_Astra_20

Imagine waking up as the villain in your sister's cheesy fantasy novel. Yeah, not ideal, especially when that villain is destined for hatred, and a grim end in some forgotten dungeon. That's Astrid's new reality. Her old life? Gone. Her new mission? Survive. And step one means throwing the original script out the window.

But changing fate is way harder than it sounds. In a desperate move, Astrid makes the story's heroine, Lyra, her personal maid. Clever, right? Except teaching Lyra magic and treating her like, well, a person, backfires spectacularly. Lyra's gratitude twists into something intense, dark, and possessive.

And she's not the only one. Astrid tries mending fences with her powerful aunt, only to find herself smothered by a love that feels dangerously close to madness. Even her ambitious half-sister, originally her rival, gets weirdly attached after Astrid shows her a bit of warmth and helps her gain power using some modern-world smarts.

Astrid thought she was being clever, building alliances, creating intelligence networks, rewriting roles. She is changing the story, but it's warping everyone around her. Their loyalty? It's becoming obsession. Their affection? A dangerous fixation.

Now, Astrid isn't just fighting the plot. She's drowning in a mess of her own making – caught between people who crave her, tangled in lies and affections twisted way out of shape. Everyone wants her, and sharing isn't remotely on their agenda.

Princess’s Struggle for Survival

"Astrid... I have a question I want to ask you..."

Hearing Lyra's soft yet slightly hesitant tone, Astrid lifted her skirt slightly, revealing the lace trim of her black stockings, then gently pulled them up with her fingertips.

"What's the question?" After adjusting her stockings, Astrid spoke softly.

Seeing this, Lyra's ears turned slightly red, and she moistened her lips before speaking.

"Is your current mental energy reserve... still the same as before..."

She knew that Astrid had some issues, or rather, shortcomings, with her mental energy, but she didn't know the specifics.

Astrid fell silent for a moment before finally speaking.

"Well, it's about the same as a normal middle stage apprentice."

If Astrid had previously thought that her mental energy was simply innately insufficient and could be replenished with diligent practice over time, after such a long period of training, she began to doubt that view.

Mental Energy Improvement