Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 163: Story of Fanya and Hughes

"It seems I don't need to say anything more."

Based on Astrid's earlier description, there was no fundamental conflict between her and Amalia. It was just that the latter lacked trust in her and hadn't yet recognized her own deep-seated emotional needs.

Amalia longed for familial affection but, due to her childhood experiences, was too afraid to get close. That was all.

After chatting for a while about the Fourth Princess, it was already three or four in the afternoon.

Charlotte took Astrid out for afternoon tea and had the servants prepare some newly arrived tea leaves for her to take back to the palace to enjoy slowly.

"By the way, Lady Charlotte..."

Suddenly remembering something, Astrid brushed aside the silver hair by her ear and spoke gently.

"I've been talking so much about myself that I forgot to ask why you came to visit yesterday."

Hearing this, Charlotte blinked a few times, reached out to pinch Astrid's cheek, and said in a slightly teasing tone, "Can't I just visit Little Astr for no reason?"

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Having not seen Astrid for so long, Charlotte, as her aunt, naturally missed her. This girl, the daughter of her friend, was the person she was closest to in the capital. Even Elowen couldn't compare.

"What, do you think Auntie is an old woman now and don't want to see me anymore?" Seeing Astrid lower her gaze, Charlotte pursed her lips, her fingers still resting on the girl's cheek.

Astrid's eyes swept over Charlotte. This Arcanist, renowned for her prowess, was also exceptionally beautiful. Her amethyst silk dress perfectly accentuated her enchanting figure, fair skin, long legs, and a face untouched by time, only gaining a more mature and alluring charm.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Charlotte's admirers could line up from the capital all the way to her private estate.

However, whether it was because Charlotte was too engrossed in her magical studies or she simply had no interest in romance, despite being only two years younger than her close friend Fanya, who had already married and even had an eighteen-year-old daughter, Charlotte remained single.

In her life, she had never been involved with any man, let alone been the subject of any scandals.

In the noble circles of the Valeria Empire, where most married in their early twenties, Charlotte was an absolute outlier.

"Of course not," Astrid shook her head gently. "Just by looks alone, Lady Charlotte couldn't be more than twenty-five. Young and beautiful, there's no way you could be considered old."

For beings of the Arcanist level mage, their lifespans generally extended to around three hundred years. True aging wouldn't begin until they were over two hundred and seventy.

Hearing this, Charlotte smiled sweetly, her pink lips parting slightly. "To receive such praise from our dear Jewel Princess, I'm almost a little embarrassed."

Being complimented on her appearance by a beautiful woman, especially one as close to her as Astrid, even Charlotte, who usually didn't pay much attention to such things, couldn't help but feel a sense of joy.

"The reason I came to see you yesterday is that I'll be traveling to Ostwycke City soon. There's a teaching seminar on magic circles that I need to attend. The round trip will take over a week. Since it's been a while since we last saw each other, I thought I'd visit you and say goodbye."

"Ostwycke City? The Velmora Knight Academy?"

"Yes, it seems they're planning to increase their focus on magic education and also start a new alchemy program."

Unlike the Elizabeth Academy of Magic, which focused on magical studies, the Velmora Knight Academy, as the name suggested, was primarily a training ground for knights.

It was the second-largest academy in the Valeria Empire, though due to its location and the nobles' general preference for magic over physical training, it was much smaller in scale compared to the Elizabeth Academy of Magic.

Taking a sip of her tea, Charlotte continued.

"I've heard that the Prolos grass from Ostwycke City is of excellent quality, perfect for making cakes or brewing tea. I can bring some back for you when I return."

"Then I'll thank you in advance, Lady Charlotte~"

"Pfft, has anyone ever told you, Little Astr, that being too polite can make people feel distant?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Astrid gave Charlotte a big hug. The mature woman gently stroked the girl's back, pressing Astrid's head against her chest.

Inhaling the intoxicating scent of the woman's body and feeling the soft, comforting warmth against her cheek, Astrid found her breathing becoming a little uneven. After a few seconds, she let go and stepped back from Charlotte's embrace.

Looking at the silver-haired princess with her delicate features, Charlotte smiled lightly. However, thinking of another matter, she hesitated for a moment before speaking slowly.

"Aside from that, there's something else I need to tell you."

"Little Astr, you should know that the academy professors went to investigate the land infertility issue recently, right?"

When Astrid founded the Empire Monthly, she had cultivated a large number of intelligence personnel. Charlotte had been involved in this process and naturally knew about Astrid's extensive information network.

On the surface, there was the royal intelligence network, and behind the scenes, there were the newspaper reporters who gathered information. Under the careful arrangement of the head maid, Astrid's eyes and ears had gradually spread throughout the entire capital.

"Yes," Astrid replied softly.

"My brother certainly has some skills to handle things so cleanly."

If it weren't for the fact that both Charlotte and she had kept a copy of the memory crystal used for the trace-back barrier, Lucas might have truly succeeded in covering his tracks.

Hearing this, Charlotte shook her head. "Little Astr... that's not the main point of what I wanted to say today..."

"The dean collected some residual resentment at the Jones Farm. After several deep scans using my mental power, I discovered something quite strange."

Hearing this, Astrid narrowed her crimson eyes. "Something strange?"

"A death aura that feels familiar to me. I've sensed it before, in a very dangerous place," Charlotte's gaze darkened as she spoke in a low voice.

"The Abyss Rift at the northernmost edge of the empire, bordering the territory of Duke Charles."

While others might not react much to this name, Astrid was different. Her birth mother, Fanya, and her birth father, Hughes, had disappeared in the Abyss Rift, their fates unknown for years.

Astrid unconsciously furrowed her brows, her voice dropping several degrees.

"Could you explain more clearly, Lady Charlotte?"

After a brief silence, Charlotte spoke slowly.

"I suspect they belong to the same kind of power, and both originate from a powerful entity."

She sensed danger on a soul-deep level. That profound darkness and death seemed capable of devouring light and tearing apart the earth.

What made Charlotte most uneasy was the spatial distance. The Abyss Rift was half an empire away from the capital.

If this power truly originated from the depths of the abyss, the sheer span of space alone was enough to indicate something serious.

That shadow that had escaped from her grasp held a status that was absolutely not low.

"..."

Astrid hadn't expected that a boss from the early stages of the original heroine's journey could have such a significant background. She remained silent, quietly digesting Charlotte's words.

From what she knew, Fanya, the original Astrid's mother, had already reached the peak of Arcanist mage strength when she ventured into the abyss.

Her father, Hughes, was also an incredibly powerful peak level Crusader. The couple's combined strength had placed them at the pinnacle of the empire's power, yet they had still been lost in the Abyss Rift.

If Charlotte's intuition was correct, then the situation Lyra would face in the future was far more complicated than Astrid had imagined.

What exactly had her younger sister written in the original setting? If only she had asked more questions back then.

Seeing Astrid remain silent, Charlotte cleared her throat and comforted her in a gentle tone.

"You don't need to worry too much. The dean has made some arrangements. At least for now, this power isn't strong enough to corrupt the capital again."

If it could be repelled by an early Arcanist mage like her, it meant that the entity behind the shadow was still weak. Otherwise, it could have confronted her directly and defeated her.

Hearing this, Astrid nodded slightly. "I understand."

Overthinking things now wouldn't help. The level and strength Charlotte mentioned were still far beyond her current capabilities. At least until she reached the level of a peak Arcanist, Astrid wouldn't willingly step into such a dangerous and unpredictable scenario.

Watching Astrid for a while, Charlotte felt relieved once she was sure her niece wasn't too emotional. But then she heard Astrid speak again.

"Lady Charlotte, could you tell me more about my parents?"

The novel hadn't provided much background on the villainous characters, so Astrid could only piece together fragments from others to understand what kind of people her original parents were.

"Of course," Charlotte said.

"Little Astr's mother, Lady Fanya, was an old friend of mine. We were both students at the Elizabeth Academy of Magic, though she was two years ahead of me..."

"...Lady Fanya was the most talented person I've ever met. She became an Arcanist level mage at the age of twenty and reached the peak by twenty-seven, just one step away from becoming a Spellcreator."

"At the time, everyone believed she might surpass Gemini and become the second Spellcreator in history..."

The outcome, of course, was self-explanatory. This once-in-a-millennium magical genius had likely perished in the depths of the abyss.

"As for Little Astr's father, Hughes, I wasn't particularly close to him, but Emperor Hibbort was his sworn brother. You can ask him more about that."

"All I know is that Hughes's mental power was once eroded by an elemental creature, causing a strange mutation that made his externalized mental power carry an intense chill."

"His sword was always covered in frost, and the blood it spilled would often freeze before it even hit the ground. This earned him a famous title, the Frostfall Knight of Crimson Blood."

Listening to Charlotte recount the experiences of the previous generation, Astrid's expression was serious.

Her black-stockinged legs gently pressed together, her hands resting by her hips as she gazed intently at Charlotte.

By the time it was six-thirty in the evening, Charlotte had only shared a small portion of the story.

Hearing the maid knock on the door, both of them were startled, realizing it was already dinner time.

"Little Astr, have you thought about my earlier suggestion?" Charlotte asked her.

After a brief moment of thought, Astrid quickly realized what Charlotte was referring to.

"I won't go to the castle tonight."

Charlotte would be leaving Capital tomorrow to head to the Velmora Knight Academy for the teaching seminar.

Today, she had spent extra time resting to be with Astrid. Out of both sentiment and reason, Astrid couldn't ignore her aunt, who had always treated her so well.

As for Amalia, letting her cool off for one night wasn't a bad idea.

Hearing this, Charlotte's lips curved into a smile. She uncrossed her fair legs, her charming face glowing with a radiant smile.

"Then, Little Astr, would you consider..."

"...staying the night with your Aunt?"