Princess’s Struggle for Survival

At the same time, Amalia had just returned to her room from the washroom. After splashing cold water on her face, she felt more awake, but the acidity in her stomach hadn't lessened at all.

Feeling her steps a bit unsteady, Amalia slumped onto the bed. Hearing the noise, Auri jumped out of the cat bed and onto the girl's legs.

"I'm fine."

Seeing the orange cat, Amalia spoke softly, as if talking to the cat, or perhaps reassuring herself.

Lying back on the bed, the right side of the bed was empty, with nothing there.

Perhaps the night amplified the growth of negative emotions. At times like this, time always seemed particularly hard to endure.

Glancing at the clock, 12:10, Amalia hugged the soft pillow again, burying her head in the fabric.

The sense of fullness in her arms made it feel as if Livia had never left.

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The sour liquid slid down her throat, leaving a faint bitterness lingering between her lips and teeth. Astrid glanced at the moon hanging high in the sky, stuffed the empty glass bottle into her bag, and walked gently into the ancient castle.

The hard soles of her boots clicked crisply against the tiles. Livia hummed softly, and the oil lamps on either side of the staircase spontaneously lit up, only to be extinguished by a mysterious gust of wind shortly after she passed.

It had been two days. She wondered how Amalia was doing.

Climbing to the floor where Amalia resided, Livia turned the corner of the staircase and saw a long, dark corridor. Only one door was firmly shut, with a sliver of warm orange light peeking out from beneath it.

Inside the room, Amalia sat before an easel, holding a slender paintbrush, her gaze lowered and focused.

Suddenly, she heard a faint noise. The golden-haired girl's eyes froze, and she instinctively held her breath.

"Tap, tap..."

The crisp sound echoed in the corridor, muffled by the solid wooden door. The noise should have been barely audible to Amalia, but at that moment, the familiar footsteps seemed to strike her heart, sending ripples through her emotions.

That sound... Livia was back...

The footsteps grew closer, even drowning out the pounding of her heart. Amalia turned her head toward the door crack, just as the footsteps abruptly ceased, as if everything she had heard was nothing but a self-deceiving illusion.

Her grip on the brush tightened slightly, and the tip left a small blotch of paint on the canvas. The sharp lines of the cold, towering building now had an unsightly bulge, completely ruining the overall beauty of the piece.

From a professional standpoint, the painting was ruined. But Amalia clearly didn't care about that. She was staring intently at the door crack, her legs stiff against the chair.

After what felt like an eternity, the footsteps outside resumed. This time, however, the person in the corridor didn't approach but instead walked further away.

That familiar sound... It was definitely Livia...

Amalia unconsciously straightened her posture, placing the brush back on the table. She sniffed lightly, as if every cell in her body was cheering with joy.

She stood up, her white skirt brushing past her knees. Due to the sudden movement and her recent lack of appetite, Amalia felt a wave of dizziness.

She steadied herself with both hands on the desk, trying to calm the spinning in her head. A voice inside her repeated, loud and clear.

Go see her... Go see her...

Go see her.

Walking to the door, her hand touched the cold handle. Amalia hesitated, her fingers curling slightly around the knob before straightening again.

She had thought Livia wouldn't come, which was why she had tightly shut the door.

Now that she was about to step out, what should she say?

"I missed you, sister."

Or,

"You said you'd try to come every night..."

The two different phrases swirled in her mind. Amalia took a deep breath, her emerald-green eyes fixed on her hand. Half a minute later, she pushed the door open with force.

No matter what, she had to confirm whether Livia had really returned.

If everything she had heard was just a figment of her imagination, then all her thoughts now were nothing but empty talk.

Stepping out of her room, Amalia noticed a faint light coming from the neighboring room. The air carried a hint of mint and citrus, a scent that flowed through her nostrils and into her lungs. A long-lost sense of security quietly crept into her heart.

After three days and two nights of solitude, the room had once again welcomed its original owner.

Amalia turned her head to look inside. A young woman with golden hair and a white dress sat in a chair, holding a black magic book.

Livia's expression was calm, her beautiful features softened by the light. She leaned slightly forward, her long, smooth legs elegantly crossed, her fingers resting on the pages of the book, which was pressed against her raised right knee.

Something in Amalia's heart seemed to melt. She felt the tightness in her chest ease, though her heart continued to race uncontrollably.

It was like finding a treasure she had accidentally lost, suddenly rediscovered in a drawer at the corner of the bed.

Intense joy filled Amalia's spirit. She sniffled, trying to suppress her emotions that were on the verge of breaking.

Livia hadn't left; she had just been busy.

That was all.

Swallowing lightly, Amalia closed her eyes. As the wave of joy receded, another wave of doubt crept into her mind.

Where had Livia been these past two days? Was it something important?

Would she stay from now on... or was she here tonight to say goodbye?

Thoughts swirled in Amalia's mind as she stood in place, wanting to enter the room and speak with Livia, yet finding it difficult to take a step forward.

She knew she was still struggling with the fact that Livia was Astrid, but on the other hand, her inner desire was driving her to get closer to Livia again.

Livia's absence these past few days seemed to have triggered something inside her. Whether it was eating, sleeping, painting, or studying, every aspect of her life had become a tangled mess because of Livia's departure.

She missed Livia, more than ever before.

Her legs seemed to regain their strength. Amalia stepped forward, emerging from the shadows and arriving at Livia's doorway.

Noticing someone nearby, Livia turned her head and saw the golden-haired girl in a strappy nightgown standing at the door.

Their eyes met in mid-air. Amalia instinctively moved her arms behind her back, her fingers clenched, her gaze calm as she looked at Livia.

"Good evening, sister," Amalia said.

Hearing the other girl initiate the greeting, Livia felt a slight ripple in her heart. She smiled softly and responded in a gentle voice.

"Good evening to you too, Amalia."

After that, Amalia remained standing at the door, and Livia stayed seated at the desk. The two sisters simply looked at each other in silence, neither of them speaking first.

Amalia gazed at Livia's pale, delicate face, and suddenly, Astrid's appearance flashed through her mind.

Their brows were actually quite similar, though the silver hair and red eyes were a far cry from the golden hair and green eyes. Combined with their vastly different temperaments, Astrid's cold demeanor contrasted with Livia's gentle smile, Amalia had never made the connection between the two when they first met.

The emotions she had been suppressing felt like a volcano on the verge of eruption. Every breath she took was filled with undercurrents. After a moment, Amalia spoke in a calm tone.

"Sister, where have you been these past two days?"

Livia gently closed the book and replied in a soft voice.

"I had some business at a friend's place and ended up staying the night."

A friend's place... staying the night...

Livia's cool tone struck Amalia's heart like a sharp blade. The golden-haired girl felt her limbs grow cold, though she remained composed on the surface.

"Is that so..."

How could she have forgotten? Whether it was Livia Valeria or Astrid Calliste, neither of them would lack for friends.

Livia didn't need to come to the castle every night for one person. Amalia had perhaps taken herself too seriously.

Realizing this, Amalia's heart trembled slightly, and her gaze lowered.

"If you're busy reading, I won't disturb you."

With that, Amalia turned away, not looking at Livia. Seeing this, Livia quickly spoke up.

"I prepared some berry cake. If you're hungry, Amalia, you can have some."

As the woman's voice fell, light footsteps approached from behind Amalia. Livia carried the dessert to the golden-haired girl's side, speaking softly.

"Consider it a midnight snack, and also my apology for not being here these past two nights."

Amalia felt her hand gently taken by Livia's, a tender touch followed by the placement of a cool metal box in her palm. Amalia glanced at the object in her hand, her teeth lightly biting her pink lips.

At this distance, she could smell Livia's fragrance, and she could turn around to kiss her, to hug her.

But in the end, Amalia simply said,

"Thank you."

With that, Amalia walked back to her room. Livia didn't try to stop her, simply watching as the golden-haired girl entered her bedroom and disappeared from view.