With Lyra’s arrival, Amalia naturally couldn’t achieve her original goal, enjoying her elder sister’s massage, releasing all her stress, and then boarding the airship back to the capital.

The next day, after seeing off the Empress of the Empire, everyone watched the fleet of magic-powered airships vanish beyond the horizon. Astrid and Lyra returned to the estate, had lunch, and then rested together.

"Umm... Astrid doesn’t have other things to attend to this afternoon, does she...?" Sitting on the edge of the bed, Lyra had just removed her coat and the tights underneath. Her legs swayed slightly as she glanced at Astrid, who was also undressing beside her.

At this usual time, the Regent would normally go inspect the magic weapon construction workshop and participate in checking the arrays inside crystalline stones. But today, she suddenly had free time and could nap together with her.

Hearing Lyra’s words, Astrid nodded gently, her voice soft.

"Mm, I’ve finished everything ahead of schedule."

During the week Amalia had been here, many nobles, eager to curry favor with imperial power, had deliberately remained longer in Losterling City. Naturally, Astrid had more duties than usual.

Fortunately, with the Empress now gone and Astrid wanting to spend more time with Lyra, she had sped up her handling of official affairs as much as possible. For the remainder of their time here, she will dedicate herself entirely to her little girlfriend.

"I’ve declined all unimportant social events. Before returning to the capital, I’ll do my best to stay by Lyra’s side."

After saying this, feeling her words might have been imprecise, Astrid removed her black silk gloves and continued.

"Of course, it’s not just now. After we return, it’ll be the same."

"Because, Lyra is my lover."

Amid the rustling of fabric, the woman’s smooth, fair back was revealed beneath the sunlight, gleaming with a warm jade-like luster.

Seeing the silver-white hair scattered across the pillow, Lyra’s head felt a little hazy.

What did she mean... by staying by her side...

Like this moment right now?

Placing her removed uniform on the bedside table, Lyra slipped under the covers. Before she could even reach out, Astrid’s slender arm had already wrapped around her shoulders. Her knees brushed against two smooth, long legs, slightly entwining.

"Let’s sleep, Lyra."

"I’ll be here with you."

Feeling Astrid’s fragrance and the silky silver strands beneath her fingertips, ready to be played with at will, Lyra embraces the figure in her arms and leans her head on Astrid’s shoulder.

"Hmm, good afternoon."

"...Astrid."

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

Approaching winter, the heating wasn’t too intense. Even hugging each other while sleeping wouldn’t make them sweat uncomfortably like in summer. When Lyra slowly woke up, the first thing she saw was Astrid lying beside her, seemingly counting her eyelashes.

"You’re awake..."

Speaking softly, Lyra noticed Astrid was half-raised, about to ask what was wrong, when she realized her own forearm was partially pressing down on the woman’s hair.

Only those who’ve truly experienced it know how painful it is to try to get up with someone lying on your hair.

Realizing Astrid’s awkward struggle was all because of her, Lyra quickly tilted her shoulder, creating space for that part of silver hair. Then, Astrid gently shook her head and finally sat upright, handing the cup of tea on the bedside table to the pink-haired girl before her.

"Have some tea, moisten your throat."

After a nap, it was good to replenish some fluids.

Hearing this, Lyra obediently murmured "Mm" and took the cup from Astrid.

She took a small sip. The temperature was just right, likely adjusted with ice magic when Astrid brought it over.

A few sips of the warm tea moistened her slightly dry lips. Astrid casually took back Lyra’s cup, leaned forward, and pressed her lips against hers.

That soft, sweet kiss completely awakened Lyra’s senses.

After the kiss, Lyra’s face turned slightly red. Looking at Astrid, who had just lain back down, she parted her lips slightly.

"...What time is it?"

"Two twenty."

Perhaps because Astrid was nearby, Lyra had slept nearly an extra hour this nap.

For a novice Arbiter, a one-and-a-half-hour nap clearly exceeded the actual rest her body needed. But for a shy young girl who longed to spend a wonderful afternoon nap with her beloved, this duration was just right.

"It’s already so late..."

Hearing Astrid’s answer, Lyra rubbed her eyes, resting her head on the pillow. Her legs, previously entwined with her companion’s, now straightened out.

"Hmm... does Lyra have to read Light Magic books this afternoon?"

"Mm, I haven’t finished the previous one yet."

After ascending to Arcanist Mage, Lyra’s research focus had shifted to light-element magic at the Arcanist tier. Astrid had previously given her a library card to the Royal Library. Besides the paper materials provided by Duke Charles, several magic books were still inside the Sword of Light, available for her to read at any time.

Hearing this, Astrid nodded thoughtfully, speaking gently.

"In that case, I won’t disturb Lyra..."

These words... it seemed Astrid originally planned to stay with her and do something together...

Lyra faintly felt the regret in Astrid’s voice and softly replied.

"Then... if I take a break today..."

Brushing aside a strand of pink hair falling on her neck, Lyra continued.

"Could Astrid... stay with me a little longer?"

She rarely makes direct requests of Astrid partly due to her nature, and partly because Lyra is truly worried about disturbing Astrid’s normal work.

Her lover, after all, was the Empire’s Regent, second only to the Empress, with countless numbers demanding her attention.

Hearing this, Astrid looked at Lyra lying beside her and replied in a soothing voice.

"Of course I can."

"Didn’t I already say? If Lyra needs me, I’ll do my best to be with you."

This naturally included such situations.

"..."

After brief contemplation, Lyra couldn’t immediately think of anything special she wanted to do with Astrid. In truth, simply lying on this soft double bed, sharing this wonderful leisure time with her, already made her extremely content.

Then... let time stretch a little longer...

"Astrid, let’s just... keep this."

"Hmm?"

"Just lie here with me like this." Lyra added gently.

Under the covers, feeling the other’s warmth, breathing in the lover’s fragrance from mere inches away, and occasionally touching soft, smooth skin without a hint of stiffness.

Hearing Lyra’s words, Astrid pressed her lips together and responded warmly.

"Okay."

If this could make Lyra happy, she naturally had no reason to refuse.

Moreover, Astrid truly enjoyed this cozy atmosphere lying on the bed with her little girlfriend beneath the afternoon sunlight, exchanging warmth.

The wall clock’s hands ticked steadily. In the private bedroom, Astrid sometimes told Lyra about her usual duties. Interactions with various nobles, sometimes shared memories of the few landscapes she’d seen in her past life: towering snow-capped mountains and sunlit sandy beaches by the sea, and sometimes described her vision of a new world flourishing with magic-powered machinery.

"The kinetic energy provided by wind-element crystalline stones will drive metal mechanisms, accomplishing monotonous, repetitive manual labor. This will greatly reduce human labor costs and significantly increase unit productivity."

"Water-element crystalline stones installed beneath large ships can relatively freely adjust water flow direction, enabling acceleration and stabilization of the vessel. This ensures ships won’t easily capsize against strong currents, greatly improving maritime efficiency and safeguarding sailors’ lives."

"When combined with earth-element crystalline stones, we could establish automated irrigation systems for crops. Using fire-element crystalline stones to provide suitable growing temperatures, we could achieve large-scale staple crop cultivation in the Empire’s cold northeastern regions, dramatically increasing food production."

Listening to Astrid’s description of the Valeria Empire, Lyra’s eyes grew increasingly bright, as if she could already see that future where most people were free from hunger and cold, a beautiful utopia.

"In that case, at least no one would go hungry." Lyra murmured softly.

Noble oppression of commoners will still exist, but overall, the increased total food production will greatly reduce the difficulty of survival, strengthen resistance against natural disasters, and gradually decrease the number of lower-class commoners dying from starvation.

If one disregarded the sharp conflicts arising from unequal gains between old and new nobles due to magic machinery development, and the unemployment issues caused by massive increases in productivity driving changes in production relations, then in itself, this would indeed benefit everyone.

"If handled properly, the future will be exactly as Lyra imagines."

"Everyone living peacefully, the Empire’s unprecedented strength is powerful."

As for how to reduce nobles’ dissatisfaction with the leakage of magical knowledge, how to coordinate and plan to satisfy multiple interests, and how to complete industry reform in a relatively gentle manner. These were headaches for leaders like Astrid and Amalia.

After briefly sharing with Lyra how the Industrial Revolution of her past life had transformed the entire world, Astrid gently ruffled the pink-haired girl’s head, speaking softly.

"Though I’ve said all this, a stable supply of crystalline stones has always been a major challenge. Without making this resource affordable and accessible to the masses. Not that it needs to reach that extreme level. "

"As long as it enters the acceptable range of Imperial nobles, they’ll consider adopting it early."

Everything depends on when Astrid, Charlotte, and a series of pioneers standing at the forefront of theoretical magic could achieve breakthrough progress.

After discussing many topics regarding magic-powered machinery with Lyra,, it was already past four o’clock.

Feeling her throat dry from talking, Astrid took a sip of tea. Before she could swallow, Lyra proactively lifted her face, asking for a kiss.

"..."

Seeing Astrid’s throat move, clearly having already swallowed, Lyra blinked her eyelashes. A hint of disappointment flickered in her eyes, but then she saw Astrid voluntarily extending the porcelain teacup towards her.

Huh?

The pink-haired girl was momentarily stunned, quickly realizing Astrid had understood her intention and had even set the stage perfectly for her. Those beautiful, exquisite, cool crimson pupils seemed to convey one clear message.

I really am thirsty.

That sort of thing...so she really tried it...

Originally just a fleeting thought, she had given up after Astrid swallowed the tea. But now, gazing at the woman’s snow-white, elegant face, Lyra unconsciously curled her toes, her hand hovering next to the cup without immediately reaching for it.

After a few seconds, determined, Lyra reached out, took the teacup, and gently sipped from the rim where Astrid’s lips had just been. Her cherry lips tightly closed, holding the tea liquid without letting it slide down her throat. Fixing her gaze on the silver-haired beauty before her, not caring whether it might stain the bedsheets, the pink-haired girl leaned forward slightly, making a move that was incredibly bold for her.

This shared cup of black tea, passed this way, still not only the tea’s inherent sweetness but also carried the absolutely exquisite flavor of her beloved.

Compared to a normal sip, this added one extra step, naturally taking several times longer. It wasn’t until half a minute later that Astrid finally swallowed the tea.

A faint sweetness lingered between tongue and teeth indescribable, impossible to tell whether it was from the black tea or not. After this brief taste, Lyra returned the cup to Astrid, who drank the rest with elegant composure before placing it on the bedside table and lying back under the covers.

That small interlude alone made both of them, including Astrid herself, forget entirely what she had been talking about where the conversation began or ended.

Too busy fighting with her girlfriend.

But... it wasn’t anything particularly important anyway...

What she’d told Lyra was merely a tiny corner of the future blueprint. The real question of how to proceed still depends on the domestic nobles’ attitudes and their specific methods.

Unconsciously, Lyra’s legs had entwined with Astrid’s again. Astrid stroked the girl’s hair and spoke.

"Having talked so much, maybe we should change topics."

After all, there was still a long way to go before any of these policies could be truly implemented.

"Hasn’t it been a long time since Lyra last heard someone tell a story?"

Her deep, ruby-red eyes reflected Lyra’s face clear and bright, like a tranquil pool, reminding her of that night when she woke up and saw the silver-haired Regent sitting beside her, reading a book in a thin nightgown.

Just like waking up like a child, except this time, instead of her mother knitting, it was Astrid reading.

Hearing this, Lyra nodded, slipping her arm through Astrid’s, her delicate white palm resting on the nape of Astrid’s neck, exposed where the woman’s clothes didn’t cover.

If one had to be precise, this wasn’t the only spot. Astrid had removed her uniform and wore no nightgown underneath. The areas of skin directly touching Lyra were millions.

"Then, while we still have time..." Astrid leaned close to Lyra’s ear, speaking softly.

"I’ll tell a story for my dear Knight Lady."