"And… life now is so much better than before."
Those words weren't just about how her relationship with Astrid had changed; they were also Lyra's own life realization.
Compared to a few years ago, when she arrived alone in the imperial capital to study in a strange land, Lyra had now achieved her original goal and gained the lover she adored.
Even if she pushed the memory back a few months to that bitter, desolate time at the Liya Tower fortress, those days were nowhere near as comfortable as lying immediately in a soft, warm bed, not fearing death could drop in at any moment, not worrying about a summons the next second and being too scared to even take off her clothes to sleep.
"Astrid is doing things that make this world better, right?" Lyra whispered gently.
Convenient magical devices, reform bills that uplift commoners, the widespread promotion of basic magics in the academies.
