Princess’s Struggle for Survival

Newspapers require fixed sales channels, intelligence gathering demands sufficient contacts and manpower, and purchasing paper for binding incurs significant costs.

These three factors alone can deter the vast majority of people.

The first two points are not difficult for Astrid.

She can leverage the connections of the Velmont family and the loyal maids provided by Charlotte.

Moreover, as the most favored princess of the empire, her official status ensures that most nobles and wealthy merchants are willing to accommodate her requests.

However, money is a pressing issue for Astrid at the moment.

To meet with Amalia every night, she has been consuming transformation potions, depleting even the small coffers she shared with Elise.

Understanding that she can't ignore objective conditions and leave all implementation difficulties to Elise alone, Astrid decided to take action.

She retrieved several jewelry boxes from her desk drawer, carefully examined them, and hands them to her head maid, saying softly:

"Elise, please take these jewels, have them refurbished, and then sell them. Use the proceeds to replenish your own account first, and allocate the remaining funds for purchasing paper, gathering intelligence and covering labor expenses."

Although the original Astrid had a penchant for indulging in luxury, she did not squander money recklessly.

The jewelry and clothing she accumulated over the years could fill most of her bedroom, and selling them would significantly alleviate her financial strain.

"Miss Astrid... Are you sure you want to part with all of this?" Elise asks, surprised by Astrid's decision, given her past obsession with such luxuries.

"Yes, and if it's still not enough, sell these as well," Astrid replies, pulling out a large pile of jewelry from her cabinet.

Under the moonlight, her boudoir is adorned with an array of rare treasures, warm, smooth jade, dazzling necklaces, and more.

Were it not for the impracticality of selling them, and the fact that they were custom-made, Astrid would have even considered selling her extravagant court dresses along with the jewelry.

Seeing Astrid's resolute demeanor and lack of attachment to these items, Elise bowed her head slightly and responded softly, "Understood, Miss Astrid."

As Elise begins packing the jewels into boxes, Astrid nodded and said, "Thank you, Elise."

She felt grateful to have such a diligent and loyal maid, who has saved her from much worry.

"It is my duty," Elise replied, her tone as calm and composed as ever, her inky black eyes deep and steady.

Astrid glanced at the wall clock, arranged her scattered silver hair, and said softly, "Gather your things; it's almost time for us to leave."

The matter of securing the high ground in public opinion will be discussed with Hibbort and Elowen tomorrow.

For now, her priority is to visit Amalia.

Children who have lacked love since childhood often cherish hard-won promises more than their peers.

Astrid had promised the blonde-haired Amalia just yesterday that she would try to visit the castle every night to see her. She can't break that promise lightly.

Leaving the room, Astrid and Elise walked on the soft carpet toward the end of the corridor.

The faint scent of plants and trees in the air had a unique calming effect, easing their minds.

This fragrance was part of the annual tribute from the empire's lord to Hibbort, who had also arranged for some to be sent to Astrid.

As she inhaled the soothing aroma, Astrid couldn't help but reflect on how the original Astrid and Amalia, were polar opposites in temperament. It was no wonder they had never gotten along.

...

Late at night, in the dark castle, Amalia sat before her drawing board, her pen hovering for a long time.

Moonlight streamed into the room, illuminating her petite frame.

Her thick blonde hair cascaded like a waterfall down her back, complementing the white nightdress that clung to her delicate figure. Her slender, porcelain-white calves peeked out from beneath the skirt.

Amalia stared at the dark clouds she had painted on the canvas, her arms slightly curled.

Her fingers, once pale and delicate, were now stained with paint, contrasting sharply with her snow-white skin.

After what felt like an eternity, Amalia heard faint footsteps outside her door. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her cherry-pink lips pursed.

It was Livia returning.

Setting down her brush, Amalia propped herself up in her chair, listening intently as the footsteps grew louder, then faded as they passed her door.

Half a minute later, the footsteps returned but, instead of stopping at her door as usual, continued down the hallway without hesitation.

Livia... Why didn't she knock?

The expected gentle tap and the soft greeting of "Good evening, Miss Amalia" never came. The blonde girl frowned slightly, her puzzled gaze fixed on the door.

What's going on today...?

Unaccustomed to this change, Amalia shifted slightly in her seat, turning her body to face the door.

As Astrid's footsteps faded, Amalia's unease grew. When the sound disappeared entirely, she remained seated, staring at the door knob.

Should she go out and check?

After a moment of hesitation, Amalia stayed put, her eyes lingering on the door. It felt like an eternity before she heard the familiar sound of boots clicking against the hallway tiles.

She shouldn't be leaving this time.

Just as Amalia thought this, Astrid passed her door again, pausing only briefly before heading down the staircase.

Amalia's painting supplies, the utensils for their meal, and the ingredients for shabu-shabu dish Astrid had to make three trips to keep everything in place, climbing five floors each time.

Such high-intensity activity was a challenge for a delicate princess and a fragile mage.

Walking to the sixth floor of the castle, Livia passed by the bathroom with a canvas and dyes in hand.

She noticed that the door to Amalia's room was now open, the room brightly lit, and the sound of running water reached her ears.

The door had been closed just moments ago. Was she coming out to wash up now?

Just as Livia was about to head to her room to put down her things, the bathroom door suddenly opened.

Amalia emerged, gently drying her slightly damp hands, and looked at Livia quietly.

"Good evening, Miss Amalia," Livia greeted with a soft smile.

Seeing the canvas in Livia's arms and the faint flush on her cheeks from climbing the stairs, Amalia paused before replying in a low voice, "Good evening, Livia."

Ah... It must have been too much to carry in one trip.

Dismissing the fleeting thoughts in her mind, Amalia remained silent on the surface.

However, Livia took the initiative to speak.

"I arranged for someone to purchase everything on the list from yesterday. It's all here now."

Noticing that Amalia's hands were still damp from washing, Livia hesitated to hand her the canvas directly and instead asked gently, "Shall I help you put it in your room?"

The air seemed to still for a few seconds as Amalia's eyes flickered with indecision.

Just when Livia thought the other might refuse, the blonde girl gave a small nod.

"...Alright."

With that, Amalia turned and walked slowly into her bedroom, as if she hadn't said anything at all.

Livia watched the girl's retreating figure, a slight smile tugging at her lips, before following Amalia into the room.

Unlike Lyra's boudoir, which was filled with the scent of flowers, Amalia's room carried a faint aroma of paint and ink, mingling with the subtle fragrance of a young girl. It was unusual but not unpleasant.

Livia glanced around briefly, careful not to intrude or linger too long.

Amalia observed her with a heavy gaze, unsure whether to feel pleased by the woman's politeness or disappointed by her apparent lack of curiosity.

"Just put it here," Amalia said quietly.

Livia placed the tools in the old box next to the desk as Amalia had instructed.

Just then, Auri spotted her and came trotting over on her short little legs, only to be intercepted halfway by Amalia, who lifted her up and held her firmly in her arms.

The cat could only stare at Livia with wide, round eyes, unable to squirm free.

"Thank you," Amalia said softly.

Livia smiled at her words, her tone gentle. "No need to thank me."

Noticing the unfinished painting on the easel, Livia blinked and asked Amalia in a soft voice, "Is this painting of rain?"

The canvas depicted heavy, gloomy clouds looming over medieval-style buildings, the darkness threatening to swallow everything below.

It seemed as though a storm was about to break, ready to engulf the scene.

"Before the rain," Amalia replied lightly, her expression unreadable.

Livia studied the painting for a moment longer, then nodded appreciatively. "It's a painting full of meaning... I'm looking forward to seeing what it looks like when it's finished."

Setting aside everything else, Livia genuinely admired her godsister's artistic talent.

The two chatted casually about the painting for a few minutes before Livia excused herself and left the room.

Amalia watched the door close behind her, then set Auri down and opened the old wooden box containing the supplies Livia had brought.

Everything she had mentioned the previous day was there.

The canvases and brushes were of a quality far superior to what Amalia currently used, the difference between the two almost incomparable.

She then opened one of the small bottles of dye, removed the cork, and examined it carefully.

After testing a bit on her palette, she confirmed that the color was excellent, with no impurities mixed in.

With these new tools, painting would become much easier for her.

Livia had truly put thought and care into selecting these supplies for her.

The walls around Amalia's heart, once impenetrable, began to crumble.

She gazed at the cold moonlight reflected on the canvas, her heart pounding like a drum.

Since childhood, no one had ever treated her with such delicacy and gentleness.

Even her so-called parents had shown her nothing but disgust and indifference.

She had never felt valued or cared for by anyone, until now.

Regardless of whether Livia's kindness was genuine or merely a facade, Amalia couldn't deny that she felt cared for and appreciated through the woman's actions.

For that reason alone, she felt she should try to trust Livia and offer her the warmth of friendship in return.

Her slender fingers tightened slightly around the brush, the smooth handle slipping a little in her grip. Amalia swallowed hard, her heartbeat gradually steadying.

Reason warned her not to trust others so easily. After all, she didn't know what Livia was like outside the castle, and placing her trust in someone so quickly was risky.

But just as that thought crossed her mind, another voice whispered softly in her heart: 'Give it a try.'

...

At the same time, in the next room, Astrid was not sitting at her desk reading as she usually did.

Instead, she was busy assembling the utensils Elise had purchased.

She had constructed a small stove-like structure with a pot on top and a fire-attribute crystal at the bottom.

As a heat source for cooking, fire-attribute crystals were the ideal choice for any chef.

With just a small amount of mental energy, the temperature could be precisely controlled, eliminating the temperature fluctuations common with burning firewood and avoiding the issue of producing choking smoke.

For the next six months, Astrid would frequently be in and out of the castle.

Eating dry food for dinner every day would be tiresome, and it just so happened that Amalia was quite thin.

Encouraging her to eat something hearty would not only help the girl grow stronger but also bring them closer.

Sometimes, sharing a meal could indeed deepen the bond between two people.

This was something ingrained in human nature, which was why so much business was conducted over dinners in her previous life, and why people often greeted each other by asking if they had eaten.

After arranging the ingredients she headed to knock on Amalia's door next door.

Across the wall, Auri caught a whiff of the enticing scent drifting through the crack under the door.

The orange cat grew restless, got up from her nest, and began pacing near the door.

Amalia called to her softly, but the cat ignored her, pressing his nose to the crack and wagging his tail eagerly.

Was there something out there?

The next moment, Amalia heard a gentle knock in the hallway.

"Miss Amalia, are you still awake?" Livia's soft voice called out.

****

(Shabu-shabu it's a Japanese hotpot type dish)