"Astrid, where are we going now?"

The cool evening breeze fluttered the hem of her dress, swaying the pale white little flowers embroidered on Lyra’s skirt. The girl pressed her smooth legs, sheathed in white silk stockings, together. Her naturally bent knees stretched the delicate fabric, turning the pure milky white into a faint pink hue, appearing even smoother under the moonlight.

"First to the east gate of Losterling City. That’s the closest point to the moon," Astrid said.

In this other world, just like in her past life, the moon rose in the east and set in the west. It wasn’t yet midnight, so the eastern side was indeed the nearest to the silver moon, though compared to actual spatial distance, this difference was dismissed.

Hearing Astrid’s words, Lyra nodded slightly, her hands instinctively moved to the front of the Broom, fingers gripping firmly.

As mental energy flowed, the wind speed gradually increased. The two figures in the air flew toward the exact eastern direction of Losterling City. Their blurring shadows fell into the gaps between the tiles of city buildings, just like their past selves, hand in hand, weaving through bustling night markets.

The distance from the ground grew greater. Everything beneath them became tiny, the view vast and open, and even the air grew unusually cold. At this moment, the closest heat source to Astrid and Lyra was each other, seated together on the broom, flying side by side.

Feeling a slight chill, Astrid’s arm, which had been slightly wrapped around Lyra’s waist, tightened imperceptibly. Her other hand, clad in pure black gloves, moved from the silver-white broom handle where it had been quietly stroking the holy iron through the fabric, and slowly pressed against Lyra’s lower abdomen.

Due to the broom’s limited space, Lyra, sitting upright, could barely stabilize herself with her hands and legs. Astrid, sitting sideways, wasn’t as convenient. For her, the best support for staying in place was the pink-haired girl in front of her, who was steadying her own posture.

Astrid gently pressed her cheek against Lyra’s back, feeling the warmth of the other girl’s body transferred through the fabric, directly to her skin.

Astrid exhaled softly. A thin wisp of white breath rose from the corner of her lips. The slender waist within her arms trembled faintly as Lyra sensed Astrid leaning closer.

It was hard to imagine that Lyra, a novice Arbiter, could unleash such explosive power from a waist as delicate as a willow branch.

Recalling Lyra’s brave performance on the battlefield, Astrid felt a mix of lingering fear and indescribable pride. Her expression softened, and her fingertips gently touched through the white shirt.

Lyra had no particularly defined muscle lines. Her abdomen was soft, with no excess fat. Only upon careful touch could one faintly detect the slightest hint of abs.

"A-Astrid..."

Since her back was to Astrid, the blush on Lyra’s side profile went unnoticed.

"...It tickles a little."

Whether it was innate talent or the refinement of noble harp techniques from childhood, Astrid’s fingers were light and nimble. Every touch feels like plucking a string, causing every muscle in Lyra’s body to tense.

Hearing Lyra’s words, Astrid pressed her lips together and softly laughed.

"Another weak spot, Lyra."

After saying this, to ensure their flight safety, Astrid stopped the light, teasing touches and instead quietly held Lyra, both of them bathed in silvery moonlight.

Under the night sky, the eastern part of Losterling City was quiet. The corners of the city gate, cast from black cold iron, reflected specks of light under the silver glow, faintly exuding a lingering aura of solemnity not yet fully dissolved.

"Compared to the Capital, the suburbs here are so quiet."

Lyra gripped the broom, her gaze naturally lingering down as she looked at Astrid’s hand, delicate like tender lotus root, protruding from the ornate lace cuff.

"Probably because the location is too far north, and winter is approaching," Astrid replied softly.

She had ridden carriages with Lyra more than once at night, traveling from Karota’s private estate back to the capital. On those roads, aside from the sound of horse hooves, the most frequent sounds were various insect chirps.

Sometimes, when they pulled back the carriage curtains, they could see entire fields of fireflies flickering in the woods. When they scattered by chance, they became flowing lights, mirroring the distant stars.

Lyra nodded in response and continued guiding Astrid as they flew around Losterling City, watching the towering defensive walls rise high, guarding the city lights behind them.

As if by silent understanding, the night market lights, which had just been bright, began to extinguish one by one. Even the central city fountain grew dim, eventually losing all its luster. Only the moonlight remains, rippling across the flowing water like floating silver.

"It seems we’ve been out later than we thought."

Feeling the gentle breeze against her ears, a hint of Lyra’s hair scent, like fresh citrus, mingled with Astrid’s breath, spreading into her lungs.

Lyra nodded, speaking softly.

"Mm, even the night market has ended."

The scenery rushed past rapidly. The feeling of leaving the ground brought a slight psychological unease to the flyers, yet it heightened their senses, making everything before they appear sharper.

Astrid continued to hold Lyra. Her layered, elaborate black dress fluttered constantly, revealing a small section of warm, smooth, and delicate calf. Her soft, silk-clad feet were supported by butterfly-like high heels, and the side cutouts unintentionally displayed the beautiful, alluring arch of her feet.

At such a high altitude, combined with the anti-scouting light magic Lyra had attached to the Broom, without mental energy involvement, no one could possibly notice the two flying figures.

"Lyra, do you remember our first time flying into the sky?"

"The time at Elizabeth Academy of Magic?"

"Mm."

Back then, Charlotte, still an early tier Arcanist Mage, had channeled the omnipresent wind element particles, lifting them free from gravity’s pull.

"I bet Lyra was thinking at the time, someday, I’ll learn flight magic too."

Pointed out by Astrid, Lyra nodded, answering truthfully.

"I’ve tried it once. Who could resist that feeling of flying..."

At least Lyra back then couldn’t.

Hearing Lyra’s words, Astrid nodded slightly, her voice gentle.

"Yes, I thought exactly the same way then."

Flying among the clouds, whether in her past life or this one, was one of humanity’s most romantic pursuits. The appearance of the Fearless was also fulfilling the dream of some nobles without magical talent, who wished to conquer the skies.

As her words faded, Astrid spoke again.

"How about flying a bit higher, Lyra?"

"Mm."

The broom tilted slightly, forming a diagonal angle with the ground. Lyra guided Astrid higher into the sky. The normally massive City quickly shrank into a board surrounded by walls within their field of vision.

From the unobstructed altitude, distant fields and roads merged into one. Lyra could even see towns farther away, their tree silhouettes swaying continuously in the cold wind.

"Lyra..."

"Eh?"

Hearing Astrid’s voice, Lyra turned her head slightly. The Empire’s most beautiful woman, with silver hair and crimson eyes, was bathed in the soft moonlight. Her long, straight, silken hair fell to her waist, like a noble rose blooming in the darkness.

With her back to the moon, Astrid gently stroked Lyra’s face, then leaned forward, her voice alluring.

"Pay attention to controlling the wind direction. Next... don’t let us fall down together."

Then, she leaned down and kissed the turning Lyra.

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

Lyra couldn’t remember exactly how long that night they flew over Losterling City on the broom. She only remembers the silver-haired beauty in the dark black dress wrapping her arms around her waist, the high-altitude wind constantly brushing past their faces, and the bright moon seems within reach.

Moonlight, beauty, tree shadows, skyscrapers, the boundless night sky, and a kiss at the peak of their journey.

Those images, etched into her mind, Lyra probably wouldn’t forget for the rest of her life.

A few days later, the predicted cold wave arrived as scheduled. Even Losterling City, far from the Liya Tower Fortress, was blanketed in snow and ice. Every year at this time, northern trade transport suffers severe disruptions due to road closures, and the most affected is Losterling City, the central commercial hub.

Carriages struggled through thick snow. Ice that had melted and refrozen was even more slippery than before, easily causing wheels to skid, greatly increasing transportation costs.

This was why the Lord of Losterling City hoped to obtain permission from Amalia to construct a mana-powered airship docking port, though such matters were usually beneath the Empress’ concern. But judging from Amalia’s series of actions since taking power, accompanying economic reforms were probably inevitable.

As long as Losterling City could become an air transport hub, future winters wouldn’t be so harsh.

After accompanying the wealthy noble, who hoped to profit again, on an inspection of the airship base, Astrid completed all her remaining tasks in Losterling City. In another day or two, she could board the airship and leave Losterling, temporarily escaping the busy years of the Regent’s constant travels.

That night, Astrid returned to her private residence. With nothing much to do, Lyra was reading. The lamplight reflected on the girl’s face, making her snow-white skin appear even more tender.

Because they were about to leave, the room was much more empty than before. To prevent forgetting anything, Lyra had already packed some important items into the Sword of Light.

Walking behind Lyra, Astrid gently played with her pink hair, speaking softly.

"How was the afternoon audition?"

She had been accompanying Lyra these past few days, but this afternoon she had to go out briefly. Besides studying magic and combat techniques, Lyra had other duties.

For instance, serving as the Empire’s internal publicity ambassador, becoming the idol of the entire noble circle.

After all, whether it was the Valeria Empire’s fortress, its strength, achievements, or the exceptional beauty that didn’t fade beside the Empire’s most beautiful woman, it was all worth promoting.

"It was okay. I just wore armor and struck a few fighting poses, then kept a serious expression," Lyra replied.

These images were to be copied and printed in the Imperial Weekly. In reality, it wasn’t as easy as she made it sound to Astrid. At least when Lyra was taking the photos, she was extremely nervous, afraid of not performing well enough and ended up embarrassed in the newspapers.

Compared to the frequently photographed Astrid, this pink-haired girl was still somewhat shy.

"Let me see how it turned out."

"Mm... this is the crystal stone..."

Taking the small stone Lyra handed over, Astrid channeled mental energy into it. A vision appeared before her: the Light Knight in Holy White Armor, wielding a light sword. Although slightly unnatural from posing, it still captures some of Lyra’s heroic bearing.

"Indeed not bad."

Reviewing image after image, faced with Astrid’s unstinting praise, Lyra grew a bit embarrassed, her silk-covered toes slightly curling inside her slippers.

"If Astrid thinks it’s good... then it is..."

Compared to others’ opinions, Lyra trusted Astrid more.

After Astrid had reviewed them, Lyra proactively embraced her lover. Upon receiving Astrid’s approving glance, she gently kissed her.

When it came to being clingy, Lyra and Amalia shared a similar trait. Whether it was seeking kisses or hugs, more was always better.

Astrid even had the feeling that, if possible, they would want to hold her constantly, kissing to their heart’s content.

After the delightful moment ended, seeing it was getting late, Astrid and Lyra each took showers and went to bed, snuggling into the soft blankets.

The warm water soothed hearts agitated by kissing. With their romantic relationship now confirmed, Lyra naturally reached for Astrid’s hand under the covers, her watery blue eyes reflecting the other’s face.

Being with the person I love... is truly so happy...

No longer needing cautious probing before confirming their relationship, nor worried anxiously whether the person beside her liked her.

Now, she only needed to love and feel love.

Holding hands, like touching a smooth, cool jade, Lyra shifted her head, bringing her body closer to Astrid.

"Astrid..."

Hearing the slight upward inflection in Lyra’s voice, sensing the girl’s happiness, Astrid, wondering what silly joy Lyra was feeling now, turned her head and gazed at her for a while before responding.

"Wanna kiss again?"

She just suddenly wanted to call the other’s name. But facing Astrid’s current proposal, what reason did she have to refuse?

"...Mm," Lyra replied.

Faced with Lyra’s honesty and legs clinging to her unwillingly, Astrid willingly gave her a kiss.

After a while, both their faces turned rosy. Looking at Lyra, whose blue eyes now shimmered with a faint mist, Astrid softly spoke after parting her lips.

"Shall we do it?"

"???"