Birthday Celebration Day

After listening to Astrid's words of encouragement, Lyra trained harder in the following period.

She learned combat skills with Elise every morning and studied magic under Astrid's guidance in the afternoon.

After half a month, she was finally promoted to an apprentice and became a real junior magic swordsman.

In the evening, in the palace garden, Astrid watched as Lyra unleashed twenty simple spells in a row. Astrid felt both relieved and somewhat helpless.

She was glad because Lyra's rapid progress was evident, and as her teacher, Astrid was naturally happy.

However, the unfortunate part was that Astrid's own mental power ceiling remained below average.

Compared to half a month ago, she had more than doubled the amount of mental power she could reserve.

Although this sounded impressive, Astrid's starting point was already lower than that of ordinary people.

Now, she could barely release ten spells or make three entry-level recovery potions in one go.

Perhaps her understanding of the magic circle could be considered at the level of a Sorcerer, but her mental power reserves were not even comparable to any ordinary apprentice.

When it came to intermediate magic that consumed a lot of mental power, Astrid could only understand it theoretically and could not put it into practice.

"Miss Astrid, there are still two and a half hours before the dinner begins. It's almost time for us to leave," Elise reminded softly, noticing that Astrid had been staring at the flame in Lyra's hand in a daze.

Ever since that night when Astrid had asked Elise not to call her "Your Highness" in private, Elise had been in a state of confusion.

The long-standing habit of addressing her formally was hard to break, and calling her simply "Astrid" felt strange.

So, Elise settled on the compromise of calling her "Miss Astrid," which felt less formal but still maintained the appropriate master-servant relationship.

Astrid nodded gently and replied, "Okay, let's go back and change clothes. I'll be ready soon."

The dinner party Elise mentioned was Countess Charlotte's birthday celebration.

Astrid had been looking forward to this day for a long time.

Tonight, she planned to strengthen her ties with Charlotte to gain more political leverage in her future dealings with Prince Lucas.

Back in her bedroom, Astrid changed into a small dress with intricate patterns, lined with lotus leaves.

She paired it with light black over-the-knee socks and four-centimeter-high heels.

Charlotte's birthday party was held at her estate, about an hour's drive from the royal capital.

By the time Astrid finished dressing and left her room, Lyra and Elise were also ready.

Both were dressed in their usual maid outfits, simple black and white dresses, milky white stockings, and black Mary Jane shoes.

The same clothes can look different on different people. Elise, with her long legs, slim waist, and calm demeanor, exuded the aura of a cool, composed older sister.

In contrast, Lyra appeared slightly more youthful.

Her delicate and slender figure, combined with the maid outfit, gave her a girlish charm.

Her white wrists were folded neatly in front of her skirt, and her smooth legs, wrapped in white silk, were pressed tightly together.

While she lacked the mature sex appeal of Elise, she made up for it with her pure and cute appearance.

Astrid glanced at her maid with admiration before leaving the palace under Elise's guidance and boarding the carriage to the countess's estate.

In the original plot, Charlotte was Lyra's most respected teacher.

This respect stemmed not only from Charlotte's teaching but also from the alignment of their values and perspectives on certain sensitive issues.

Charlotte had repeatedly proposed strengthening the academy's entrance education to ensure that every student could keep up with the teacher's pace, rather than making concessions solely for the aristocracy.

This resonated deeply with Lyra, who came from a commoner background and had struggled in the early stages of her studies.

Lyra hoped that children from poor families, like herself, could avoid similar hardships.

At their core, Charlotte and Lyra were kindred spirits.

Charlotte had no interest in the so-called aristocratic power struggles and refused to take sides in political conflicts.

This was particularly evident in her attitude toward Astrid.

As the daughter of Lady Fanya, Astrid should have been someone Charlotte doted on, and indeed, she had been, especially when Astrid was very young.

Back then, Charlotte was one of the closest people to Astrid besides her parents.

However, as Astrid grew older, she became increasingly arrogant under Emperor Hibbort's favor, her every gesture exuding the haughtiness of the nobility.

This gradually alienated Charlotte, who once tried to change her but failed.

Over time, their relationship deteriorated.

Recently, Astrid's personal intervention in the enrollment process of Elizabeth's Academy of Magic directly crossed Charlotte's line.

If it weren't for Ms. Fanya and her past relationship with Astrid, Charlotte might not have even sent her a birthday invitation.

As Astrid pondered how to repair their crumbling relationship that evening, the bumpy mountain roads in the suburbs made her dizzy.

She rested her head on Lyra's shoulder, her gaze fixed on the bottle of perfume in her hand.

She knew that simply giving a gift wouldn't be enough to salvage her terrible impression with Countess Charlotte. In Charlotte's eyes, Astrid had likely long been reduced to a vain, depraved noble, beyond redemption.

With a soft sigh, Astrid exhaled a fragrant breath, her eyelids twitching slightly.

It seemed she would have to take the blame for the original owner's actions tonight, apologize for things she hadn't done, and hope to earn Charlotte's forgiveness.

Unlike Astrid's rapid thoughts, Lyra, sitting upright, felt her mind growing increasingly muddled.

The sensation was especially pronounced when Astrid's faint breath brushed against her neck.

Due to her posture, Astrid was half-leaning on Lyra, her soft, fragrant body pressing gently against Lyra's left arm like a marshmallow.

Not long after they boarded the carriage,

Astrid's sweet scent began to fill Lyra's senses, and the smooth texture of the silk against her skin made Lyra feel a growing warmth.

Lyra, who usually kept her hands at her sides when seated, now found herself in an intimate position with Astrid.

The back of her hand rested against Astrid's slender, well-proportioned thigh, clad in black silk.

The sensation was warm and delicate, like touching a piece of satin.

The soft flesh of Astrid's thigh even sank and bounced slightly with the rise and fall of the carriage wheels.

Arriving at Countess Charlotte's private estate, Astrid hurriedly stepped out of the car to breathe in some fresh air.

Her current body was even weaker than in her previous life, though she wasn't sick.

The slight bumps on the road had made her stomach churn, leaving her dizzy and nauseous.

It seemed she needed to exercise more. She couldn't just sit and read books all day without any physical activity, especially since she had abandoned the path of knighthood.

"Miss Lyra, you don't look well. Is something wrong?" Elise asked, noticing Astrid standing in the open space, taking deep breaths.

She offered Astrid a bottle of water and then turned to Lyra, whose cheeks had been slightly flushed in the carriage and now looked even more pronounced.

Lyra's eyelashes fluttered at the question, and she opened her pink lips lightly. "I... I think I'm just a bit carsick."

The back of her hand still seemed to retain the warm, smooth touch from earlier.

Lyra didn't dare to meet Astrid's gaze, her pretty face slightly flushed, with a noticeable scarlet hue at the roots of her ears.

Thinking that the space in the carriage was indeed cramped, Elise nodded, not considering other possibilities, and replied softly, "It's a bit tight for three people. Next time, I'll ask them to prepare a larger carriage."

After the two who had suffered from motion sickness composed themselves and straightened their clothes, the servants of the manor led them to the living room for a short rest.

In a quarter of an hour, the dinner party would officially begin.

Countess Charlotte's status was noble, and her reputation was extraordinary.

Almost everyone in the entire Valeria Empire knew of her contributions, from the development of magical equipment to the construction of basic magic circles for civilian facilities.

Even the small fire-attribute crystal used in Astrid's bath on her first day in this world bore the mark of Professor Charlotte's ingenuity.

"Lyra?"

A crisp female voice called from behind in the venue. Astrid turned to see a handsome girl in a lilac dress, with brown hair and black eyes.

Lyra was also surprised to see the visitor. Her pink lips parted slightly as she greeted, "Miss Lina?"

Lina nodded in acknowledgment, her gaze shifting forward to land on Astrid in her black dress. Her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

As soon as she saw the silver-haired princess, Lina thought of the anonymous letter that had been placed by her window that night.

She was now even more convinced that Lyra was in a difficult situation.

Astrid was keeping Lyra by her side to torment her in a different way, and Lina was determined to find a way to rescue her.

As for the letter writer, Lina didn't doubt their intentions.

Given Astrid's typically arrogant and domineering character, it was likely that many had been offended by her.

Perhaps some righteous individual, unable to stand her behavior, had decided to help but remained hidden due to the risks.

A woman as vicious as Astrid, no matter how beautiful, could never be a suitable match for her brother.

Sensing the faint hostility emanating from Lina, Astrid didn't shy away.

Her red eyes met Lina's gaze calmly, the dark red hues swirling with an intensity that was hard to match.

Lina, slightly unnerved by the sharp gaze, turned her attention back to Lyra, her lips pursing slightly.

Facing her life-saving benefactor, who had been inadvertently deceived by her, Lina's emotions were mixed.

If she hadn't brought Lyra to the prom that night, none of this would have happened. She felt responsible for Lyra.

Caught between her master and her friend, Lyra also sensed the tension in the air.

To prevent any conflict at the banquet, she paused, bit her pink lip lightly, and whispered.

"Long time no see, Miss Lina. You seem worried,"

Lina blinked, her voice low as she responded, "How have you been...?"

A gentle and considerate girl like Lyra would make the perfect sister-in-law, but Lina couldn't let her fall into Astrid's hands.

She glanced at Lyra, who was standing nearby, her expression uncertain as she exchanged a brief look with Astrid.

After a moment of silence, Lyra replied softly, "I'm doing well. Her Royal Highness Astrid treats me kindly and doesn't assign me too much work."

Lyra had come to realize that Astrid was surprisingly easy to get along with.

No matter how many questions she asked, Astrid would patiently explain, even if Lyra needed clarification multiple times.

However, Lyra was careful not to test the limits of Astrid's patience.

She knew that secretly contacting the Earl Velmont would be a far greater offense than serving her seafood soup.

Lina opened her mouth to say more, but the banquet was beginning, and guests were starting to take their seats. Lyra gave her a reassuring glance, signaling that she was fine.

Lina clenched her fingers, stepped forward in her small leather shoes, and walked past Astrid. As she did, she deliberately lowered her voice and muttered, "My brother prefers kinder girls, not those who are controlling and jealous."

Though she didn't name anyone, her words were clearly aimed at Astrid, criticizing her for keeping Lyra close.

Astrid was momentarily speechless.

It seemed as though the entire world was convinced of her supposed infatuation with Earl Velmont, and they all believed it so firmly.

After a brief pause, Astrid replied coolly, "I see. Thank you for the reminder, Miss Lina."

Lina's boldness stemmed from the backing of the Velmont family and her close relationship with the Earl Velmont.

Astrid, however, had no intention of causing a scene with her future sister-in-law, assuming her feelings for Velmont were genuine.

Seeing that Astrid wasn't as angered as she had expected, Lina snorted and took her seat.

Astrid, amused by the exchange, decided not to engage further and found her own seat at the banquet.