Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 194: Tea Party

On Sunday morning at eight o’clock, in the imperial council hall, the emperor, various ministers, and members of the council who were absolutely loyal to the royal family took their seats one by one, beginning the weekly council meeting.

Hibbort, draped in brocade robes, sat upright on the throne with his hands clasped over his scepter.

His sharp and serious gaze swept over the ministers below the steps. After ensuring everyone was seated, he slowly began to speak.

"I believe everyone has heard some rumors before attending this week’s meeting... A heinous assassination recently occurred at the empire’s border..."

As Hibbort spoke, servants below distributed printed documents, which contained the key points of this week’s meeting and the topics for discussion.

Gregor received the document and, upon opening the first page, saw the meeting’s theme marked with a honeysuckle pattern.

"On the Future Development of Magical Energy Devices."

Turning his head to glance at the Minister of Finance, Florence, seated beside him, Gregor noticed that the man merely skimmed the title before quickly flipping to the next page, reading the details of the assassination with great interest.

After this meeting, Florence would likely have to deal with the friction between the two dukes regarding mineral trade.

Gregor had never held much fondness for this neutralist who only cared about data and reports.

If they hadn’t become colleagues, he might never have sat at the same table with Florence to discuss politics.

After a quarter of an hour, Hibbort, seeing that the ministers had read enough, gently tapped the floor tiles with the base of his scepter. Instantly, the council hall fell silent, and all eyes turned to the man who, like a lion, exuded authority even without anger.

"Minister Gregor recently submitted a proposal to me regarding the restriction of magical energy device development. Many of the opinions in the proposal stem from the assassination case you just read about."

"The development of magical energy devices has indeed brought many conveniences to your lives, but it has also brought with it many uncertainties. Faced with this double-edged sword, should we hire the most skilled blacksmith to forge it into a peerless weapon, or should we break it before it harms us?"

"Or... perhaps find a way to sheath this sword..."

As soon as Hibbort finished speaking, his gaze fell on Gregor on the right side of the council hall before shifting to the other side.

After half a minute, Gregor placed his right hand over his chest and slowly raised his left hand.

"Your Majesty, I believe it is urgent to restrict the development of magical energy devices."

Magic is the foundation of the empire, the essence of its heritage. It must not be allowed to leak further due to the emergence of magical energy devices.

...

"Good afternoon, Princess Astrid~"

In the beautifully decorated courtyard, near the flower bed in a small gazebo, a young girl dressed in a cute bubble dress, white lace socks, and round-toed bright red shoes sat with a smile in her eyes as she looked at the silver-haired princess before her.

It was no wonder she was called the most dazzling gem of the Valeria Empire. No matter the time or place, Princess Astrid always looked radiant.

Hearing Lydia’s words, Astrid pursed her lips and gently smoothed her skirt before sitting down gracefully, her slender legs elegantly crossed.

"Good afternoon, Miss Lydia."

Taking advantage of the free time on Sunday, Lydia had specifically invited Astrid to her home to see how the afternoon tea at the Minister of Finance’s residence compared to that of the palace.

"Princess Astrid, you’re as beautiful as ever."

"You too, Lydia. This cute white dress suits you well."

"Really?"

"Really."

Receiving praise from another highly attractive girl, Lydia’s eyes curved into crescents, and her already pleasant mood from having tea with a friend became even more delightful.

After arranging for the servants to pour hot tea and setting out the prepared desserts, Lydia noticed that Astrid was only accompanied by a pink-haired maid who appeared to be around the same age as her. The usually cold and aloof head maid, Elise, was not present today.

"Princess Astrid, why didn’t you bring Miss Elise this time?"

Having previously had tea together to discuss a collaboration for the magazine and then running into each other a few times in the capital, Lydia and Astrid’s relationship had grown closer. They were now quite good friends, and their conversations were no longer as formal as when they first met.

"Elise has other matters to attend to, so I brought Lyra instead."

Astrid handed her magic staff to Lyra, who obediently took it and stood in the shade outside the gazebo, maintaining a respectful distance from the two.

Seeing this, Lydia glanced a few more times at the pink-haired maid in the corner and softly said, "It seems Princess Astrid trusts Miss Lyra a lot~"

Being able to accompany her on outings, and being the only one to do so, was a privilege previously enjoyed only by Elise, who had served the third princess for many years. This gesture was enough to prove Lyra’s importance in Astrid’s heart.

Hearing Lydia’s words, Lyra lightly pursed her pink lips, her hands fidgeting slightly in front of her as her blue eyes silently focused on the light spots filtering through the leaves.

Suddenly being spoken of in such a way by Astrid’s friend, Lyra felt inexplicably happy, as if she had received some very important recognition.

"Lyra is indeed a very good maid."

Astrid took a sip of tea, her voice soft.

However, the reason she didn’t bring Elise this time wasn’t because of that. It was because having tea with Lydia wasn’t something she wanted Amalia to be involved in.

The head maid’s control in the palace far exceeded Lyra’s, and having her accompany Amalia would minimize the chances of any issues arising.

Besides, Elise had been spending less time with her recently, so no one would suspect that Astrid’s actions were for Amalia’s sake.

"What, Miss Lydia, have you taken a liking to my personal maid?"

Putting down her teacup, Astrid playfully teased the delicate girl across the table.

Hearing this, Lyra’s mouth slightly opened, and she subconsciously leaned closer to the marble pillar behind her. The coolness of the stone, slightly chilled by the shade, seeped through her thin maid’s dress to her back.

"No, no, I just think Miss Lyra is very beautiful. If she could change into a different outfit, she could grace the pages of the Empire Monthly," Lydia said.

Although Lyra looked good in her maid uniform, servant attire was clearly not suitable for promoting fashion trends among the nobility.

Astrid propped her chin on one hand, her gaze sweeping over Lyra’s pink hair cascading over her shoulders, down the back of her maid’s dress, and over her smooth, tender legs in white stockings, finally resting on the black shoes.

"There might indeed be a chance for Lyra to try that in the future, of course, provided she’s willing."

Only after shedding her maid identity and becoming a talented mage who entered the Elizabeth Academy of Magic through sheer ability would Lyra barely be able to catch the eyes of the nobility.

Withdrawing her gaze, Astrid took a bite of the Black Forest cake on the table. The pastries here were sweeter than those in the palace, and she found them a bit too rich, though Amalia would probably love them.

"Lydia, this Black Forest cake is quite good. Could I take some home after tea?"

"Of course, I’ll have the pastry chef prepare some right away."

Seeing Astrid say it was delicious but only taking a small spoonful, Lydia suddenly remembered something her brother had mentioned a couple of days ago, that a girl with the same eye color as Princess Astrid had arrived in the capital, and the third princess had been seen doting on her, even sharing meals with her.

Could it be that the cake was for that girl?

Lydia, who spent most of her time at home and didn’t interact much with others, didn’t overthink when talking to her good friend Astrid. Considering the possibility, she thought for a few seconds before asking.

"Princess Astrid, are you taking the cake for that girl who has eyes so similar to yours?"

Hearing Lydia’s words, Astrid nodded slightly, thinking that Livia’s existence had indeed spread among the empire’s nobility.

"Yes, Livia Calliste. Her eyes are somewhat similar to mine and my mother’s, so I felt a special connection and decided to take her in."

Lydia didn’t doubt her words and softly said, "Then I guessed right."

"Next time we have tea, Princess Astrid, you can bring her along. I’d like to see what this little sister you dote on so much looks like."

Little sister?

Looking at Lydia, who was at most a young girl herself, and then thinking of Amalia’s petite, doll-like figure, Astrid quickly swallowed her words.

After spending time together, she had a good idea of what kind of person Lydia, the daughter of the Minister of Finance, was.

Sweet-looking, simple-minded, a homebody who loved reading romantic novels to pass the time, and a standard beauty enthusiast.

Astrid sometimes even suspected that Lydia’s desire to collaborate with the Empire Monthly wasn’t just because she loved novels but also to get a closer look at the so-called gem of Valeria and see if she was really as beautiful as she appeared in the magazine.

"I’ll definitely bring her next time," Astrid replied.

Having Amalia interact more with her peers, especially those with potential political value, would generally be beneficial.