Princess’s Struggle for Survival

Amalia Valeria's surname was not given by her father, as is customary among most nobles, but had a different origin.

Her mother, who secretly bestowed the royal surname upon her daughter when she was still a baby, spread the news to the palace when Amalia was a little older, attempting to pressure Hibbort into acknowledging her through blood ties and moral obligation.

The result was an even harsher backlash from Hibbort.

The man even contemplated sentencing the prodigal dancer, with whom he had shared a one-night affair, to death for her audacity.

However, before the order could be carried out, Amalia's mother succumbed to illness at the inn, shattering her dream of ascending to aristocracy overnight.

As for the illegitimate daughter who shared half of his blood, Hibbort regarded her as a stain on his life.

He confined her to the castle for the rest of her days, forbidding Amalia from stepping beyond its walls.

For Hibbort, it would have been easy to let this defenseless girl perish within the depths of the palace.

The reason Amalia survived was not due to any paternal affection but rather Hibbort's desire to avoid being labeled a tyrant in history and becoming the subject of public ridicule.

He provided Amalia with the bare necessities to survive but withheld even the slightest semblance of paternal love.

Confinement and isolation within the castle were the harshest punishments Hibbort could impose on Amalia, even though she had not chosen to be born into this world, nor had she committed any crime.

Her very existence was a mistake.

In such an oppressive environment, Amalia naturally grew to despise the surname that marked her as inferior and loathed all members of the Valeria family, despite sharing their blood and name.

She had believed that all royals were cold to the core, until she met Livia, a mature older sister with the same blonde hair and blue eyes as her, but with a gentle demeanor and thoughtful nature.

For a moment, Amalia's resolve wavered. She began to feel that perhaps her royal lineage, marked by her long blond hair and blue eyes, wasn't entirely a curse.

Something intangible connected them.

Amalia mused that this might be the familial bond often mentioned in books, a concept she had always found hypocritical and worthy of scorn.

The affection between relatives, born of blood, was supposed to be pure and natural.

This was also why Amalia asked Livia if she had siblings.

On one hand, she wanted to learn more about Livia; on the other, Amalia sought to carve out a unique place in Livia's heart, a position distinct from everyone else, including Astrid, a place that belonged solely to her.

"I have two older brothers and one younger sister," Livia replied.

"Though I'm not particularly close to them."

Amalia's eyes narrowed in surprise at Livia's answer.

"Why... aren't you close?" the blonde girl asked softly.

In Amalia's eyes, someone like Livia, who radiated warmth like a little sun, could never be disliked, not even by Astrid or the predatory members of the Valeria family.

Unless these people are so filthy that they are hopelessly incorrigible, every drop of their blood tenses, and the self-proclaimed nobility they speak of is nothing but a dark rat lurking in their hearts.

They would even feel repulsed and hateful toward the sunlight shining down upon them.

The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became of her own reasoning.

Amalia gently forked the dessert on the table, quietly waiting for Livia to respond.

After a while, the woman replied softly, "There are two reasons. One is that I don't like them, and the other is that they may not like me either. Over time, the relationship has only worsened."

On the surface, Astrid and Lucas appear to have a good relationship, almost to the point of being hailed as the model of sibling harmony in the Valeria Empire.

However, this is limited to the times when Astrid still holds value to Lucas. If one day she were to lose the protection of Emperor Hibbort and her political bargaining chips, Lucas's greedy nature would undoubtedly lead him to plot how to get her into his bed the very next day.

Alistair, naturally, is no different. From the moment Astrid aligned herself with Lucas, she became Alistair's sworn enemy. There is no semblance of a sibling relationship between them.

As for the last sister Livia mentioned, she was, of course, referring to the fourth princess, Amalia, who had been brought up in conversation but remained unaware of the discussion.

In terms of conditions, Astrid is actually the most suited to be close to Amalia.

Firstly, she is Hibbort's favorite child, granting her unrestricted access to every corner of the palace, including the castle.

Secondly, as a princess, she poses no threat to Amalia in matters of succession, meaning there is no fundamental conflict of interest between them.

What truly caused the deterioration of their relationship was the original Astrid's deeply pampered yet perpetually insecure heart.

Astrid's bullying of Amalia was also one of the reasons the latter grew to despise Hibbort and the entire Valeria family.

Had Astrid treated this unfortunate royal sister with kindness from the beginning, Amalia would not have condemned her to death row after ascending the throne, nor subjected her to a solitary confinement far more torturous than anything she had ever experienced.

Amalia frowned slightly upon hearing this and asked in a low voice, "Then what is it about them that Livia dislikes?"

As a friend, Amalia did not want Livia to harbor hatred for her one day, so she paid close attention to the latter's response.

Livia smiled and shook her head, her tone soft. "I can't quite pinpoint what I dislike about them. Perhaps it's their arrogant attitudes and their rude, dismissive way of treating others."

These were Astrid's genuine thoughts. Though her own behavior in front of Lyra was not much better, she truly detested such people.

Listening to Livia's words, Amalia lowered her eyes, her knees tightening slightly as she gazed thoughtfully at the dessert on the table.

Arrogant, dismissive... Wasn't this an accurate portrayal of Princess Astrid herself?

Why would Livia be friends with such a person? Could it be that Astrid had disguised herself so well in front of Livia that she had even managed to deceive her?

Silver-haired bad woman... What a deep schemer...

Amalia pondered how to reveal Astrid's true nature to Livia, her blue pupils gradually darkening with thought.

Noticing this, Livia tactfully ended the conversation and shifted the topic to the dessert instead.

"Try this creamy muffin. I asked the pastry chef to add extra sugar to make it especially sweet."

When she had climbed over the wall earlier, Livia had worried that the dessert in her bag might get shaken and deformed.

To prevent this, she had cast a rudimentary reinforcement spell in advance, ensuring the cake arrived at the castle intact.

Seeing Livia deliberately change the subject, Amalia suppressed her curiosity and didn't press further. Instead, she lowered her head and took a spoonful of the dessert.

The muffin was soft on the palate, with a thick layer of cream and sugar that melted delightfully in her mouth.

As she ate, she recalled Livia's earlier words. A few cubes of strawberry were mixed into the cream, their sweetness balanced by a faint tangy acidity.

It turned out that Livia, too, had a strained relationship with those so-called siblings.

A common ground like this could indeed bring people closer together.

At least in Amalia's heart, she felt a certain resonance with Livia, even if this "resonance" might seem trivial to others. Still, it was enough to excite her.

Seeing the rare spark of light in the blonde girl's eyes, Livia rested her chin on her hand, her expression gentle.

"Do you like strawberries?"

"Hmm."

"That's good. If you'd like to try another fruit, I can ask the baker to make something different tomorrow."

As she spoke, Livia brushed aside the blonde hair that fell over Amalia's ear and added softly, "As long as Amalia likes it, any flavor is fine."

Earlier in the day, while chatting with Hibbort, had mentioned that a caravan had recently brought special blackberries from the Kingdom of Velys.

These berries were preserved using ice-attribute crystals to keep them fresh.

If she wanted, she could ask the maids to bring some over.

These blackberries were particularly well-suited for mousse or muffins.

Due to the long distance they traveled, their transportation and storage were quite troublesome, making them rather expensive.

It was unlikely that Amalia, confined to the castle, had ever tasted such a novel fruit.

As she gazed at the delicate blonde beauty before her, the corners of Amalia's lips curved slightly upward. Her slender fingers gripped the spoon, and her voice was soft.

"Okay..."

Friendship was about reciprocity. Livia had been so kind to her; it was only right that she return the gesture in some way.

Perhaps she could draw something and give it to her.

Noticing the subtle smile on Amalia's lips, Livia was momentarily stunned. For a brief moment, her eyes shimmered with emotion.

Although the smile was faint, it was a significant change for someone who had rarely smiled since birth.

Livia could sense Amalia's slightly relaxed mood from this small gesture.

Even the gloomy aura that perpetually surrounded the latter seemed to dissipate a little.

After finishing a piece of the muffin, Amalia's delicate lips appeared brighter than usual, with a small smear of snow-white cream at the corner.

Livia took out a silk handkerchief, leaned closer, and gently wiped it away.

Feeling the soft silk press against her lips, Amalia sat still, her blue eyes fixed intently on Livia.

She could feel the warmth of the woman's fingertips through the fabric, a sensation that traveled all the way to her lips, gradually calming her mood.

No one had ever brought her food in the middle of the night, patiently watched her draw, chatted with her, or carefully wiped cream from her lips as Livia did now.

No one except Livia.

"Livia," Amalia spoke suddenly.

Livia folded the silk handkerchief and asked softly, "What is it?"

"Can I come to your room to read?"

"..."

She could read in her own bedroom, so why did she have to come to Livia's?

Livia looked into Amalia's slightly expectant eyes and replied with a smile, "Of course, you can sit next to me."

It wasn't an excessive request, and Livia saw no reason to refuse.

"Okay."

Amalia stood up and walked briskly to the next room.

Watching the girl's slender figure in her white nightdress, which looked even more delicate under the moonlight, Livia fluttered her eyelashes a few times.

Her jade-like fingers lightly touched her lips, revealing a faint smile.

She had never expected this cold and delicate blonde girl to become so clingy after confirming their friendship.

But in the next moment, Livia's expression deepened. Her brows furrowed slightly, and her bright red eyes reflected the flickering candlelight.

The contrast in Amalia's behavior now revealed that after years of solitude in the castle, her emotions needed an outlet.

She needed someone who could provide timely emotional support and understanding.

Amalia was a child who deeply lacked love.

Livia quickly took the opportunity to drink another bottle of potion.

A few minutes later, Amalia returned to the room carrying a dark-covered book in one hand and a glass bottle of light red juice in the other.

"Should I sit here?" Amalia asked softly as she approached Livia.

Livia's desk was far more spacious than the one in Amalia's room, as evidenced by the fact that it had accommodated so many ingredients the previous day.

Even with Amalia's book on the table, there would still be plenty of space for Livia to move freely.

"Yes, sit down."

Livia moved the small plate she had just used to the side.

With a graceful wave of her arm, she brought a faint, fragrant breeze. Amalia opened her book, The Revival of Imperial Oil Painting Art, and placed it under the oil lamp.

After a late-night snack and a chat, it was time to get down to business.

Livia dipped the tip of her quill pen into the inkwell, pinning it between her fingers as she began to outline the plot of her novel.

The primary audience for newspapers and periodicals consisted of sixteen or seventeen-year-old aristocratic ladies.

Pampered year-round and free from the worries of livelihood, they were at an age where romantic fantasies naturally occupied their thoughts.

With ample time and energy, they often indulged in dreams of love.

Just like Princess Astrid in the past, who spent her days focused on dressing herself exquisitely and beautifully, all while yearning for a romantic affair.

Perhaps... she could write a story about a domineering prince falling in love with a commoner girl, or a wealthy wife eloping with her lover...

After some thought, Livia began to write.

Relying on the plot outline in her memory, it took her about an hour and a half to complete the first draft of over 2,000 words. She then carefully read through it, word by word.

In the past, Astrid hadn't been fond of such books, but her sister had read them voraciously.

She would often recount the plots to Astrid, and over time, Astrid had become familiar with the common tropes and routines.

These aristocratic ladies... they'd probably find this kind of story irresistible...

As she looked over the words on the paper, Livia felt an inexplicable sense of embarrassment.

She quickly tucked away the first draft, took a sip of grape juice, and noticed that Amalia was still reading. Softly, she asked, "Aren't you going to rest?"

It was already late into the night, and growing children shouldn't stay up too late.

Hearing her question, Amalia raised her head to look at Livia, who sat elegantly across from her. The words she had intended to say shifted as they reached her lips.

"Livia—" she paused, then whispered, "Can you come with me?"