"Astrid... finished discussing official matters with Amalia?"

A pristine white towel draped over her damp locks, absorbing the thick moisture into the fabric, Lyra gently wiped her pink hair as she softly stepped toward the desk. Beneath her skirt, two slender legs wrapped in delicate silk stockings swayed gently back and forth. Glistening faintly with residual moisture, their skin shimmered faintly under the light, pure white tinged with a soft pink, smooth and tender like the finest white jade.

Breathing in the fresh scent of body wash mingling with Lyra’s naturally sweet and pleasant jasmine fragrance, Astrid lowered her crossed legs and rested her elbow on the desk, chin propped on one hand.

"Mm, we discussed upcoming plans regarding intelligence operations. Amalia and I are focusing on reestablishing contact with royal spies previously planted among the nobility in the Kingdom of Velys."

Lyra had only casually asked, she didn’t know the specifics. Astrid didn’t elaborate too much, simply mentioning the matter briefly before shifting into light conversation.

After hearing Astrid’s words, Lyra nodded thoughtfully. Her pink-tinted fingernail flashed faintly, and the towel in her hand dissolved into motes of light.

Gazing at the pink-haired girl before her, fresh from her bath, softer and more delicate than during the day, Astrid gestured for Lyra to come closer. Obediently, the girl complied.

Next, a pair of crimson eyes, cool and deep, reflects a flawless, fair face. Astrid tilted her head upward and kissed Lyra gently. Her delicate hand reached behind, touching the smooth, silken cascade of pink hair, fingers deftly weaving through the strands.

Perhaps because they were closer now, or perhaps because the motion helped disperse the scent further, Astrid found the fragrance stronger than before, like a blend of jasmine and citrus.

It perfectly matched the impression Lyra had always given her.

Being tenderly touched and having her hair gently dried by Astrid, especially after just being kissed, caused Lyra’s cheeks to flush slightly, the effect intensified by the lingering warmth of her bath.

"Astrid..."

"Mm?"

"Are... my cheeks are very red?"

The vanity was a bit farther off to the side, beyond her line of sight, so Lyra could only guess based on how she felt.

Compared to just after stepping out of the bathroom, she definitely felt her face growing warmer.

Astrid didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she continued arranging Lyra’s hair, tiny whirls of wind gathering at her fingertips, quickly evaporating the remaining.

"Yes, you are a little red."

Moist, flushed skin. A hesitant, wordless expression. Sapphire-blue eyes veiled with a light mist. Delicate lashes, slightly curled, dotted with stray.

Right now, Lyra seems no different from that night.

Sharing her thoughts honestly, Astrid watched as the pink-haired girl bit her lip and staggered in response.

"I-I’m not that red!"

Really???

After all, Astrid was the only one who had ever seen her in such a thoroughly blown state. Lyra half-believed her, half-suspected Astrid was teasing her, but the moment she met those bewitching crimson eyes, her skin temperature rose all on its own.

Lyra was like that, whenever overwhelmed by embarrassment, all she needed was to lower her head and hide like an ostrich. But the imperial succubus had far more complex considerations when it came to further tease her.

Lightly flicking the nape of the girl’s neck, Astrid felt Lyra shivering faintly, her silk-wrapped legs instinctively tightening together. A slight upward curve touched Astrid’s lips before she spoke softly.

"Alright, all done, Lyra."

"Would you like to see yourself in the mirror?"

Without waiting for a refusal, Astrid reached behind her, took a small round hand mirror, and guided it into Lyra’s line of sight.

In the reflection, the once-armored, valiant pink-haired knight captain now had rosy cheeks, dressed in a light, elegant white silk nightgown. Her eyes, her face, her damp, softly pressed lips, all reveal the pure, innocent side of a young maiden.

Strong and decisive in battle, shy and simple in private, Lyra’s seamless shift between professional and personal personas added a new layer of allure in Astrid’s eyes.

It would be best... to watch her little knight slowly sink into the web she wove, revealing tender expressions never seen in daily life...

She vaguely understood now why, in her previous life, so many people had a twisted desire to see a noble, chaste knight fall into disarray.

It was probably all about contrast.

As she pondered, the teased Lyra bit her lip, as if mentalizing herself up. Her hand brushed her cheek, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, trying to lessen the embarrassment.

Then, unusually bold, she parted her legs and sat herself on Astrid’s lap.

Slightly surprised by Lyra’s action, Astrid blinked. Beneath her skirt, two petite feet clad in sleek black stockings slightly kicked at the blanket before settling firmly again.

Ever since they had become lovers, her little maid had grown bolder and more audacious.

If she didn’t tease her properly now... she might just end up ruling over her in the future.

Still, holding Lyra like this, feeling her lover’s warm, soft body nestled in her arms, the earlier curiosity about whether her stockings were over-the-knee or pantyhose no longer mattered.

Judging by the fact that not a single inch of stocking cuff had been revealed, combined with how daring Lyra’s choice had been, the answer was clear: the latter.

Astrid didn’t ask why Lyra had put on pantyhose after bathing. The answer was something they both understood. Since a battle was inevitable, why not save the verbal questioning for later, as part of a combo?

"So... how was your afternoon with Lydia?"

"Did you have fun?"

Lyra, in full "little girlfriend" mode, wrapped her arms around Astrid’s waist. Her two soft, silky white-stockinged feet drew near Astrid’s mysterious, elegant black-stockinged calves.

"Not bad. Mostly talked about the novel serialization," Astrid replied.

Without her lover needing to ask further, Astrid recounted everything she’d done that day, thoroughly satisfying Lyra’s curiosity, and possessiveness.

Girlfriends needed to be pampered. Given Lyra’s personality, she probably enjoyed hearing these little details of everyday life.

Sure enough, Lyra listened intently, until Astrid mentioned that one of the characters in Lydia’s novel was modeled after her.

"That noble duchess?"

"Yes. Were you reading that novel too, Lyra?"

"Mm, I’ve read it before."

The northern frontier was bitterly cold, with extremely limited entertainment. Between the mechanical routines of guarding, eating, and sleeping, her only leisure was reading the weekly Imperial Weekly.

It helped her stay informed about developments in the capital, and, to some extent, comforted her heart.

Wondering whether to tell Lyra everything about her conversation with Lydia, especially about the character’s fate, Astrid paused in thought before deciding to bring it up.

Sometimes, the person involved wasn’t as clear-headed as an observer. After hearing Astrid’s account, Lyra pouted slightly and whispered.

"Princess Astrid... Miss Lydia clearly has feelings for you..."

Her voice carries unmistakable jealousy, and even her crystal-clear blue eyes blinked up at her with a pleading look.

Lyra had long understood Astrid’s charm. The empire’s most beautiful woman, the powerful regent, pioneer of magitech devices, unmatched in both talent and beauty, with the highest noble status, across the entire empire, who wouldn’t want to marry her?

Hearing the jealousy in Lyra’s voice, Astrid smiled gently and said softly.

"What’s this? Is my little maid jealous?"

She’s written it into a book, of course I’m going to be a bit sour!

Lyra had known from the start that someone as extraordinary as her lover would attract millions of admirers. She’d accepted that long before they became official. But still, she couldn’t bring herself to feel happy about it.

She was already sharing Astrid with Amalia. If they casually added even more women to the harem, even she would throw a fit.

Squeezing Astrid’s knees tight, her two smooth, milky-white-stockinged feet intertwined beneath the chair, forming a creamy white bow. Lyra leaned forward and gently bit Astrid’s shoulder, her tone complex.

"What do you think?"

Could she possibly not be jealous? If it were Amalia, it wouldn’t just be her shoulder getting bitten, her collarbone, neck, xx, none would be spared.

Noticing Lyra’s actions, Astrid was both charming and certain this wasn’t a matter to joke about. She responded immediately.

"Alright, alright, I understand."

"I promise you, Lyra, I have no feelings for Lydia beyond friendship, and I won’t just accept anyone who comes along."

"Besides, I already have you and Amalia."

Most obviously, in terms of time management and intimate matters, Astrid truly felt completely occupied.

If there were even more people, Astrid couldn’t even imagine what it would be like.

Hearing her lover’s promise, the pink-haired puppy, who had just been looking pitiful, instantly brightened. She continued hugging Astrid’s shoulders and whispering.

"Then Astrid must remember at all times..."

No flirting. No bringing other women home.

Astrid softly hummed in agreement, oddly sensing that karma might come back to bite her one day. She quickly moved to another topic.

"By the way, Lydia said I seem different from before, more mature."

"I think she meant... I’ve become more womanly?"

Astrid herself hadn’t noticed, but now that Lydia had said it, she grew curious whether it was true.

Lyra blinked in surprise, carefully comparing the Astrid of the past and the present.

Hmm... she really had changed...

The Astrid who had taken that final step with her was now even more enchanting. That unique blend of cold elegance and bewitching charm made her unforgettable at first glance.

Without a doubt, the current Regent was even more captivating, every gesture radiating to a magic mortal could hardly resist.

Perhaps because she was always with Astrid, constantly facing that person’s worst, most annoying, yet most alluring side, Lyra hadn’t noticed the change as Lydia had.

"Mm... Astrid really has changed..."

The girl’s voice trailed off, then she added.

"You’re basically... a succubus straight out of a fantasy novel..."

Using peerless beauty and a gentle, mature personality to slowly seduce the hero into corruption.

That self-description she’d mentioned that night, holding hands with her, was actually quite accurate. Wasn’t that exactly what Astrid Avesia had been doing all along?

Imperial Regent ×, Imperial Succubus √.

"Oh? So Lyra thinks so too?"

Before she could finish her sentence, Lyra’s face flushed even redder upon noticing Astrid’s movements, her entire body trembling as if her tail had been caught.

Why was Astrid doing... the same thing she’d done in the carriage when she helped her change stockings?

Back then, it could have been dismissed as accidental. Now, it could only be intentional.

"It’s you, Lyra, who turned me into this... the prime culprit," Astrid whispered gently.

Both psychologically and physically. In front of Amalia, she was mostly the gentle older sister. Only with Lyra did she become so alluring.

Now, the source of the problem should be quite obvious.

Successfully shifting the blame and personally confirming the style, Astrid’s lips curled upward. Leaning close to Lyra’s ear, her voice turned sultry.

"And tonight... why did you put on pantyhose after your bath?"

"Is it more comfortable to sleep like this?"

Wait, wasn’t something mistaken here? Who was the one who brought up the "clothing as gifts" theory?

And wasn’t it Astrid herself who said shoes could be stepped on the bed?

Lyra’s head began steaming like a kettle, but before she could speak, she heard Astrid again.

"Still, when it comes to sock styles, I think Lyra suits playful, youthful thigh-highs better."

Pantyhose suited Amalia more, her petite frame makes her look sweeter in them. Yet strangely, every time, the two of them seem to have swapped preferences.

Already feeling awkward about changing clothes after bathing as a secret signal, Lyra’s embarrassment surged at Astrid’s words. Flustered, she blurted out.

"To Astrid... aren’t both kinds basically the same?"

Anyway, by the end...

...they’re almost like thigh-highs anyway.

After saying that, Lyra froze, her face nearly turned tomato-red.

S-she... how could she say such a thing...

In daily life, thigh-highs really did suit her better. But special occasions called for special treatment.

Astrid’s eyes narrowed slightly, surprised by her little maid’s courage.

In a way, the two of them really were hard on hosiery, especially in this medieval era with limited productivity.

Ripping through pairs of stockings left and right must’ve been tough on the royal garment workshop.

"So, Lyra’s been looking forward to this for quite a while~"

The black silk glove on her right hand tapped slightly. All the books on the desk disappeared into storage space.

Astrid stood, still holding Lyra, and placed the silk-clad, white-stockinged pink-haired girl onto the desk.