In this fantastical world where swords and magic coexist, there are actually quite a few fairy tales and stories based on reality. For example, The Little Mermaid has been turned into a fairy tale where she uses arcane magic to conceal her mermaid bloodline, travels to the mainland, and falls in love with a prince. Similar storylines have been replaced with "Edmund’s Revenge" and "The Adventures of Corslina," which are closer to the present era.

Compared to the limited content that "The Innocent Knight of the Stained Light" can present to readers, these world-building books make Astrid feel more that this is a real world.

Of course, no matter how fantastical it was, the technology of the Valeria Empire was ultimately stuck in the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. The amount of information that each person could receive was nowhere nearly as broad and fragmented as the internet in her previous life. Naturally, Astrid knew far more stories than Lyra did.

With limited time and only a little over an hour until dinner, Astrid decided to tell Lyra a short fairy tale.

It is a story about a noble princess who was imprisoned in a high tower by a witch, and how she used her own hair as a ladder to help a hero climb the high walls to rescue her. In the end, the two fell in love and lived happily ever after.

The fairy tale wasn’t long, and the plot wasn’t complicated, without many twists and turns. Under Astrid’s clear and gentle voice, Lyra was captivated in no time.

After hearing the last sentence, Astrid reached out and pinched her cheek. Only then did Lyra snap out of her reverie and notice that the setting sun outside the window was about to sink, and the dim light could no longer illuminate the entire sky.

Winter is approaching, and it’s only a little past five o’clock, but it’s already almost dark.

"What do you think of this story?" Astrid asked softly.

She believed that this was a very classic and orthodox fairy tale, with no particularly dark interpretations, and perfectly met the conditions for a happy ending.

Upon hearing Astrid’s words, Lyra blinked and answered truthfully.

"It’s a very heartwarming story."

It’s a bit like the fairy tales her mother would tell her to put her to sleep when she was little. There are twists and turns, but the protagonist quickly overcomes them and the story ends happily.

As soon as she finished speaking, the pink-haired girl in the blankets pressed her face against Astrid’s chest. Her weak breathing and trembling breasts were not in sync, and one could vaguely feel the vibration inside her chest cavity through the thick fat.

"It’s just...it feels a bit like something for kids?" Lyra said softly.

It has a beautiful and romantic dreamlike quality, unlike this complex and cruel reality.

Astrid faintly upon hearing this, pulled Lyra’s head close to her, and let her wash her face without any hesitation, her fingers twirling around her pink hair.

"But Lyra seemed quite engrossed in listening."

For a storyteller, nothing is more gratifying than having a listener who is focused on understanding the story. The way Lyra looked at Astrid with her face resting on the pillow and her bright blue eyes staring at her greatly satisfied Astrid.

"Because... I just like these kinds of stories..."

Lyra spoke softly, her gaze fixed on the deep black lace trim in her front, her cheeks flushing even more, and her voice trailed off for a few seconds.

Like a classic knight-errant novel, no matter how many difficulties and obstacles are encountered, the valiant knight wielding the holy sword can always defeat the evil dragon and eventually marry the princess.

It’s a formulaic story, but Lyra loves it. Even though she guessed the ending previously and there were fewer unexpected surprises, she was still willing to read on.

After hearing this, Astrid looked at Lyra’s back, where a thin white ribbon stretched across below her shoulder blades, almost blending into the girl’s fair and delicate skin.

"Lyra is indeed a staunch supporter of happy endings."

After speaking, Astrid felt Lyra’s hand gently stroking her silver hair behind her neck, as if trying to tie it into a knot. Astrid tilted her head slightly, letting more silver strands fall to the side of Lyra’s hand.

"What, Lyra, you also want to try turning my hair into a climbing rope?"

Although her hair wasn’t as exaggerated as in fairy tales, it was still long enough to reach past her waist.

Lyra shook her head and responded softly.

"No...it’s just that Astrid’s hair is very soft and smooth..."

"It feels quite comfortable to touch."

When Lyra was a maid, she had admired Astrid’s beautiful hair when she helped her tie it up. However, as a servant, she could not touch it so openly and frequently. In fact, having such thoughts would be considered a desecration of a noble princess.

Astrid blinked thoughtfully upon hearing this, casually tossed a strand of silver hair aside, and spoke softly. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"If you like it, Lyra, feel free to touch it some more."

After saying that, the woman closed her eyes and slightly raised her fair and smooth swan neck, as if letting her do as she pleased.

"..."

But... she’s still in the same position she was in when she was washing her face...

Was it really just touching his hair?

Lyra’s ears burned, and her heart pounded faster than Astrid’s for a moment.

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

In the evening, after having dinner together in the mansion’s dining room, Astrid and Lyra went to sit in the garden, enjoying the breeze and watching the stars.

Lyra was indeed much more proactive and bolder than before, and surprisingly, she could even vaguely accept the implied meaning in her words.

Recalling how she had let him touch her hair before dinner, but his hand accidentally touched other parts of her body instead, Astrid smiled, her delicate appearance appeared even more beautiful and charming in the moonlight.

"Before I go back, I have time every day."

The matter in Losterling City has been mostly resolved, with only the final finishing touches remaining. The rest will depend on her return to the capital and receiving further instructions from Amalia.

In other words, Regent Astrid is temporarily absent, replaced by an Imperial Princess who has complete control over her time and can indulge in pleasure without anyone daring to criticize her.

Hearing Astrid say that, Lyra glanced at the small pond in the distance. The calm water reflects the soft moonlight without even a ripple.

Winter is approaching, and the increasingly cold city of Losterling is free of annoying mosquitoes, unlike the bustling and warm capital where mosquitoes still swarm even in autumn. Even if you wear thin white stockings on your legs, without special mosquito-repellent fragrances, you still can’t stop the mosquitoes’ sharp mouthparts.

"Then... Astrid, spend more time with me from now on..."

"That’s natural."

Having just started dating, of course I should spend more time with my girlfriend.

Besides, she had already said that afternoon that she would try to spend as much time as possible with Therese in the future.

Upon receiving Astrid’s response, Lyra fluttered her eyelashes a few times, took Astrid’s hand that was leaning against the bench, and brought her legs, encased in slender white stockings, closer to her pair of smooth, black, chocolate-like legs.

Noticing Lyra’s movements, Astrid leaned closer to her, letting the pink-haired girl half-lean against her.

Despite Lyra being a knight known for her physical strength, while she was the mage who was relatively weak in close combat, it was the former who had let down her guard and leaned against her shoulder like a little bird.

Enjoying a moment of peace, watching the girl’s long, smooth legs swaying gently in the wind, Astrid spoke softly after a while.

"I’m sorry...Lyra..."

Upon hearing Astrid’s words, Lyra softly uttered an "Eh," turned to look at the silver-haired beauty whose legs were pressed against hers, and spoke a few seconds later.

"Why are you suddenly apologizing to me...?"

If it was about Amalia, Astrid had already told her about it on the night of their farewell.

Looking into Lyra’s clear, sky-like eyes, which were now softer and brighter than when the story began, Astrid and Lyra intertwined their fingers and whispered in response.

"Because I feel I’ve been a terrible lover."

"Whether it’s for you or for Amalia..."

The lake surface remains as smooth as a mirror, with only a few blades of grass growing along the shore occasionally drooping their heads, stirring up slight ripples that slowly spread outwards.

"I should have told you everything sooner, instead of hesitating and thinking about solving the problems little by little after returning to the capital."

During the period following the end of the war, as the number of things to worry about related to the war decreased significantly, Astrid’s focus gradually shifted from public affairs to private matters, especially her relationship with Lyra.

On the one hand, she hoped that Lyra could accept her as she was, but on the other hand, she felt that Lyra’s noble character might not necessarily fall into the mortal world.

The resulting hesitation, stagnation, and uncertainty objectively hurt Lyra, a naive young girl who was only twenty-two years old and experiencing her first love.

And, the one who did the best and gave the most in the whole relationship, Even the most steadfast was Lyra.

"..."

"Astrid felt...that during that period, I suddenly knew everything..."

’Are you feeling wronged?’

’So I want to apologize to her.’

Astrid nodded slightly after hearing this: "What Amalia said should have been conveyed by me personally."

"But my anxiety, my hesitation, and my inner conflict led to such painful remarks coming from the other person in this relationship."

To some extent, Amalia sensed her hesitation and took the initiative to cut off the surrounding confusion for her, presenting the reality to Lyra in a more assertive manner.

The matter was indeed resolved satisfactorily, but both Amalia, who made the decision for her, and Lyra, who was struggling to process it, were hurt to some extent.

"No matter what, it was my indecisiveness that caused you and Amalia pain."

Astrid gazed at the lake before her, her heels lightly scraping against the floor tiles. A rare look of guilt appears in her bright red eyes, a stark contrast to the ruthless and decisive regent of the past, who maintains a calm and collected demo at the negotiating table.

At this moment, she finally made Lyra realize for the first time that her lover, who was so close to her, was just a living, breathing person,not a god who was absolutely rational and could handle everything by any means.

"...."

"I’m fine, Astrid, you don’t need to apologize to me."

Saying such things was neither Lyra’s original intention nor would it alleviate Astrid’s guilt.

She did feel wronged and wondered why Astrid couldn’t tell her sooner, instead of waiting for Amalia to come over so that everything would come to light.

A few minutes later, Lyra continued to swing her legs. Her fair, delicate legs, as smooth as lotus roots, reflected a delicate luster in the moonlight, and her shiny little leather shoes were particularly eye-catching, like a deep black curtain enveloping the bright silver moon.

"Actually, I had a little chat with Amalia yesterday afternoon."

The whole story, Astrid’s changing feelings, and Amalia’s special affection for her.

"Amalia said... she envies me..." Lyra brushed a strand of pink hair behind her ear and spoke in a soft tone.

"She envies that Astrid likes me so much."

She envies all the changes her sister never shows her, and she envies the anxiety and uncertainty that arises from the choices people make because of someone they like too much that cautious hesitation and struggle.

At this point, Lyra looked up and then relayed to Astrid what they had said yesterday afternoon, including Amalia saying she was a bad child and her motives for doing those things.

"She said that?"

"Um."

Having received Lyra’s affirmative answer, Astrid lowered her eyes, and after a moment, her pink lips parted slightly.

"This child...is still somewhat insecure..."

Even though he knew in his heart that his choice of her was also based on love, he still placed himself in a lowly position of being given charity.

Feeling guilty, Astrid also felt a pang of sympathy for Amalia.

Lyra hummed in response and then spoke.

"After listening to Amalia’s words, and with what Astrid told me before, I finally understood the whole thing."

The story of three people naturally requires all three storylines to be clear and understood. At this moment, Lyra fully understood why the person she loved had stopped moving forward and why he apologized to her.

Because Astrid Calliste didn’t really understand how to love her.

"I do... resent Astrid..."

"I feel wronged too. Why couldn’t there be a gentler way to land... Even if you just lied to me, it would be..."

Noticing the confusion in Astrid’s eyes, Lyra touched the toe of her little leather shoe and then spoke.

"I was just kidding. If Astrid is lying to me, I’ll only feel worse."

Rather than a lie, Lyra could accept even a little hesitation or delay from Astrid,as long as she wasn’t lied to.

Being open and honest is the right way.

"So, in the end, Astrid was worried that I would choose to leave, which is why she kept putting it off until now."

"Um."

"Are you worried I’ll go somewhere you can’t find me?"

"Um."

"That kind of thing won’t happen."

Lyra spoke softly, her palm touching Astrid’s.

"I’ve told you before, I like you, Astrid."

"Now that we’ve held hands, we should walk together for a very, very long time."