The night was deep. The doors and windows of the private home where Astrid was staying were shut tight; the howling cold wind stopped at the threshold, leaving only the occasional faint tremble of the transparent windowpanes to barely remind the travelers inside of its presence.
Small warming stones placed in the four corners of the bedroom continuously gave off heat, making the entire room warm and comfortable.
Under the dim light, a captivating silver-haired beauty sat at the edge of the wide bed.
The thin gauze nightdress she used to cover herself was semi-transparent, heavy enough up top to support the sheer fabric, while lower down it revealed a smooth, flat belly.
Bathed in the lamplight, it artfully showcased the wearer's delicate, alluring curves; "voluptuous" and "slender," two words that should have contradicted each other, achieved perfect unity on the Empire's number-one beauty.
Hearing Astrid's words, Lyra's already-pressed-together knees drew even tighter.
