Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 187: Charlotte on dinner

In the evening, as per the agreed time, Astrid had prepared the dishes and sat in the dining room, waiting for her beloved guest.

Since discovering her daughter’s interest in cooking, Hibbort had specially allocated a kitchen area for Astrid to practice, along with a dining room for tasting the dishes.

Since she was dining with her closest aunt, Astrid had all the serving maids leave, keeping only Elise, Lyra, and the stray girl Livia, whom she had recently taken in and wanted to introduce to her elder.

Watching the clock ticking on the dining room wall, Astrid propped up her arm, gently crossing her legs. The thin black stockings with honeysuckle patterns emitted a delicate and soft glow under the light.

"Amalia must be trying my fried dishes for the first time."

Back in the ancient castle, she had mostly prepared some broth and barbecue for Amalia, which were easier to make.

Hearing Astrid speak, the black-haired girl sitting beside her withdrew her gaze from the woman’s neck and softly responded, "Sister... you can cook such dishes too..."

Like Lyra before, Amalia found this method of cooking particularly novel.

Soon Astrid seemed to remember something and added, "By the way, Amalia, come closer and see if I have any lingering smells on me."

While cooking, Astrid had Lyra use wind magic to shield her from oil and spicy smells that could cling to her clothes. She wasn’t sure if the middle stage apprentice had done as good a job as Elise usually did.

Upon hearing this, Amalia glanced at Astrid’s hair and recalled the head maid standing guard at the dining room entrance when they came in. The heel of her little shoe suddenly tapped on the floor.

Since she was sitting close to Astrid, she didn’t need to get up to smell her, but Amalia didn’t mind going the extra mile.

Walking up to the silver-haired princess, her body almost leaning into Astrid’s embrace, Amalia brought her face close to Astrid’s, sniffing her collar and neck with such seriousness that it seemed she didn’t want to miss a single trace.

Actually... she didn’t need to get this close...

Knowing that Amalia was using this opportunity to get closer to her, as they had avoided overly intimate gestures after their nap due to their status, this little girl must have been longing for it.

Without exposing Amalia’s little scheme, Astrid let the petite girl nuzzle against her.

Just then, she heard the crisp sound of high heels. The next moment, a tall, mature woman walked through the door.

Charlotte had dressed up at the estate before coming to the palace. She wore white silk gloves and a light purple ribbon dress.

Her long, delicate legs moved gracefully, exuding a fragrant breeze with each step. Her slender feet were adorned with silver high heels with an openwork design, exuding elegance.

Seeing a black-haired girl nestled in Astrid’s arms, almost glued to her, Charlotte’s gaze paused for a moment. But she quickly realized who it was and maintained her composed expression.

"Long time no see, Astrid."

"What are you two doing..."

It seemed Amalia really liked this rare sister of hers, but clinging to her even before dinner seemed a bit too much.

Charlotte thought to herself that even when little Astr was closest to her, she had never been this clingy.

"Good evening, Lady Charlotte. I was just letting..."

Astrid paused for a few seconds, and Charlotte, sensing something, blinked and smiled slightly.

Feeling a silencing barrier, stronger than what she could cast, enveloping the entire dining room, Astrid smiled and continued, "...letting Amalia check if I had any cooking smells on me."

With the guest now seated, it wouldn’t be appropriate to keep hugging her sister. Amalia obediently pulled away and returned to her seat.

After greeting Astrid, Charlotte turned to Amalia, her gaze lingering on the girl’s crimson eyes before she spoke with a gentle smile.

"Nice to meet you, Princess Amalia. You’re as adorable as little Astr said."

Hearing Charlotte’s term of endearment for Astrid, Amalia blinked and responded politely, "Good evening, Countess Charlotte."

Before dinner, Astrid had explained Charlotte’s relationship to her. Although Astrid called her "Lady," as respect Charlotte was actually her mother Fanya’s close friend. Judging from their relationship and past interactions, this Arcanist mage mage exuding mature charm was more like Astrid’s aunt.

Between "Aunt" and "countess," Amalia chose the latter without hesitation.

Charlotte chuckled softly, her light brown eyes filled with warmth and kindness. She sat across from Astrid, the gem on her chest swaying slightly with the movement of her ample bosom.

Noticing the richly prepared dishes on the table, the savory aroma wafting through the air, Charlotte spoke softly, "little Astr, did you make too much? It feels like we might not finish it all."

Astrid shook her head gently, "It’s because you rarely come to eat my cooking. I wasn’t sure which dishes you’d prefer, so I had to make a bit more."

With that, Astrid tapped the table. Lyra, who had been waiting in the shadows, stepped forward and poured red wine into Astrid and Charlotte’s glasses, while replacing Amalia’s with grapefruit juice.

Seeing the bright red liquid in her glass, Charlotte smiled and said, "Alright, alright, it’s my fault for not visiting more often."

"Are you sure you want to drink today?"

Astrid nodded slightly, "Yes, to welcome you back."

"What if I get too drunk and it’s too late to go back?"

"Then Lady Charlotte can stay at the palace for the night."

Looking at Astrid, whose eyes reflected the flickering candlelight, Charlotte’s smile didn’t fade, unaware of Amalia sitting beside her, gripping her glass tightly.

"Alright, if I do get drunk, don’t blame me for being a bother, little Astr."

For an Arcanist level mage like Charlotte, preventing alcohol from affecting her body only required a small amount of mental energy to cast a sobriety spell.

If it were a knight of the same level, they wouldn’t even need to cast such a spell, their bodies would automatically filter out these unstable factors that could impair their judgment.

However, if one wished to get drunk, whether a mage or a knight, they had their own methods.

The former could choose not to rely on the sobriety spell and let their body bear the brunt of the alcohol, while the latter could use their mental energy to temporarily lose their tolerance for alcohol, indulging in the pleasure of drunkenness and the discomfort and grogginess that came with it.

Taking a sip of the red wine in her glass, Charlotte savored the sweet yet slightly astringent taste, its rich aroma lingering long after.

Such a fine wine deserves to be truly savored, it would be a shame to let down the sincerity of the one who offered it.

Setting down her glass, Charlotte looked across the table at the silver-haired princess of the empire, dressed in a black gown, and decided against using the sobriety spell.

If she could truly get drunk tonight, staying over wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Compared to the countless nights she had spent drinking alone until dawn, getting drunk at the welcoming banquet Astrid had prepared for her would be a welcome change.

"How was your trip, Lady Charlotte? Did everything go smoothly?" Astrid asked softly, holding her glass in one hand.

Charlotte gazed at the girl’s moist lips and smiled. "Yes, everything went smoothly. No troubles to speak of."

"During this trip to Ostwycke, I learned that the Velmora Knight Academy does indeed plan to offer specialized magic courses. However, their admission requirements are different from those of the Elizabeth Academy of Magic. The Knight Academy requires that any mage they admit must at least be at the middle stage apprentice level."

At first glance, this seemed contradictory, reminiscent of the chicken-and-egg dilemma of needing to be a member to buy a ticket but needing to buy a ticket to become a member.

However, upon closer consideration, it was clear that this rule was designed to separate the noble students from the commoners.

Nobles could receive early magic training, allowing them to advance to the middle stage apprentice level sooner, while commoners, lacking such opportunities, could only access magic through the magic academy, thus falling into that very dilemma.

"The admission threshold seems set rather high..."

Astrid uncrossed her legs, the heels of her high heels clicking sharply against the floor tiles.

"Indeed, it is high. But that’s precisely their intention."

After saying this, Charlotte speared a piece of chicken from her plate and began to chew it slowly.

"...Delicious."

Hearing Charlotte’s praise, Astrid’s lips curved slightly upward.

"The key to this dish lies in the timing and seasoning. The vegetables could be swapped out for others."

"If Lady Charlotte really likes it, she can come over to eat more often, or I can write down the steps and give them to the head chef at the estate. It shouldn’t take more than a few days to master, it’s not difficult to learn."

Charlotte took another bite of the onion, savoring the slight spiciness and sweetness.

"Then I’ll have to have her come and learn from Little Astr."

"Of course. When she comes, I’ll teach her everything I know."

"The ribs are also quite good. I remember them well from the last time I had them."

"Lady Charlotte, feel free to eat as much as you like. There’s more in the pot, kept warm with a fire crystal."

Listening to the conversation between Astrid and Charlotte, Amalia sat silently in her seat, her gaze shifting between Charlotte and the wine glass in Astrid’s hand. A small piece of chicken took her half a minute to finish.

If Countess Charlotte really stayed overnight at the palace tonight...

Would she find another room to rest, or would she stay with her sister?

If they stayed together... would she still be able to share the same bed with her sister?