CHAPTER 322: YOU CAN TOUCH ANYTHING

Although this world possesses mental power and magic, and humans can slow aging to some extent through self-cultivation or altering the flow of time in their bodies, these are ultimately privileges reserved for the nobility, unrelated to the common people who have no systematic access to such knowledge or learning.

For example, the Arcanist mage Charlotte, who still maintains the appearance of a twenty-year-old, and even with her stunning beauty, she continues to accumulate the wisdom and maturity brought by the passage of time.

As the mother of the destined heroine, Orian does not possess strong magical talent nor any remarkable abilities. Whether in appearance or life, she is as ordinary as most commoners in the empire. The only thing that left a deep impression on Astrid was the gentle, water-like aura surrounding the woman.

Bending down to give her long-unseen daughter a warm hug, Lyra enthusiastically returned the embrace, her sky blue eyes narrowed to slits.

Astrid stood behind the mother and daughter, her crimson eyes shifting, noticing the slightly wrinkled face that bore some resemblance to Lyra’s, especially the noticeable lines at the corners of the eyes.

Recalling the original novel where the original Astrid, as the villainess, later acted against Lyra’s parents, ultimately caused irreversible consequences, Astrid’s mood was particularly complex.

Being capable of such deeds, it’s no wonder that Charlotte from the original timeline was utterly disappointed in herself, and when facing the final judgment of the Blonde tyrant, she only considered the parental bond, opposing to change the execution to life imprisonment.

A child without proper guidance might grow wayward and never find their way back. Fortunately, she had another life, another experience, enough memories to pull herself back.

After embracing her daughter, Orian turned her attention to the extraordinary girl behind Lyra, her soft voice.

"Are you Miss Astrid Calliste?"

Seeing Astrid nod slightly and gently greet her as "Auntie," Orian let go, appearing somewhat flattered.

In the Valeria Empire, status transcends generational and blood ties. If a son holds a higher title than his father, the latter is the one who should bow according to etiquette.

Of course, in this mid-period empire where advancement mostly relies on inheritance, the above scenario is highly unlikely.

"Miss Astrid, I’ve heard about you from Lyra. Thank you for always taking care of my daughter."

Knowing Astrid’s true identity and combining it with the politeness and cultivation shown in her every word and action, the stone in Orian’s heart slightly eased, and she turned to the other two.

Lyra then explained in turn, "This is Miss Astrid’s sister, Livia Calliste, and next to her is my teacher in household management and combat skills, Elise."

Orian had some understanding of the related characters from her letters home, and after greeting them one by one, expressing her gratitude for everyone’s care of her daughter, she led Astrid and her group into the house.

Unlike the fully-equipped capital, the remote mountain village had no trace of magical devices. Entering the house, Astrid saw the simple furnishings inside.

No smooth tiled floors, just flat earthen floors, slightly rough walls with only a few hanging lamps, and apart from that, a table and a few chairs for guests, these few pieces of furniture made up Lyra’s living room.

Amelia looked at these seemingly backward facilities, memories of the castle where she was imprisoned and the small house where her so-called mother once took her to live, constantly surging in her mind.

The other had so craved the wealth of the Capital City, even using her own daughter as a bargaining chip.

"Ah, where’s father?" Noticing only her mother was present after such a long time, Lyra softly asked.

Orian responded, "He went to town, should be back soon."

The exact date of Lyra’s return home is unknown, but it was certain within these few days. Plus, it was her first time bringing friends home as guests, so Palfran naturally needed to prepare more to entertain them.

Hearing this, Astrid glanced at Elise, who took a small bottle from her bag and politely handed it to Orian.

"This is..." The woman was momentarily stunned, quickly realizing it was a gift from the other.

Astrid promptly added, "It’s my first visit, and I didn’t know what Auntie might like, so I brought this."

"Morning dew collected from the outer edges of the Eternal Dark Forest’s moonflower, mixed with the juice from the flower stem, has the effect of relieving eye fatigue and improving vision."

The original novel mentioned that Lyra’s mother had poor eyesight from excessive sewing, so this gift should be just right.

Sure enough, Orian’s expression was one of surprise, instinctively glancing at Lyra, thinking her daughter had revealed this to Astrid.

Lyra, standing beside her, also felt a similar emotion, clearly reminded she had never told Astrid about her parents’ health, so the other shouldn’t know.

Regardless, Astrid had also been privately concerned about her hometown, hence knowing these trivial details.

Understanding this, Lyra’s heart was immediately filled with warmth, and her gaze towards Astrid carried more gratitude.

Princess Astrid is so thoughtful... and so good to her...

"Miss Astrid, this is too valuable..."

Moonflower, Eternal Dark Forest, the former term Orian didn’t understand, but the latter place name, even staying in the countryside, she had heard some adventurers mention.

It’s the home of the elves, filled with infinite treasures. Anything related to the Eternal Dark Forest is undoubtedly precious.

Seeing Orian nervously standing still, her expression slightly awkward, not daring to reach out, Astrid considerately added.

"It’s just a small token of my first visit, don’t dwell on it."

"After all, for a long time to come, I’ll be troubling Uncle and Auntie, it’s not proper to come empty-handed."

At this point, it seemed impolite not to accept, and after Lyra gave a reassuring look, Orian finally accepted the gift.

"Miss Astrid has gone to such expenses."

"As long as Auntie likes it."

A graceful speech fully displays the elegance of the Valeria Empire’s nobility. Looking at the dignified, noble, and orchid-like silver-haired girl before her, Orian nodded, her previous worries fading again.

After a brief exchange, Orian left the space to the younger ones, went to the kitchen to prepare lunch, leaving only Lyra and the relatives who came with Astrid in the living room.

"Astrid, that potion..."

Lyra opened her lips, hesitating.

Since her mother married, she hadn’t left the village much, unaware of the moonflower’s specific value. But Lyra, after all, was a top student who had studied at the Elizabeth Academy of Magic and ranked first in her grade, naturally knowing how precious the gift Astrid had just given was.

Just that one bottle of potion circulating in the market might be worth more than her several months’ salary as a maid, and even if one wanted to buy it, without a certain status, it might not be obtainable.

"What’s the matter?" Astrid asked.

After a moment, Lyra softly replied, "...Thank you."

Despite the great help, it seemed so lightly mentioned by Astrid.

She really doesn’t know how to repay Princess Astrid in the future...

Hearing Lyra’s words, Astrid pursed her lips, her tone as calm as ever.

"It’s just a small effort..."

"Moreover, I’m indeed going to trouble your parents during this visit."

Although it was just an unconscious, unintentional act, it seemed to have significantly boosted Lyra’s favorability.

If only she had some system to see the exact level of the destined heroine’s favorability, it shouldn’t be far from the peak of friendship.

After saying this, Astrid looked at the suitcase in Lyra’s hand and gently spoke.

"Standing all this time, aren’t you going to put your things down?"

The pink-haired girl immediately snapped back to reality, realizing she was still holding the handle.

"Ah... I almost forgot."

"Astrid, and Livia and Elise, come to me."

Lyra’s house was divided into three parts: the courtyard, the kitchen and connected dining room for cooking, and the two-story stone house they were now in.

"The first floor here is the living room and my parents’ bedroom, the second floor is my room, the balcony, and the storage room."

Dragging the suitcase up the stairs, the wooden box that required both hands to pull two years ago now felt as light as a feather in the hands of the high-level knightess, easily carried up the steps.

Astrid looked at the pure wooden handrail beside the stairs, although it seemed dull in color, its surface was smooth and clean, clearly regularly maintained by the owner.

Following Lyra upstairs, the heels of her shoes made creaking sounds on the steps, smelling the dry scent of wood shavings and a part of rice in the air. Astrid held Amelia’s hand, her gaze sometimes on the handrail, sometimes on the corridor on the second floor.

"The bedroom isn’t big enough, might not accommodate too many people, so the family tidied up the storage room and bought the necessary furniture..."

Arriving at the door of one of the rooms, Lyra softly added.

"...If you’re not comfortable sleeping here, you can swap with me."

Actually, the interior of the storage room was similar to Lyra’s room, but since their family only had one child, there was no need for so many rooms, therefore it had always been used to store miscellaneous items. Now that Astrid was visiting, the elders had moved the items to the small wooden house in the yard, leaving the room vacant for them to stay in.

Astrid nodded, watching Lyra push the door open and wheel the suitcase in.

Desk, oil lamp, chairs, wardrobe, an open window, two single beds with clean bedding, the evergreen vines crawling up the stone house’s outer wall about to peek in, a light purple flower blooming on it.

Compared to the palace that consumed countless manpower and resources and was costly to build, this small storage room was transformed by just Palfran and his wife in less than a few days into a seemingly quite suitable double bedroom.

From the moment she entered the room, Lyra had been closely watching Astrid’s expression, those cold crimson eyes gently fluttering, revealing no emotion.

This room... can Astrid be satisfied with it...

To speak of the environment’s quality, this small room certainly couldn’t compare to the fully-equipped princess’s chambers, but it was also the best her parents could do now.

While Lyra was in a state of anxiety, Astrid glanced at Amelia, who showed no reaction, as if as long as she was with her sister, it didn’t matter where they stayed.

"What’s Lyra’s room like?" Astrid said.

Hearing Astrid’s question, Lyra’s heart immediately rose to her throat, her voice tinged with hesitation.

"My room..."

"...Astrid can see for herself."

Astrid nodded slightly, following the emotionally complex Lyra out of the bedroom.

Seeing this, Elise did not follow but unpacked the two suitcases brought upstairs, placing daily necessities like paper, pens, towels, and clothes needed for long-term living in their corresponding places in the room.

She could feel that Astrid didn’t dislike this place, and that previous statement had another purpose.

Probably curious about Lyra’s room decor, and incidentally teasing her.

About Lyra being extremely special to Astrid, Elise had always been aware.

On the other hand, Lyra, who was showing Astrid around her room, also encountered something that made her toes curl.

"Lyra... likes pink fluffy bears?"

Seeing the pink bear plushie leaning against the pillow on the girl’s bed, Astrid playfully teased.

Lyra, who had been sleeping with the bear on her last visit home, was suddenly asked by her crush, and her slightly nervous mood was instantly replaced by shyness.

"...N, not really."

"This was a birthday gift from my childhood, and has some commemorative significance, so I kept it."

Being an adult and still obsessed with these small plushies, Astrid wouldn’t think she’s a bit childish, would she...

After all... even Princess Amelia doesn’t sleep with plushies...

Ah, maybe because there’s something better?

In an instant, millions of thoughts flashed through Lyra’s mind, her ears slightly red, vaguely trending towards becoming a steam girl.

Hearing this, Astrid looked at Lyra a few more times, her pink lips parting slightly.

"Can I touch it?"

Lyra nervously blurted out without thinking.

"Of course!"

"Everything in my room... Astrid can touch freely..."

If Astrid didn’t want to sleep next door, staying here was also an option. Lyra naturally wouldn’t say much, and strictly speaking, she didn’t have any small secrets she didn’t want others to discover.

Before meeting Astrid, Lyra, in her naive adolescence, was as pure as a blank sheet of paper.

After hearing Lyra’s words, Astrid interestingly hummed, and after a while, reached out to brush a strand of hair from the pink-haired girl right before her, her warm fingertips gently touching Lyra’s small, pinkish ear.