leaving the political center of Capital City and entering the relatively scientific atmosphere of the Elizabeth Academy of Magic, Astrid gently exhaled, thinking of a certain golden-haired girl who liked to cling to her.
If possible, Astrid actually hoped Hibbort could live a bit longer. Although as an imperial princess, she would be more constrained in power compared to a regent, at least when the sky falls, there would still be soone to hold it up a bit.
Amalia couldn’t rule the empire now; she needed more ti to grow.
Returning to the familiar dormitory building, looking at her room number, Astrid inserted the key into the lock and slowly turned it.
The door opened, and a wave of cold air greeted her.
Hearing the rhythmic sound of high heels behind her, Lyra, sitting near the entrance, tensed up, the quill in her hand pausing, leaving a dark dot on the paper.
"I’m back," Astrid said.
Her skirt swaying, her long legs wrapped in dark silk shimring softly in the light, Lyra looked at the silver-haired beauty, whose delicate face was slightly sweaty, making her even more alluring, a hint of shyness unconsciously flashing in her blue eyes.
"Welco back... Astrid..."
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