Sleeping Together

At night, in Charlotte's private bedroom, a beautiful girl with silver hair and red eyes sat in front of the dresser, holding a magical notebook in her hand, her gaze fixed intently on the pages.

Aura Vault, an Arcane type mid-level magic, allows the caster to temporarily store a certain amount of Mental power in a specific container.

When activated, the magic circle can quickly recover the previously stored Mental power.

Astrid followed the engraving points explained by Charlotte, retrieved a non-attribute magic crystal from the drawer, and began transferring her Mental power to construct the magic circle.

Arcane magic typically does not require elemental particles, making the casting process less reliant on elemental manipulation.

Before a mage ascends to the rank of an Arcanist, releasing arcane magic consumes significantly less mental power compared to elemental magic of the same level.

As for Arcanist and the Spellcreator, there is almost no mental power loss when they cast elemental magic.

When their elemental affinity is sufficiently high, they can even use a single unit of Mental power to manipulate multiple elemental particles simultaneously.

At this stage, arcane magic begins to test the caster's mental power reserves more than elemental magic does.

Astrid carefully carved out the shape of the magic circle, ensuring that each node connected seamlessly with the ones before and after it, forming a continuous flow of Mental power.

She gazed at the intricate magic circle before her, resembling a tangled ball of yarn, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Charlotte had only taught her the universal spells of the Aura Vault and had not included the corresponding Elders Speech in her notes.

This forced Astrid to rely solely on the knowledge points mentioned by Charlotte, leaving her no shortcuts to follow.

As for asking Charlotte for the Elders Speech of the Aura Vault, Astrid didn't even consider it.

For one, Charlotte might not have specifically memorized the Elders Speech for this intermediate-level magic.

Secondly, doing so might reveal Astrid's ability to read Elders Speech, a secret she wished to keep.

To win Charlotte's favor, Astrid had transformed from an arrogant and ruthless royal princess into a well-mannered and knowledgeable lady.

She also showcased her extraordinary magical talent and deep understanding of magic circles, all to gain access to more occult resources.

Throughout the existing history of mankind, the ability to understand Elders Speech is exceedingly rare.

In fact, the only person known to comprehend parts of Elders Speech was the great Spell Creator, Lady Gemini.

If Astrid's ability to read Elders Speech were exposed, not only would her true identity come under scrutiny, but the relatively stable foreign situation could also be disrupted.

Even if she were to gain the protection of Emperor Hibbort, the ensuing chain reactions would be far beyond the control of a young apprentice like Astrid.

Until her strength is sufficient, Astrid has no choice but to keep this secret buried deep within her.

Seeing that the magic circle, which had taken immense effort to construct, was finally entering its final stage, Astrid once again channeled her Mental power, connecting the last node.

The magic crystal in her hand flickered briefly before dimming again.

Rubbing her sore temples, Astrid attempted to infuse Mental power into the magic crystal once more.

After half a minute, she felt a faint ripple of Mental power emanating from the gem's surface.

She finally let out a sigh of relief, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her pink lips.

Although arcane magic typically requires less mental power, this endeavor had nearly drained Astrid's entire reserves.

Nevertheless, the result was excellent, a success on her first attempt.

Just as Astrid was examining the magic crystal more closely, the sound of light footsteps reached her ears, accompanied by a faint mist and the elegant, cool scent of patchouli.

"Succeeded so quickly?"

Charlotte, after her bath, was dressed in a purple silk nightgown.

Her long, slender legs were partially exposed, and her delicate feet were adorned with a pair of silver strappy sandals.

She exuded an alluring, feminine charm from head to toe.

Astrid nodded and asked Charlotte in a soft voice, "If I prepare more magic crystals and enchant them all with the Aura Vault, wouldn't that ensure a continuous supply of Mental power during battle?"

Before she could finish her sentence, Charlotte extended a slender finger and gently tapped Astrid's forehead, chiding softly, "Don't get ahead of yourself, little one. It's not that simple."

"You'll understand once you try it. The Aura Vault has many limitations. Not only does it require the Mental power transmitter and receiver to be the same person, but you can only replenish your Mental power once a week. Otherwise, your spirit won't be able to withstand the backlash and will quickly collapse."

The best way to restore mental strength remains rest and meditation.

This method of rapid recovery should only be used as a last resort.

Listening to Charlotte's tone shift from gentle to serious, Astrid began to grasp the risks involved.

She nodded slightly and said in a soft voice, "I understand. I won't use the Aura Vault unless it's a life-or-death situation."

"Yes, that's exactly what I meant," Charlotte replied, her lips curving into a faint smile. She then handed Astrid a set of clean clothes. "It's late now. You should go take a shower and rest early."

Astrid accepted the clothes, bid Charlotte goodnight, and made her way to the bathroom.

After a little over half an hour, she emerged wearing a silk nightgown that was nearly as pale as her skin.

She walked slowly to the bed, where Charlotte was already waiting.

"Lady Charlotte..." Astrid hesitated, her gaze falling on the single quilt on the bed and then on Charlotte, whose long dark hair and enchanting figure seemed to fill the space.

She stood by the bed, unsure, and asked tentatively, "...Is there only one quilt?"

Charlotte nodded, lifting a corner of the quilt slightly to reveal a glimpse of her smooth skin. "Didn't you always sleep under the same blanket with me before?"

When Astrid was eleven, her parents had ventured into the abyss and never returned.

Since then, Charlotte had become one of the closest people in Astrid's life, alongside the head maid Elise.

They had often shared meals and even slept together during those difficult times.

Seeing Astrid's hesitation, Charlotte's tone took on a teasing edge. "Our little Astr isn't getting shy now... are you?"

At those words, Astrid quickly lifted the quilt and slipped under it, her movements graceful but deliberate.

Since she had approached the bed from one side, she had to move past Charlotte to settle in.

In doing so, her delicate body inevitably brushed against the older woman.

The sweet scent of roses wafted from Astrid, filling Charlotte's senses, and the girl's warm, soft breath brushed against Charlotte's sensitive earlobe.

The bed dipped slightly under Astrid's weight. Unlike earlier, when she had been dressed for the day, Astrid now wore no stockings after her shower.

The smooth skin of her legs pressed against Charlotte's knees, warm and soft to the touch.

A faint, unfamiliar sensation flickered in Charlotte's chest, but it passed as quickly as it had come.

She gently wrapped an arm around Astrid's waist, pulling her closer, just as she had done when Astrid was a child.

"You've grown so much," Charlotte murmured, her voice tinged with both fondness and a hint of surprise.

In some ways, Astrid was almost catching up to her.