Princess’s Struggle for Survival

"...Are you going to take me away?"

If she hadn't misunderstood, this was the meaning Livia wanted to convey to her.

To take her away from this deep prison, from this tomb that had buried her freedom.

As soon as the words fell, a hand as white as jade appeared in Amalia's vision, palm facing upward, five slender and smooth fingers slightly curved inward.

"Yes, exactly as Amalia thought..." Astrid said.

Beneath the tender white palm, the pure white dress had already dissipated, replaced by a black silk dress with ruffles, exquisitely crafted.

"If I say I want to take Amalia out of the castle and live together outside."

"Would you be willing?"

Following the arm upward, Amalia saw the smooth, silky silver-white hair and those iconic crimson eyes.

Astrid and Livia had always shared some resemblance in their features, but now, under the warm orange light, the woman's cold demeanor softened slightly, and for a moment, their faces seemed to overlap. Amalia seemed to see the golden-haired beauty who had extended her hand to her in the moonlight that night in the corridor.

Livia... was she coming to take her away...

A moment later, Amalia came back to her senses. The person standing before her now was not Livia, but the Third Princess Astrid. The one who wanted to take her away was also the silver-haired princess who had once bullied her.

Looking at the soft light in the woman's eyes, Amalia released her clenched hands, letting them hang quietly by her sides, attributing the earlier illusion to the lingering effects of the transformation potion.

If it had been Livia who said these words, Amalia would have agreed without hesitation. Her sister and freedom were the two things she had always wanted most.

But if it were Astrid, she couldn't help but weigh the pros and cons.

Even though they were the same person, the difference in how Amalia felt about them was like night and day.

Noticing the golden-haired girl standing quietly, her slender legs straight, Astrid knew the potion's effects had completely worn off, and what stood before Amalia now was no longer Livia.

Yet, even after realizing this, Astrid still didn't reach for the transformation potion at her waist. Her hand remained suspended in mid-air.

Leaving the castle, within the palace, there was only Astrid Calliste, not Livia Valeria. Only the former could take Amalia away from here.

She needed to make Amalia realize this fact.

Smelling the completely different fragrance in the air, Amalia spoke softly.

"If I stay, will Livia be here every night?"

After spending so much time together, Livia's place in Amalia's heart had subtly surpassed that of freedom. If she could see her every day, she would rather not go anywhere.

Astrid fell silent for a moment, then parted her pink lips.

"Without any unexpected events, Livia will come to the castle every night."

"But next year, she/I will be entering the Elizabeth Academy of Magic for further studies, so the time she can come here may be greatly reduced."

This was also why Astrid wanted to reveal the truth to Amalia within a year. The latter's dependence on Livia was extremely strong, and if they could only meet two or three times a week, Amalia would surely be filled with anxiety and uncertainty.

This future emperor had to grow up eventually, and the current Amalia was not yet ready to shoulder the burden. She had to step out of this cage and experience the world sooner.

A few minutes later, Amalia reached out, gently touching Astrid's palm with the side near her little finger.

She was the least favored illegitimate daughter of Hibbort, the most obvious stain in his life. Astrid taking her out of the castle would undoubtedly carry great risks, and she might even lose her favor because of it.

To go this far for someone who had almost no chance of competing for favor was completely unnecessary.

Moreover, leaving the cage, she could not only embrace the freedom she had always wanted but also have more time to see her sister.

As long as Astrid drank that potion, Livia could appear before her at any time.

Feeling the smooth touch on her palm, though Amalia didn't interlock her fingers with Astrid as she would with Livia, only lightly touching, Astrid could still understand the meaning behind this small gesture.

She was willing to leave the castle with her.

Realizing this, Astrid grasped the golden-haired girl's hand, her voice soft.

"Then tomorrow morning, Both of us will leave here together."

"Once we're outside the castle, leave everything else to me. Don't worry."

Amalia didn't speak, nor did she pull away from Astrid. She just lowered her head to look at the woman's calf boots, the butterfly-knotted surface reflecting a bright sheen under the light, dazzling her.

Was she really going to leave this maze... and with Astrid's help...

A strong sense of unreality filled Amalia's heart.

A few seconds later, sensing Amalia's inner turmoil, Astrid released her hand and whispered.

"I'll go wash my face in the bathroom..."

With that, Astrid left the bedroom and went to the bathroom across the hallway. The warmth in her fingers suddenly disappeared, and Amalia stared in the direction Astrid had left, unmoving for a long time.

Was she really going to leave here...

Her gaze fell on the wide wooden box nearby, and Amalia gently touched her chest, where her gradually accelerating heartbeat was particularly noticeable.

The thing she had longed for since moving into the castle was, in the end, given to her by the person she hated the most.

After standing still for a while, Amalia walked to the hallway in her sandals, standing at the bathroom door, listening to the faint sound of running water inside, her lips pursed as if waiting for something.

Half a minute later, the bathroom door opened, and Livia stepped out, seeing Amalia standing there like a delicate little white flower, smiling as she spoke.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting? What are you still doing here~"

Hearing the familiar voice, a glimmer of light appeared in Amalia's eyes, and she then stood on tiptoe, gently hugging Livia.

"I just wanted to wait for sister."

If it had been Astrid who came out, would she still share a bed with her?

Catching a glimpse of the hickey she had left on the woman's collarbone, Amalia didn't know the answer to that question, but at least for this moment, the person she was holding was Livia, and she didn't need to think about anything else.

Returning to the bedroom, though she had initially planned to rest directly, considering she would be leaving tomorrow, Amalia decided to pack a few things first.

"I'll help you pack," Livia said.

Amalia softly replied with an "okay," holding the other's hand as they sat by the table.

Thinking carefully, she didn't seem to have anything she needed to take with her. Whether it was paint or brushes, these could all be bought outside.

As for the paintings, it wasn't practical to take them all, and leaving them in the castle wouldn't be a problem, at most they would gather some dust.

Amalia watched as Livia carefully placed the string of gemstone necklaces into her wooden box, and after much thought, she realized the only thing she wanted was her sister.

Feeling that her presence was about to be forgotten, Auri fluttered her little paws and ran to Amalia, rubbing her tail against Livia's calf in front of her.

I almost forgot about you...

Amalia caught the orange cat, gently rubbing the soft fur on its head, her gaze growing even more tender.

Suddenly, she realized that Auri seemed particularly close to Livia, something she had sensed from their very first meeting.

Back then, it was Auri who had run out, leading her to encounter that light-like presence in the corridor.

Seeing Amalia holding the cat and not rummaging through her things, Livia spoke softly.

"Amalia... don't you want to see if there's anything you need to take..."

"No need," Amalia shook her head, her voice as if soaked in sugar water.

"Besides Auri and those few magic-related books, there's nothing else I need to take."

After a pause, the girl added.

"As long as I can be with sister, that's enough. Nothing else matters."

These words were both a direct statement and Amalia's true feelings.

Hearing this, Livia blinked a few times, packing the Grand Lord game they had played together into the wooden box.

"Then let's leave it at that. Let's go to bed."

"Okay," Amalia replied.

...

The next morning, as the sky began to lighten, Amalia went to the bathroom to wash up. When she returned to the room, Livia had already disappeared, and it was Astrid sitting by the bed, gently stroking Auri.

"I... need to change clothes..." After a moment of hesitation, Amalia whispered.

Understanding that the girl didn't want to change in front of her, Astrid immediately stood up, taking the things she needed to bring and leaving the bedroom.

As the door closed, Amalia rubbed the straps on her shoulders, her emotions particularly complex.

With Livia, not only had they changed clothes together, but they had even been completely exposed to each other. Yet now, facing Astrid, she felt a faint sense of resistance.

Calming her heart, she took off her nightgown, pulling out a summer outfit Livia had bought for her in advance from the wardrobe. Amalia put on the shirt and skirt, then bent down to gently pull up the white stockings, slowly sliding them up her legs.

Meanwhile, Astrid stood at the door, not surprised by Amalia's actions.

Astrid was Astrid, and Livia was Livia. In Amalia's eyes, the difference between these two identities was greater than that between a king and a beggar. The intimate actions she could share with her sister were not necessarily things she could do with Astrid.

Suddenly remembering the mark Amalia had left on her collarbone the previous day, Astrid quickly walked into the bathroom, pulling down her collar to reveal a small patch of snow-white skin.

In the mirror, the woman's delicate collarbone bore a distinct red mark. Even after a whole night, the hickey Amalia had planted showed no signs of fading.

Given the delicate nature of this body, it would probably take two or three days to disappear. She would have to cover it with makeup for now.

Leaving the bathroom, Amalia happened to step out of the room holding Auri. The two exchanged a glance, and it was Astrid who spoke first.

"...Let's go."

"Okay."

The crisp sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway. As they reached the corner, Amalia glanced back at the room she had once lived in.

After living here for over seven years, suddenly leaving, though it brought a sense of liberation from escaping the cage, also carried a lot of reluctance and nostalgia.

Noticing Amalia's actions, Astrid understood what she was thinking and spoke slowly.

"If you want, you can come back here in the future."

Leaving her original living environment and going to an unfamiliar place with the person she hated the most, it was natural to feel worry and unease.

Astrid thought that if it had been Livia accompanying Amalia at this moment, perhaps the girl's sense of unease wouldn't have been so strong.

Hearing Astrid's words, Amalia turned her head. The former looked at her with a calm expression, her crimson eyes like two clear rubies.

"I understand," Amalia replied.

Since she had decided to leave, looking back would only add to her troubles.

Astrid glanced at Amalia a few more times, then let go of the hand she had been about to hold.

Leaving the castle, the air was filled with a faint morning mist. The rising sun dyed the clouds a gradient of bright yellow, and the slightly intoxicating light projected from the distant horizon, covering the ground with a layer of warm fog.

As they walked, Amalia thought Astrid would take her to the main gate, but instead, they circled to the back of the castle, stopping before an inconspicuous iron fence.

What was this about?

Hearing Astrid softly chant a series of magic spells, Amalia felt her body become lighter, even the orange cat in her arms felt lighter.

"I'll carry you over," Astrid said.

Looking at the high wall before her, Amalia suddenly realized why Astrid had brought her here.

Did sister come to see her... by climbing over the wall too...

After a few seconds of hesitation, realizing she couldn't get over the wall herself, the golden-haired girl spoke softly.

"Okay."

Hearing this, Astrid immediately bent down, her left arm supporting Amalia's back, her right arm sliding under the girl's knees, lifting her into her arms.

Usually, only Livia had carried her like this. Suddenly being so close to the other, Amalia's body stiffened, her white-stockinged legs slightly swaying, almost slipping out of Astrid's grasp.