Late at night, Lina Velmont took a shower, changed into her pajamas, and lay comfortably on her bed, holding a beautifully bound history of the empire in her hand.
Last night, she read about the predecessor of the Valeria Empire, the Lorraine Empire, which had been divided under the influence of various factors and eventually formed the Valeria Empire.
The empire enjoyed a mild climate in the southwest, while the Kingdom of Velys was located in the northwest, deep in the center of the continent.
Beyond the coastline of the empire, the fragmented and loose Pan-Human Alliance relied on the archipelago for its survival.
As one of the four major families, the Velmont family controlled a large number of prosperous ports within its fiefdom. Due to Duke Velmont.
The dense trade routes stretched from the Kingdom of Velys in the north to the Pan-Human Alliance in the south.
It was no exaggeration to say that the Velmont family held half of the economic lifeline of the empire.
Lina bent her knees slightly, placing the history book on her lap. The yellowish glow of the lamp cast a hazy, dreamlike veil over the pages.
The fifth Emperor of the Valeria Empire had issued a decree of voyages.
During his reign, he developed the empire's maritime power and successfully opened a safe route to the archipelago.
Before this, however, the empire's sea routes had been briefly blocked.
Lina read the book word by word, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.
She didn't know how long she had been reading when a faint breeze suddenly flipped the pages.
Was the window open?
Lina was certain she had closed the window before going to bed. How could there be a breeze at this hour?
She stood up and walked to the window. The wooden sliding window was slightly ajar, and a bright silver moon hung high in the sky.
Could she have been mistaken?
Just as Lina was about to close the window and return to bed, she noticed a letter placed on the windowsill, weighed down by a small stone.
Someone had been here, and they had opened the window.
Realizing this, Lina's heart raced. She looked around vigilantly.
After the recent attack on the family, the Velmonts had increased security around the manor.
As the eldest daughter of the family, Lina had several knights stationed near her residence, along with two or three low-level Mage apprentices.
Who could have sneaked up to her window under the watchful eyes of these guards?
The surroundings were silent except for the sound of the wind. There were no footsteps or breathing to be heard. The intruder seemed to have no malicious intent, only to deliver the letter.
After a moment, Lina picked up the envelope from the windowsill. It was addressed in delicate handwriting: 'To Miss Lina Velmont, to be opened by her alone.'
What could it contain that required such secrecy? Why couldn't it be delivered directly to her?
Unsealing the envelope, Lina took out the letter and sat down at the table to read it. As her eyes scanned the page, her brow furrowed deeper with each passing moment.
"Lucas, that bastard, is planning something against Lyra..."
"And that Princess Astrid, though beautiful, her heart is utterly vicious..."
Lina now regretted her earlier decisions. If she had known about the extent of Astrid's schemes against Lyra, she would have found someone else to accompany her to the ball. She would never have dragged Lyra into it.
Fortunately, not only was Lyra herself forcibly kept in the palace by Astrid to work as a maid, but her parents' safety was also threatened by Prince Lucas.
Lina's fingers tightened, turning slightly white as the weight of her remorse grew heavier.
Without hesitation, she stood up and made her way to the chambers of Ear Tristian.
Though she couldn't immediately rescue Lyra, the little white rabbit trapped in a den of tigers and wolves she could at least use her family's influence to protect the parents of her life-saving benefactor.
---
On the other side of the palace, Elise, having returned from her mission, concealed her presence and changed back into her usual maid attire. She approached Astrid's room and knocked lightly on the door.
"Come in," came the soft reply.
Elise entered the room and was greeted by the sight of Astrid leaning lazily against the window.
The silver-haired princess had just finished bathing and was dressed in a milky white, close-fitting gown.
Astrid tilted her face slightly, allowing the silver moonlight to illuminate her delicate features, making her already striking appearance even more ethereal.
"Your Highness, the letter has been delivered to Miss Lina. I observed her opening it," Elise reported, her voice calm and her expression unwavering.
"That's good…" Astrid murmured, curling her legs up and wrapping her arms around her knees. Her bare feet rested on the soft plush cushion, her toes as delicate and pale as polished jade.
"Thank you, Elise," Astrid said softly.
"It is my duty," Elise replied.
Astrid's gaze lingered on the tall, black-haired woman before her. After a moment, she gestured for Elise to come closer.
"Elise, how long have we known each other?" Astrid asked, her voice tinged with nostalgia.
"Seven years and six months," Elise answered without hesitation.
Seven years ago, Astrid's parents had vanished into the abyss, leaving the young princess orphaned.
Elise, then only eighteen, had taken on the responsibility of caring for Astrid, the adopted daughter of the current emperor and the child of her own benefactors.
"It's been so long…" Astrid murmured, resting her snow-white cheek on her knees, her expression thoughtful.
Elise looked at Astrid and remained silent for a long time. After half a minute, it was Astrid who finally broke the silence.
"Elise, have I changed a lot lately?"
Lucas is far away, and Lyra has only just met her, it's natural that they wouldn't notice.
But Elise, who spends every day and night with Astrid, couldn't possibly miss the changes.
"Your Highness has indeed changed a great deal," Elise replied honestly.
"Tell me about it," Astrid said, her blood-red eyes narrowing slightly, her voice soft.
"Your Highness didn't used to enjoy reading, nor did you care for studying magic. And you would never have allowed your maid to dine with you," Elise explained, her tone calm and measured.
In truth, it wasn't just these major changes. Since the night of the ball, many subtle details of Astrid's behavior had shifted.
In the past, she loved to sleep in and rarely engaged in conversation unless prompted.
She would never have knocked politely before entering a servant's room but would have simply pushed the door open and walked in.
"What else?" Astrid asked again.
Elise went on to describe the smaller changes she had noticed. As Astrid listened, she couldn't help but sigh in relief.
Fortunately, this tall, elegant maid wasn't one of Prince Lucas's spies, otherwise, Astrid would undoubtedly have been exposed by now.
"Elise..."
"I'm here, Your Highness Astrid."
"No matter what I become in the future, will you always stay by my side?"
Astrid's crimson eyes, so much like her mother's, locked onto Elise's gaze. Without hesitation, Elise nodded.
"I will follow Her Highness Astrid until death."