Chapter 400: Stay by my side
When Lyra thought about the future, her wishes were uncomplicated. She only hoped to give her family a calm and comfortable life in their later years, and to spend her days quietly beside Princess Astrid. More than anything, this pink-haired girl longed to travel the world with her.
Pausing for a moment, Lyra lifted her teacup and she spoke,
"I want to travel the world."
’With you.’
The rest of that sentence remained unspoken, but she knew Astrid understood exactly what she meant.
It was a promise belonging only to the two of them, to journey together across the world once everything had finally settled.
To see desolate lands blanketed by frost, dragons spreading their wings and witness soaring through the high skies, visit the scattered islands along the coastlines, watch seagulls and mermaids sail into the distance, explore the elven kingdoms built within ancient forests, and learn about the daily lives of other intelligent races.
For Lyra, as long as she was with Astrid, no matter where they went, it would be an unforgettable journey.
Hearing Lyra’s gentle, melodious voice enter her ears, Astrid slowly raised her gaze, meeting those sky-blue pupils. Receiving the other’s gaze, Lyra pressed her lips together, holding Astrid’s stare, until after a few seconds, she shyly lowered her eyes.
Was that... too direct?
Yet, the desire to spend one’s entire life with someone cherished was simply too difficult to suppress.
Her gaze lingered for several seconds on the girl’s faintly trembling eyelashes, Astrid gently swayed her black-stockinged legs hidden beneath the table, her crimson eyes half-lidded.
’I understand.’
At this point in time, just like in the original timeline, Lyra only wished to live as an ordinary girl, leading a calm, uneventful life.
A modest desire, yet one deeply enviable.
Hardly had the words left her lips when Astrid lifted her own teacup, taking a small sip. Her gaze drifted past Lyra toward the bright moonlight outside the window. A night breeze rustled the trees, their branches swaying, and the soft rustling sounds entered the room, stirring the distinct thoughts of the two individuals.
Yet, for someone chosen by fate, such a wish seemed a little too extravagant.
Seeing Astrid fall silent, Lyra didn’t know how to continue. She quietly stared at her own reflection on the surface of the tea, the tips of her matte leather shoes gently touching each other.
Had Princess Astrid called her here just to say these things?
To tell her she should focus on her graduation exams and future life planning?
The sweet tea blended with a faint milky aroma, unfolding a smooth, mellow taste on the tip of her tongue. Lyra straightened her back as she set the cup down, stealing a glance at the silver-haired beauty sitting silently across the table.
Still, even if that were the case, being able to have tea alone with Princess Astrid was already quite wonderful. It made her special effort to change clothes and dress up beautifully well worth it.
Time passed quietly. Half the cup of tea was soon gone. Feeling the noticeable lightening of the cup’s weight, Astrid turned her head. Her delicate pink lips parted.
"By the way, Lyra... do you care much about the so-called ’glory’ the nobles always talk about?"
"Huh?"
Why had the topic suddenly shifted in this direction?
Lyra pursed her lips upon hearing this, then answered after a few seconds.
"W-well... not really..."
"Because I used to read a lot of knight novels..."
In those various novels or tales sung by bards, knights were brave and humble, kind and just, appearing to be enveloped in an aura known as honor.
Having been raised on such knightly stories, Lyra naturally resembled that distant glory which seemed so far from her younger self. She had once dreamed of becoming a towering knight, protecting her homeland, punishing evil and promoting good, spreading light across every inch of land.
Even now, having studied magic, Lyra still prefers others to see her as a knight rather than a mage.
"Used to?" Astrid gently repeated, then continued.
"And now?"
"Or rather, is the glory Lyra once believed in the same as what you think of it today?"
Upon hearing this, Lyra didn’t immediately respond. Instead, she instinctively lowered her head, gazing at the white porcelain floor reflecting her legs.
She hadn’t seriously considered this question before, but upon first hearing it, she already had a rough idea.
During the trial bestowed upon her by the Sword of Light, and last year’s highly anticipated Magic Exchange Tournament.
True glory should be actions that truly benefit society and the public, noble virtues worthy of praise. It isn’t conferred by a mere title like "Baron." Quite the contrary, it is glory that earns reputation.
And this was exactly what many nobles of the Valeria Empire had forgotten. They used their hereditary titles to consider themselves superior, believing the titles themselves symbolized honor, unaware that the two concepts held correlation no definite.
"It’s the same thing, Astrid," Lyra whispered softly.
"But what I believe in might be different from what everyone else thinks."
Even her close friends, like Linda and Lydia, nobles of the Valeria Empire, generally believe their nobility stemmed from bloodline and family status.
"People like you, Astrid, or Professor Charlotte, who changed the world through research on magical devices, that’s what feels closest to glory in my heart."
Even though they held high status, they never abandoned sympathy and compassion for the lower classes, continuing to benefit the public through their own actions.
Lyra reflected carefully. The moment Astrid truly touched her heart was probably that visit to the Jones Farm, when she saw the other’s delicate, beautiful shoes stepping into the grayish soil, leaving faint traces of mud and stains on the slender heels.
The matter had little to do with Astrid herself. She could have easily stayed in the palace, sipping tea, reading books, and passing the time. Yet, this imperial princess still took the risk of angering the crown prince to resolve the land infertility issue that might have plagued the region for years.
This was the Astrid Calliste she had come to admire, the third princess who appeared cold and aloof on the surface, yet whose heart was profoundly warm.
Watching the water-like tenderness ripple in the blue eyes, the pink-haired girl seemed submerged in a filter, Astrid felt slightly uncomfortable with Lyra’s unusually direct emotional exposure. She took another small sip of tea.
"So Lyra has always seen me this way?"
One reason Astrid had never been particularly sensitive to Lyra’s occasionally shy behavior around her was because she believed the others couldn’t possibly have feelings for her.
First, the destined heroine was straight, and the original novel gave no hints of romance. Even outside the novel, she had never heard her sister mention such a setting.
Second, given Lyra’s personality, she should find it difficult to develop feelings for a noble, even if that person treated her kindly. Just as in the original timeline, Tristian had expressed his affection to Lyra, only to be firmly rejected by this straight-laced girl without hesitation.
They might share certain similarities, but ultimately, they weren’t meant to walk the same path.
Hearing Astrid’s slightly surprised remark, Lyra nodded, answered softly.
"Mm."
"Astrid is really, really amazing."
Not just kind to her, but nearly perfect in character as well.
It would be even better if she could like her...
Unaware that the affection Lyra expressed in words represented only a fraction of the rich emotions within her heart, Astrid smiled slightly upon hearing this, blinking as she quickly adjusted her mood.
"I’m glad Lyra thinks so highly of me."
It was rare for Astrid not to beat around the bush. Lyra’s cheeks flushed slightly, her fingers quietly tightening around the teacup’s handle.
Tonight, both of them seemed more open than usual.
Seizing the momentum, Lyra opened her mouth, asking the doubt that had lingered in her heart since she first sat down.
"Astrid..."
"...Do you want me to complete all the graduation assessments?"
Otherwise, she couldn’t understand why Astrid had brought it up.
As a third-year student, Lyra wasn’t as busy as Princess Astrid, who had hundreds of imperial duties. Her daily life depends solely on her studies, so there was truly no rush to prepare for graduation.
Hearing Lyra’s question, Astrid paused mid-sip. She crossed her knees, and the words that should have come suddenly became hard to utter under the gaze of those deep blue eyes.
A flower raised in a greenhouse couldn’t withstand the harshness of the outside world. Continuously sheltering Lyra under her protection would leave her ill-prepared, both in strength and character, to become a powerful Holy Light Knight in the future.
She needed some trials.
But...
Gazing at the pink-haired girl in front of her, cheeks faintly flushed, hands pressed tightly against her thighs, Astrid slowed down her breathing. The slender high heel on her black-stockinged foot shifted slightly, covering the entire tip of her toes.
Thinking of Lyra’s near-death experiences on the battlefield in the original novel, Astrid was reluctant to let her go through such terrible things.
What if something went wrong? What if this pink-haired maid, once her personal attendant, perished far from the imperial capital?
It was denied that at the mere thought of such a possibility, a faint physiological discomfort stirred within Astrid’s chest.
Even though Lyra was the destined heroine of the novel, protected by an invisible protagonist’s halo, and her strength was unquestionably solid, Astrid still found herself imagining that tiny, disposable chance.
She shouldn’t be thinking about baseless possibilities, especially since in the original plot, Lyra did pass all the relevant trials.
"..."
Since when had she become so easily swayed by emotions?
Her gaze sweeping past Lyra’s lips, now glistening from the tea, Astrid remained silent, her crimson eyes shimmering with subtle emotion.
It was like a parent’s mindset, wanting their child to become independent, yet unwilling to let them face storms or too much of the harsh, dark realities of the world, wishing instead for them to live in warmth forever.
Perhaps it was the same for Amalia. If she wasn’t the heir to the throne, but merely an ordinary younger sister cherished by her elder sibling, she wouldn’t need to constantly wear a mask in front of others.
"Lyra."
Astrid spoke slowly, her voice soft and ethereal.
"I hope you do all the trials and grow stronger. But I also hope you stay by my side."
"So, right now, I can’t give you a clear answer."
Perhaps, Lyra could still grow sufficiently while staying close to her. Just as she was already stronger now than her counterpart in the original timeline.
Lyra froze slightly upon hearing this, her thoughts briefly pausing on the words "hope you stay by my side," before she saw Astrid stand up, gracefully pulling on her pure black lace gloves.
"There’s still time. It’s only the first semester of third year. You have at least several months before you need to decide," Astrid said.
She needed to properly sort out her emotions as well.
From a rational standpoint, sending Lyra to the frontier for training was undoubtedly the optimal choice. The original plot already ensures a level of safety, and it would guarantee that the destined heroine possessed sufficient strength to handle whatever came next.
Watching Astrid gently flexing her fingers, and the silken hem of her dress spreading like a lotus as her legs straightened, Lyra drank the last sip of her black tea and rose to her feet.
"Mm."
Princess Astrid was right. There was still time.
.............
Astrid and Lyra were the last guests to leave the restaurant. No sooner had they stepped out than the servers began clearing the tables and hung the "Closed" sign at the entrance.
Walking in the chilly night breeze, the exposed skin between thigh-high socks and skirts, the so-called "absolute territory", felt cold, making the two legs wrapped in sheer white stockings shiver slightly.
Lyra activated her mental energy to envelop her legs, her breath forming a delicate white mist beneath the lamplight.
"Astrid."
"Mm?"
"That..."
After hesitating a moment, Lyra spoke softly.
"What did you mean by the second half of that sentence earlier...?"
Astrid looked at her in mild confusion, casually asking.
"Which second half?"
"The part about... hoping for me..."
"...to stay by your side."
The girl’s voice blended into the night wind, nearly lost among the overlapping footsteps.
Astrid fluttered her eyelashes, quickly answered.
"Exactly what it sounds like..."
"...What else could it mean?"
"..."
"Oh... never mind..."
Lyra touched her skirt, noticing Astrid’s smooth, delicate neck exposed to the cold. Her hand moved upward, touching the fluffy scarf.
The constitutions of knights and mages couldn’t be compared, whose need was more obviously gone without saying.
"Astrid, take this."
Looking at the pink scarf Lyra offered, Astrid paused briefly, her gaze flickering over the girl’s ears, now slightly reddened from shyness.
If she wanted warmth, she could easily cast a fire-elemental spell.
But... she didn’t seem to have any reason to refuse the other’s kind gesture...
Wrapping the plush scarf around her neck, she felt the lingering warmth and faint scent of its previous owner. From the corner of her eye, Astrid noticed Lyra’s hand, which had reached out but then withdrew. After adjusting the scarf, she took the initiative and grasped the girl’s hand.