"Winning is winning, losing is losing. Why coincidentally?"
Astrid bent down to pick up the fallen oak sword and turned to look at Lyra.
"I'm not going to lose an ordinary fight."
If it had been a life-and-death duel, Lyra's sword just now could definitely have killed her.
Even a low-level knight could directly threaten Astrid's safety without making a move.
This was still a frontal battle; in the case of a sneak attack, Astrid feared she would have died countless times.
Enhancing her own strength was imminent, and no one knew whether there would be new threats or variables after she changed the plot.
Standing up and brushing the silver hair hanging down her chest,
Astrid took out a pure black magic crystal card from her jacket pocket and gently handed it to Lyra.
"This is your reward for defeating me."
"The library card of the Royal Library of Valeria grants you free access to the first to third floors of the library."
At present, Lyra lacked both practical experience and theoretical knowledge.
While the knight's practice was guided by Elise, she could only rely on Astrid, to learn magic.
Therefore, it was better to get her a library card so she could study on her own when she had time.
Originally, Astrid had been thinking of finding a suitable reason to give the card to Lyra, but it just so happened that she had won the competition earlier, making it reasonable to offer some sweetness.
Lyra looked at the magic crystal card in front of her, and her sky-blue eyes sparkled with a hint of light.
Knowledge is the most desired thing for every aspiring magician, and the Royal Library of Valeria is on par with the collection of the Elizabeth Academy of Magic in terms of size and scope.
Countless people are eager to enter it to obtain knowledge.
This thin, small card was equivalent to the key to the temple of knowledge.
However, thinking that she had barely won because Astrid had gone easy on her, Lyra suddenly hesitated.
Her hand reached out but then withdrew, and her pink lips turned pale.
After a moment, Lyra took the magic crystal card with great solemnity, her tone firm.
"Thank you, Your Highness. I won't let you down!"
The cool spar material carried the faint residual warmth of the other party's body, feeling extremely comfortable in the palm of her hand.
Lyra raised her face and looked at the silver-haired beauty in front of her seriously.
Regardless of whether Astrid had gone easy on her or not, the support she had given was real.
Lyra knew she had to go the extra mile to live up to the other party's expectations.
Although it wasn't clear why Lyra had suddenly reacted so strongly, seeing her filled with fighting spirit wasn't a bad thing.
Astrid nodded calmly and spoke in a cool tone.
"Of course, it's best if you have this determination. Don't waste this card."
Glancing up at the sky, she noticed the sun was sinking.
Remembering that Lyra had been in class all afternoon and was likely already hungry, Astrid proposed to end the day's studies.
She suggested they take the two maids to the dining room for dinner and then return to the bedroom.
As they walked to the door of the room, Astrid suddenly remembered something. She turned her head to look at Lyra, her voice was cold and measured.
"In recent times, Prince Lucas has been going in and out of the palace frequently."
"If you want to spend the year in good health, try to avoid him. Or, don't leave my side at all, except when borrowing books."
Lyra wasn't particularly interested in Lucas, but after hearing Astrid's words, she nodded obediently.
"Understood, Your Highness Astrid..."
Watching Astrid and Elise enter the next room, Lyra stood at the bedroom door for a moment, lost in thought.
She recalled the scene from this morning when she had met Lucas in the alchemy lab, and her mood grew complicated.
From their conversation, she had vaguely sensed that the relationship between Her Highness Astrid and Prince Lucas shouldn't be bad.
Yet, why did Astrid seem to dislike Prince Lucas in front of her?
Was it just her imagination?
Lyra pondered for a moment, then walked into the boudoir with the bread in her arms. She closed the door softly and sat down on the bed.
Either way, it certainly wouldn't be wrong to stay away from Prince Lucas.
After all, Astrid couldn't possibly get along better with him than with her.
Lyra fluttered her eyelashes a few times. The more she compared, the more she felt that the silver-haired princess was unexpectedly good.
Her hands rested on the sheets, and her two tender, silk-clad calves pressed together.
Maybe by the end of the year, they might even become friends.
At the same time, in the next room, Astrid took a sip of black tea, crossed her left leg over her right knee, and gazed silently at the black-haired maid standing before her.
As Princess Astrid's loyal maid in the original novel, Elise had remained by her side even at the moment of her downfall, never abandoning her.
Based on this alone, Astrid could doubt everyone's loyalty, but Elise deserved 100% of her trust.
No matter what Astrid became or what she did, Elise would always tolerate her, take care of her, and give everything to her.
In a way, Elise was half an emotionless tool, Princess Astrid's weapon and an extension of her body.
"Elise, I have something you need to do."
Astrid took a letter from a drawer and gently placed it in Elise's hand.
"Deliver this letter to Miss Lina Velmont by tomorrow morning."
"Remember, don't reveal your identity, and don't leave any traces that could be traced back to us."
If Miss Lina discovered that Astrid was the author of the letter, combined with its contents, it would undoubtedly lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.
Elise didn't ask any questions. She silently accepted the letter and replied respectfully, "Understood. Is there anything else Her Highness requires?"
Astrid looked at the black-haired maid with delicate features standing before her, her expression unchanging as always. Suddenly, Astrid smiled and asked softly, "There's one more thing... something really important..."
"Elise, what kind of food do you like to eat?"
Elise froze for a moment, clearly not expecting Astrid to ask such a question.
What kind of food did she like to eat? Even Elise herself hadn't thought about it for a long time.
For her, meals were simply a way to replenish energy. As long as the food was nutritious, it didn't matter what she ate.
"I don't know," Elise replied.
Astrid frowned slightly, unsatisfied with the answer. She pressed further, "You may not know what you like, but you must have a general preference."
"Sweet, bitter, spicy, sour, which one do you prefer?"
Spicy food was easy to choke on, bitter flavors were mediocre, and sourness wasn't particularly appealing. Sweetness, on the other hand, was relatively pleasant.
After a moment of thought, Elise whispered, "I prefer sweetness."
Before being adopted by Astrid's mother, she had loved nothing more than the Talyn cakes baked by the village baker.
Rich and delicious, filled with jam, each bite was sweet and satisfying.