As dinner approached, Astrid heard a knock on the door in the hallway.
She stretched her legs, which had been still for a long ti, and walked to the door.
Gently pushing the handrail, she opened it to find a delicate-faced, pink-haired maid standing outside, holding a birchwood box in her arms.
"Your Highness Astrid, this is the interdiate level potion you purchased from Professor Elowen earlier. I have counted the individual bottles in the shop, and the types and quantities are correct,"
Lyra carefully cradled the box with one arm while supporting its bottom with the other.
Her well-trained arm strength proved invaluable at that mont, as it would likely have taken two ordinary maids to carry such a heavy wooden box.
Astrid glanced at her own slender, pale wrists peeking out from the hem of her skirt and abandoned the thought of helping with the box.
Instead, she stepped aside to let Lyra into the room.
"Just place it next to the dresser,"
Hearing this, Lyra bent down, her skirt hem brushing the floor.
The white stockings at her knees stretched thin with the movent, slightly revealing the skin beneath, creating an alluring sight.
With the clinking of glassware, Lyra straightened up and noticed Astrid standing near the door, her hands clasped to her chest, her pink lips parting slightly.
"Is Elise back?" Astrid asked.
Lyra shook her head. "Not yet."
After receiving Astrid's orders, Elise had left the palace alone and had not returned since.
As soon as she finished speaking, Lyra added, "By the way, Your Highness Astrid, it's ti for dinner..."
Princess Astrid was skilled in magic, capable of brewing potions, cooking exquisite dishes, and blending fragrant perfus.
Yet, despite her many talents, she had one flaw: she often forgot to eat when engrossed in her tasks.
During her ti serving Astrid, Lyra had noticed that the princess either needed reminders from Elise or herself to eat.
Without such prompts, Astrid would likely skip als and only reach for so desserts when hunger beca unbearable.
Lyra's mother had taught her from a young age that eating three als a day on ti was essential for maintaining good health.
As a dutiful daughter, Lyra had always adhered to this principle, and now, as a maid responsible for caring for others, she upheld it diligently, reminding Astrid repeatedly.
"Alright, I'll eat right away,"
Despite her words, Astrid did not head toward the door.
Instead, she walked slowly to Lyra's side, crouched down to inspect the wooden box, and retrieved the list and instructions from its zzanine.
She then settled into a chair and began reading quietly.
Seeing that Astrid showed no intention of going to dinner, Lyra folded her hands against her skirt.
Her legs, clad in delicate white silk stockings, stood straight as she remained in the room with the princess.
Most of the potions in the box were transformation potions that Astrid had requested, with only a small portion being combat potions.
Professor Elowen, noticing Astrid's keen interest in transformation potions, had included a detailed explanation of how they worked.
When the drinker consus the potion, it unconsciously releases an illusion spell similar to those found in arcane magic.
This spell can induce various hallucinations for the enemies, affecting not only sight but also hearing, sll, and even touch.
Even if the potion drinker is in direct physical contact with others, the latter will not detect any anomalies.
To give a simple example, if Astrid were to cut her waist-length silver hair to shoulder length, others might still see her in a black dress with long, flowing hair.
They might even reach out and feel the silky strands hanging down to her waist, despite the change.
Although the effect is impressive, the illusion is not difficult to break.
If one possesses ntal strength equivalent to that of a Peak Knight or an mage Apprentice of the sa level, they can easily dispel the illusion using ntal detection or elental vision.
As a result, the practical applications of this potion are sowhat limited.
It is occasionally used in assassinations or espionage activities, but more often, it is employed by nobles in certain recreational activities to enhance the harmony and pleasure of life.
After all, if the illusion is convincing enough, who would want to break it?
Reading the instruction manual word by word, Astrid subconsciously called out, "Lyra..."
"I'm here. What does Her Highness Astrid command?" Lyra stepped forward and replied softly.
"..."
Astrid initially considered drinking the potion herself and then having Lyra engage in physical contact with her to test the potion's effects.
However, she realized that before consuming the potion, Lyra would only see her as she truly was, making controlled experints impractical in this scenario.
"It's nothing. I was mistaken," Astrid said lightly.
But as soon as she finished speaking, another idea occurred to her.
She pursed her lips slightly, retrieved a potion bottle from the box, and handed it to Lyra.
"Drink it."
Accompanied by Astrid's cold yet lodious voice, Lyra took the potion.
Seeing the label marked "One-Way Transformation Potion" on the glass bottle, she hesitated not for a mont.
Under Astrid's gaze, she removed the cork and drank the entire contents.
The liquid had a sour taste at first, followed by a bitterness far more intense than bitter gourd soup.
As Lyra swallowed, her smooth neck rose and fell slightly.
Even Lyra, who was not usually picky about food, showed a rare trace of discomfort after finishing the bottle.
This potion... is quite unpleasant to drink...
About half a minute after consuming the potion, Lyra's appearance began to change before Astrid's eyes.
She grew half a head taller, her hair beca slightly shorter, and her body, though still slender, now had a well-developed chest.
Her maid's outfit transford into a simple white shirt, over which a set of shimring knight's armor appeared.
Further down, her thin, breathable white tights thickened significantly, with sturdy leggings and knee pads added to her calves and knees.
Her dark, matte leather shoes vanished, replaced by bright silver steel combat boots adorned with a honeysuckle pattern, tightly encasing her slender feet.
Lyra stood still, her sky-blue eyes now reflecting a sense of perseverance and courage forged through the trials of war.
Her fluttering eyelashes exuded a warm, peaceful strength.
Recalling the image of the protagonist of a web novel that she had once followed, Astrid felt a brief connection in her heart.
Now, seeing Lyra transford before her, the gentle yet resolute knight of holy light in armor stood vividly in her presence.
Feeling Astrid's gaze shift suddenly, her bright red pupils now filled with a clear sense of inquiry, Lyra bit her lip.
Her two slender, pale index fingers unconsciously drew closer, their tips lightly touching like dragonflies skimming the water's surface.
This subtle movent was reflected in Astrid's eyes. Lyra lowered her gaze slightly, a hint of shyness in her deanor.
Her hands, clad in knight's gloves, naturally ca together, the protective iron pieces on them brushing against each other and producing a faint tallic sound.
Astrid stared at the tallic sheen reflecting off the surface of the gloves for a long mont, her mind once again recalling the crisp sound that had just reached her ears.
Her pretty face shifted slightly, and her pink lips tightened subconsciously.
It was a clever use of psychological implication, constructing an illusion through the interplay of hearing and vision.
With only the observational abilities of an ordinary person, it would be impossible to discern the difference.
If she hadn't known in advance that this was an illusion... she would have likely been deceived...
No, no, if she hadn't used her ntal power, she wouldn't have been able to break free from the illusion on her own.
She would have been forced to sit there, waiting for the effects of the potion to wear off over the next two hours.
In the next mont, Astrid leaned forward, closing the distance between them before Lyra could react.
Her beautiful, snow-white face was now just a dozen centiters away, close enough for Lyra to see the delicate, smooth texture of her skin.
Astrid leaned in closer to Lyra's neck, her nose lightly sniffing.
A sweet scent of osmanthus, mingled with the fresh aroma of mint, filled her nostrils.
Truly... this potion can even deceive the sense of sll...
Unlike Astrid, who was focused on analyzing the effects of the potion, Lyra was struggling to maintain her composure.
Her heart pounded so violently it felt as though it might burst from her chest.
Because of their proximity, Astrid's bent position brought her body almost entirely against Lyra's.
More importantly, the angle of her movent gave Lyra a view she would never have seen under normal circumstances.
As Astrid's warm breath brushed against her neck, Lyra's gaze inadvertently caught a glimpse of the snow-white, llow beauty hidden beneath the luxurious fabric.
Her delicate body stiffened, allowing Astrid to continue sniffing her neck and shoulders like a curious cat.
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