Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 103: We don’t have funds.

After spending so much time together, Lyra had nearly mastered Astrid's offensive style.

Perhaps due to her limited mental energy reserves or her reliance on high-cost spells, Astrid rarely chanted more than fifteen spells in a single battle.

In other words, while her magical strength was formidable, her endurance was lacking.

If this were an actual battle, Lyra would have deliberately slowed the pace, focusing on conserving her strength and launching small, probing attacks until her opponent's mental energy was depleted. Then, she would strike with minimal risk.

But this was not a real battle. There was no time for such tactics, and Lyra's goal was not merely to defeat Astrid but to grow stronger.

Under these circumstances, the girl naturally abandoned any strategy of exhausting Astrid's mental energy. Instead, she chose to engage her directly, and the outcome was predictable.

Although Lyra was still struggling to keep up with Astrid's defensive prowess, the former's physical stamina and mental reserves were far superior.

As a maid, Lyra also wished to show a bit more resilience in front of Astrid.

"By the way, Lyra, haven't you tested your elemental affinity yet?"

The entrance exam for the Elizabeth Academy of Magic only required meditation.

The step to measure elemental affinity was taken after a student reached the proper Low level Apprentice level.

Given how significant this detail was in the novel, Astrid couldn't recall whether Lyra had undergone the test before entering the academy.

Hearing this, Lyra blinked a few times and replied softly, "No, I haven't..."

If it weren't for the academy organizing student tests, individuals would need to visit a specialized magician association to measure their elemental affinity, which was costly.

In the small town where Lyra grew up, there was no Mage association, and she hadn't yet reached the apprentice level at the time.

Naturally, she had never had the opportunity.

Astrid nodded thoughtfully and didn't say anything more.

Lyra herself was unaware, but Astrid remembered it clearly: the Protagonist possessed a 200% affinity for the light attribute.

This affinity was so high that it exceeded the maximum limit of the crystal ball used for testing, which initially led the testers to mistakenly believe that Lyra couldn't resonate with the light element at all, as the beads hadn't lit up.

This extraordinary affinity for light was also a key reason why Lyra could wield the holy sword of light.

However, in the early stages, the amount of elemental affinity wasn't particularly significant.

At most, it allowed one to cast one or two additional spells of the same element, which didn't make a substantial difference.

It was in the later stages, especially upon reaching the Magnus level, that the advantages of high elemental affinity would gradually become apparent.

These advantages would grow more pronounced as one's level increased.

There was no need to tell Lyra to focus on learning light spells now.

When the time came, she would naturally discover where her talents lay and evolve into a true knight of the Light.

"Did you bring your library card?" Astrid asked.

Lyra shook her head. "No."

"I'm heading to the library. If you want to return or borrow a book, you can go back and get your card first. That way, you won't have to make an extra trip later."

"Yes, Your Highness Astrid."

With Astrid's permission, Lyra hurried upstairs.

She retrieved her library card from the drawer and gathered the books she had finished reading, holding them in her arms.

Before leaving, she suddenly remembered the sock buckle that had broken during their earlier spar.

Lyra bit her lower lip lightly as she glanced at herself in the mirror.

Deciding there was enough time, she sat on the edge of the bed, removed her maid's shoes, and replaced the torn stockings.

When she returned downstairs, she saw Astrid standing alone under a parasol, bathed in sunlight.

Her snow-white collarbone peeked out from the black dress, delicate and alluring, while the hem of her skirt swayed slightly, revealing her slender, well-proportioned legs.

Noticing Astrid's gaze linger on her lower body for a moment, Lyra's ears burned faintly.

She brushed her pink hair a few times to cover them, her mind beginning to spiral into overthinking.

Her Royal Highness Astrid is so kind... Knowing that I don't usually have time to visit the library, she even reminded me to bring my card...

She waited patiently for me to change my torn socks, without showing the slightest hint of impatience.

Astrid, completely unaware of Lyra's racing thoughts, simply glanced at her expressionlessly before turning and walking toward the library.

After borrowing the books, Astrid instructed Lyra to return the items to the dormitory.

The rest of the day was left for Lyra to spend as she pleased.

Without the instability of Lucas around, Astrid felt confident letting Lyra roam the palace grounds alone.

As for Astrid herself, she headed to the nearby alchemy lab.

Having meditated for a while in the quiet environment of the library, her shallow mental energy had almost fully recovered, ensuring it wouldn't interfere with her perfume-making.

From three in the afternoon until half past five, Astrid experimented with several unique fragrances from her memory.

However, she wasn't satisfied with the results of the blends and didn't achieve anything substantial during that time.

It wasn't that her skills had regressed. Rather, this world offered many potion ingredients that hadn't existed in her previous life.

Astrid hoped to make localized improvements based on these new materials, creating perfumes that best suited the tastes and customs of the Valeria Empire, rather than blindly replicating past formulas.

After some thought, she decided not to rush.

She would wait to see the results of the first batch of perfumes Elowen was testing in the market.

Once those results came in, she could discuss the next steps with Elowen, including potential markets and future deals.

After dinner, Elise finally returned to the palace.

In addition to the painting supplies listed, Astrid had asked her to purchase a few other cooking items.

"Elise, Lyra, help me wash and chop the ingredients."

Astrid examined the green onions, ginger, garlic, and mushrooms in the pot.

Unsure of Amalia's preference, she hesitated before deciding against adding spicy things.

Instead, she simply scooped a few spoonfuls of salt.

The rich aroma filling the air was undeniable.

Even Elise, who had already eaten a little outside, had to admit that the combination of ingredients was incredibly appetizing.

Princess Astrid had gone to such lengths, likely for the sake of Amalia, the emperor's illegitimate daughter.

It seemed things were progressing well on that front.

As Lyra sliced potatoes, the savory scent of the thick soup wafted through the air.

Her delicate, swan-like neck tilted slightly as she inhaled the aroma.

What a delicious smell...

Lyra initially thought Astrid hadn't eaten enough at dinner and was preparing a meal for herself.

But as the ingredients were prepared one by one, Astrid took a piece of ice-attribute crystal, froze everything, and instructed them to take it away.

Back in the princess's private chambers, Astrid asked Elise to stay behind to explain what needed to be done that evening.

"Elise, I can't bring these things in alone. I need you to come with me tonight."

"Just to be safe, if you don't encounter Amalia, simply bring the items inside. I'll handle the rest and take them into the castle myself."

Elise was a Master Knight, particularly skilled at concealing her aura.

It was for this reason that Astrid had initially sent her to infiltrate Lina's residence.

Even without the specialized infiltrator's robes, Elise could hide her tracks using darkness magic.

"Yes, Miss Astrid."

Receiving Astrid's order, Elise bowed respectfully and then moved to the side to organize the items she would need for the night.

As she watched the black-haired maid busy herself, Astrid sighed softly.

Her thoughts drifted to the spatial rings often mentioned in the novelkisss of her previous life, magical items capable of storing objects.

Similar storage tools existed in this world, but they were exceedingly rare. In the entire Valeria Empire, there were no more than ten such items.

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One of the most famous spatial storage tools was the Imperial Scepter, a symbol of the empire's power.

The gem embedded in it could dispel magic within a certain area, but it also served as a storage device with a vast capacity.

Charlotte, too, possessed a storage tool, though the gem she owned had very limited space, making it almost insignificant compared to the Imperial Scepter.

As for the Protagonist, Lyra, her natal weapon, the "Holy Immaculate Sword of Light," functioned as a spatial storage device with transformation capabilities.

Its capacity was only slightly inferior to the Imperial Scepter, but it was more than sufficient for her needs.

Given the worldview presented in the original book, the scarcity of spatial storage devices wasn't surprising.

After all, for a mage to even begin to grasp concepts related to space and time, their strength had to surpass that of a Peak Level Arcanist Mage.

This threshold alone was enough to exclude the vast majority of people.

What a pity... If only such tools were more common, she wouldn't have to go through so much trouble now...

The sunset outside the window cast a warm, crimson glow, its light falling on the gemstone pendant around Astrid's neck.

The crystalline stone inside shimmered like a quietly flowing stream, casting a faint red hue on the girl's snow-white skin.

After a while, Elise finished packing and stood ready. Astrid noticed this.

"Go back to your room and rest for a while. Come to my bedroom at nine o'clock."

"Understood, Miss Astrid."

As Elise left the boudoir, Astrid leaned back against her desk, one hand resting on her cheek.

Her gaze fell on the canvas she planned to give to Amalia tonight, her thoughts wandering aimlessly.

Sometimes, Astrid found herself thinking about the battle for the throne between Amalia and the two princes.

Other times, her mind wandered to the upcoming plot where Lyra would leave.

And then there was her current deal with the Velmont family, countless threads of thought tangled together like a ball of yarn.

Although she had already connected with Elowen, she knew that to truly gain the support of the Velmont family, she needed to intertwine more interests.

Her gaze swept across the canvas, her slender, jade-like fingers tapping lightly on her cheek. Astrid narrowed her eyes, and suddenly, an idea struck her.

She stood up, her smooth, black silk-clad legs shifting gracefully.

Reaching out to touch the canvas, she glanced at the parchment beside her, and a new plan began to take shape in her mind.

In the late Middle Ages, the Valeria Empire still relied on primitive parchment as a writing material, which limited the dissemination of information to some extent.

Under normal circumstances, there would be no proper ground for newspapers or magazines here.

However, exceptions existed everywhere. Just as Elowen had targeted the aristocratic class from the beginning, Astrid could also focus on the high-end market and sell her ideas strategically.

It just so happened that Elowen hadn't started selling perfume yet.

Astrid could use this opportunity to help spread the word in a new way.

The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

Astrid sat back down, her expression shifting slightly as her delicate fingers tapped lightly on the table.

Establishing a newspaper for the aristocratic class wouldn't just increase the popularity of her goods through advertising.

It would also strengthen her bargaining position in negotiations with the Velmont family.

Beyond that, it held another potential value, public opinion.

Whether it was to undermine political opponents or clear her name, having control over such a force could play a crucial role in many situations.

With a rough plan in mind, Astrid decided to test Hibbort's opinion the next day and then refine the details gradually.

If everything went well, not only would the next perfume trade proceed more smoothly, but a mature intelligence system could also become a hidden asset for Amalia's bid for the throne, giving her leverage against the four major noble families.

When Elise arrived on time, Astrid immediately instructed her to pay closer attention to Empire's latest news during this period while also beginning to prepare the necessary personnel.

"Your Highness Astrid..."

Elise paused, her tone calm but firm.

"We don't have enough funds to carry out these plans at the moment."