Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 538: Maid Outfit

Does the pink-haired, blue-eyed Holy Knight ever dream of the noble and elegant silver-haired regent princess in maid attire?

At least in Lyra’s dreams, such a scene had never appeared, or rather, the real she simply relied on the imagination to construct such a dream.

Astrid, the princess who always wore a luxurious gown, her legs sheathed in delicate black thigh-highs and feet stepping in midnight-colored stilettos, whose elegance and status were both undeniably regal, how could she possibly wear the uniform of a servant?

It must be that her eyes were still blurry from waking. She hadn’t seen clearly.

Believing she’d woken up improperly, Lyra closed her eyes again, gently tugging the blanket over her lashes with her fingers. Her smooth, bare calves shifted slightly to the right but didn’t touch the soft skin of the person beside her, nor was there any lingering warmth from the sheets.

Astrid had already gotten up. Then what she’d seen earlier... Was it real?

Realizing this, Lyra’s lashes trembled involuntarily. After about half a minute, she pulled the quilt aside again, this time with extra care.

In the warm morning light, a cascade of silvery-white hair flowed freely down the woman’s back. Her beautiful, refined crimson eyes remain calm as still waters. Beneath her snow-white, delicately upside down nose lay lips as soft and pink as flower petals.

The First Beauty of the Empire already possessed perfectly proportioned features, and combined with her flawless pale skin, she appears even more immaculate under the light, like a masterpiece crafted by the Creator’s own hand.

"Awake, Lyra?"

Astrid spoke softly. Her hand, adorned with a lace-trimmed wristband, gently touched the black-and-white bow at her neck, naturally drawing Lyra’s gaze.

If it were just her face, Lyra might not have responded so strongly. After all, as a maid, she had endured the princess’s overwhelming beauty every single moment. Even now, though she still finds her incredibly beautiful, she wouldn’t normally be left speechless in front of her.

The reason she lay frozen was mainly due to Astrid’s outfit today.

A black-and-white bow was tied at the middle of her slender, porcelain neck as a decoration. Below was a light, soft sleeveless top, no collar, just a neckline that hugged her skin. Delicate white lace trim frames her milk-white complexion, and her smooth, elegant collarbones peeked out perfectly from the opening, adding a touch of subtle sensuality to her refined demeanor.

Looking further down, the pure white fabric didn’t fully cover the striking, alluring fullness that usually drew envy, just like her collarbones, a small portion remained visible to Lyra. The crisscrossed shoulder straps passed neatly over her collarbones, forming an elegant "X" that accentuated her soft curves and the long, deep valley between them. It seemed that with just a slight movement, the magnificent, silk-bound mounds would gently bounce.

Her bare arms extended into the air, unobstructed by fabric, save for decorative maid wristbands at the wrists. Her hands wore neat white gloves, making her appearance both clean and proper.

"Would you like me to assist you in dressing?"

Seeing Lyra staring, Astrid’s lips curled into a gentle smile as she stepped closer to the bed, allowing the other girl a clearer view.

Her slender waist was naturally wrapped by the maid dress, with two neat rows of small buttons aligned at her side, gleaming brightly. The skirt, matching the color of her gloves, flared out like a lotus leaf, extending just past the silver hair that fell from her waist to her hips, though still above her knees.

As for her slender, beautifully shaped legs, usually clad in the princess’s preferred cool-toned black, today she wore the pure white stockings commonly worn by maids. Due to Lyra’s angle, she couldn’t immediately tell whether they were regular thigh-highs, garter-style with lace trim, or full-body cream-colored pantyhose.

Judging by the color alone, these maid stockings were different from the thin black ones Astrid usually wore. The pure white fabric was nearly opaque, perfectly outlining the exquisite lines of her legs. Her delicate, slender ankles were pressed together, and since the floor beside the bed was covered in a blanket, Astrid wasn’t wearing the standard maid loafers. Her soft, snow-white bare feet sank slightly into the fabric, her pale insteps framed by the soft fibers, appearing even more tender and smooth.

"A-Astrid..."

Lyra opened her mouth, quickly shifting her gaze from the blanket to the ruby pendant hanging from Astrid’s chest, confirming the woman’s identity before her body stiffened slightly.

"Y-You... why..."

"...are you dressed like this?"

The usually cold, elegant princess dressed entirely in black had suddenly transformed into a graceful, sweet maid in white. The stark contrast left Lyra utterly stunned, so much so that "pupil-shaking earthquake" wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

"Because I wanted to know what it feels like to be a maid," Astrid gently adjusted the bow, her voice soft.

"Doesn’t this outfit look good on me?"

She had never worn anything like this before. The outfit she wore now was simply a modified version of Lyra’s maid uniform, slightly altered by Elise with a few added decorations.

Since the person for whom it was originally made was slightly smaller in certain areas, the neckline had been lowered a bit, from fully covering to mostly covering. But thanks to the head maid’s expert craftsmanship, it was quite comfortable to wear.

"It’s not... it’s actually very pretty..."

Beautiful people can look good in anything, even a burlap sack. And Astrid, a naturally stunning beauty, was practically the ideal clothes hanger.

Lyra sat up straight, her smooth, pale legs instinctively twisting together under the blanket.

"It’s just... it’s such a big change from the usual Astrid."

She had seen the Third Princess Astrid, the Regent Princess Astrid, the summer-limited heiress Astrid, but never, ever had she seen Maid-Form Astrid.

No matter how you looked at it, the contrast was overwhelming.

"Is that so?" Astrid pondered after hearing this, then looked at the seated Lyra and continued.

"So, would you like me to assist you in dressing, Miss Lyra?"

Why was she using formal honors now? Astrid was really getting into character.

Seeing that Lyra was still completely bewildered, unable to grasp the true intention behind her actions, Astrid took another step forward. Her soft, white-stockinged thighs were now mere centimeters from the bed.

"I gave the household maids the day off, and asked Elise to turn away all unimportant visitors. Right now, it’s just you and me in the entire mansion."

In other words, no one else could see the Regent Princess of the Empire dressed as a maid, only Lyra.

"You used to be my personal maid. Today, I’ll try your former duties, experience how it felt to serve, and handle all the little tasks a maid must deal with."

Of course, there were also certain... romantic elements to it.

Meeting Lyra’s gaze, Astrid continued.

"For today only, Lyra, you may command me as you wish. Don’t think of me as the Regent. Just treat Astrid Calliste as your personal maid, anything goes."

Anything goes?

Hearing the key point, Lyra froze momentarily. Before her thoughts could spiral, she quietly bit her lip and whispered.

"Astrid... you don’t need to do this for me..."

Although she didn’t know what Astrid was thinking, it was obvious she was doing this for comfort or care for her.

"Don’t you need to do this for you?" Astrid replied, still standing straight, her tone light.

"If it’s the master’s order, I will obey."

Master’s order? Did Astrid even know what she was saying?

Faced with the princess speaking so seriously, it was Lyra who blushed first.

She clearly remembered how Astrid had teased her before, urging her to call her "Master." Back then, she had agreed, but only half-heartedly, saying she might do it someday.

And now Astrid had beaten her to it?

Her cheeks burning faintly, Lyra gazed at the woman before her. In those crimson eyes, she seemed to detect a hint of amusement, and a familiar, faint teasing glint, the one that always appeared when Astrid was teasing her.

Had she predicted exactly which words would hit Lyra’s sensitive spot?

Realizing that despite the tight-fitting maid outfit, the woman in front of her was still, at heart, that dangerously alluring succubus princess, Lyra’s heart thumped wildly. After a pause, she said:

"It’s not like it’s an order or anything."

"..."

"As for dressing... I’ll change first. Then you can come in."

After being teased by Astrid for so long, it was rare for the other to willingly take on the role of a submissive little maid, so why did she still feel like she was the one being controlled?

Recalling how, as the mistress, Astrid had repeatedly flirted with and tormented her, teasing her relentlessly without resolution, that superior, dominant attitude, Lyra’s inner stubbornness began to surface.

She wanted to... tease Astrid back, just once...

And since Astrid was so deeply in character, if she kept saying things that ruined the mood, it wouldn’t be very nice.

So, she might as well go along with it.

Astrid elegantly nodded upon receiving the "instruction," then turned and stepped onto the uncovered part of the staircase. She lifted her smooth, white-stockinged foot and gently placed it into the soft leather shoe.

Lyra’s gaze shifted from the cake-like heel of the white stocking, up the smooth, delicate calf, to notice that Astrid seemed slightly shorter than usual, realizing it was because she wasn’t wearing heels. After the door closed, Lyra gently pushed off the blanket.

What was Astrid up to today...? Was she planning to tease her in a new way?

Thinking carefully, the likelihood wasn’t actually high. Astrid, though sometimes acting like a mischievous woman, always had her limits.

Besides, it wouldn’t make sense for her to drop a mountain of official duties and spend an entire day playing master-and-servant games just to tease her. That simply didn’t align with Princess Astrid’s character.

With that in mind, Lyra stepped onto the blanket, found her slippers, and headed to the washroom to freshen up, tidying herself while pondering this dreamlike morning.

Meanwhile, outside the door, Astrid knew her look had successfully stirred Lyra’s rebellious side. Gazing at the porcelain-white tiles, she adjusted the garter on her thigh, ensuring the lace-trimmed edge of the stocking was completely hidden beneath the hem of her skirt.

Thanks to the near-perfect skills of the head maid, she had managed to create a maid outfit tailored to her figure in just a few days.

It was just a little bolder in design, but perfect for Lyra.

Rarely free from the semi-torturous high heels, Astrid felt slightly odd. She bent down slightly to smooth out a wrinkle in the stocking at her ankle.

A moment later, Lyra’s voice came from inside.

"You can come in, Astrid."

Opening the door, Lyra, now in her everyday clothes, sat on the edge of the bed. Her skin, just washed, was soft like tofu, and her cheeks carried a faint, alluring blush.

White blouse, pink skirt, legs wrapped in white thigh-highs, freshly awakened, Lyra, facing the morning sun, radiated youth.

"Astrid... weren’t you going to serve me?"

Although she had mentally prepared herself, giving orders to someone she liked, even if pretending, still made Lyra a bit shy. Her voice came out hesitant and stilted.

"T-Then... Could you help me comb my hair?"

Back when she served Astrid, the princess had never allowed maids to help her dress in private clothing. This gave Lyra the perfect excuse, if Astrid asked why she didn’t want help dressing, she could use that same reasoning.

But this, it seemed, was more overthinking on Lyra’s part. Astrid didn’t dwell on the topic. She simply nodded politely and spoke softly.

"Then please take a seat at the dressing table."

"Mm... by the way, Astrid, you don’t need to use such formal terms."

"Understood, Miss Lyra."

Following Astrid’s instruction, Lyra sat properly on the chair, her back straight, her white-stockinged legs instinctively bending as she softly tapped her soft instep against the wooden leg of the chair to ease her nerves.

Astrid calmly picked up the comb from the vanity and began gently brushing Lyra’s hair. The girl’s light pink hair was in excellent condition, never frizzy even after sleep, and combed smoothly.

In the mirror, the silver-haired, crimson-eyed maid carefully arranged the strands. A few loose pink locks occasionally fell onto her white gloves, only to be quickly smoothed back into place.

Staring at the bow around Astrid’s neck, Lyra curled her soft toes, tugging slightly at the thin tip of her white stocking.

She couldn’t recall ever seeing a maid uniform with a neck decoration like that. Even bows were usually placed on the outer skirt.

Astrid’s maid outfit... was so special...

As she pondered, Astrid leaned forward, using the pure black ribbon she had once gifted Lyra to tie up her hair.

Coincidentally, the part of her chest not fully covered by the maid’s top pressed gently against Lyra’s smooth back, sending a faint ripple through her skin.