Chapter 599: "D-Do I have to... be with Amalia?”

In many ways, Astrid was Lyra’s mentor, covering magic, mental power, noble etiquette, high society’s social methods, and the appropriate words and behaviors toward different people.

And in certain matters, apart from the extremely rare cases of self-taught knowledge, Astrid’s approaches were equally groundbreaking.

At least until tonight, Lyra had never imagined that a desk could sometimes be more than just a desk. Besides writing and reading, this solid wooden board, over a meter long and broad and flat, could also serve as a seat, a place to compose a beautifully moving melody, a place leaving behind enchanting memories she will never forget.

The sensation of the hard wooden surface still lingered on her back. A few strands of pink hair stuck to Lyra’s slightly flushed cheek. The girl gently adjusted her disheveled shoulder strap, brushing away the strands that blocked her vision.

"Have some water, Lyra."

The cool, melodious female voice echoed through the room. Listening closely, one could detect a barely noticeable hint of amusement.

Noticing that the silver-haired beauty held the cup in her right hand, Lyra fluttered her eyelashes slightly. Her arms, numb and weak, hung limply by her skirt, not reaching out immediately.

Their gazes meet in midair. Astrid’s lips curled upward further, as if deliberately. She flexed her still-slightly-damp left hand with delicate agility before her, five slender, fair fingers glistening under the light, appearing even longer.

Seeing Lyra’s cheeks remain crimson, Astrid, having achieved her goal, softly exhaled through her delicate nose. She leaned closer, letting the rim of the cup touch the pink-haired girl’s lips, carefully feeding her.

"Be careful not to spill... I mean, the tea..."

The first sentence was fine, but the second nearly made Lyra spit out the tea in her mouth. Her crystal-clear blue eyes stared directly at Astrid, shy yet flustered.

What did that mean... was she implying she’d dirtied the desk?

It was Astrid who had taken the initiative first, and it was her who chose the location. Now, during a temporary ceasefire, she was already teasing her.

How hateful.

Sipping the black tea slowly, Lyra felt her throat become much more comfortable. Before she could even speak, she immediately saw the owner of those icy crimson eyes gaze thoughtfully at the carved teacup, now only slightly diminished in content, take a sip herself,

and then transfer the tea directly into Lyra’s mouth.

The rich tea aroma blended with a hint of sweetness, everything perfectly harmonized. Still drained of strength, Lyra could only passively accept the flood of tea pouring into her mouth. Her body temperature, which had begun to drop, rose once again, maintaining its previous level.

After a moment, the cup was emptied. Astrid set it aside and softly teased.

"My dear knight... you’re as soft as ever today...."

From Astrid’s perspective, Lyra’s cherry-pink lips, having just drunk tea, had become especially moist and bright, as if coated with a lovely layer of glossy glaze. Delicate beads of sweat dampened her dress. Two smooth, tender, silk-clad legs dangled beside the desk, one side slightly pressing against the desk’s edge, the soft calf gently bulging outward like alluring snowy cream.

Lower still, a pair of small, delicate silk-stockinged feet hung limply, the elegant arches framed by creamy white soles tinged with a pinkish hue, like melting vanilla ice cream.

"...It’s not." Lyra opened her lips in reply, her voice carried a faint mistiness, low, clear, and crisp, like that of a newborn kitten.

Her limbs could be weak, but her words couldn’t.

When facing a wicked woman, if her attitude faltered even slightly, she’d only be bullied even harder.

Yet, in the silver-haired regent’s eyes, this rebuttal was feeble and powerless, more like a girl’s forced little tantrum.

In other words, tsundere.

Astrid slightly hummed in response, her gaze resting on the silk skirt covering Lyra’s silk-clad thighs as she softly spoke.

"Alright, alright, not at all."

Anyone could tell it was deliberate agreement, but Lyra only wanted that tiny bit of acknowledgment. She didn’t want to be looked down upon by her beloved, becoming the completely passive one.

"...Astrid knows best!"

Lyra stubbornly under her breath. Seizing the moment, the silk-clad legs leaned against the desk quietly closed together, but this small movement naturally didn’t escape Astrid’s eyes.

Recalling the words Lyra had said before their "battle," the woman narrowed her eyes slightly, her tone approving.

"Looking at it now, it really wasn’t far off~"

"What... not far off?"

"Lyra’s earlier conclusion, of course..."

"...About the change from pantyhose to thigh-highs, you were indeed right."

In an era where silk was so precious, they were undoubtedly being wasteful.

Hearing Astrid started teasing again, Lyra’s ears turned even redder. Biting her lip, she said,

"It’s all Astrid’s fault... being too direct..."

There were clear ways to avoid waste.

Astrid tilted her head in confusion for a moment before replying.

"Hmm? Lyra hasn’t always been gentle either, has she?"

With that, Astrid gave a seductive smile, her fingers resting on the layered, intricate night-sky-colored dress, gently lifting the skirt fabric.

Before reaching her upper thighs, she paused teasingly, her hand in pure black gloves lightly tapping the garter strap, the milk-white skin and night-sky black creating a perfect contrast.

Seeing the intact garter clip and the lace-trimmed black thigh-highs below, Lyra instantly recalled which night Astrid was referring to. She stuttered for a moment, until even her snowy white swan neck was dusted with pink.

Indeed, she couldn’t blame the other party. In the heat of passion, certain actions were simply uncontrollable.

Seeing Lyra so clumsy and completely unable to counter her words, Astrid stepped closer, leaning by her ear and whispering,

"Ah... I was slightly wrong about one thing. Let me correct myself..."

Her hand slides downward, resting atop the pink-haired girl’s legs. Even through the skirt and silk stockings, without direct contact, she could still feel the skin’s smoothness.

"Lyra isn’t soft all the time."

"After all... I did feel the strength against my waist earlier..."

That pure black form-fitting princess dress even had a creamy white bow tied at the back. Although fluttering gently in the breeze, sometimes curling, sometimes unfurling, it never came loose.

Was this the benefit of long-term training?

"???"

To be fair, Astrid was exceptionally skilled at manipulating emotions. At least for Lyra, her verbal teasing greatly reduced her cooldown time.

In every sense of the word, cooldown, from recharging to recovery.

Like now, she was basically back to full strength.

Having finished teasing her little maid, Astrid turned to grab a silk handkerchief to wipe the dampness off the desk, when suddenly, she heard a faint sound behind her.

The pair of white-stockinged feet, moments ago soft and melting like melting ice cream on the fluffy carpet, now wrapped tightly around Astrid’s waist, their grip shifting from ankles to arms.

"Don’t run away... Astrid..." Lyra buried her delicate nose in the silver hair, her voice carrying a hint of determination.

She had already fallen apart twice, but Astrid hadn’t even once.

This was far from over.

................

After once again proving the practical theory that pantyhose equals thigh-highs on Astrid’s body, the two, now sweaty, cleaned up the battlefield, then headed to the bathroom to bathe and change, finally lying together in bed.

It turned out that besides desks, fluffy carpets were also excellent for battles, Lyra’s room had plush rugs that allowed walking barefoot or in socks. Only slippers were needed in the bathroom and part of the outer entrance, so there was no worry about getting dirty lying on them.

As for cleaning, it could have all been left to Elise. But thinking about exactly how they’d gotten the room dirty, Lyra felt too embarrassed to ask anyone else. She had to clean it herself. Fortunately, with dual-element water and wind magic and maid household experience, she finished the task quickly.

Finally, she placed the books back on the desk, restoring it to its original purpose.

Gently sniffing the scent of body wash filling the sheets, Lyra, now completely relaxed, gazed softly at Astrid beside her and whisper,

"When Astrid lets her hair down, it’s very beautiful."

Moonlight poured through the window, resembling both a scattered galaxy and flowing luminous gauze, beautiful no matter how one looked.

"So that’s why you made me let my hair fall on the carpet?"

"..."

"That was just one of the reasons!"

As for the others, besides retaliating against the wicked woman, it was probably to recreate that dream from long ago, before Lyra had even made her first confession.

That dream where Princess Astrid’s silver hair was messily scattered across the sheets, her crimson eyes locked onto her, struggling to break free yet helpless, only able to gently rub her smooth, black-silk-clad legs like a warning, yet also like coaxing.

Now, that dream had a continuation, enriched with enough material to become reality.

Her princess... every smile, every glance, every movement...

So unforgettable.

"Other reasons?"

Astrid lightly touched her lips in confusion. After a moment, her voice turned sullen.

"Could it be... so we can maximally touch both legs... and perform foot-kissing rituals?"

The human body was so wondrous. Without personally trying, it was hard to believe one could bring their knees to their shoulders.

Even Astrid herself, when she actually achieved it, was surprised by her body’s flexibility.

"?"

Although spoken bluntly, she really couldn’t find a way to refute it.

Having exited the passionate state and reverted to a shy little girl, Lyra clearly couldn’t tease and withstand Astrid’s verbal. Her face, freshly washed, flushed red again as she stammered,

"As Astrid wants..."

Unable to return, she could only say this.

Hearing Lyra’s flustered reply, Astrid’s crimson eyes sparkled with amusement. Her voice lowered again as she leaned closer.

"If you like it so much, next time, I’ll prepare even more variations."

"After all, Lyra is my dearest knight. As a princess, I should properly comfort you."

Wait a second, someone’s succubus traits are overflowing!

As she spoke, the fair, smooth legs under the blanket quietly pressed against Lyra’s knees. Astrid had just bathed; the bare leg, without silk, was cool and slick, like polished fine jade.

"Does Lyra prefer being hugged around the waist... or having her neck held?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Crack, the sound of something breaking. Lyra’s heart pounded violently, nearly leaping out of her chest. The rushing warmth made her cheeks heat rapidly.

This wasn’t something to consider right now...

If this continued... she even doubted Astrid was deliberately tempting her into another round...

Although, according to Lyra’s understanding of Astrid, she probably wasn’t.

If she wanted to fight, Astrid would use subtler, yet even more provocative methods.

For example, deliberately crossing her legs in front of her, using her delicate, finely-silked feet in high heels to gently kick, showcasing elegant leg lines while perfectly highlighting the smoothness of silk and the softness of skin. Combined with the mysterious, noble aura of black high heels, she’d effortlessly capture Lyra’s gaze.

Or, when fixing her hair, exerting force with her wrist to unintentionally reveal her rounded, fragrant shoulders, using the three-color contrast of silver, white, and black to elegantly emphasize allure, then straightening her waist, unhesitatingly accentuating her curves in front of her. The thin fabric seemed completely unable to contain her, the hem trembling slightly.

And then... the story beneath the office desk will begin...

No, no, no, she’d fallen for Astrid’s trick again. What was she daydreaming about?

Lyra shook her head, just in time meeting Astrid’s eyes like flowing water. The woman, knowing that continuing might truly ignite sparks, promptly changed the subject.

After all... fingers had no cooldown...

"Amalia didn’t cling to me to sleep tonight. Did she say anything to you?"

While bathing, Astrid had also pondered this. The moment she returned in the evening, she went straight to see Lyra and Amalia. The latter didn’t seem upset.

Lyra paused briefly upon hearing this, discarding all the vivid scenes in her mind, and softly replied,

"She did say some things..."

There was no need to keep the agreement secret from Astrid, or rather, this matter naturally required considering the opinion of the main party involved.

Listening as Lyra poured out everything like beans spilling from a bamboo tube, the silver-haired regent fell into deep thought upon understanding the situation.

"What’s wrong?" Lyra asked.

Astrid shook her head.

"...Nothing."

Just another moment of lamenting her own deep sins. Despite Amalia and Lyra both being exceptionally outstanding girls, they had to devise such a sharing plan for her sake.

"If you both agree, I have no objections."

The hardest thing to bear is kindness from a beauty. Now that the relationship is confirmed, she should love those around her even more.

Lyra pursed her lips upon hearing this, casually tossing a strand of pink hair. Thinking of that crucial issue, she hesitated for a few seconds before finally asking, asking

"Um... Astrid..."

"About Sunday’s... um, night duty?"

After racking her brain, Lyra could only squeeze out this limited vocabulary.

"D-Do I have to... be with Amalia?"