Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 286: Person I like

"The thing we talked about before? Which one are you referring to, Lyra?"

Having spent so much time together and discussed many topics, Astrid naturally couldn’t pinpoint exactly what Lyra was referring to when she suddenly brought it up.

Hearing this, Lyra slightly lowered her gaze, her eyes fixed on the burning campfire in front of her. After a few seconds, she spoke softly.

"It’s about traveling the world together in the future..."

Just her and Princess Astrid.

Astrid blinked upon hearing this, propping her cheek with one hand, her red eyes calmly gazing at Lyra across from her.

"Of course I remember. What about traveling the world?"

"..."

After a moment of silence, Lyra parted her lips and spoke in a gentle tone.

"Actually... it’s nothing..."

"It’s just that I suddenly feel like what we’re doing now is similar to traveling."

Staying in the monster-infested mountains far from the town, carrying a large suitcase, eating food obtained from hunting on the spot, and soon sleeping not on a bed but on a simple sleeping pad made of blankets.

Above their heads were intersecting branches and a bright moon, while the occasional sound of wind and the crackling of burning firewood filled their ears.

The firelight fell in front of them, and their shadows stretched behind, everything appearing quiet and beautiful.

Especially with her favorite person by her side.

Hearing Lyra’s words, Astrid leaned slightly forward, clutching a strand of silver hair in her left hand, gently rubbing it between her fingers.

"Indeed."

Strictly speaking, this was also the first time she had left the imperial capital since transmigration, so everything felt fresh.

"So, how does Lyra feel about it?" Astrid asked her.

The pink-haired girl pursed her lips and then answered softly.

"I feel... very happy..."

Although they had been busy hunting all day, with only a brief nap at noon and hardly any more rest, Lyra didn’t dislike this busyness.

Especially now that they had finished all their tasks, sitting by the campfire like this, an indescribable sense of fulfillment surrounded her.

It would be even better if she could hug her.

Thinking of such a greedy thought, Lyra lightly bit her tongue, the faint blush on her cheeks deepening.

It was just an assessment, yet it made her so happy.

’Lyra... you’re really the so-called love-struck fool...’

Feeling the heat from the fire, Lyra exhaled and then spoke.

"Astrid..."

Her fingers brushed against her sleeve, trying to keep her expression and tone as natural as possible.

"What kind of person would you like?"

The campfire crackled, the shadows of the swaying branches faint due to the light. The girl’s melodious voice blended into the night, like a nightingale’s soft song.

As soon as Lyra finished speaking, her fingers stopped moving. She stiffened, her delicate, smooth white-stockinged ankles pressing tightly together.

This question... might be too direct...

Lyra remembered clearly that on the night Astrid rejected Tristian’s proposal, she had asked something similar, though at the time she didn’t understand her own feelings, so the question was relatively conservative.

Does Princess Astrid have someone she likes?

Back then, the answer was no, and she wasn’t planning to consider such things for the time being.

What about now?

Hearing Lyra’s words, Astrid was slightly taken aback. Her red eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of her lips curved into an alluring smile.

"I thought Lyra would talk to me about tomorrow’s hunting plan."

"Why did you suddenly think to ask this?"

An abrupt question, even Astrid, who thought she knew Lyra well, was briefly surprised.

Hearing this, Lyra’s toes curled involuntarily, and she whispered.

"I suddenly got curious... so I asked..."

"If it’s inconvenient to answer... you don’t have to say anything."

Despite her words, Lyra secretly hoped Astrid would give a relatively accurate image.

Would it be a more specific male, or could it be another type?

Like, a girl.

Astrid didn’t speak immediately upon hearing this. She gazed at the girl’s knees, thinly covered by white stockings and slightly revealing the flesh tone, before speaking softly.

"It’s not really inconvenient, I’m just a bit surprised."

The type of person she liked shouldn’t have much to do with Lyra.

"If it’s someone I like, they’d probably be reliable and gentle."

When it came to choosing a partner, Astrid didn’t have a clear goal, so what she could say was mostly general.

Reliable and gentle?

Lyra listened quietly, her ears perked up, as she searched her mind for any points that might align with these two traits.

Reliable... she probably couldn’t yet match Elise in making Princess Astrid feel at ease about everything...

As for gentle, she might be doing quite well in that regard, at least when it came to Princess Astrid, she hadn’t shown any signs of being ungentle.

But in every sense, Lyra couldn’t possibly do that, first, she wasn’t a rude person, second, it was because she was facing the person she liked, and third, no maid would serve her master with a stern face.

Mulling over how to meet Astrid’s definition, Lyra pressed her legs together and continued listening.

"Looks-wise, I don’t have much of a requirement there."

Lyra listened thoughtfully, gazing at the fire for half a minute before speaking.

"Then... is there anything else?"

No matter how she listened to these conditions, they all felt a bit vague.

The only thing that made Lyra both reassured and uneasy was that Astrid never mentioned the specific gender of the person.

Not mentioning it meant it was possible, but not bringing it up made Lyra curious, wondering if there was even a one-in-a-million chance that Astrid could give an answer that would give her hope.

"Anything else?" Astrid blinked a few times upon hearing this, her fingers gently poking her cheek.

"If there’s anything else, it’s that I like them."

’Princess Astrid means... I’ll like the person I like...’

Wait, what kind of answer is that!

Lyra, who had been seriously pondering, was momentarily speechless, her blue eyes quietly gazing at the silver-haired princess in the firelight.

But after saying so much, it was almost enough.

Lyra didn’t know if her appearance met Astrid’s definition of pleasing to the eye, but she was at least the prettiest in the village, so it shouldn’t be problem.

As for being reliable and gentle, she would strive to be, aiming to become the person Princess Astrid liked.

"Lyra, I’ve answered your question."

Astrid elegantly crossed her legs, her black leather boots reflecting a soft sheen in the light.

"Now, shouldn’t it be my turn to ask a question for you to answer?"

Lyra snapped out of her thoughts upon hearing this, her pink lips parting slightly.

"Huh... what does Astrid want to ask me?"

"Of course, the same question you asked me."

"What kind of person would Lyra like?"

As soon as the woman finished speaking, Lyra seemed to have been hit by a petrification spell, momentarily even her breathing became manual.

Princess Astrid...

Even though she was asked the same question, Lyra couldn’t remain as composed as Astrid.

If she answered truthfully, given Astrid’s intelligence, she would likely figure it out immediately.

Currently, she couldn’t be as reliable as Astrid mentioned, so even if she expressed her feelings, Princess Astrid would probably find it abrupt, not to mention she might not be able to accept her yet.

But... should she lie to Astrid?

Lyra raised her eyes, their gazes meeting in mid-air. She saw the bright red eyes reflecting the firelight, and also her own face.

"I..."

Realizing that staying silent for too long would arouse Princess Astrid’s suspicion, Lyra opened her mouth, her thoughts racing.

Seeing the pink-haired girl’s neck now tinged with a faint blush, Astrid slightly swayed her calf, her eyes fixed on Lyra, the smile on her lips clearly visible.

She was indeed curious about what kind of person the destined heroine would like.

In the story, Lyra was quite emotionally rich, except when it came to romance, where there wasn’t even a hint of possibility.

Many readers even joked that the Holy Knight in the story was a block of wood when it came to love.

"I also like... the person I like..."

Lyra said this while adding a few more logs to the fire. The slightly larger flames made the girl’s delicate face even redder.

This answer was indeed unexpectedly cunning, as Astrid had just responded to Lyra with such words, leaving her with no suitable reason to press further.

"Lyra is getting smarter and smarter," Astrid said.

Taking the water pouch, the woman tilted her head back and took a few casual sips, her pink lips moistened by the water, becoming even more plump and alluring.

Since Lyra wasn’t willing to reveal more, there was no need to press further. She was just curious, not necessarily needing an answer.

After sitting by the fire for a while, her clothes were almost dry. Astrid stood up and put her undergarments into the suitcase, her pink lips parting slightly.

"It’s getting late, let’s rest soon..."

"Will you take the first watch, or should I?"

Lyra thought for two or three seconds before answering softly.

"I’ll take the first watch."

If she took the first watch, Princess Astrid could sleep a little longer.

Receiving Lyra’s reply, Astrid nodded slightly, laid out the bedding, took off her boots, and lay down.

Compared to the beds in the palace or dormitory, the bedding laid flat on the grass felt much harder, far less comfortable than before.

But given that they were in the wilderness, this condition was already quite good.

Astrid didn’t dwell on it too much, lying flat on the blanket, her eyes meeting the high-hanging moon.

The lower part of her vision was slightly reddened by the burning fire. Astrid covered herself with the sleeping blanket, one arm across her chest, quietly waiting for sleep to come.

On the other side, Lyra glanced at Astrid lying down, the blush on her cheeks gradually fading, and her heartbeat quickly calming.

Before the assessment, she had thought she would share a bed with Astrid, but now it seemed they would take turns keeping watch, so they wouldn’t be sleeping together.

Though she felt a slight disappointment, it was ultimately her own unrealistic expectation. Lyra quickly adjusted her emotions, gripping her sword, her mental energy spreading outwards.

Everything was normal; no monsters had wandered into the barrier.

Lyra curled up slightly, quietly waiting for time to pass.

Twenty minutes later, Astrid suddenly spoke.

"Lyra, why don’t I take the first watch?"

"What’s wrong, Astrid?"

Lyra turned her head in confusion, looking at the silver-haired beauty who had half-sat up.

"I can’t seem to fall asleep," Astrid said.

Perhaps it was due to the change of location causing her body and mind to be overly tense, coupled with the absence of her soft younger sister who usually carried the scent of soap, Astrid couldn’t feel the presence of sleepiness.

"Can’t fall asleep... is it because of the bedding?"

Lyra reached out and touched the blanket. It was mostly flat, but it felt a bit hard to the touch, which might affect sleep.

"Probably," Astrid took a sip of water, her brows slightly relaxing.

Maybe she could fall asleep when she was too tired to stay awake, like at noon.

Lyra looked at Astrid’s slightly tired gaze, thinking about her usual sleeping state, and after half a minute of consideration, she rarely refused the woman’s request.

"Astrid, I’ll keep watch."

"As a knight, I don’t have a particularly high need for sleep."

Lyra’s implication was that she would handle the entire watch shift.

Astrid was about to retort when she immediately heard Lyra say.

"If Astrid isn’t in good condition, even keeping watch would be hard to stay alert, right?"

The girl spoke softly, her sky blue eyes quietly staring at Astrid.

"Leave it to me, rest well."

Suddenly unable to find a suitable reason to argue, Astrid knew the vast difference in physical constitution between mages and knights, and also understood that what Lyra said was indeed true.

But... leaving her alone to keep watch, Astrid felt a bit guilty...

After a moment of contemplation, Astrid looked at Lyra and spoke softly.

"Then will you take a nap tomorrow at noon?"

Lyra nodded in response, "Yes."

Although it would waste some hunting time, as long as the efficiency improved, the waste would be negligible.

"I see..." Astrid murmured thoughtfully upon hearing this, then glanced at her own bedding.

"Lyra, can you guarantee that if you lie down, you won’t fall asleep and just meditate?"

Like Elise, who could maintain basic awareness of her surroundings even while lying in bed.

Before Lyra could respond, she immediately heard Astrid say.

"If that’s possible, then come and rest."

With that, Astrid lifted the blanket, revealing the mattress beneath and a section of her long, delicate black-stockinged legs.

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