The next day, at dawn, Lyra, unaware of the events from the previous night, rose from her bed, washed, tidied herself, and changed into her maid outfit.
With her master's permission, she entered the boudoir.
Astrid had just woken up and was seated at the dresser, wearing a silk princess dress.
"Lyra, help Princess Astrid with her hair," Elise instructed as she adjusted the jeweled decorations on Astrid's dress.
Taking the wooden comb from the head maid, Lyra gently gathered Astrid's silver hair.
The strands felt cool to the touch, smooth and silky, slipping effortlessly through her fingers like fine silk.
"How did you sleep last night?" Astrid asked abruptly.
Lyra initially thought the question was directed at Elise and hesitated to respond. When she realized Elise was occupied and hadn't spoken, she replied softly, "Hmm... I slept well."
Having slept on bed boards, haystacks, and even the rattling carts on stony roads, Lyra had long grown accustomed to rough conditions.
The comfortable environment of the bedroom made it easy for her to fall asleep, even on the carpet.
Astrid didn't pursue the conversation further, and Lyra remained silent, focusing on gently combing the princess's hair.
'Her Royal Highness's hair is so smooth and shiny,' Lyra thought to herself. A sudden, whimsical idea crossed her mind: 'What if I could bury my face in it and rub it... It would probably feel amazing...'
The moment this thought surfaced, Lyra's ears burned with embarrassment, and her hands faltered slightly.
"Huh?"
Astrid let out a soft sound of discomfort, sensing a slight tug at her hair. Lyra immediately apologized and resumed her task with extra care.
"Be attentive,"
"Yes Your Highness," Lyra replied, chastising herself internally. 'What was I thinking?'
Once Astrid was fully dressed, the three of them made their way to the royal dining room.
As per protocol, Astrid ate first, and the maids had about half an hour to eat after her meal was finished.
Astrid's breakfast consisted of roasted tomatoes, sausages, a few slices of toast, and a bowl of mint-flavored lamb and pea soup.
Lyra stood behind Astrid, the aroma of fried meat wafting through the air, accompanied by the crisp clinking of knives and forks against porcelain plates.
'I'm hungry...'
Her stomach growled, reminding her it was time to eat, but Lyra suppressed the urge, folding her hands neatly over her lower abdomen as she focused on her duties.
Unlike usual, Astrid seemed to be eating at an unusually slow pace today.
She chewed each bite deliberately, occasionally furrowing her brows as if something was amiss.
After another sip of the pea soup, a slightly salty aftertaste of shrimp roe lingered on her tongue.
Suddenly, Astrid began to cough, and red spots began to appear on her snow-white skin.
'It's so itchy... Everything feels uncomfortable...'
Realizing her body was reacting, Astrid propped her hands on the table and slowly straightened up, her throat tightening as she coughed again.
"Ahem... Who made this bowl of soup?"
The maid responsible for preparing the soup stepped forward, trembling slightly, her face pale with anxiety.
"Your Highness, it was me."
Seeing that the necessary players were in place, Astrid took a deep breath and, with a swift motion of her right hand, swept the plates off the table.
The sound of shattering glass and porcelain echoed through the dining room, scattering food and fragments across the marble floor.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Covering her pale lips with her hand, Astrid raised her voice, her tone laced with anger and displeasure.
"Who told you to put seafood in it?!"
Astrid's usual commanding presence was amplified, her aura almost suffocating.
The chaotic scene only intensified the tension, and even Lyra, who was not directly involved, felt the urge to step back.
"Your Highness, I swear I didn't add any seafood to the soup! I truly didn't!"
The maid's desperate plea was met with Astrid's icy glare.
"Did 'I' put it there?"
As soon as Astrid finished speaking, Elise gestured for the others to take the accused maid away.
She then knelt, picking up a shard of porcelain stained with soup and sniffing it carefully.
"There is indeed a salty scent of shrimp and crab. Everyone involved in preparing this soup will remain here for questioning."
Elise turned to Lyra and said in a low voice, "Take Princess Astrid back to her room. I'll summon the physician immediately."
"...Understood."
Supporting Astrid as they left the dining room, Lyra could hear the princess's intermittent coughing.
Astrid resisted the urge to scratch her skin, though it felt as though countless ants were crawling over her arms.
"Your Highness, we're almost there."
Once they reached the bedroom, Lyra helped Astrid onto the bed.
Noticing the princess's flushed cheeks and labored breathing, Lyra felt a pang of anxiety, momentarily forgetting the strained nature of their relationship.
Astrid, too, was in agony. She had never experienced allergies in her previous life and hadn't anticipated how unbearable it would feel.
'This is torture...'
After what felt like an eternity, the physician finally arrived. After examining Astrid, he concluded that the princess was suffering from an allergic reaction caused by consuming seafood.
Unfortunately, life spells couldn't cure this condition. He prescribed Greenstone flowers to alleviate the symptoms and advised that recovery would take time.
"Lyra, inform Elise to detain all the maids involved and interrogate them thoroughly."
Astrid's voice was weak but firm as she issued the command from her bed. Lyra nodded eagerly.
"Right away, Your Highness."
The allergy incident consumed the entire morning.
Lyra remained by Astrid's side the entire time, her stomach growling with hunger. She managed to sneak a few bites of dry bread to stave off the hunger pangs.
By the afternoon, Astrid's condition had improved slightly. According to Elise's report, the incident was believed to be the work of an assassin within the maid team.
Although the culprit hadn't been identified, the severity of the situation led to the entire team being punished and disbanded.
Meanwhile, Prince Lucas, who had received news of the incident from outside the palace, was less concerned about the disbandment of the maid team and more focused on who might have targeted Astrid.
It never crossed his mind that this could be a carefully orchestrated scheme by Astrid herself to eliminate spies within her household.
After all, in everyone's eyes, the silver-haired princess was nothing more than a vain, shallow woman who cared only for jewelry and fine clothes.
She's just a brainless tool.