Princess’s Struggle for Survival

Early the next morning, Astrid dressed up, finished breakfast, and took Lyra to the refining and alchemy workshop in the palace.

Elise had gone out earlier to prepare potion materials, so she did not accompany them as usual.

However, everything had been taken care of, and as soon as Astrid arrived, several servants led her to a separate pharmacy.

"Miss Elise said that all the materials needed by Her Highness are in the room, and the necessary utensils have been prepared," one of the servants informed her.

Pushing open the door, Astrid couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the sight of the various alchemy equipment and neatly arranged potion materials.

It was truly good fortune for her to have such a loyal, capable maid who handled everything so meticulously.

Walking over to the table, Astrid noticed that Elise had thoughtfully labeled each potion ingredient with handwritten notes, making it easy to identify them at a glance.

The Blue Vitex used for mixing perfume had not yet arrived, but Astrid wasn't in a hurry. Her main purpose for coming today was to practice and familiarize herself with the specific process of potion refinement in this world.

According to Beasts, Plants, and Basic Potions, refining any potion infused with magical elements required the refiner to invest mental power.

This meant that anyone wishing to refine potions had to be at least a Knight or an Apprentice.

Apprentices held a certain advantage in potion-making, as their studies made it easier for them to perceive changes in magical elements.

Astrid estimated that she was at the level of a low-level apprentice, which was enough to meet the basic requirements for potion refinement.

Unfolding her elemental vision, she observed that most of the plants in front of her emitted a faint green glow, while some had light blue or red specks, indicating the presence of water and fire elements.

The first potion Astrid decided to make was an entry-level mental power recovery potion.

It could slightly accelerate mental power recovery during meditation, and many magic apprentices carried a few bottles of it when venturing out.

She smashed a wind grass leaf, added water, and stirred the mixture into a juice. After heating it and waiting for the liquid to boil, she added powdered Greenstone flower and used her mental power to blend the mixture and remove impurities.

Astrid followed the book's instructions meticulously, tinkering with the wind grass while instructing Lyra to collect pollen from the stone flowers.

'Does Her Highness Astrid know how to make potions too?'

Lyra watched Astrid sitting upright at the alchemy table, her long, slender legs crossed elegantly. She couldn't help but be surprised.

Astrid's proficiency in magic had already astonished her, now could it be that she had another hidden talent?

'A hidden potions master?'

By the time Lyra finished collecting the pollen, Astrid was almost done. The girl stood up gracefully, her long, silky white hair making a faint rustling sound as it brushed against the hem of her skirt.

"Lyra, give me the pollen and bring me a fire attribute crystal while you're at it."

"Yes, Your Highness Astrid."

In addition to focusing on the potion itself, controlling the heat was equally important. This was why refiners didn't use firewood, it was a primitive heating method.

Instead, they relied on fire attribute crystals, which allowed precise temperature adjustments through mental power.

Placing the crystal into the medicine furnace, Astrid channeled her spiritual power to ignite it. The heating process required little attention what truly mattered was the fusion of wind grass and Greenstone flower that followed.

Noticing Astrid's serious expression, Lyra remained silent, her watery eyes fixed on the mixed liquid in the cauldron.

Wind grass and Greenstone flower… She'd seen both plants back in her village the former sold for five silver coins, the latter for ten. If someone was lucky enough to find them in the mountains, it would be a significant source of income.

What kind of potion could be made by mixing the two?

Just as Lyra pondered this, the cauldron suddenly began to gurgle and bubble. Astrid quickly poured in the Greenstone flower pollen, her concentration razor-sharp.

It's time to begin…

The flames from the crystal flared intensely, causing the temperature in the small room to rise. Hidden from Lyra's view, Astrid directed a wisp of mental power into the liquid, attempting to fuse the essences of the two plants.

Will it work?

Lyra's gaze shifted from the boiling liquid to Astrid. The silver-haired princess was completely focused on the utensils, the flickering flames reflected in her bright crimson eyes.

A faint pink hue colored her otherwise snow-white skin, adding an almost ethereal allure to her cold, elegant features.

Her Royal Highness Astrid can definitely do it.

Lyra couldn't explain why she was rooting for the success of someone who had once bullied her. But at that moment, her desire for the potion's success surpassed even Astrid's own expectations.

After all, Astrid knew this was her first time refining a potion so she hadn't been particularly hopeful about succeeding on the first try.

Minutes ticked by, each one heavier than the last. Finally, as a fine sheen of sweat formed on Astrid's forehead, the potion was ready.

She used a cotton net to filter out the residue, then carefully poured the liquid into a special glass container.

Lyra stepped forward just in time, gently dabbing away the sweat from Astrid's face with a handkerchief.

"Thank you," Astrid said casually, not thinking much of it.

Lyra froze for a moment, then quickly responded, "This is what I should do."

'She… thanked me…'

Astrid didn't realize that, with just those simple words, her image had shifted slightly in Lyra's heart.

Focused on her work, Astrid lifted the potion bottle toward the light, examining it closely.

The liquid had a faint tea-like fragrance, a light green hue, and no visible impurities under the light. When she gave it a gentle shake, no foam appeared; it matched the description in the book almost perfectly.

After examining the potion for a while, Astrid still couldn't determine whether it had been a success.

Considering that wind grass and Greenstone flower weren't poisonous and didn't have any adverse interactions, she simply pulled out the cork and took a sip.

The taste wasn't bad, it was somewhat sweet, reminiscent of banlangen syrup. Closing her eyes, Astrid entered a meditative state and quickly noticed a slight improvement in her mental recovery speed.

It's probably like turning the faucet just a millimeter more to the right; it was barely noticeable, but there.

"You try it," Astrid said, handing the bottle to Lyra.

One person's experience might be subjective.

'I need another test subject.'

"...Me?"

Lyra froze, her eyes widening slightly. For a brief moment, she bit her pink lower lip, a flicker of panic flashing in her gaze.

When Miss Astrid drank from the bottle just now… she drank directly from it.

:If I drink now… wouldn't that be…'

'An indirect kiss?'

"Well? Meditate immediately after drinking and tell me how you feel," Astrid instructed, her tone firm as she pushed the potion into Lyra's hands.

"Don't worry, you saw me drink it first. There's no way it's poisoned."

That's exactly the problem… because you drank it first…

Lyra hesitated for a few seconds, her heart pounding under Astrid's expectant gaze.

We're both girls… it's just a sip… no big deal…

Steeling herself, she slowly raised the crystal bottle to her lips. As she parted her soft, cherry-pink lips and took a sip, a subtle sweetness, it didn't belong to wind grass or Greenstone flower, it spread gently across her tongue.