Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 248: Princess Astrid must be doing this on purpose!

The next morning, Lyra woke up to faint sounds, rubbing her eyes as her blurry vision gradually cleared.

The sky outside was already bright, warm sunlight falling on the oak brown flooring, reflecting a delicate and soft luster.

Feeling an unexpectedly peaceful atmosphere in the dorm, Lyra even considered staying in bed a little longer.

But seeing the pillow across from her neatly folded, she quickly realized it was time to get up.

Sitting up straight and folding the blanket, Lyra carefully climbed down the ladder, her hands gripping it tightly.

The metal ladder felt cold, and her delicate feet could feel the chill on each step.

Only after slipping into fluffy slippers did Lyra feel warmth return to her soles. She hurriedly greeted the head maid, who had already finished her morning routine and was writing a report at the desk.

"Good morning, Elise. Are Astrid and Livia washing up?"

Elise returned the greeting and just as she finished, Amalia opened the bathroom door and walked into the room with a "tap tap."

Seeing the pink-haired girl who had just gotten out of bed with disheveled hair, Amalia nodded. They exchanged morning greetings, and Lyra went to the bathroom door, gently knocking.

"Astrid... can I come in?"

A moment later, a muffled female voice came from inside.

"Sure."

Lyra pushed the door open and saw a graceful figure standing in front of the sink. Astrid was slightly bent over. Her slender figure was wrapped in a plain silk nightgown, and as she leaned down to wash her face, her delicate waist arched slightly, her rounded bottom slightly raised.

Lyra quickly averted her gaze, the remnants of sleepiness instantly disappearing. When the sound of water stopped, Astrid gently wiped her face and turned around, speaking softly.

"I’m done. You can come in."

Seeing the droplets of water on Astrid’s long lashes and the faint mist on her face, a hint of allure in her usual cool demeanor, Lyra softly acknowledged and picked up a clean toothbrush, gently chewing on it.

Living in a student dorm meant facing situations like this... roommates would always have some unexpected moments...

Wait, they were all girls. Except for herself, the odd one out, no one else would feel as embarrassed as she did.

And this wasn’t a big deal, right...

"Lyra, where do you want to eat later?"

Astrid, having finished arranging her hair, turned and asked Lyra.

"Huh? I’m fine with anything."

"Alright, let’s try a new place today. Let’s go to Ingrid’s Restaurant."

"Oh... okay!"

Hearing the crisp footsteps fade away, Lyra spat out the chewed toothbrush, washed her face, and combed her hair before returning to the dorm.

But the moment she pushed the door open, Lyra’s calmness from washing up was once again disturbed.

Astrid was sitting at the desk. Due to the limited space under the desk, she had turned to face her bed, her arms extended as she slipped on a pair of sheer black stockings, her fingers gently pulling the fabric up.

Listening to the soft rustling of the stockings against her skin and seeing the delicate toes hidden beneath the black fabric, Lyra felt her body heat up.

She immediately lowered her gaze, not daring to look further, and returned to her seat at a much slower pace than usual.

Yesterday, she had woken up late and hadn’t noticed Princess Astrid changing clothes, but today was clearly different.

Lyra gripped the hem of her skirt, looking down at her nervously intertwined ankles, her feelings somewhat complicated.

If she went to the bathroom to change like yesterday morning, would it be too deliberate?

Her gaze remained lowered, not daring to look at the person across from her. Once Princess Astrid finished putting on her stockings, she would surely change out of her nightgown.

Though she wanted to look... peeking at her crush changing clothes was definitely not okay...

If she hadn’t realized the true meaning behind those feelings, Lyra might not have been so conflicted. After all, as a girl, it wouldn’t matter even if she saw.

Moreover, Princess Astrid didn’t seem to mind her presence, changing in the dorm’s shared space.

"..."

No, absolutely not.

Once she acknowledged her feelings, doing so would be taking advantage of Princess Astrid.

The sense of justice within her overwhelmed the budding thoughts in her heart.

Lyra took a deep breath, just as she was about to release the hem of her skirt and grab the casual clothes she planned to wear today, a section of smooth, jade-like skin appeared in her previously downward gaze, the toes slightly tugging at the soft, reinforced fabric.

Astrid straightened her leg, ensuring the stockings were wrinkle-free, then bent down to put on the other one, completely unaware that the pink-haired girl across from her had slightly turned her head, revealing a hint of her reddened earlobe.

There were still four years of school life ahead. She needed to get used to this.

Admonishing herself, Lyra stood up, took out the shirt, skirt, and two pairs of white stockings from the closet, and turned her back to Astrid.

After a rustling sound, Lyra removed her nightgown, clearly feeling a chill on her back, and quickly sped up the process of changing clothes.

......

An hour later, at the grand hall of Elizabeth Academy of Magic, Astrid and her group sat in their seats, waiting for the class assignment information.

According to the academy’s longstanding tradition, the morning was dedicated to the welcoming ceremony for new students, with upperclassmen performing plays or playing music, accompanied by visually stunning magic displays and combat demonstrations.

"Lyra, are you nervous?" Seeing Lyra’s tightly pressed legs, Astrid asked softly.

"During breakfast, I noticed you didn’t have much of an appetite. Did you not sleep well last night?"

Lyra hesitated for a moment, shaking her head, then nodding.

"No, I slept well."

"...I’m just a little nervous."

At the restaurant, it was because of the morning’s events that she felt embarrassed, having just changed clothes in front of Astrid. But once they reached the hall, that feeling quickly turned into nervousness.

It was finally time for class assignments. Though the chances of being in the same class were slim, Lyra still clung to a faint hope.

What if?

Guessing what Lyra was nervous about, Astrid smiled slightly and didn’t say more, her fingers lightly tapping on her thigh as she quietly watched the performance on stage.

Aside from practical applications, the nobles of the Valeria Empire also had a strong fondness for ornamental magic.

They had invented many simple spells specifically for entertainment, such as the fireworks during New Year’s celebrations or the colorful displays during store openings.

There were also some special tricks, like flames burning within ice or whirlpools formed by the simultaneous manipulation of wind, water, and light elements, all of which were visually impressive.

For this reason, Elizabeth Academy of Magic even offered a specialized elective course in ornamental magic research.

Many commoner students with average talent would take this course in their second year.

When they returned home, these seemingly flashy but useless spells could still earn them a decent income.

Since there was nothing else to do, Astrid silently watched the performance. Besides the hand tapping her knee, her other hand was gently held by Amalia, resting on the girl’s soft, smooth white-stockinged legs.

Even though they had eaten plenty of sweets since coming out together, why did Amalia’s legs still have so little flesh?

Looking at the white stockings with fine golden edges beside her, without even a trace of indentation, Astrid could only assume this cold and petite girl didn’t metabolize calories well.

No wonder she remained so thin even with three meals a day back at the castle.

Once the ceremony ended, the academy staff distributed textbooks based on the student IDs they had submitted, with the class assignment information engraved on the small black card.

"Honorable Princess Astrid, these are the textbooks you will need. Please take good care of them and do not lose them."

Astrid nodded, and in the next moment, Elise took the books tied with a leather strap and handed the student ID back to her.

To avoid overcrowding, Astrid took her textbooks and moved to the end of the line. As she walked, she let her consciousness seep into the black card representing her student identity, quickly obtaining the information she wanted.

Astrid Calliste, Class of 1730, Class A, Student ID A 4029173001.

As Astrid had initially expected, the academy’s higher-ups didn’t simply place her in Class S based on her high elemental affinity alone.

After careful consideration, they assigned her to the slightly less prestigious Class A.

The only question was whether a certain pink-haired knight would be in the same class as her.

Reaching the end of the line, Astrid saw the staff member in front of Lyra searching for the student ID number. She quietly put away her card, her expression calm.

In fact, given her relationship with Charlotte, if she had mentioned it earlier, Lyra would likely have been directly placed in her class.

But considering why the relationship between the original Astrid and her aunt had deteriorated, it was because Astrid had repeatedly taken advantage of her noble status.

Although Charlotte was a relatively open-minded reformist, there were times when she cared deeply about rules, especially in relatively fair class assignments. Even a hint of personal bias wouldn’t be appropriate.

There was no need to make a special request. Even if they weren’t in the same class initially, with Lyra’s year-long training, she would eventually catch up like a rocket.

Moreover, from what the protagonist had implied, she really wanted to be in the same class as Astrid.

On the other hand, Lyra also received her textbooks. Looking at the cover of "Basic Elemental Studies" and the similar thickness to the bundle the head maid had, her anticipation grew stronger.

She had observed that the thickness of the bundles varied, and so did their contents, likely corresponding to different classes.

Channeling a wisp of consciousness, Lyra saw the prefix before her class name, and the teeth that had been nervously biting her lip relaxed.

Class A, just one level below Class S.

Which class would Princess Astrid be in?

Walking over to Astrid, Lyra licked her dry pink lips, her voice tinged with hope and joy.

"Princess Astrid, I’ve been assigned to Class A."

On the surface, she was informing Princess Astrid of her class assignment, but in reality, Lyra wanted to gauge Astrid’s reaction to see if they were in the same class.

Astrid nodded thoughtfully, her voice low and unreadable.

"Class A... that’s good. Your foundation in magic has been solid this past year, so you should keep up..."

"It’s indeed a better fit for Lyra’s learning pace."

With that, Astrid said no more and turned to walk towards the classroom building, the sound of her high heels clicking on the floor like a drumbeat in Lyra’s heart.

Seeing Astrid’s reaction, Lyra’s heart sank, and the words she had been about to say were left unspoken.

Could it be... they weren’t in the same class after all...

Her fingers tightened slightly as Lyra walked forward, the sound of her small leather shoes seeming less bright than before.

But she had expected this... it was her own fault for harboring such unfounded hopes...

Princess Astrid’s elemental affinity was so exceptional, with one element even reaching an extraordinary level. How could she possibly be in the same class as Lyra? She must have been placed in the more prestigious Class S.

Following Astrid for a while, Lyra, feeling a lump in her throat, didn’t realize that their paths were oddly aligned, even passing the Class S she had imagined.

Could she really catch up to such an outstanding Princess Astrid...

Thinking of the tragic love stories where the protagonists drifted apart over trivial matters, only to find an insurmountable gap between them when they looked back...

Would she and Princess Astrid end up the same way?

When it came to matters concerning Astrid, Lyra’s thoughts always tended to wander. It was as if being assigned to different classes had already set them on divergent paths, and even Lyra didn’t know when she had become so sentimental.

Or perhaps, a bit cowardly.

The pink-haired girl let out a soft sigh, her white-stockinged legs crossing and uncrossing, causing her skirt to sway slightly.

Lyra, you’ve been a bit discouraged lately...

Looking at the imperial princess who seemed so close yet so far, Lyra remained silent, her sky-blue eyes quickly shifting from confusion to clarity.

It’s a good thing that the person you like is outstanding... don’t let something like this discourage you...

If you give up without even trying, then you’ll truly drift further away from Princess Astrid.

Let’s give it a try.

Turning the corner, Lyra saw the classroom marked with the class sign and realized she had arrived. But Astrid didn’t stop and walked straight in.

Hearing the footsteps behind her stop, Astrid smiled slightly, her tone deliberately laced with a hint of curiosity.

"What’s wrong, Lyra?"

"...Aren’t you in the same class as me?"

"..."

Princess Astrid must be doing this on purpose!