Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 213: Day Before Ceremony

More than two thousand years ago, the predecessor of the Valeria Empire, the Loren Empire, had not yet collapsed under internal and external strife.

At that time, people determined the solar cycle based on mystical knowledge and established a calendar accordingly, dividing the year into twelve months, totaling 365 days.

Later, as the Loren Empire gradually declined amidst warfare, it split into the Valeria Empire and the Kingdom of Velys along the line from the Abyssal Rift in the northwest to the Barren Wasteland.

This calendar was preserved by both sides and has been in use ever since.

Today is December 30th of the year 1729 in the new era, and there are less than 48 hours left until the new year.

Tonight, Lyra stood in a brightly lit corridor, gazing from afar at the massive curtain enveloping the entire mana-powered airship in the northwest of the estate.

As Princess Astrid’s personal maid, Lyra naturally witnessed how this airship transformed from a blueprint into reality through the diligent work of skilled craftsmen.

Such a colossal structure could likely only be seen in the imperial capital, the Capital.

Thanks to Princess Astrid’s vigorous promotion in the empire’s monthly magazine, many nobles who did not reside in the capital were also very interested in the mana-powered airship.

Some of them, having received advance notice, arrived at the city’s inns a week ago, ready to witness this epoch-making masterpiece take to the skies up close.

To enhance everyone’s sense of participation, after learning of this, Charlotte also opened several rooms in the Blue Rose Mansion within the estate as a reception area.

Noble guests wishing to participate in the ceremony could stay for free and enjoy VIP treatment after confirming their identities.

The mansion’s corridor was equipped with fire-attribute crystal stones for warmth, so even in the depths of winter, the interior remained cozy.

The warm breath Lyra exhaled formed tiny droplets on the window, and the originally transparent glass became hazy with a thin layer of mist, making it difficult to see outside for a moment.

Noticing the blurriness before her, Lyra raised her hand to wipe away the condensation, but as her fingertips touched the glass, she changed her mind.

Her index finger drew a clockwise circle, then added two empty dots on the upper sides of the circle, followed by a nose and a mouth.

From left to right, she drew a horizontal crescent, and upon seeing the smiley face on the glass, the corners of her lips also curved slightly. However, she soon thought of something, and her cherry-pink lips tightened again.

It’s almost New Year... I wonder how things are in the village, if it’s as lively as usual...

Outside the window, the silver moon hung high, and the deep night enveloped the entire Countess’ estate.

Being far from the capital, there were no palace parties lasting from evening until morning here, no flickering candlelight on the windowsills, only silent branches and the ticking of clocks. Everything seemed particularly desolate.

In Lyra’s original plan, she wouldn’t return home during her first summer vacation after entering the Elizabeth Academy of Magic.

The academy dormitories remained open to students even during holidays, and she intended to use those two months to find a part-time job in the capital.

The cost of living here was much higher than in her hometown, so earning enough for next semester’s tuition and miscellaneous expenses should be more than sufficient.

She planned to take a carriage home for the New Year during the winter break, sharing her experiences of the year with the villagers and bringing some local specialties from the capital.

Now, she had earned quite a bit for her tuition, but unfortunately, she didn’t have time to go back and visit.

Moreover, with only a little over a month left until spring... she would soon be ending this brief yet wonderful Chapter of her life as a maid...

Thinking this far, Lyra’s mood inevitably sank. She lowered her gaze and absentmindedly drew another circle next to the smiley face.

This time, she drew the crescent downward, turning the expression from joy to sorrow.

She really didn’t want to leave Princess Astrid...

Her fingertips touched the cold glass, and Lyra bit her lip, looking at her reflection in the window. Those azure eyes carried a hint of sadness and an obvious reluctance.

"That’s quite cute, Lyra."

Suddenly, a cool female voice rang out. Lyra was momentarily stunned, her eyes refocusing to see another figure had appeared on the transparent glass.

Turning around, she saw Astrid standing in the corridor. Because of the indoor warmth, she wore a relatively light nightgown, her fair shoulders and delicate collarbones exposed.

The plain white fabric of the dress outlined her slender and charming waist, and her long, shapely legs were bare, exposed to the air, with ten jade-like toes hidden in sandals, the snow-white skin of her feet faintly revealing veins.

Quite cute... Did she mean the drawing on the glass?

Realizing her childish act had been caught red-handed by Princess Astrid, Lyra retracted her fingers, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Her smooth legs, covered in white knee-high socks, instinctively took half a step back.

"G-Good evening, Princess Astrid. I was just... doodling..."

What would Princess Astrid think? She was almost eighteen, yet she was doing something only children would do.

Seeing the pink-haired maid shift her body slightly to block the window, Astrid curved her lips into a smile, her tone calm.

"If I had known earlier that Lyra had such talent, I should have had you learn from Miss Mary. Perhaps you could have made a living from painting in the future."

"What do you think, Miss Lyra?"

Noticing the roots of the pink-haired maid’s ears turning even more crimson after her words, Astrid raised her hand, covering her lips with the back of her fingers as she chuckled softly.

Teasing the silly maid was indeed a delightful affair, but Astrid’s actions weren’t solely for her own amusement.

She had seen the patterns Lyra drew on the transparent glass and naturally noticed the subtle emotional fluctuations.

The blue eyes reflected in the window showed a faint trace of melancholy, quite different from the usual glimmering gaze.

"Princess Astrid..."

Lyra’s face reddened, her hand clutching her skirt, wanting to say something but unable to find the words, her tone carrying a hint of coquettishness.

Feeling the atmosphere lighten considerably, Astrid straightened her index finger and gently poked her own cheek, whispering.

"It’s almost midnight. Why are you still wearing this outfit?"

Tomorrow was the ceremony, and as the third princess’s personal maid, Lyra would also be boarding the airship.

Following Lyra’s gaze out the window, Astrid saw the massive structure beneath the curtain and spoke softly.

"There’s no need to worry about the airship’s safety. Lady Charlotte has checked it twice. Both the structure itself and the energy transmission medium are flawless."

"As for whether someone might sneak in to sabotage it under the cover of night, Lady Charlotte anticipated this possibility and has already set up defensive barriers, keeping a close watch."

There are only a few Arcanist Level Mages in the Valeria Empire, and bypassing Charlotte’s surveillance to destroy the airship would be impossible.

Hearing Astrid speak of tomorrow’s events, Lyra hesitated for a moment before shaking her head, answering softly.

"Your Highness, I’m not worried about that..."

"I was just helping some other maids move things, so I came back a bit late."

Having stayed in Charlotte’s private estate for half a year, Lyra, with her innate charm befitting a heroine, had made many new friends.

Since the mansion was unusually busy today and Astrid had already rested, Lyra thought to help her friends with some tasks during her free time and ended up busy until now.

"By the way, Your Highness, why are you out here... Isn’t Miss Livia with you?" Lyra asked.

Given the fourth princess’s clinginess to her sister, she wouldn’t let Princess Astrid come out alone.

"It’s a bit stuffy in the room, and opening the window might cause a chill, so I came out for some fresh air."

Only Astrid, Amalia, and their two personal maids stayed in the rooms along this corridor, so there was no need to worry about running into others.

"Livia is resting. Leaving for a while is fine, but if I stay out too long, she’ll wake up," Astrid added.

The little girl didn’t care about the bed, only the person. Once she realized the soft pillow she was hugging was gone, she would probably get up to look for her.

But thinking about it carefully, it felt like she was a wife sneaking out in the middle of the night to meet a lover behind her husband’s back.

Lyra softly acknowledged, falling silent for a moment.

After a while, seeing Lyra still hadn’t returned to her room, Astrid walked over to her and spoke gently.

"I’m here for some fresh air. What about you, Miss Lyra?"

"Keeping me company?"

A sweet fragrance wafted into her nose, accompanied by a pleasant female voice. Lyra was momentarily dazed before replying.

"Yes..."

Perhaps out of habit, since Princess Astrid hadn’t told her to leave, she shouldn’t just walk away.

Hearing this, Astrid’s crimson eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze filled with scattered light fixed on Lyra.

"I’m fine. If you’re tired, you can go back to your room and sleep. Tomorrow is the ribbon-cutting ceremony."

Hearing this, Lyra didn’t bow and leave as usual but remained standing, her voice soft.

"Your Highness... I’m not tired yet..."