If Lyra chose to retreat, she could forever monopolize her sister and become Astrid’s only lover.

This ending would clearly satisfy Amalia’s twisted possessiveness and bring her temporary happiness. The downside, however, was that Astrid would undoubtedly fall into prolonged melancholy, possibly never recovering for the rest of her life.

When you love someone, your own emotions inevitably shift with theirs.

Amalia wanted to be her sister’s sole partner, yet she didn’t wish to see Astrid become despondent because of it.

Just imagining Astrid sitting at a desk in the future, nostalgically reminds the once deeply intimate pink-haired maid and silently grieving, would bring an overwhelming bitterness and guilt crushing down upon Amalia’s heart.

As the primary cause of all this, she bore the majority of the responsibility.

If Lyra chose to advance, then there would inevitably be another person sharing her sister’s affection. Astrid’s emotional knot would be untangled, yet Amalia herself would feel envy, which would then spark a deeper longing.

On one side stood the selfish Fourth Princess; on the other, Amalia Felsis, who empathized with her lover. No matter the outcome, what remained for her was a bittersweet mixture.

Facing Amalia’s blunt honesty, Lyra pondered for a few seconds before understanding her meaning.

"I see, Amalia."

Compared to the previous girl who merely followed behind her sister, clinging and whining, the current Imperial Empress was far more rational and empathetic though that empathy was still limited solely to Astrid Calliste.

Hearing Lyra’s words, Amalia took another sip of tea before speaking again.

"So don’t overthink my actions. I’m not necessarily doing this relationship to help you build an intimate relationship with my sister."

"I merely spoke the truth for her. I made the decision on her behalf."

Otherwise, given how carefully Astrid handled her feelings toward Lyra, the issue would likely have dragged on until they returned to the capital before possibly being resolved.

"Besides, speaking of which..."

The porcelain cup clicked softly against its saucer. Amalia crossed her smooth legs, the wing-shaped white shoe trim lightly touched the seat before shifting slightly as her silk-stockinged foot moved.

"Lyra, you probably hate me, right?"

After all, if not for her sudden interference, given how jointly attracted Lyra and Astrid were, they likely would have already reached a blissful conclusion and enjoyed a shamelessly passionate love affair.

Instead, up until now... they still preserve their purity...

Suddenly hearing Amalia say this, Lyra’s gaze locked onto the girl’s pupils. Those blue eyes lowered slightly, and a flicker of guilt flashed within them. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Amalia had always known what a despicable existence she was, and understood how precious Astrid’s unwavering love was for such a wicked child.

"..."

That moment of guilt disappears instantly, soon replaced with emptiness. Lyra moistened her lips and, cradling her teacup, spoke.

"Yes, I don’t particularly like you."

Amalia had been sincere enough today by speaking so openly over tea; there was no need for her to weave lies and deceive the golden-haired girl before her.

"After learning everything from Astrid, I feel sad about Amalia’s actions."

It was impossible not to care. She needed Astrid’s love just as much, yet another person who came later had seized it first.

The pale red tea rippled, spreading toward the rim of the cup. As the words settled, Lyra continued.

"But... I can understand Amalia’s feelings..."

Putting herself in another’s shoes, a lonely soul imprisoned in an ancient castle for so many years, suddenly touched by a sliver of moonlight. Even if that light hung high in the sky would inevitably yearn to preserve it forever.

Amalia exclaimed softly upon hearing this, picking up the thread.

"Understanding is one thing, but if it were the kind-hearted Lyra Beckett facing the possibility of her sister having a lover, she wouldn’t choose to reveal her true feelings to Astrid. She’d just bottle it up and slowly digest it alone."

"Because, you’re a good person."

This was spoken from the heart. In Amalia’s eyes, Lyra’s very existence was almost unbelievable. Her selflessness was extremely rare among the entire Imperial aristocracy.

Hearing this, Lyra shook her head gently and spoke softly.

"I’m not a good person at all."

"It’s just that, in certain things, I’m just as unbrave as Astrid."

If their initiative had been as strong as Amalia’s, they probably would have reached a happy ending long ago, like in a princess-knight story.

Instead, another Imperial Empress had gotten involved.

Hearing Lyra say this, Amalia’s eyes dimmed slightly, unsure whether the other meant it sincerely or was just saying it to make her feel better.

Brave... meaning sneaking in and digging a tunnel while the main person was away?

"Strong, humble, no wonder my sister likes you so much. Lyra, you’re truly a radiant presence, like the sun."

Even without the factor of Astrid, Amalia might still find it difficult to get along well with this Holy Light Knight before her. Her light was too dazzling, far less gentle than moonlight under the night sky.

Lyra took a sip of tea and replied softly.

"...Just speak my mind."

After going through all these events, she had indeed grown a lot such as learning to be more proactive when facing Astrid.

Looking at Lyra across the table, Amalia remained silent for a long time. The two quietly sipped tea and ate a few pastries. Eventually, Lyra spoke first.

"Still... I want to thank you, Amalia..."

"Even though that night, you appeared before me in your nightgown, saying those strange things, keeping me awake all night, my mood sinking to the bottom of a valley..."

"But, understanding everything is still better than living with doubts, feeling anxious every day."

At the very least, that push gave her the courage to confirm things with Astrid and clarify their mutual feelings.

"..."

"I just wanted my sister to be happy," Amalia replied.

Neither advancing nor retreating meant tormented emotional exhaustion.

Using a silver spoon, she scooped a piece of Black Forest cake, savoring its sweetness between her lips. Amalia unconsciously lowered her gaze, vaguely seeing an illusion in the dark chocolate on her plate. Then, she heard a female voice enter her ears.

"So... I think I don’t hate Amalia that much anymore..."

Lifting her eyes, Lyra sat straight across the table. Her cherry-pink long hair fell to her waist, perfectly matching her pink-white pleated skirt.

"Astrid once told me that when making friends with people, you should seek common ground while respecting their differences."

"Although Lyra and Amalia differ greatly in personality, hobbies, and all sorts of things, there’s at least one thing we share."

Lyra’s finger rested on the teacup’s handle, her delicate, slightly pink nails shimmering with a blade-like glint.

"Both Lyra and Amalia wish for Astrid to attain happiness."

Through this afternoon’s conversation, she had deepened her understanding of the Imperial Empress, realizing that in certain aspects, their goals aligned.

For instance, both would experience similar emotional fluctuations based on Astrid’s mood, and both would make certain compromises for her happiness.

Finishing her words, Lyra extended her hand forward, her tone sincere.

"Please treat me well in the future, Amalia."

Not as a sister-in-law, but as another person loved by Astrid.

Staring at Lyra’s outstretched hand and the gentleness and acceptance in her voice, Amalia remained silent for a few seconds before setting down the white, slender hand that held the fork.

This woman... is she really this perfect and considerate?

Even when she had chosen to help her sister cut through the confusion decisively, bitterness and sourness still rose in her heart. How much more so for Lyra, who should have been the one receiving the lover’s exclusive affection, yet was so magnanimous as to extend a hand of reconciliation to her, a sneak thief?

["Both Lyra and Amalia wish for Astrid to attain happiness."]

If they harbored hatred toward each other, viewing the other as a mortal enemy, Astrid certainly wouldn’t be happy viewing it from a god’s perspective; the novel’s original timeline had converged.

"Let me repeat it once more, Lyra Beckett," Amalia said softly.

"I envy you."

’I envy you both for having my sister’s love and for possessing that crystal-clear heart and water-like pure personality.’

Then, Amalia extended her hand, lightly clasping Lyra’s across the table.

No one acted maliciously, nor did any knight intentionally squeeze too hard to hurt the mage in a novel-like scene. They simply shared a brief handshake, after which Amalia spoke first.

"Lyra, the same goes for you. Please treat me well in the future."

"Other than that... Although we’re friends now, regarding matters involving my sister, I won’t necessarily yield every time..."

"Even if my sister loves you a little more right now, I’ll still find ways to do more for her, to love her more, thus shifting the balance of that love further toward me."

This was actually what Lyra herself thought. She was more patient than Amalia, but she wasn’t just a pitiful little dog who would only whimper and pound the ground with pink hair when hurt.

"I understand, Amalia."

Besides being the Holy Light Knight, Lyra was also a simple girl yearning for more of her lover’s affection.

Faint white mist rose from the teacups, and the entire garden pavilion was filled with the scent of sweets and the refreshing, maidenly fragrance emanating from the girls’ bodies.

With everything laid out in the open, getting along naturally became much easier. Lyra had previously served as a personal maid, attending to Amalia while she stayed with Astrid, so they even found some common ground in discussions about desserts and tea.

Unaware, the deep night sky covered the heavens, replacing the sun that emitted light and warmth. After a brief period of stillness, the city of Losterling was once again illuminated by artificial light.

Realizing Amalia had been here so long without properly seeing Losterling, Astrid returned early today, intending to take her on a tour of the city.

As for their outing attire, Amalia, who had once used the alias Livia Calliste, still had the plant-based colored contact lenses and hair dye from back then. Although red eyes were still a striking feature, it was still better than her obvious royal appearance.

Sensing a subtle change in the relationship between Lyra and Amalia, Astrid looked at the golden-haired girl, now dressed in a sweet princess dress, wearing white silk tights and black little leather shoes. After receiving a [I don’t care] glance from her, Astrid gently asked Lyra.

"Lyra, would you like to come too? We can stroll and digest our meal."

Amalia thought to herself, looks like my sister really wants her to join us.

Lyra hesitated for a moment, her fingers clutching the cotton sleeve, before answering after a few seconds.

"Then... okay..."

Since Astrid had said so, there was no need to refuse.

Leaving the residence, the group retraced the district Astrid had once toured alone with Lyra. This time, instead of going from south to north, they traveled from east to west, managing to see some new scenery they hadn’t seen before.

Gazing at her beloved’s delicate face, which appears even more refined in the light, and catching sight of another ink-haired girl gently holding her sister’s hand with soft steps in her peripheral vision, Lyra’s lips curved slightly upward, feeling a warm atmosphere spreading within arm’s reach.

The last time they’d all strolled together like this was in her hometown, a border town near Morin Village.

The crisp sound of footsteps echoed in her ears. Looking at the slightly empty hand on Astrid’s other side, swinging with the pure black skirt, Lyra reached out and clasped it, intertwining their fingers.

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

That night, in Amalia’s room. Since the Empress was returning to the capital the next day, Astrid will still spend the night here.

Changing into a pure white nightgown, deliberately leaving on the form-fitting white silk tights, Amalia lay on the bed, quietly waiting for Astrid to finish her bath and rest together.

After a while, the silver-haired beauty in a black lace nightgown opened the bathroom door. Her snow-white skin glistened with warm moisture, her long, smooth legs as clean and delicate as jade.

Looking at the Imperial Regent, who had just stepped out of the bath and exuded overwhelming allure, Amalia wrapped her arms around the woman’s waist and spoke sweetly.

"Sister... tonight, please take good care of me..."

Before she could finish, a rhythmic knocking sound suddenly appeared.

Amalia froze slightly, then heard a gentle call.

"Astrid?"

It was Lyra’s voice.

Upon hearing this, Astrid stood up and walked to the door, opening it to see the pink-haired girl, similarly dressed only in a thin nightgown, her cheeks slightly flushed, hugging a pillow and standing weakly outside.

Lyra looked at the newly bathed Astrid and spoke softly.

"Tonight...can I sleep with you?"

Looking at the blushing Lyra, and reminding she had indeed been indulging her sister too much lately, indulging in nightly pleasures that should rest for one night. Astrid glanced back at Amalia, whose blue eyes had narrowed, then whispered softly.

"Come in."

So... is this how you’re getting back at me?

Feeling like Lyra had just outmaneuvered her, Amalia thought to herself as she watched the pink-haired girl walk in.