In the imperial palace dining hall, within the gilded and resplendent dining chamber, Charlotte nibbled her dinner bit by bit, feeling sothing slightly odd as she observed Astrid and Amalia acting no differently than usual.
There was a ti when witnessing the Third Princess and Fourth Princess feeding each other so intimately would have stirred only a gentle warmth within her, an elder’s fondness at seeing sisters so close, loving one another, a sight of profound happiness.
Now, however, the relationship between Astrid and Amalia had undergone a drastic transformation. All their tender gestures now carry an additional, subtle layer of aning.
Sisters... could truly beco like this now?
Noticing the unmistakable adoration in Astrid’s eyes, catching from the corner of her vision the tranquility and trust glowing in Amalia’s blue irises, Charlotte ticulously chewed a leaf of lettuce, then lifted her wine glass to sip so red wine.
As for Lyra earlier, Charlotte had accepted the situation relatively quickly. After all, the knight with pink hair and her connection to Astrid had always been excessively intimate. Sotis, just from the way Lyra looked at Astrid, Charlotte could feel sothing unusual.
That emotion went beyond re friendship or sisterly affection, it was hotter, deeper, and far more possessed.
Thus, when she learned of Astrid and Lyra’s official relationship, Charlotte hadn’t been particularly shocked. What surprised her the most, actually, was Astrid’s sexual orientation, and the other person involved in this peculiar relationship.
The current Empress, Amalia Valeria.
Although, from Astrid’s account, it was mainly Amalia who had been overly proactive, Astrid herself couldn’t claim complete innocence either. Her affection went far beyond a typical older sister’s indulgence toward her younger sibling, and her lack of restraint regarding their intimate acts had also been a significant contributing factor to the current situation.
And furthermore, it was Astrid who ultimately chose to accept Amalia.
She wasn’t wrong at all. Soone had indeed grown up, grown up enough to fall for her own sister, despite having no blood relation.
The wine slides down her throat, its faint bitterness mingling with the fruity richness, creating a harmonious blend. Charlotte gently swirled her wine glass, her gaze passed through the transparent crystal to fix upon the regent nearby.
The glittering chandelier overhead cast light upon that silver hair, also coating the dissimilar yet equally exquisite features of Astrid and Amalia with a silvery sheen, as if overlaid with a dreamlike filter.
"Big sister... How does this taste?"
"Inside... Did you add chili?"
"Mm-hmm. I asked the chefs to experint with new dishes using the spices you discovered. This one is among the best."
"The flavor is truly wonderful."
"I’m glad my big sister likes it. We can keep exploring in this direction next ti."
For a fleeting mont, Charlotte seed to see far into the past, herself sitting in the dining room of her private manor, just like this, serving food to a young Astrid, urging her not to be picky and only eat what she liked.
In the blink of an eye, that had already been over a decade ago.
Lost in thought, Charlotte was brought back when Astrid noticed her holding the wine glass, neither setting it down nor sipping from it, but rely gazing at her with a nostalgic expression. Astrid softly spoke up.
"Is sothing wrong, Lady Charlotte..."
The clear female voice echoed through the dining hall, like a stream of pure water flowing through mountain valleys.
"Is the palace cuisine not to your taste?"
Snapping back to reality, Charlotte shook her head.
"No, the cooking is excellent. I should arrange for the chefs from my manor to co over soti and exchange techniques."
Having spoken, the woman set down her glass. Beneath the table, her snowy white legs, which had been gently swaying, ceasing their movent and now rested elegantly together, the transparent silk stockings producing a faint silken rustle as they rubbed against each other, accompanied by the delicate sound of high shifting heels.
Astrid, looking across the table at Charlotte, assud the other might still be thinking about the afternoon’s events. She emptied her glass of juice, casually refilled it with red wine, and gently clinked it against her aunt’s as a gesture of companionship.
"Lady Charlotte, you’ve dined at the palace tonight. If you leave too late, it’ll be cold and windy. The suburbs are so far from the imperial city, why not stay here for the night?"
To an ordinary person, this reasoning might have made sense, but Charlotte, a powerful mid-tier Arcanist mage specializing in wind magic, was completely unaffected by low temperatures or strong night winds.
Astrid quickly realized this and softly added:
"Besides, you’ll be moving in here soon anyway. You might as well try the bed tonight, get familiar with the room. If you need anything, you can ntion it now so the servants can prepare."
"Plus... I really don’t want Lady Charlotte to leave so soon."
Her words were logical and well-reasoned, and with that final honest admission, Charlotte truly found no grounds to refuse. After taking another sip of wine, she moistened her throat and replied.
"If little Astrid insists, then I’ll trouble you tonight."
"No trouble at all. It would be improper of as the hostess to let a stunning beauty like Lady Charlotte travel at night."
Indeed, her niece’s tongue remains as sweet as ever. But whereas in the past Charlotte would have simply taken this as Astrid worried about her personal safety, now, in this context, especially knowing Astrid’s sexuality, it carries an odd slightly undertone.
As if... inviting her to stay over had so other hidden motive...
The thought flitted through Charlotte’s mind. The lingering aroma of wine reminded her of that night long ago when she had gotten drunk in front of Astrid. A faint blush rose on the woman’s exquisite cheeks, whether from the alcohol or the thought itself, she couldn’t say.
Tch... You’re an adult now. Why are you still thinking like a silly schoolgirl?
Amalia was an exception. Astrid wasn’t so fickle Empress who fell for anyone she saw. It was Charlotte herself, after learning of her niece’s orientation, who couldn’t stop overthinking.
She wasn’t acting like an elder at all.
"Little Astrid... always knows how to say the sweet things..."
"Just speak the truth."
Hearing Astrid and Charlotte’s conversation, Amalia, currently cutting into her steak with knife and fork, lifted her gaze, paused for a mont, then continued. Her blue pupils reflected Astrid’s profile, before quickly shifting back to her own plate.
Only Astrid could feel it, the snow-white silk-clad leg wrapped around her ankle tightened slightly. Glancing down with the corner of her eye, she saw creamy, cool whiteness intertwined with chocolate-like smooth blackness, not a gap in sight.
Apparently, Her Imperial Majesty was showing slight dissatisfaction at the prospect of sleeping alone tonight.
Picking up a cherry tomato and holding it to Amalia’s lips, watching the golden-haired girl gently bite and eat it, Astrid gently rubs the girl’s head, using the gesture to silently soothe her.
Dinner continued. The powerful Empress of the Empire and her most beloved Regent, aside from occasionally discussing minor state affairs, spent the rest of their ti radiating an overwhelmingly sweet, romantic atmosphere. Even Charlotte, who had never once felt love, couldn’t help but felt a strange, indescribable tinge of bitterness.
"Big sister is allergic to seafood, and I don’t like fish either. The chefs don’t need to consider these dishes anymore."
"Hmm? Not all fish are seafood."
"More or less the sa. Anyway, big sister and I have very similar tastes..."
"...Even if we switched plates, it wouldn’t matter."
"Alright, alright. Here, your favorite chilled grape juice."
"Big sister, take a sip too."
Watching Astrid take Amalia’s glass, unhesitatingly pressing her lips to the rim right where the white-stockinged girl had just drunk, and taking a small sip, Charlotte found herself at a loss for words.
So... disliking fish and allegory being to seafood could be equated when convenient...
To prove how well-suited they were, Amalia was leaving no stone unturned in searching for commonalities.
At this rate, she’d probably soon say, "Big sister is female, and I’m female too, so we’re naturally ant to be."
Finally, the dinner ended, with the young couple’s endless displays of leaving affection Charlotte simultaneously happy for Astrid’s happiness and uncomfortably out of place, like sitting on pins and needles.
Perhaps it was simply a natural twinge of envy toward a kind of emotion she had never experienced herself.
That was probably the only explanation.
After rinsing her mouth and wiping her lips clean, Charlotte followed Astrid and Amalia to the Regent’s quarters, the bedroom they had prepared for her in advance.
It was in roughly the sa location as before, separated from Astrid’s room only by a corridor. Without soundproofing barriers, even a slightly raised voice might carry through.
After settling Charlotte and handing over supervision to the head maid, Astrid and Amalia headed to the room diagonally opposite.
No sooner had they entered than Astrid felt her dress being gently tugged at. She turned around and, as expected, saw Amalia standing stiffly at the entrance, her petite leather shoes still on, clutching the hem of her skirt with a pitiful expression.
Astrid understandingly bent down and kissed her. From Amalia’s enthusiastic response, she clearly wasn’t angry.
Her arms slide downward, circling around the girl’s back, lifting the white-dressed maiden into her arms. A soft thud echoed as delicate leather shoes touched the floor. The next second, two silk-clad, tender legs wrapped around her waist. Amalia clung to Astrid like a sloth, leaning close to her ear and whispering.
"Big sister... you won’t be able to stay with tonight, right..."
She had suspected this ever since Astrid invited Charlotte to stay, hence her restless clinging during dinner.
"Lady Charlotte rarely visits. She probably has many questions she wants to discuss with this afternoon..."
Seeing Amalia’s mood sinking lower with each word, Astrid promptly added:
"Of course, if Amalia misses terribly, I won’t go."
"Amalia is important too."
Astrid knew just how clingy her little sister was. For the past week, she had spent her nights with Lyra. While she hadn’t been cold toward Amalia, her ti spent together had clearly diminished.
And so had their intimacy, which hadn’t progressed beyond that of a week ago.
It was Amalia herself who had willingly let her go to Lyra, allowing the pink-haired maid to visit her family in peace. She must have been looking forward to tonight for a long ti.
Hearing Astrid’s words, Amalia fluttered her eyelashes, burying her delicate nose in the other’s hair, gently inhaling.
"Really?"
"Really."
Extending a finger, Astrid slightly traced Amalia’s nose bridge, speaking softly.
"Then I won’t go tonight."
The things she needed to discuss with Charlotte could wait until tomorrow. There was no rush.
Hearing Astrid’s promise, Amalia’s heart filled with sweetness. After planting another soft kiss on her lover’s cheek, she spoke gently.
"Still... Professor Charlotte doesn’t visit often..."
"Big sister... is still too fickle..."
The two mismatched sentences made Astrid pause in confusion, before she heard Amalia continue.
"But big sister is right. Big sister will have plenty of ti to spend with in the future."
"So... big sister should still go talk with Professor Charlotte tonight..."
Surprised by Amalia’s generosity, Astrid parted her pink lips.
"Aren’t you upset? Amalia."
Strange occurrences always have underlying reasons. Based on her understanding of the girl in her arms, Amalia was generally unable of being this magnanimous, so much so that it nearly mirrored Lyra’s previous act of self-sacrifice, being reasonable to the point of suppressing her own feelings.
"No, big sister."
Amalia leaned into Astrid’s neck, her breath warm and fragrant.
"I was just thinking... if big sister goes to Professor Charlotte... could I get a little compensation?"
"..."
"What does Amalia want as compensation?"
Hearing Astrid’s words, the golden-haired girl’s hand gently caressed the black fabric of her dress, softly sliding over the woman’s smooth back.
"Of course, before you go..."
Amalia leaned even closer, her lips parting to release a fragrant breath against Astrid’s earlobe.
"...Big sister should love properly first."
Before the words fully faded, Amalia continued.
"And also..."
"Let love my big sister properly too."
They were lovers, after all. If Lyra could do it, so could she.
She didn’t want to be forever seen as a little sister who relied on her big sister for care.
She had the ability to make her big sister happy too.
Understanding Amalia’s thoughts, Astrid softly fluttered her eyelashes. After a few seconds, she responded gently.
"Is that so..."
Then, those two cherry-pink lips uttered the words Amalia had longed to hear.
Okay.
It was about ti. After learning about the three agreents between Amalia and Lyra, Astrid had fully understood the forr’s inner insecurities and her deep yearning for love.
Consider it hurriedly Amalia’s acceptance of her new role.
With Astrid’s consent granted, Amalia’s mood instantly soared, her voice’s tail end rising slightly.
"Yay... big sister..."
"I love you the most~"
"I love you too, Amalia."
As the words settled, Astrid heard Amalia whispering in an extrely soft voice.
"Now... I can properly punish my big sister."
Probably... She just mixed up the words?
She must an, punish the fickle big sister, right.
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