Princess’s Struggle for Survival

Lighting the oil lamp on the desk, the room brightened slightly. Amalia stared at the parchment for a while, then shifted her gaze to the storage box on the floor.

After a moment's hesitation, Amalia bent down, undid the metal clasp, and opened the box. Inside were the tools they used for meals and three pairs of chopsticks.

Amalia took out the chopsticks, twirling them between her fingers. Suddenly, the memory of Livia teaching her how to use these long utensils surfaced.

The woman had patiently placed her hand over Amalia's, helping her adjust her grip...

In the next moment, Livia in her memory overlapped with Astrid. Amalia's hand gripping the chopsticks tightened, the wooden ends clinking softly.

Livia was just a phantom; the one who truly existed was always Astrid.

After a while, Amalia put the chopsticks back in the box, closed the metal clasp, and restored everything to its original state.

Extinguishing the lamp, Amalia stood at the doorway, gazing inside for a long time before returning to her bedroom, closing the door, and gently lying down on the bed.

Burying her face in the pillow, Amalia inhaled lightly. The scent of Astrid on the pillow was almost gone now, leaving only a faint aroma of clean grass.

Just like Livia's scent, time would take everything away, leaving nothing behind.

Her soft soles pressed against the bed. Amalia covered her eyes with her arm, trying to calm her racing heart.

"As long as Amalia is willing, I'll always be by your side."

At this moment, she suddenly understood why Livia had added those seemingly meaningless prefixes before.

"Livia..." Amalia murmured.

"Have you really abandoned me?"

She regretted why she had been so cold to push her away.

What if, just what if, Astrid wasn't lying to her.

Even if it was just a tiny possibility.

The craving for love grew like weeds in her heart. Amalia closed her eyes, slightly parting her lips to aid her slightly congested nose.

She thought of the warm hugs filled with the scent of citrus and mint before bed, the soft touch of pink lips on her forehead, the gentle and calm voice of the woman when she spoke.

Unbeknownst to her, she had grown accustomed to lying in the same bed with Livia every night, feeling the warmth of her body, listening to her soft whispers as she fell asleep.

Neither the night before nor last night had Amalia slept well. This habit of holding something to sleep peacefully seemed ingrained in her bones, impossible to change.

Biting her lip until it almost bled, Amalia tried to relax her body.

Livia... no, Astrid, what are you doing now...

Would she, like me, find it hard to sleep alone?

Unlike Amalia, who was tossing and turning, unable to sleep, Astrid was lying on a soft bed, inhaling the subtle, sweet scent of her Countess sister, gradually relaxing.

Just two or three seconds after slipping under the covers, Charlotte naturally turned to face Astrid.

Feeling the cold, smooth jade-like skin of Charlotte's legs pressing against her own under the skirt, Astrid instinctively lowered her gaze, her eyes landing on the other's delicate and lovely collarbone.

A small portion of Charlotte's fair skin peeked out from the neckline of her nightgown, glowing like jade in the moonlight.

Sharing a bed with Charlotte felt entirely different from being with Amalia. It wasn't just about their physical differences but more about the mental aspect.

With Amalia, Astrid was the older sister who needed to take care of her, but with Charlotte, she became the cherished younger one.

This shift in roles meant that Astrid's feelings were entirely different when she was with Charlotte compared to when she was with Amalia.

Noticing Astrid's gaze lingering on her chest, Charlotte blinked, reached out, and gently tucked a strand of silver hair behind Astrid's ear.

"Little Astr, did you enjoy dinner tonight?"

Astrid snapped out of her thoughts, looking into Charlotte's sparkling, moist eyes, and softly replied, "Yes, the chef at Lady Charlotte's place is very skilled, especially the rosemary garlic steak served midway, it was absolutely divine."

Perhaps knowing in advance that Astrid would stay for dinner, there were no seafood dishes on the table, which made Astrid appreciate Charlotte's thoughtfulness even more.

Being with this elegant and mature Countess, Astrid didn't have to worry about a thing.

Hearing Astrid's praise, Charlotte smiled, placing her arm in the gap between them on the bed, and whispered, "If Little Astr likes it, you can come over more often when you have time."

"This is a new dish the chef learned, and it turned out quite well."

Knowing Charlotte was subtly hinting for her to visit more often, Astrid's lips curled into a smile, and she leaned her cheek closer to Charlotte.

The moonlight falling on the girl's head seemed to coat her smooth hair with a flowing silver sheen.

"Alright, I'll definitely come to try more when I have the time."

"By the way, once Lady Charlotte returns from Ostwycke City, you can visit me at the palace anytime. I'll personally prepare dinner for you then."

Charlotte had tasted Astrid's cooking before and highly approved of her skills.

"Then I'll have trouble Little Astr~" Charlotte said with a smile.

"I'm looking forward to that dinner."

Not just because it would be made by Astrid, but also because of the thoughtfulness behind it.

The aunt and niece chatted for a while in bed, their distance gradually shrinking.

At some point, Charlotte placed her hand on the hem of Astrid's nightgown, and Astrid leaned her head against Charlotte's smooth, round shoulder.

"Little Astr..."

Feeling the warmth in her arms, Charlotte paused and suddenly spoke.

"Are you still thinking about Amalia?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Astrid blinked a few times, her long lashes brushing against Charlotte's skin like a soft brush.

After a while, the girl replied, "How did Lady Charlotte know?"

"From the start of dinner, you seemed a bit distracted..." Charlotte reached out and gently ruffled Astrid's hair.

"During our walk, Little Astr kept spacing out. I was almost doubting my own charm, wondering if I was so uninteresting that even a younger companion couldn't focus on our conversation."

"But upon closer thought, you must be worried about Amalia."

After all, according to Astrid's description, since establishing a sisterly relationship with Amalia under the identity of Livia, she had never missed a night.

This sudden absence must have left the golden-haired girl in the castle wondering what was going.

After speaking, Charlotte lowered her head, her gentle gaze falling on Astrid.

"Little Astr, you're very important to me. You can tell me anything directly; there's no need to keep it bottled up."

"What exactly are your thoughts about Amalia?"

If possible, she didn't mind being a confidante.

After hearing Charlotte's words, Astrid didn't respond immediately but remained silent for a while. Charlotte didn't rush her, simply holding her quietly, offering support through their physical contact.

"Lady Charlotte..." After two or three minutes, Astrid spoke in a low voice.

"I've mentioned before that the main reason I chose to invest in Amalia is that my two older brothers lack the ability and temperament to become emperor."

"Lucas is stubborn and reckless, while Alistair is tyrannical and short-sighted. Either of them ascending the throne would be a disaster for the empire's people and would severely affect my current life."

Lucas was a lecher who had ruined many beautiful girls, and he wouldn't leave the most dazzling gem by his side untouched. Alistair, on the other hand, had already developed a rift with Astrid when she sided with the eldest prince. Neither of them was easy to get along with.

"Compared to the two princes, Amalia is still young and has the potential to become a competent emperor. Through my interactions with her, I've come to understand what kind of person she is."

"Amalia is just a young girl who lacks love. She's highly malleable, and with proper guidance, she might very well be able to take on that role in the future."

The last time she discussed this with Charlotte, Astrid hadn't mentioned that her support for Amalia might be to make her a puppet emperor while she herself acted as the true regent.

However, Charlotte, being an imperial Countess, was no stranger to politics. Without Astrid needing to elaborate, she could guess her niece's true intentions.

Whether it was gaining the support of the Velmont family or vigorously developing the press, everything Astrid did could be seen as accumulating political capital for Amalia's ascension or as a way to restrain the latter's power.

"So, what Little Astr really wants to do now is to nurture Amalia?" Charlotte asked softly.

Astrid nodded in response. "That's exactly what I'm thinking."

"Father has treated me well, and out of both emotion and reason, I should consider things from the royal family's perspective. Amalia carries royal blood, and having her as emperor would mean the empire isn't handed over to an outsider like me."

"Moreover, after spending this time together..." Astrid paused before continuing.

"I've grown quite fond of Amalia."

This golden-haired girl wasn't inherently bad; she had just suffered too many misfortunes that weren't her fault.

With just a little care and love, Amalia would respond with even greater enthusiasm, which was enough to win Astrid's affection.

"..."

"I think I understand Little Astr's intentions now."

Charlotte's voice was soft, her warm breath gently brushing against Astrid's hair. Just as she was about to comfort Astrid, saying that Amalia was just temporarily upset and would soon come around, Astrid spoke first.

"Lady Charlotte, do you know of anything that can change a person's hair and eye color without harming their health?"

"Not something like a transformation potion that creates hallucinations, but something that directly affects the body, preferably without involving magic to avoid unnecessary magical fluctuations."

Astrid had looked up related knowledge in the imperial encyclopedia, but since it was a miscellaneous book, the information wasn't very in-depth.

"Change hair and eye color?" Charlotte murmured, then after a few seconds, replied.

"What color does Little Astr want?"

Astrid responded, "I'm not sure yet, but preferably black."

Black hair was the most common in the Calist Empire and would be the least likely to arouse suspicion.

"For black, the best dye would be the light ink flower from the southern part of the empire. Once it comes into contact with the juice squeezed from its own stem, the black dye extracted from the light ink flower will automatically fade."

"However, while it's good for dyeing hair, it's not very convenient for changing eye color."

Charlotte suddenly thought of something, her dark eyes narrowing slightly.

"But there is a way to change eye color."

Astrid asked gently, "What do you mean, Lady Charlotte?"

Before she could finish, Charlotte continued.

"Little Astr, do you know about elves?"

Astrid nodded slightly. "Yes, there are traces of elf activity in the Eternal Dark Forest in the northwest of the empire."

It was a historically rich mountain range, famous for its layered giant trees, surrounded by multiple magical barriers, making it difficult for most to enter.

"Due to some dirty underground transactions in the empire's history, these graceful and beautiful elves don't like to show their true faces. When they enter the empire's territory, they usually wear large hoods to cover their long ears and wear fake eyes to conceal their bright green eye color."

"These fake eyes are made from the transparent membrane of a plant. Wearing them for a long time not only doesn't harm the eyes but also gradually improves vision."

"If I remember correctly, the Velmont family collects magical ingredients near the Eternal Dark Forest every year, and the Honeysuckle Guild should have these membranes for sale."

Light ink flower, transparent membrane, Astrid silently noted these two things, her thoughts quickly turning.

"Why is Little Astr suddenly asking about this?"

Charlotte looked at Astrid's silver-white hair, thinking that dyeing it black would lose its unique charm.

"I want to..."

"...take Amalia out of the castle."

The girl's clear voice was particularly noticeable in the room. Charlotte seemed not to have heard it clearly the first time, frowning slightly.

"Little Astr, what did you say?"

Astrid looked up at Charlotte and repeated softly, "I want to take Amalia out of the castle."

Hearing her clear words, Charlotte's frown deepened.

"...You know the consequences if this is discovered."

Amalia was a stain on Hibbort's life, and he would never allow her to leave the castle. Combined with the questions Astrid had just asked, a clear idea formed in Charlotte's mind.

Astrid planned to secretly take Amalia out of the palace, behind Hibbort's back.

"I know," Astrid replied.

"Father hasn't visited Amalia even once in all these years, and before I came, Amalia had never been exposed to magic, so her mental energy couldn't have been recorded."

"I asked Elise to investigate, and the place with the weakest security in the entire palace is the castle where Amalia is kept. Father seems to have deliberately wanted everyone to forget about this illegitimate daughter, so he didn't even assign any surveillance personnel."

Apart from Sara, who was responsible for delivering meals, there were only a handful of guards watching the castle.

Even an intermediate apprentice like Astrid could easily sneak in during the shift change wearing an infiltrator's robe, which was enough to prove the lack of security.

"Even so, the sudden disappearance of a living person wouldn't be without risk."

Charlotte's brows furrowed, her tone suddenly serious.

"And once this is exposed, even if you're the emperor's most beloved princess, the consequences you'll face will be unimaginable."

Hibbort had imprisoned Amalia in the castle to cover up a past he didn't want to mention. He wouldn't allow anyone to reveal Amalia's existence to the world, even if it was his favorite goddaughter, Princess Astrid.

Hearing this, Astrid pursed her lips and said softly, "Lady Charlotte, if Father discovers that Amalia is no longer in the castle, even if he finds out it was me, what do you think he'll assume?"

"He'll think I've dealt with Amalia, not that I've revealed to the world the existence of a blood-related daughter who could take away his favor, nor that I could take Amalia under my wing to nurture her."

The conflict and tension between Astrid and Amalia were no secret in the palace, and Hibbort had always turned a blind eye to it, never intervening.

"Father doesn't like Amalia, so it's only natural that his jealous stepdaughter would help him get rid of this stain on his life. Everything makes perfect sense."

Astrid had never forgotten that she still had the role of a villain.

Charlotte shook her head and responded softly, "It's not that simple."

"Amalia still carries royal blood, and no matter how cold Father's attitude is toward her, it hasn't reached the point where he must dispose of her."

Just as Sara could secretly extort Amalia but couldn't openly bully her, as long as Amalia carried even a trace of Hibbort's blood, she could, to some extent, represent the royal family's face.

If Astrid's actions were discovered, she would undoubtedly face Hibbort's wrath. Even if he didn't hold it against her out of respect for her parents, he would never dote on her as he had in the past.

"Little Astr... you know the consequences of this better than I do..."

Hearing Charlotte's words, Astrid didn't argue but slowly said, "Amalia knows it too."