Princess’s Struggle for Survival

Amalia had once read in a book that truly close friends could express their closeness by sharing meals at the same table every day and even sleeping in the same bed.

Livia was her only and best friend. She wanted to do all those things that only close friends could share.

Now that they had already dined together, the next step was to sleep in a bed.

Upon hearing Amalia's words, Livia was momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting the golden-haired girl to be so forward. Even she was genuinely surprised.

Just over ten days ago, Amalia had still been cold and distant, exuding an aura that kept others at arm's length.

Yet now, she clung to Livia's side even while reading, and even insisted on her company at night. This clinginess rivaled that of any fourteen-year-old girl.

Gazing into the girl's expectant eyes, Livia subtly tilted her swan-like neck before speaking softly after a pause.

"Shall we go to your room?"

Having finished writing the fashion recommendations and the opening of her novel, her tasks for the night were more or less complete.

Taking a short break wouldn't hurt. The only concern was ensuring her identity remained hidden.

A single dose of transformation potion lasted two hours.

If she let her guard down and accidentally fell asleep, forgetting to take another dose in time, all her efforts would be for naught.

Given Amalia's current aversion toward Astrid, Livia had no doubt that once the potion wore off and her true appearance was revealed, the former might react with extreme hostility.

"Mhm." Amalia gave a soft hum, her light blue eyes shimmering with tiny flecks of light.

"Is it... not okay?"

Hearing the low, gentle tone in the other's voice, Livia hesitated for a few seconds before parting her pink lips.

"Of course not."

Since Amalia didn't mind, she wouldn't refuse such a small request.

For a child who had grown up lacking parental affection and living in isolation, expressing such a desire meant she had completely lowered her guard.

Making excuses now would only make Amalia overthink, believing Livia might be starting to dislike her.

Receiving the answer she wanted, Amalia blinked a few times, gently brushing aside her thick golden hair as she rose from the chair.

"Then... let's go..."

"Mhm, you go ahead. I'll tidy up and wash my hands before joining you."

"Okay, I'll wait for you."

Watching Amalia leave the bedroom, Livia glanced at the papers on the desk, carefully folding them and placing them in her satchel.

She then headed to the washroom across the hall, locked the door, and drank another dose of the transformation potion in front of the mirror.

A sour, bitter taste flooded her tongue. Even without deliberately savoring it, the faint bitterness lingered unpleasantly in her mouth.

Astrid gazed at the red-eyed beauty in the mirror, elegant and poised in her lavish dress.

Her vision blurred slightly, and after half a minute, she gently pressed the water-attribute crystal stone.

As the cool stream flowed over her fingers, she lowered her head to wash the ink stains from her hands, her mind quickly settling.

Amalia's newfound initiative was something Livia found heartening.

However, the closer their relationship grew, the greater the risk of her true identity being exposed.

At this point, Astrid truly felt that every step she took had to be cautious, leaving no room for mistakes.

After washing her hands, Livia entered Amalia's bedroom. The girl wasn't yet under the covers but sat quietly by the bed, her slender, pale legs exposed to the air.

The soft orange lamplight cast a warm glow on her flawless skin, making it appear delicate and almost translucent.

Seeing Livia enter, Amalia released her grip on the bedsheet, slipping her bare feet out of her sandals. She drew her knees to her chest and said calmly,

"Livia, close the door."

She wasn't used to sleeping with the door open.

Livia complied, and with a soft click, the closed door separated the bedroom from the hallway, leaving only the private space for the two of them.

Amalia gave Livia a long look before lifting the corner of the blanket and sliding in, leaving only a small part of her body exposed.

Having lived alone for so long, the fourth princess naturally only had one blanket and one pillow on her bed.

But considering Livia's presence, Amalia didn't sleep in the middle as usual. Instead, she deliberately shifted her petite frame to the left, resting her head on the edge of the pillow to leave ample space for the other.

Livia walked slowly to the bedside, paused for a few seconds, and then sat on the mattress.

Amalia's bed was soft, sinking slightly under her weight.

"Tap."

With a light sound, Livia removed her short boots and leaned back against the headboard, tucking her long, evenly-proportioned legs, clad in white stockings, under the blanket.

Amalia studied the person beside her for a while before asking softly, "Livia, aren't you going to change before bed?"

The other was still wearing the same luxurious attire from earlier. Amalia couldn't imagine how uncomfortable it would be to sleep in such elaborate clothing.

Livia was well aware of this, but beneath her dress, she only had undergarments left.

More importantly, the issue lay with the transformation potion itself.

The potion's effect was to impose an "illusion" on the drinker, causing observers to subconsciously fill in the gaps of their appearance, creating a psychological misperception.

In other words, Astrid had never actually changed, only Amalia's perception of her had.

Thus, she couldn't guarantee whether removing her clothes would cause the illusions projected onto the fabric to fade gradually as the potion wore off. Even taking another dose afterward might not fix it.

Removing her boots was already a reluctant compromise.

Livia even carefully placed them out of Amalia's line of sight to avoid detection.

'I'll have to ask Lyra to test this again another day.'

"Mhm... I'm not really used to undressing when sharing a bed with someone..."

Livia weighed her words carefully, ensuring nothing she said would inadvertently hurt Amalia.

The girl was still young, and even an offhand remark could wound her.

Amalia didn't seem disappointed. Instead, as she gazed at Livia's golden hair cascading over the bed, a thought quietly took root in her heart.

'Does this mean I'm the first friend Livia has ever shared a bed with?'

"Livia... have you never slept with anyone else before?"

As if to confirm her suspicion, Amalia couldn't resist asking after a moment of contemplation.

If the answer was no, then perhaps she held a special place in Livia's heart.

Hearing this, Livia fell briefly silent, her thoughts racing.

In recent times, whenever she stayed overnight with Charlotte, they always shared a bed.

Further back, Astrid had often slept with Elise as a child, clinging to the head maid's arm and playing with her hair.

"I've slept with family before, but as for friends..."

"No."

At least in Astrid's memory, she had never shared a bed with any of her so-called noble "sisters."

In the original Astrid's mind, those high-born young ladies were beneath her in status.

While it was fine to play around with them, treating them as equals was out of the question, a perfect example of superficial relationships.

'So... I'm the first friend Livia has ever shared a bed with…'

This realization sent an involuntary surge of joy through Amalia's heart, her blue eyes glimmering.

"This is my first time sleeping with someone too," Amalia murmured.

From the moment she could remember, she had slept on a tattered piece of fabric that could hardly be called a bed, its condition even worse than the makeshift nest she had made for Auri.

Her mother would return to the room late every night, exhausted from dancing all day.

The woman could only curl up on a small bed, with no energy left to care for Amalia.

Sometimes, the girl wouldn't even get two warm meals a day. Locked in the room to avoid discovery, she could only drift listlessly from dawn to dusk, and from night to dawn.

Realizing the hardships the golden-haired girl might have endured, Livia's gaze softened further, her eyes brimming with quiet sorrow.

Amalia noticed this but didn't offer any explanation. These were facts, things she wanted Livia to know.

The next moment, Amalia felt her delicate hand, resting under the blanket, enveloped in warmth. She looked up to meet a pair of blue eyes, so similar to her own.

Livia's palm gently covered the back of her hand, as if trying to share her body heat, bringing Amalia an indescribable sense of security.

If only Livia could be my sister...

The thought flashed through Amalia's mind. She imagined being bound by blood to Livia, perhaps she really could call her "sister."

Before Amalia could voice this, Livia spoke first.

"Amalia... you've been through so much all these years."

The original novel's description of Amalia had been limited to a single line, "imprisoned by the emperor in an ancient castle for years."

Such sparse background details paled in comparison to the stark reality of her loneliness and suffering.

Hearing Livia's words, Amalia felt as though something had clenched tightly around her heart.

Her blood rushed faster, and the grievances she had bottled up for years seemed to find an outlet.

Yet years of solitude had taught Amalia to control her emotions well. She inhaled lightly, not letting any of her vulnerability show, and wrapped her other arm around Livia's, pressing it against her chest.

"Actually, once you get used to it, it's not so bad," Amalia said.

Half of this was genuine, while the other half stemmed from her awareness that Livia would feel sorry for her.

This slightly calculated approach left Amalia with a mix of unease and longing.

She wanted to keep Livia by her side, by any means necessary. Playing the victim, feigning weakness, whatever it took to achieve her goal, she would do it.

Feeling the smooth touch of the girl's warm skin against her arm through the fabric, Livia lowered her lashes, her long, delicate eyelashes trembling faintly.

"If it were me, I might not have endured those long nights as well as you did," the woman murmured before adding softly,

"...You're very strong, Amalia."

The moment the words left her lips, the golden-haired girl nestled closer, her soft body pressing against Livia's arm as she rested her head lightly on the woman's shoulder.

Breathing in the faint scent of lemon from Livia's hair, Amalia relaxed, her nose brushing against the silken strands.

She loved this version of Livia, one who cared for her unreservedly, who felt indignant on her behalf, who showed genuine emotion for someone as forsaken as her.

If only Livia could stay by my side forever...

After a long silence, Amalia spoke again.

"Livia, that sister of yours... the one you don't get along with..."

"...Has she ever called you 'sister'?"

The more one had, the more one desired. Humans were inherently greedy creatures.

Livia narrowed her eyes slightly, struck by the irony of the question.

Essentially, Amalia was asking whether she had ever called Astrid "sister."

Given their past relationship, it was a miracle they hadn't hurled insults at each other every time they spoke, courtesy of noble etiquette.

In the original Astrid's mind, Amalia was nothing more than an impure-blooded bastard, unworthy of being her sister.

"No," Livia answered truthfully.

Receiving the response she had hoped for, Amalia pressed her cheek against Livia's sleeve, breathing in the comforting scent around her before parting her lips.

"Livia..." She paused, as if steeling herself.

"Can I call you 'sister'?"

Livia might have many friends, but Amalia wanted to be the only one who could call her "sister."

At this moment, the blood ties she had once despised now offered her an advantage, she and Livia were connected by an invisible bond.

No matter where they went or what happened, that thread would never break.

Unlike Hibbort or the other members of the Valeria family, they were true kin, people who could genuinely care for each other, not just maintain superficial ties out of obligation.

Livia pursed her lips lightly, turning her head to meet Amalia's gaze with quiet solemnity.

Finally, just as Amalia's heart began to sink, Livia spoke softly.

"If you'd like to, then yes."

At that moment, Astrid understood something she had overlooked before.

Why had Amalia, who so despised her surname, envisioned her with golden hair and blue eyes, clear symbols of royalty, during their first meeting?

This didn't align with the beautifying effects of the transformation potion.

Perhaps this child, who had never known parental love, had always secretly yearned for a gentle, mature elder bound to her by blood, someone who would care for her.

Amalia had never truly given up her longing for love.