Princess’s Struggle for Survival

Opening the door, Livia stood outside the house, her pure white court dress accentuating her elegant and curvaceous figure.

Her smooth, delicate legs, clad in tonal calf boots, stood straight, making her resemble a noble and graceful white swan.

The woman gazed at Amalia tenderly, her lips parting slightly.

"Miss Amalia, I made some food. It should taste good, and I wanted to invite you to try it."

After speaking, the corners of Livia's lips curved into a gentle smile, and she added,

"The food I cook alone always feels a bit lacking in atmosphere, so I hope Miss Amalia will join me."

Does she cook too?

Listening to Livia's words, Amalia glanced at Auri, who was nestled in her arms, feeling a hint of surprise.

With a status as noble as Livia's, shouldn't there be a dedicated chef handling her meals?

After a brief hesitation, however, the girl agreed.

"Okay."

Since she had decided to be friends with Livia, she couldn't remain as distant as before.

The book mentioned that sharing meals with friends was a normal thing, and she should get used to it.

"Thank you," Amalia quickly added.

Livia smiled softly at her response. "Miss Amalia, you don't need to be so polite. It's just for dinner. If anything, I should be the one thanking you for being so kind to me..."

Before speaking, Livia had guessed that the likelihood of Amalia accepting her invitation was less than fifty percent.

Hearing the confirmation now, she felt a wave of relief.

The little girl's attitude toward her had clearly softened, and it seemed she had made progress during this time.

Noticing the faint smile on Livia's cheeks, Amalia fluttered her eyelashes a few times, tilting her snow-white neck slightly.

Her eyes, however, remained as calm and unreadable as ever.

She could sense that the other woman seemed genuinely eager to dine with her.

Five minutes later, in Livia's bedroom, Amalia sat at the desk, her gaze fixed on the pot in front of her.

Her blue eyes lowered, her knees pressed together, and her hands rested neatly in her lap.

What's in this pot... It smells so good...

As she observed the slices of green onion and ginger, along with mushrooms and an unfamiliar white plant, Amalia inhaled lightly.

A rich yet subtle aroma filled her senses, a rare experience in her memory.

Noticing the subtle reactions of the blonde girl, Livia's smile deepened.

She turned and retrieved a plate from the package she had brought.

"Miss Amalia, this is for you."

Hearing Livia's voice, Amalia looked up and saw the white wide plate in the woman's hands, accompanied by a fork and spoon. She accepted it with a soft hum.

"Thank you," the girl said.

After hearing Amalia thank her twice in less than fifteen minutes, Livia blinked and handed her the chopsticks she had been waiting to use. There weren't any chopsticks in this world so they were made by herself.

"Thanks. Could you help me bring the dishes to the bathroom and rinse them?"

Amalia obeyed, taking the items and heading to the bathroom. Her delicate fingers pressed the crystal water tap, and she stood in front of the washbasin, waiting for the water to flow.

Auri sat quietly beside her, occasionally glancing out the door.

Amalia looked down at him, her eyes softening, before her gaze shifted upward and accidentally caught her reflection in the mirror.

Her face was slightly flushed from the warmth in the room.

The blonde girl stared at her reflection for a few seconds, until the cool, moist touch of water brought her back to the present.

She turned her attention to the dishes and began cleaning them.

Livia Valeria... This person's presence made her feel a little less like herself...

Recalling the blue eyes she had seen in the mirror, the faint anticipation visible in their depths, Amalia quickened her movements.

A few minutes later, she returned to the bedroom with the clean utensils in hand.

By now, Livia had already arranged the dishes on the table. Given that they were in another world, some ingredients requiring complex preparation from her previous life were unavailable.

While the dish couldn't be made exactly as it had been in her past life, Livia had managed to recreate the basic concept with care.

Cabbage, oyster mushrooms, and rolls of beef and pork simmered in a large, steaming pot, filling the room with a rich aroma.

Amalia had never seen such a way of eating before, or, to be more precise, she had never even heard of it.

"I wasn't sure what flavor Miss Amalia prefers, so I prepared a clear broth. If you'd like something tastier I have prepared things for you."

Livia pointed to a glass bottle on the table, its base holding a small amount of soy sauce residue.

"If that's not to your taste, there are other sauces as well."

Beside her were bottles of barbecue sauce, tomato juice, and seasoning powders like cumin and black pepper from the kitchen.

Amalia studied the condiments for a moment before pouring some tomato sauce onto her plate and adding a drizzle of sweet barbecue gravy, creating a sweet and sour mixture.

Noticing this, Livia's lips curved into a slight smile. She rested her cheek on her hand, watching Amalia intently.

"So... Miss Amalia prefers sweeter flavors."

In the original story, the protagonist, the innocent-looking Holy Light Knight Lyra, had a fondness for spicy food.

Yet Amalia, who had been imprisoned by her father for years and later became a tyrant, unexpectedly favored sweet and sour flavors.

The contrast between the two struck Livia as both amusing and poignant.

Amalia, blonde tyrant, was now just a lonely soul, wandering the castle under the weight of others' cold indifference.

Listening to Livia's words, Amalia paused, her fork hovering slightly in her hand. After a moment, she asked softly,

"Isn't that strange?"

Could a person's taste preferences really be inferred so easily from their appearance?

"Not really, it's just..."

Livia hesitated, considering their current relationship.

She thought about not saying the second half of her sentence—"I think it's cute"—and instead rephrased it.

"It's just that a very good friend of mine also loves sweet things."

This wasn't a lie. A certain cold-headed maid in her life has a well-known sweet tooth, and even the snacks she carried for energy were all sugary.

A... very good friend...

Hearing this, Amalia's fork accidentally clinked against the porcelain plate, the sharp sound muffled by the bubbling of the hot pot.

Though she had long guessed that Livia's social circle couldn't be limited to just her, hearing Livia mention someone else—someone she described as a "very good friend"—made Amalia feel an uncomfortable pang in her chest.

She only had Livia by her side... But Livia had so many others around her, people Amalia didn't even know...

The girl bit her lip, her delicate toes curling slightly in her sandals. A flicker of loss and a hint of coldness, unnoticed by her, flashed in her eyes.

Livia, who had been closely observing Amalia, immediately noticed the shift in her mood.

She realized that her earlier comment might have struck a nerve, though she wasn't entirely sure which part had caused it.

Was it because she compared Amalia to someone else?

Or did Amalia dislike being seen as someone with a sweet preference?

Or... was it that intense possessiveness surfacing again?

As Livia pondered, Amalia quickly returned to her usual calm demeanor, as if the momentary coldness in her gaze had been nothing more than Livia's imagination.

"Oh."

Amalia responded quietly, not pressing further.

She simply stared at the dish, her blue eyes obscured by the rising steam, making it impossible for Livia to discern the emotions hidden within.

After a brief moment, sensing the ingredients were just about ready, Livia picked up her chopsticks and swirled a thin slice of meat through the simmering broth before placing it, along with some vegetables, onto the ridged serving plate in front of Amalia.

Amalia eyed the slender wooden sticks in Livia's hand, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"Miss Livia, are these for picking up food?"

When she had rinsed the dishes earlier, Amalia had wondered why these wooden sticks were washed alongside the fork and spoon.

Now, watching Livia use them, she began to understand their purpose.

"Yes, otherwise it's quite inconvenient to fish things out with a fork."

Livia nodded, using her chopsticks to pick up some pork rolls for herself before setting them down and switching to her own pair.

"You can try using them yourself. You might get the hang of it right away."

After hearing Livia's suggestion, Amalia picked up the chopsticks and gave them a try.

At first, she fumbled a little, but her hands, accustomed to holding a pen, were naturally dexterous.

Soon, she was able to pick up cabbage and pork rolls with ease.

However, the delicate potato slices were trickier to grasp, slipping away with each attempt. In the end, Livia stepped in, effortlessly picking them up with her chopsticks and placing a few onto Amalia's plate.

"Don't focus too much on the chopsticks. The food will get cold," Livia reminded her.

Thankfully, there were no quail eggs in today's dishes.

Otherwise, given Amalia's perfectionist tendencies, the meal might have dragged on indefinitely.

Watching Livia's slender, smooth fingers retreat, Amalia gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and resumed eating with her knife and fork, taking small, delicate bites.

The perfectly cooked slices of luncheon meat, the tender cabbage soaked in the delicate broth, the velvety potatoes that melted on her tongue, and the fragrant lamb rolls that left a lingering warmth on her palate, each bite was a harmony of flavors.

Amalia chewed slowly, her lips glistening under the lamplight, like dewdrops resting on soft cherry blossom petals.

After finishing the food on her plate, Amalia paused for a moment, then followed Livia's example, using the chopsticks to pick up more ingredients and continuing her meal.

The harmonious blend of broth and ingredients, combined with this entirely new way of dining, provided Amalia with an exceptional culinary experience.

"I almost forgot, there's this too."

Livia retrieved a light red glass bottle from her bag and placed it gently on the table.

"Is that... wine?" Amalia asked softly.

Livia shook her head. "Of course not. It's just ordinary grape juice."

Although red wine wasn't particularly strong, Amalia was only fourteen this year.

In this world, as in reality, the coming-of-age ceremony was set at eighteen, and Livia had no intention of serving alcohol to a minor.

After pouring the juice, Amalia took a small sip. The sweet, fruity aroma filled her senses, followed by the tangy sweetness of the grapes and a subtle astringency that added depth to the flavor.

"It's delicious," Amalia said.

Normally, when she was thirsty, she could only drink water provided by the crystal stones.

Her daily meals never included any beverages other than soup, so this sweet and tangy grape juice was a rare treat.

"There's more than half a bottle left. Feel free to drink as much as you like."

"If you really enjoy it, I can bring you a few more bottles. The cost can be added to the painting commission."

Livia didn't mind the small expense, of course, but she worried that Amalia might hesitate to ask otherwise.

Amalia nodded at this, her fingers gently tracing the rim of the glass.

The light red liquid left a cool sensation on her fingertips. After a moment, she lowered her head and took another sip.

"Meow!"

Auri, who had been forgotten for a while, let out a few loud meows, finally drawing Amalia's attention back.

She glanced at the contents of her plate, then at Livia across the table, before looking down at the orange cat circling her lap. Livia smiled and asked,

"Is Auri hungry too?"

"Hmm..."

"Then you can feed him a little as well. She's been waiting for a while."

Amalia hesitated for a moment before getting up and heading to the next room to fetch Auri's bowl.

She placed it on the floor and forked a few slices of meat into it.

As the large orange cat settled in front of the bowl and began eating, the smile in Livia's eyes deepened.

She gently uncrossed her smooth, white legs and softly remarked,

"Such a cute cat."

Livia still remembered when Elise had first found Auri, washed her, and let her lounge lazily in the sun.

Lyra had crouched beside her, feeding her and gently rubbing her belly.

Back then, Auri had been quite thin, unlike the slightly plump cat she was now.

If they kept feeding her like this, she might not be far from becoming an orange pig.

Amalia fed him a few more pieces of meat before standing up to return to her meal.

Her gaze drifted upward from the slender, jade-like legs under the table, meeting Livia's gentle eyes in mid-air.

Livia was seated near the windowsill, her back bathed in moonlight.

The soft, flawless glow fell between her collar and hair, accentuating her delicate features and making them appear even more striking.

Her light blue eyes, like two exquisite emeralds, shimmered with a quiet warmth.

She sat there calmly, a soft smile on her lips, as if she herself were a part of the moonlight.