After preparing the birthday gift for Countess Charlotte, Astrid returned to her room.
She solemnly placed the perfume on the bedside table and then sat alone at her desk for a while, recovering the mental energy she had expended during the refining process. As she rested, she pondered her next steps.
Prince Lucas had already taken notice of Lyra's existence and would likely find various excuses to control her in the future.
If Lyra were to be used to win over Earl Tristian Velmont, she would not be harmed.
After all, the Earl was a decent gentleman, and even if Lyra were to visit the Velmont family's territory, he would not act inappropriately toward her.
Additionally, with Miss Lina being her friend looking out for her, Lyra should be safe and well-treated.
However, if Prince Lucas were to realize that Lyra held far less importance in the eyes of Earl Byron than she did in the original novel, he might resort to more sinister methods.
Just as he had done before, he might use coercion or temptation to lure beautiful women from commoner or minor noble families into his bed, satisfying his unrestrained desires.
It was no exaggeration to say that if Prince Lucas were not concerned about the potential for scandal to jeopardize his claim to the throne, he would have already targeted Princess Astrid, who was often close to the palace. His restraint was merely a facade.
Astrid's fingers lightly tapped on the tabletop as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror.
The silver-haired beauty appeared deep in thought, her brows furrowed and her blood-red eyes filled with contemplation.
The only good news at the moment was that, at least within the royal capital, no one would dare to openly harm Princess Astrid.
As long as Lyra remained by her side at all times, even Prince Lucas would be powerless to act.
According to Lyra's character, since she had promised Astrid to serve as her maid for a year, she would not easily break her word and leave midway.
However, everyone had their weaknesses, and Lyra was no exception. Even as a protagonist, her weakness lay in her parents, who lived far away in her hometown.
Prince Lucas had no regard for moral boundaries. If he wished, he could target Lyra's parents at any moment and use them to force her compliance.
The thought of this lustful prince gave Astrid a headache. As a princess with no real power, her influence was far more limited than his.
After a moment of contemplation, Astrid retrieved the quill pen that the original owner of her body had rarely used. She began to write carefully on a sheet of yellowed letter paper.
Just because she couldn't act directly didn't mean that Lina Velmont couldn't.
After all, Astrid had hardly written anything in all these years, and even if she sent the letter to Miss Lina, her handwriting would not reveal her true identity.
Once the letter was complete, Astrid went to the cloakroom, removed her long dress, and changed into more practical attire suitable for an outing.
She then made her way toward the garden. However, before she could reach her destination, a clear female voice echoed through the air.
"Don't just dodge. You could have directly attacked my flaw just now."
In the garden, Lyra held a wooden training sword, her cheeks flushed as she panted, swinging at Elise.
"The speed of your swings is too slow. If your mental power is insufficient, prioritize distributing it to your waist and abdomen rather than your arms. Use your wrist to assist in generating explosive speed."
Elise held her sword in one hand, her delicate figure moving effortlessly as she evaded Lyra's attacks, her expression calm and composed.
"I understand." Lyra swallowed, her breath slightly ragged.
Seeing the two maids engrossed in training, Astrid took a sip of her black tea, sitting quietly in the nearby gazebo as she observed.
To ensure the effectiveness of the training, Elise refrained from using her Master Knight level mental power, relying solely on her combat skills to spar with Lyra.
Even so, Lyra struggled to gain any advantage.
Elise's combat skills and battle instincts far surpassed hers, her attacks were relentless, her defense impenetrable, and the only openings she showed were deliberate, meant to guide Lyra.
Once again, Elise struck with her wooden sword, and Lyra quickly moved to parry.
As she bent down in motion, she caught sight of a silver-haired girl with an elegant demeanor, sipping black tea nearby.
"Your Highness Astrid?"
This afternoon, Astrid had forgone the opulent princess dress she had worn in the morning.
Instead, she wore a tailored black dress with a double-breasted unisex design, accented with pale gold lace near the neckline. Instead of stilettos, she had opted for sturdy, hard-soled leather boots suited for walking.
Compared to the usual breathtakingly beautiful princess, today's Astrid exuded less femininity and more quiet heroism.
Astrid nodded in greeting to Lyra before turning to Elise, speaking softly.
"How is her training progressing?"
Before leaving earlier, Astrid had specifically instructed Elise to train Lyra in combat skills for about an hour after her etiquette lessons.
Unlike Lyra, who looked surprised by Astrid's presence, Elise had already sensed the princess approaching with her mental power, so she remained unfazed.
"Miss Lyra has likely just become a knight. Her mental power control is decent, but her combat skills are lacking," Elise answered truthfully.
Hearing this, Astrid lowered her gaze slightly, her silver eyelashes casting faint shadows over her eyes as she observed Lyra.
If she remembered correctly, Lyra had spent most of her early training refining her mental power, with little actual combat experience.
The last time she had fought against another person was during Miss Lina's rescue, one of the rare instances where she had engaged in real battle.
Noticing Princess Astrid's gaze lingering on her flushed cheeks for a long time, Lyra pursed her lips and lowered her head timidly.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness Astrid..."
Elise hadn't even used her mental power during the fight, she had already held back significantly, and yet Lyra had still been so easily and thoroughly defeated.
'Princess Astrid must be disappointed in me.'
Hearing Lyra apologize, Astrid raised an eyebrow, her voice carrying a deep note of displeasure.
"I hate what you just said more than the gap in strength."
"What, is it shameful to lose to Elise?"
Astrid's cold tone rang sharply in Lyra's ears. The girl trembled slightly, hastily shaking her head.
"N-No, of course not!"
"Then why are you apologizing?" Astrid pressed.
Lyra hesitated, her teeth gently biting down on her pink lip as she struggled for an answer.
"I... I just feel embarrassed..."
She had been utterly powerless, like a newly hatched chick in front of Elise, easily toyed with at will.
Hearing this, Astrid let out a faint scoff. "Elise has fought countless battles and survived many life-and-death struggles. If you weren't struggling against her, that would be the real surprise."
"She is your teacher, not your enemy. Losing to her is nothing to apologize to me for."
With that, Astrid reached out, taking the wooden sword from Elise's hand.
She pointed its tip at Lyra, her silver eyes steady and unwavering.
"Now that you've had enough rest, training continues."
"I'll be your next opponent."