Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 221: New Novel For Empire Monthly

Twenty minutes later, at an altitude of 1,500 meters above Post, the massive airship known as the Fearless was no longer crowded with guests and noisy chatter as it had been during the day.

Bathed in the bright moonlight, the metallic sheen of its animal hide shimmered like flowing silver.

The glowing red fire crystals resembled scattered fireflies, adding a touch of warmth to the cold, imposing magical airship.

Tonight, on December 31, 1729 of the human calendar, the airship was devoid of extra personnel, leaving only Astrid and her closest companions.

In the lounge, Amalia sat in Astrid’s lap, her white-stockinged legs pressed tightly against Astrid’s, the slight friction producing a soft sound.

"Amalia, how’s the orange juice?"

"...It’s good."

"It’s too warm in here. Let me cool it down for you; it’ll taste better."

Holding the glass, Astrid used her high affinity for ice magic to chill the drink. Soon, a few ice cubes floated in the glass.

Watching the raven-haired girl take a sip of the orange juice and lean back against her, Astrid brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, feeling unusually relaxed.

Tonight was New Year’s Eve, the first one Amalia would spend outside the castle. Astrid couldn’t, and wouldn’t, leave her alone in the palace to stare into space.

Moreover, Lyra had been serving as her maid for a year without returning home once. After working so hard, it was time for her to have a proper break.

For all these reasons, Astrid had decided to take them all aboard the Fearless for a sightseeing trip, enjoying the rare moments of leisure after a busy period.

Feeling the warmth of Astrid’s body and the constant, delicate fragrance wafting around her, Amalia blinked a few times, her expression softening.

Without the need to hide her identity or engage in mind games with outsiders, tonight she could express her love for her sister more naturally.

"Big sister, try this too."

Seeing Amalia scoop up a spoonful of cake and hold it out to her, Astrid leaned down, slightly parting her lips to take the sweet treat into her mouth.

The desserts on the airship were top-notch.

Long before the flight, Charlotte had instructed the pastry chef to prepare a variety of foods and drinks, ensuring everything went smoothly for their nighttime excursion.

Seeing Astrid eat the cake she had personally scooped, a glimmer of joy flashed in Amalia’s eyes.

Under the table, her delicate toes, encased in white stockings, wiggled slightly, making the smooth, translucent tips of the stockings even more visible.

The next second, Amalia didn’t hesitate to scoop another spoonful of cake and place it in her mouth, savoring the creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture combined with the soft sponge cake, sweetening her heart.

And on top of that... there was the taste of her sister...

Thinking this, Amalia felt the cake in her mouth seemed even sweeter.

Lyra, watching the intimate interaction between the sisters across the table, also lowered her head and began to eat her dessert in small bites.

Beside her, Charlotte held a wine glass, her long, elegant legs crossed, her gaze occasionally drifting to Astrid and the window.

Every now and then, she would take a small sip from her glass.

After a while, Elise, who was in charge of piloting the airship, entered the room and sat down next to Astrid.

"Miss Astrid, the airship has reached the designated altitude and no longer requires manual control."

"Thank you, Elise."

With that, Astrid propped her chin on her hand and handed the head maid a glass of chilled juice, her crimson eyes soft and warm.

Elise shook her head, responding as usual, it was her honor to serve the young lady.

Seeing Elise still looking a bit sullen, Astrid chuckled and reached out to pinch the maid’s smooth, beautiful cheek, speaking softly.

"It’s almost New Year’s Eve. Why are you still so serious? My most reliable maid."

Hearing this, a faint ripple appeared in Elise’s usually calm, dark eyes. Astrid let go and continued in a gentle tone.

"Just for tonight, there’s no need to follow those strict and complicated rules. From now until the sun rises tomorrow, you’re not my maid, and I’m not your mistress. Let’s just enjoy the night."

After speaking to Elise, Astrid turned to Lyra.

"Miss Lyra, the same goes for you. Tonight, you don’t have to treat me as a princess."

The two maids remained silent. Lyra glanced at Astrid, then at Elise, who was in the same situation.

A few seconds later, Elise replied softly.

"Alright, Miss Astrid."

Lyra followed suit.

"Um... Miss Astrid..."

Knowing that a few words wouldn’t change the long-standing impressions the two had, Astrid shook her glass and reached out toward the center of the table, using actions to warm the atmosphere.

"Then let’s have a drink with me first."

Strictly speaking, the only one on the airship who couldn’t drink alcohol was the underage Fourth Princess, Amalia. Even Lyra had become a legally autonomous adult during her brief stint as a maid in the Valeria Empire.

However, this growth wasn’t entirely a good thing for certain younger sisters who liked to cling to their elders.

At least after becoming an adult, she could no longer nestle in her sister’s arms like a child, feeding each other intimately.

Thinking of the intimate interaction between Astrid and Amalia earlier, Lyra felt inexplicably envious.

Looking at the wine glass Astrid handed her, the girl put down her glass of juice after a moment’s thought and picked up the pre-poured red wine instead, clinking glasses with Astrid.

She took a sip, the sweet yet slightly bitter liquid flowing over her tongue. It was cool and refreshing, not bad but far inferior to the juice she had been drinking.

Lyra held the stemmed glass with both hands, silently pondering why this drink she didn’t find particularly tasty had become a staple at noble gatherings in the imperial capital.

Noticing Lyra had chosen wine over juice, Astrid stroked her glass, her crimson eyes narrowing slightly, her wine-stained lips becoming even more tender and alluring.

"Is this Lyra’s first time drinking wine?"

Hearing Astrid’s question, Lyra nodded and answered softly, "Yes, I’ve only seen others drink before."

"How does it taste?"

Lyra looked up at Astrid. The woman’s fair chin was partially obscured by Amalia’s hair, but her faint smile and less cold expression were still visible.

"It’s alright... but not as good as I imagined..." Lyra said.

Her father and the blacksmith grandfather at the village entrance both liked to drink, though they couldn’t afford such luxurious wines, usually settling for homemade barley brew from each year’s harvest.

Astrid didn’t refute Lyra’s opinion. She leaned forward slightly, feeding Amalia another bite of cake, and said with a smile, "Everyone’s experience with alcohol is different. Just like some love coriander while others can’t stand its smell. It’s normal for Lyra to feel this way."

"If you don’t want to drink, have juice instead. Unlike those greasy nobles, I won’t force my maid to drink. Besides, tonight you’re not my maid."

Alcohol isn’t that great anyway, less is more.

Lyra’s lips moved slightly, her pink tongue gently pressing against her lower lip. "Your Highness Astrid, do you like drinking wine?"

As a personal maid, Lyra often accompanied Astrid to various noble banquets and knew that Astrid usually only drank at such events, sticking to juice or water for daily meals. freёnovelkiss.com

"Not particularly, neither loving nor hating it," Astrid replied.

Perhaps influenced by her genes, in her previous life she never touched alcohol, but now she could easily accept these imperial wines, even tasting flavors she couldn’t appreciate before.

"However, red wine is best paired with proper meals, like steak or other roasted meats. The wine complements the meat, making it more tender and delicious, while the meat juices in turn enhance the wine’s fruity aroma."

Charlotte, propping her cheek with one hand, added at the right moment, "Besides desserts, I also had the chef prepare some midnight snacks, now being kept warm in the kitchen. You can heat them up later if you’re hungry."

Charlotte had also made thorough preparations for this aerial gathering.

"Lady Charlotte is so thoughtful," Astrid said with a smile.

The countess maintained her elegant posture, holding her wine glass, her long, shapely legs crossed lightly as she responded softly, "After all, I’ve been looking forward to celebrating the New Year with Little Astr and everyone else."

Compared to the bustling palace banquet beneath them, Charlotte preferred this cozy atmosphere of a few people sitting together, chatting and drinking.

No need to think about gains and losses, nor overly consider the future, just enjoying this moment of leisure and joy with closest ones.

"By the way, Little Astr, the novel you’ve been serializing in the monthly magazine is almost finished, right?"

"Yes, just need to wrap up the ending and add two epilogues."

"What are you planning to write next?"

"Considering a ’marriage before love’ theme."

"Marriage before love?"

Charlotte was momentarily stunned, then asked gently after chewing the words, "What kind of theme is that?"

Astrid smiled and explained, "It’s about two people getting married first, then gradually developing feelings for each other during their daily interactions."

As she spoke, Astrid felt Amalia slipping off her lap. She reached out and grasped her sister’s slender waist, pulling her back securely onto her lap, her legs bending near the knees to provide support.

"Isn’t that similar to your current novel?" Charlotte asked.

This domineering prince novel also started with an arranged marriage, with the protagonists developing feelings over time.

Astrid shook her head, "The premise is similar, but the characterizations and plot developments are completely different."

"This time’s protagonist will be a gentle, scholarly nobleman, without the overbearing personality of the prince that might put some readers off."

Already, many readers of the current novel had commented that the heroine would be better off with the gentle male lead, urging her to ditch the prince and elope with him instead.

As the author, Astrid naturally couldn’t alter her original outline based on such feedback, but the readers’ comments had planted new ideas in her mind.

In the Valeria Empire, nobles rarely had the freedom to choose their own marriages. Most were bound by family interests to marry someone they didn’t love, so these noble ladies secretly prayed that their future arranged marriages would perfectly align with their ideals.

Thus, writing a new novel based on the ’marriage before love’ theme could retain her existing readership while also catering to those who didn’t like the domineering CEO type, allowing them to see the kind of romance they desired in the newspapers. A win-win situation.

Charlotte took a sip of red wine and said softly, "Wouldn’t that reduce the dramatic tension?"

Astrid nodded slightly, affirming Charlotte’s point in a gentle tone, "There will definitely be fewer climaxes than the previous book, but the current Empire monthly magazine doesn’t rely solely on strong gimmicks to attract readers."

Different products for different times ensure sustainable development.

Feeling they were inadvertently veering into work talk, Charlotte shifted her posture, her high heels clicking against the floor.

"That’s true..."

"...So could Little Astr give us a sneak peek of the plot? Just the beginning or a brief summary would do, too much might spoil the anticipation."

Astrid hummed in agreement and began narrating part of the next book’s plot in a calm tone.

Amalia listened to the cool female voice, her back pressed against Astrid’s soft, warm chest, her white-stockinged legs swaying gently under the table.

The airship was equipped with fire elemental crystals, constantly emitting warmth that filled their limbs, making the whole body feel cozy.

For Amalia, this time used to be just another lonely night, the only difference being the spectacular fireworks created by fire magic outside the castle.

The loud bangs from the colliding fire elements often made it even harder for Amalia, who already had trouble sleeping, to fall asleep.

But now everything was different... She had a sister who loved her, and a true goal to strive for...

If there really were gods, perhaps these years of loneliness and solitude were their test for her. Only by enduring the long night could she welcome a more profound dawn.

Thinking this, Amalia’s lips curved slightly upwards, her soft body pressing even closer.