Chapter 33: Touched the thigh

Lyra’s questions came one after another, stripping away all fluff and pointing directly at the core of the issue.

“Because they are afraid too! Afraid that the Boss is truly slipping from their control! Afraid that their plans will go awry! That Holy Sword thing, and the Boss’s Heart Crystal—there is definitely some shady business going on. Besides, time is likely running out, or… specific conditions are required!”

Calanso’s gaze grew increasingly somber.

Although Lyra’s analysis was unrefined, it hit the mark with surprising accuracy. He had indeed felt the urgency from the Imperial Family and the Holy Temple, as well as the unusual pressure coming from Hezdi.

That urgency, in itself, was a point of exploit.

“Continue,” Calanso said, his voice softening slightly.

Seeing that he was no longer putting on airs, Lyra sat up a bit straighter, though her tone remained blunt.

“So, what we need to do now isn’t wait for their next move and react passively. We need to take the initiative and ‘find something for them to do’ so they don’t have so much energy to stare at the Boss every day. At the same time, we need to create opportunities for the Boss to get stronger and investigate.”

“How do we ‘find them something to do’?” Aru could not help but ask.

“Simple.” A sly, slightly wicked smile curled the corners of Lyra’s lips. “Don’t they like playing at conspiracies and that whole holy and righteous act of the Holy Temple? Then let’s give their ‘holiness and light’ a few ‘minor problems.’ For example, does the Holy Sword Replica occasionally suffer from ‘unstable resonance’? Do some ‘devout believers’ of the Holy Temple have certain ‘unsavory private hobbies’? Is there, perhaps, another ‘intimate person’ competing for the Crown Prince’s attention besides that Crybaby?”

With every sentence she spoke, Calanso’s and Aru’s eyelids twitched.

‘This girl… she wants to spread rumors, create chaos, and sow discord in the very heart of the capital’s power and faith!’

The methods were insidious and low, yet they could be extremely effective in the short term. They would significantly divert the attention of Ross, Irina, and the Holy Temple.

“This… is too risky! If the source is ever traced back…” Aru said, looking worried.

“Traced?” Lyra sneered. “Grandpa Aru, there are eighty or 100 ‘secrets’ about nobles circulating in the Black Market every day. How many can actually be traced back to their source? Truth mixed with lies, reality mixed with fiction—once it spreads, it’ll be enough to give them a real headache. Besides — ” Her red eyes narrowed slightly. “Some of the ‘material’ might not even be fake. For example, that Crybaby—is she really that ‘pure and innocent’? Before she entered the Royal Academy, she had quite the ‘reputation’ back in the Black Market…”

A sharp glint flashed in Calanso’s eyes. “What do you know?”

Lyra shrugged. “Not much. But it’s enough to make her ‘delicate white flower’ image lose a few petals. I can ‘inquire’ further for more specific details. I guarantee the ‘material’ will be substantial and the process safe.”

Calanso tapped the table in silence. Lyra’s suggestion was undoubtedly a tightrope walk; if it spiraled out of control, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But… this might be the fastest way to break the current deadlock and buy Freya time and space. Freya needed time to grow and opportunities to delve into the Holy Temple’s conspiracies. An enemy entangled in rumors and internal problems would certainly be distracted.

“What do you need?” Calanso asked in a low voice after a long silence.

Lyra’s eyes lit up. “Money, some unregistered magic items—like things to change voice and appearance—and… ‘admission tickets’ to some of the well-informed, seedier places in the Royal Capital. Most importantly — ” She looked at Calanso. “You and the Boss have to cooperate. On the Boss’s side, she needs to continue playing the role of the honor student who ‘has no heart for marriage for the time being due to health and academic reasons but maintains respect for the Imperial Family.’ Her attitude can soften just a tiny bit to give them some false hope and keep them dangling. On your side, you need to use your connections to give those rumors a little ‘push’ to make them sound more credible, but without being too obvious.”

A bold, insidious, yet potentially effective plan began to take shape in the study late at night.

Calanso looked at Lyra, the girl Freya had brought back from the darkness. In his eyes, she was no longer just a nuisance or a blade, but more like a… “tactician” skilled at carving paths through the shadows. Her way of thinking and her methods were completely different from the rules of the aristocratic world, yet they might play an unexpected role in the muddy battle ahead.

“Very well,” Calanso finally made his decision. “Aru, cooperate with Miss Lyra’s requests. But remember, you must absolutely, positively leave no traces that could implicate Freya or House Dale. All actions are to prioritize Miss Lyra’s safety and concealment.”

“Yes, Master,” Aru replied with a bow. When he looked at Lyra again, there was less scrutiny and more gravity in his gaze.

Satisfied, Lyra stood up and stretched. “Then it’s settled! Grandfather, you’re responsible for stabilizing the situation on the surface and providing cover for the Boss. Leave the dirty work to me. I’ll make sure those guys don’t have time to bother the Boss for a while!”

She walked to the door and turned back, her red eyes shining brightly in the dim light. “By the way, about the Boss… don’t tell her everything just yet. She worries too much; knowing everything might actually make her slip up. Let her think it’s just good luck or that the enemy has temporarily backed off. She needs to focus on getting stronger.”

With that, like a nocturnal cat, she silently pulled the door open and slipped out, blending into the shadows of the hallway.

Silence returned to the study. The fire in the fireplace flickered.

Calanso stared in the direction Lyra had disappeared for a long time before slowly letting out a breath. “Aru, do you think… this Lyra is truly trustworthy?” he asked in a low voice.

Aru pondered for a moment. “Master, her origins and goals remain a mystery. But for now, at least, her protection of the Young Lady is real. Her plan… though risky, is practically fighting for the Young Lady’s survival and initiative. And — ” The old butler paused. “The Young Lady chose to bring her back and give her a contract and trust. I think the Young Lady may have seen something we have yet to see.”

Calanso nodded and rubbed his brow tiredly. “Yes… Freya knows what she is doing better than we thought. Perhaps this ‘assistant’ who doesn’t play by the rules is exactly the first battering ram she chose for herself to break the shackles of fate.”

The next morning, when Freya woke up, the weather was perfect. The warm sunlight streamed in, and she gave a comfortable stretch.

However, she felt her bedding move. It startled her, and she whipped the blanket back to find Lyra curled up in her bed, sleeping soundly.

“LY—RA—!!!”

The quiet morning at the Dale Mansion was shattered by a scream full of shame, indignation, and shock. The sound pierced through the heavy door, startled the birds grooming their feathers on the branches outside, and caused the servants preparing breakfast downstairs to look at one another and stop what they were doing.

Freya sat on the bed, her cheeks so red they looked ready to drip blood. Her pale violet eyes were wide with disbelief and frantic panic. Her silk nightgown was a bit disarranged from the sudden movement of throwing off the blanket, but what made her brain go nearly blank was —

A fluffy, white-haired head was pressed tightly against her thigh. She could even feel the other person’s warm breath through the thin fabric, bringing waves of an indescribable, tingling, itchy sensation!

Lyra! This girl had somehow crawled into her bed! And she was hugging Freya’s leg like an octopus! She even nuzzled it!

Freya felt like she was about to catch fire. Her refined aristocratic upbringing gave her a very high sense of personal space and physical boundaries. Even in her past life, no one had ever so… so offensively intruded into her bed and committed such an intimate act!

Disturbed by the roar, Lyra merely knitted her brows in annoyance and mumbled something in her sleep. Instead of letting go, she buried her face deeper into Freya’s thigh and nuzzled harder, letting out a satisfied hum as if she were rubbing against a comfortable pillow.

“!!!”

Freya gasped. The sensation became even clearer, making the hair on her arms stand up. She was both ashamed and angry, wanting to kick this girl straight off the bed. But looking at Lyra’s defenseless, peaceful sleeping face—even sporting a bit of baby fat—she couldn’t bring herself to strike.

Of course, she had to ignore the fact that Lyra was hugging her leg.

Finally, she reached out with trembling hands and pushed Lyra’s head with force. “Lyra! Wake up! Let go!”

“Mmph… don’t be noisy… Boss… meat…” Lyra waved her hand vaguely as if shooing a fly. Her eyes cracked open just a sliver, red irises still clouded with heavy sleep. She didn’t seem fully awake yet; she just instinctively felt that the thing she was holding was warm and comfortable, and she didn’t want to let go.

“Who is your meat! Look clearly at who I am! Let go of me right now!” Freya pushed her again, her voice trembling slightly from embarrassment and annoyance.

This time, Lyra seemed to finally hear clearly and see the situation before her. She blinked once, then twice, her gaze moving from Freya’s beet-red face down to the leg she was hugging—Freya’s leg, dressed in a nightgown…

“Ah!”

As if she had been burned, Lyra suddenly released her grip and recoiled. She rolled right off the bed and landed on the carpet with a thud.

“Bo—Boss! G—Good morning!” She scrambled to get up, her long white hair a messy tangle and her pajamas askew. Her face held the daze of someone just woken up and a hint of… embarrassment at being caught?

But more than anything, it was a look of pure confusion, as if wondering, ‘Did I do something?’

“You… why are you in my bed?” She even instinctively looked around the room, confirming that it was indeed Freya’s room.

“This is my room! My bed!” Freya’s chest heaved with anger. She pulled the blanket tight around herself, revealing only her flushed face. “How did you get in? When did you get in? And… and…”

She couldn’t finish. Thinking of the sensation from earlier made her ears burn again.