Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 249: “...she is also my best friend.”

Because they were at the front of the line earlier, and Astrid and her group didn’t delay much on the way, when they entered the designated classroom, there weren’t many people inside yet.

Astrid glanced at the classroom’s interior. The seats were arranged in four rows, two seats per row.

The front rows were for students to attend classes, while the back seats were reserved for teaching assistants, giving them a place to copy the lecturer’s content from the blackboard.

Though reluctant, Amalia obediently let go of Astrid’s hand and silently followed Elise to the back row.

After placing her textbooks down, Astrid adjusted the skirt she was sitting on and noticed that despite not saying a word since entering, Lyra had proactively sat beside her.

"What’s wrong, Lyra?"

Astrid straightened her posture, her smooth, black-stockinged legs elegantly crossed.

The sunlight reflected off her princess dress adorned with intricate lace, resembling a delicate ribbon wrapped around a sweet chocolate cake.

"Is it because it’s your first day at academy and you’re not used to it, or is it because you’re sitting next to me..."

"...too nervous?"

Hearing the woman’s suggestive tone, Lyra, who had deliberately turned her head away, lightly bit her lip, trying hard not to surrender too quickly.

Princess Astrid was definitely doing this on purpose!

Even though she knew they would be in the same class and that Astrid really wanted to be her classmate, she had deliberately kept it to herself, making Lyra overthink the whole way.

Faced with the princess’s deliberate teasing, Lyra decided to ignore her for a while.

Seeing Lyra’s snow-white face half-hidden under her pink hair and her delicate fingers fidgeting on her skirt, seemingly restless, Astrid glanced around. Her sharp, cold gaze made those nearby who were watching them tremble and instinctively look away.

Then, Astrid pursed her lips, smiled softly, and leaned closer to Lyra’s shoulder, their proximity akin to whispering something intimate.

"Or are you mad at me?"

The warmth at her neck quickened Lyra’s blood flow, and the faint scent of roses wafted into her nostrils.

"...it’s just that Miss Lyra is too cute, I couldn’t help myself."

Hearing Astrid openly admit this, Lyra felt she might have overreacted. She had thought about ignoring Princess Astrid for two minutes, but gave up after just half a minute.

"Not really..." Lyra said.

Though she felt a slight annoyance at being teased, it was far from being angry.

Besides... how could she possibly be mad at Princess Astrid...

"If that’s the case, why are you looking down?" Astrid’s voice was soft, her tone particularly enticing to Lyra’s ears.

"Is it because I’m not good-looking?"

Lyra immediately turned her face, about to refute Astrid’s words, but seeing those ruby-like eyes filled with amusement, quietly staring at her, she froze, then whispered after a moment.

"Princess Astrid... you like to tease people too much..."

Seeing Lyra covering her profile with her arm, pretending to adjust her hair but actually trying to hide the blush on her cheeks, Astrid decided to stop.

"Alright, I won’t do it next time."

Astrid herself was surprised. In the past, she didn’t have so much mischief in her. How did her personality change after coming to this other world?

Perhaps she was subtly influenced by the original host. Though she wouldn’t intentionally hurt Lyra, she couldn’t help but tease her. And knowing Lyra well, she always managed to hit the most sensitive spot, easily stirring her emotions.

"..."

Lyra fell silent for a moment, her gaze lingering on her snow-white arm near her eye.

Thinking about it, after being with Princess Astrid for so long, Lyra had never seen the noble and elegant imperial princess tease anyone else, only her.

In a way, she was the most special one...

"No."

Lyra answered softly, only realizing what she had said after the words left her mouth.

Saying that... it almost sounded like she wanted Princess Astrid to tease her...

"What ’no’?" Astrid tilted her head in confusion, a hint of surprise crossing her mind.

Could Lyra have a bit of a masochistic tendency? Had she accidentally turned a perfectly good heroine into something twisted?

Hearing Astrid’s words, Lyra swallowed and quickly thought of a somewhat suitable excuse.

"Princess Astrid is my friend, so... teasing me is fine..."

"Eh? No, no!!"

"I mean, it’s normal for friends to joke around, I don’t mind."

Seeing Lyra adjust her words, Astrid smiled.

"Is that so..."

"I see."

Even her explanation is so cute, no wonder so many people liked Lyra in the original story.

But then again, her sister didn’t seem to have set up any romantic plotlines for Lyra. Halfway through the novel, there wasn’t even a hint of someone who could make the heroine fall in love, let alone any intimate physical contact.

As fans would say, the heroine was solely focused on the main plot, uninterested in men, making it impossible to speculate on any romantic prospects.

After chatting casually with Astrid for a bit, Lyra recovered from the slight annoyance of being teased, feeling a faint sense of joy instead.

No matter what, the outcome was good. She was now really in the same class as Princess Astrid, and they were even desk mates.

Feeling the warmth so close, Lyra relaxed, her sky-blue eyes sparkling with a few specks of light.

When most of the students had arrived, a middle-aged man with brown hair and black eyes, his stubble neatly trimmed, walked to the podium and gently tapped the floor with his staff.

Hearing the sound, everyone in the room stopped talking in unison and turned their attention to the center of the podium. The man then spoke in a deep voice.

"First meeting, Professor of the Elizabeth Academy of Magic, Peak Magnus Rowen Protheus, currently the homeroom teacher and basic elemental studies instructor for Class A. It’s a pleasure to meet you all."

Rowen was a typical northern Valeria Empire native, with high cheekbones, a flat jawline, and a well-defined facial structure. However, wearing glasses added a touch of scholarly refinement to his otherwise rugged appearance, and his slender figure made him look even more cultured.

"As your future teacher, I’d like to say a few words here... First, about..."

"Secondly, I believe you’ve all participated in the academy’s welcoming ceremony and have gained a preliminary understanding of the Elizabeth Academy of Magic, this mysterious and ancient cradle of the empire..."

"Unknowingly, I’ve said so much. I won’t elaborate further on the academy’s specific details, as I believe you’ll have the opportunity to experience them firsthand during your studies..."

After a lengthy speech, Rowen glanced at the clock on the back wall of the classroom, realizing there was still over an hour until mealtime, and decided to wrap up.

"...there’s not much time left in the morning, and the academy hasn’t scheduled any classes. Since everyone here will be studying together in the future, let’s take this opportunity to get to know each other and lay the foundation for future friendships."

With that, Rowen stepped down from the podium and spoke in a low voice.

"Let’s start with the student closest to the window in the first row, and take turns introducing ourselves."

.......

Most students who came to the Elizabeth Academy of Magic were from noble families, and they were already accustomed to the social norms of high society.

Therefore, introducing themselves on stage was no pressure, and some even saw it as a valuable networking opportunity.

First impressions often determined the course of future interactions, and for new students from other regions of the empire, this was their first chance to present themselves in front of other nobles, which was crucial for their future development.

"Son of Viscount Clinset, Ross Anderson, from the Korwan region..."

"Daughter of Marquis Jostlin, Linda Jostlin, from the northernmost coastal region of the empire, near the Adler Ice-Free Port..."

"Son of the Golden Flower Guild’s branch manager in the Kons region..."

As the new students took turns introducing themselves, Lyra grew increasingly nervous.

She was sitting to Astrid’s left and would be the next to go on stage.

She wasn’t particularly good at presenting herself in front of so many people, especially since most of them were strangers, and she only knew a handful.

Thinking about all those eyes staring at her, Lyra subconsciously curled her toes, while Amalia, sitting in the back, coldly recorded each new student’s background.

The head maid noticed the slight movement of the black-haired girl’s lips beside her.

Being close enough, she could read the girl’s lips, and after understanding what Amalia was doing, a faint light flickered in her dark eyes before returning to normal.

Elise remembered that Astrid hadn’t instructed Amalia to do this beforehand, meaning it was the fourth princess’s own initiative.

Another new student went up and down, and it was now Lyra’s turn. Astrid, in a place where no one could see, gently patted the pink-haired girl’s leg and whispered encouragement.

"Good luck."

Astrid’s cool voice slightly eased Lyra’s nervousness, but when she stepped onto the stage and became the center of attention, Lyra still felt an urge to flee immediately.

"Daughter of Peter Beckett, Lyra Beckett..."

Upon hearing the name Peter Beckett, several nobles from less informed regions exchanged glances.

The pink-haired girl sitting next to the so-called "Gem of the Empire," Princess Astrid Calliste, should logically be of high status herself, otherwise she wouldn’t be sitting so naturally beside Astrid.

But who was Peter? He held no title, and there was no additional information about his background. They had never heard of such a person in noble circles.

"...from Kos Town, Moster Village."

Lyra lowered her voice, her fingers secretly gripping the corner of her skirt.

Hearing this place name, some nobles showed a thoughtful expression, their eyes revealing a hint of confusion.

As Lyra continued to introduce her hometown, their gazes gradually shifted from confusion to a deeply hidden disdain.

So she was just a country girl from the countryside, with no background except for her good looks. Her closeness to Princess Astrid was probably due to her beauty, which made her acceptable to the princess.

A few who lived in the capital and knew about Lyra’s year as a maid remained expressionless.

They understood that Lyra was more than just a pretty vase to Astrid.

After all, no one would keep a useless, fragile item as a personal maid, only to keep them well-fed in the palace, fetching them when needed and discarding them when not.

Moreover, a country girl shouldn’t have access to magic, let alone score high in theoretical exams and practical sparring.

This was undoubtedly related to Princess Astrid.

Standing on the stage, softly introducing herself, Lyra looked at the people in the classroom. Their gazes seemed to see through her thoughts, and a thin layer of sweat formed on her back.

Each person had three minutes to speak, and she was almost at the end...

Noticing Astrid’s encouraging gaze, Lyra steadied herself, and her initially stumbling self-introduction gradually became more coherent and clear.

"...in short, I’m very happy to meet everyone."

As soon as she finished speaking, the classroom fell into a brief silence. Astrid was the first to clap a few times, followed by polite applause from the rest, like a wave.

Lyra walked down the stage in her little leather shoes, her peripheral vision catching the lowered eyes of some imperial nobles.

The disdain and contempt in their pupils lasted only for a moment, disappearing quickly when they saw her sit next to Astrid.

Like the receding tide on a beach, the mocking waves retreated, leaving only a desire to please and curry favor with the imperial princess.

It was always like this...

As a personal maid, Lyra had accompanied Astrid on numerous social occasions, and she had often sensed the deep-seated superiority of many capital nobles.

Their arrogance, transcending commoners, was evident in every gesture and glance.

Now, no longer the princess’s maid, stepping down from the stage, this feeling became even more pronounced.

Sitting down, Lyra sighed in relief, but her heart was a mix of emotions.

She didn’t quite like the high-handed attitude of these nobles, but she wasn’t sure if it was right to feel this way.

After all, it seemed that since ancient times, everyone had taken it for granted.

As she pondered, the sound of crisp footsteps reached her ears. Astrid gracefully walked up to the stage, and instantly, all eyes turned to the silver-haired beauty.

Astrid looked down at Lyra, recalling the expressions of those around her earlier, and slowly spoke.

"Before introducing myself, I’d like to add something that the previous student seemed to have missed."

"Miss Lyra is not only the daughter of Mr. Peter..."

"...she is also my best friend."