CHAPTER 323: PARENTS KNOW BETTER

"You’re in the bedroom too."

Accompanying the intimate gesture was a low, ambiguous remark. Lyra felt a slight force on her earlobe, as if Astrid had gently pinched it, making her already red ears even more noticeable.

She had just said that Astrid could touch anything in the bedroom.

But according to normal semantics, that definitely didn’t include people...

Knowing her imprecise words had given Astrid a legitimate opportunity to tease her, Lyra clutched her skirt and quickly lowered her burning face, her voice soft.

"I... I don’t count..."

A girl should be reserved. Although Lyra didn’t dislike Astrid’s touch and teasing, before expressing her feelings, she still wanted to maintain some reserve.

Some things are only suitable for couples, not friends.

Unaware that Lyra’s thoughts had suddenly jumped to strange things, Astrid pinched the girl’s cute and delicate earlobe, seeing Amalia’s gaze from the side, and she quickly withdrew her hand.

With Amalia present, a little teasing was enough. If she sets a bad example for the minor, it might bring some unnecessary negative impact.

"Alright, then I won’t touch anymore."

With that, Astrid continued to examine Lyra’s room. Besides the pink plush toy on the bed, there were many delicate small items on her desk, including a wooden figurine, a vine-woven basket, and a thumb-sized, pale pink pebble.

Apart from the bedding and plush toys, even the rug in front of the chair was pink and white, perfectly matching Lyra’s impression color. Overall, it was a very girly setup.

Astrid walked to the desk and saw a pot of flowers placed near the wooden window. The tender yellow flowers swayed in the breeze coming from outside, their slender stems gently swaying, giving a unique sense of life’s rhythm.

Even if Lyra wasn’t home, her parents probably often came to tidy the room.

After staring at the potted plant for half a minute, Astrid shifted her gaze to the other side, to Lyra’s personal wardrobe pressed against the wall.

Unlike the closed wardrobe in the palace with doors, Lyra’s bedroom wardrobe opened outward, with nothing blocking it. Except for the drawer at the bottom containing intimate clothing, most clothes can be seen directly from the outside.

Shirts, trousers, leather cloaks, and a few pale pink dresses. Compared to Astrid’s dedicated dressing room, the clothing styles here seemed too modest to be described accurately.

Perhaps Lyra values practicality over aesthetics.

Suddenly recalling the night she regained her memories and spilled wine on Lyra at the ball, Astrid remembered the girl wearing the dress prepared by Lina, standing in the bustling banquet hall, appearing particularly uneasy.

Besides the inevitable nervousness of attending an upper-class gathering for the first time, part of the reason was the dress that was too short for Lyra at the time, and the smooth sensation of the stockings wrapping her legs. All these factors combined to create a unique charm that makes her stand out from the other guests, attracting the Earl to invite her to dance.

"I remember when the season changed, Elise helped the maid team prepare a lot of casual clothes."

"Didn’t Lyra bring back a few last times?"

Hearing Astrid’s words, Lyra’s inner turmoil slightly calmed, and she softly opened her pink lips.

"Um, during the New Year, I thought there were clothes at home, so I left them in the dormitory."

"This time I packed two in the suitcase, along with the previous maid uniform."

The old Lyra wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about wearing beautiful clothes; neat and clean was enough. Her foundation wasn’t bad; Even a simple white shirt and shorts were enough to look good.

As for now, having served as the personal maid of the Third Princess, known as the Empire’s most dazzling gem, and seeing Princess Astrid’s stunning beauty every day, a certain village girl secretly worked hard to stand harmoniously with her.

Trying to find the most suitable dressing style, always paying attention to her appearance, keeping her hair neat, stockings wrinkle-free, and her usual leather shoes dust-free.

But obviously, Astrid didn’t notice these subtle changes in Lyra, or she did but didn’t think of it as a girl trying to look good for someone she likes, simply attributing it to "as the Princess’s personal maid, Lyra should put more effort into her appearance."

After touring Lyra’s bedroom, feeling that Elise should be almost done, Astrid put down the pale pink pebble and spoke softly.

"Lyra’s own room is not worse than the one I prepared for you."

Perhaps with an extra touch of parental warmth she rarely felt since waking up.

Sensing a slight change in Astrid’s tone, Amalia’s hand tightened slightly, trying to ease her sister’s complex emotions with the warmth of her palm.

Lyra also vaguely noticed, her mouth opening slightly, speaking softly.

"It’s alright..."

"Then... does Astrid want to stay in my room?"

Earlier in the next room, Astrid soon expressed a desire to see her bedroom. Lyra could only think that the other wasn’t satisfied with the room’s layout, unaware she had fallen into Astrid’s trap.

The innocent Holy Knight was being played by a certain villainous Princess.

Hearing the caution in Lyra’s voice, Astrid gasped, leisurely opening her lips.

"Sleep with you?"

As soon as the words fell, Astrid felt the hand holding hers tightened and then loosened. Turning her head, she saw Amalia lowering her eyes, her two legs pressed together, silently looking at the silver-strapped sandals beneath her.

Lyra admitted her brain short-circuited for a moment, her forehead steaming as if emitting heat.

"Of course... I’ll sleep next door..."

Amalia was so attached to her sister; if Astrid came to sleep with her, she would surely be unhappy...

Thinking further, if Amalia also wanted to join, her bed was only slightly larger than a single bed, making it a bit cramped for three.

Suddenly, a scene flashed in her mind: Astrid sandwiched between them, each holding her arms, unable to move. Lyra pursed her lips and swallowed lightly.

It just feels... too strange...

Seeing the clear blue eyes rippling with unknown thoughts, Astrid curved her lips, speaking calmly.

"Then forget it. The dignified Empire’s Princess doesn’t have the habit of visiting someone’s home and driving the host out of their own room."

With that, to prevent Lyra from overthinking and assuming she only stayed out of noble etiquette, Astrid added.

"The next room’s environment is nice, well-ventilated, I like it."

After all, it’s just a place to stay, as long as it has the necessary facilities, Astrid wasn’t that picky.

Hearing Astrid’s words, Lyra raised her face, looking into the other’s serious gaze, and after a moment, her eyes curved into cute crescents.

"That’s good..."

This was her biggest worry before. Now that Astrid said so, the boulder in Lyra’s heart finally fell.

......

Just past five in the afternoon, Palfran Beckett, who had gone to Kost Town to buy ingredients, finally returned home. Hearing that his daughter had brought guests, the man immediately turned to help his wife prepare to warmly welcome Lyra’s first invited friends.

"Is that Astrid?" Palfran asked while handling the beef.

Orian lit the firewood, softly replying, "Yes, and Miss Livia and Miss Elise."

If asked who appears most often in Lyra’s letters, undoubtedly it was Astrid Calliste. To be more specific, matters related to this name even occupied most of the letter’s content.

As the mother closest to her daughter, Orian had never seen Lyra show such obvious closeness to anyone, even giving her the illusion that if Astrid Calliste were a young male noble, Lyra, in her hazy stage of love, might have already fallen for him.

Otherwise, it was hard to explain why, except for the first letter upon arriving in the capital, Lyra’s subsequent letters almost always mentioned Miss Astrid, even in the first letter, Astrid took up a significant portion, though less compared to later content.

What most concerning Palfran and Orian wasn’t just this, but also the address Lyra mentioned when replying to their letters.

Capital City, Astrid Calliste’s Palace.

Anyone living in the Valeria Empire, no matter how remote or ordinary, would understand the meaning behind the term "Palace."

Even the residences of the noble Four Dukes couldn’t be called a Palace; only the Valeria Imperial family could use such a term.

Thus, Astrid Calliste’s identity was clear, not just an ordinary kind-hearted noble from the capital, as their daughter had said.

Coincidentally, a young person from the village had recently gone to the capital’s vicinity to visit relatives. Palfran asked him to gather some information about Astrid Calliste, and the result matched their suspicions.

Astrid Calliste, the Emperor’s most beloved goddaughter, whose true identity was the Empire’s Third Princess.

This loneliness made Palfran and Orian uneasy, especially after hearing the young person’s account of the Princess’s reputation, they couldn’t help but worry for their daughter.

Arrogant, willful, disregarding the law with the Emperor’s favor, treating the capital’s commoners like ants, the Astrid Princess in others’ mouths and the Miss Astrid in their daughter’s letters were like two different people, with the only commonality being their distinctive silver hair and red eyes.

"Miss Astrid... indeed seems different from the rumors..."

Orian, who had briefly interacted with her, softly spoke.

In terms of trust, Palfran and Orian certainly believed their own daughter. But judging from Lyra hiding Astrid’s identity, the latter indeed might have only reported the good news to avoid worrying about them.

"She feels very polite and gentle," Orian said.

Hearing this, Palfran put down the cleaned beef and began preparing the spices for later.

Being invited to their home by their daughter undoubtedly shows the closeness between Astrid and Lyra. Palfran and Orian also understood that hearing isn’t believing; seeing is believing. Someone their daughter considered a good friend likely wasn’t as the rumors said.

Moreover, Miss Astrid had indeed provided Lyra with help, a suitable job and a chance to return to the academy.

Her kindness to Lyra was beyond doubt. However, as parents, Palfran and Orian always harbored a bit of confusion and hesitation.

Why go to such lengths for someone they just met...

From Lyra’s letters, Astrid’s actions were almost like adopting a daughter.

Thinking at this level, Orian was even glad Astrid wasn’t a male noble; otherwise, she would have suspected some ulterior motives, thinking the other had some hidden agenda.

......

An hour later, Orian called Lyra and the guests to the dining room. As soon as Astrid entered, she was greeted by a strong aroma of meat.

For ordinary families in the Valeria Empire, meat wasn’t a common sight; They can only have it two or three times a week. Even in the territory of Duke Charles with lower grain taxes, farmers couldn’t enjoy delicacies like the capital’s nobles every meal.

Seeing the table filled with beef and lamb, along with carefully prepared thick soup and cheese, Lyra felt like it was New Year at home, with all the hidden treats brought out.

Not seeing any seafood that would cause her allergies, the delicious beef and lamb sprinkled with spices rarely used by commoners, even the drinks were freshly bought seasonal juices from the market.

Sensing the importance Lyra’s parents placed on her visit, Astrid’s expression softened, her voice gentle.

"Thank you, Uncle and Aunt, for the hospitality."

This meal is likely equated to a week’s worth of food expenses for the family of three.

"Don’t mention it. I hope it suits Miss Astrid’s taste."

Orian’s voice was soft, with a smile.

Astrid expressed her gratitude again, then had Elise hand over the pre-prepared wine to Palfran.

"I heard Uncle particularly likes home-brewed coarse barley wine. This is a private brew from the Adler region, said to have a similar taste to coarse barley wine."

"I hope you like it."

Seeing the Empire’s Princess across the table, with her extraordinary yet approachable demeanor, Palfran somewhat understood why his wife had made those earlier remarks.