Princess’s Struggle for Survival

"... Amalia?"

A cold female voice echoed in her ears, snapping Amalia back to reality.

Her fingers gently brushed her blonde hair aside, revealing a small portion of her fair, delicate neck.

"Is there anything on my face?" Livia asked.

Amalia's gaze lingered on her after feeding Auri, a faint confusion in her eyes.

Seeing this, Astrid almost wondered if the transformation potion she had taken earlier had expired prematurely, causing her disguise to fade along with its effects.

If Livia's true identity were revealed now, everything she had worked for would be undone.

"No," the blonde girl replied softly, bending her knees as she settled back into her seat.

Noticing Amalia's reluctance to continue the conversation, Astrid decided not to press further.

In early spring, the nights in the capital were chilly.

However, due to the castle's unique architectural design and materials, the indoor temperature in many rooms mirrored the outdoors.

Surrounded by the rich aroma and unusual warmth, Amalia took a small sip of grape juice.

Her eyes occasionally drifted to the plate or across the table, where Livia sat with an unusually calm expression.

Is this what it feels like to eat with friends...?

After finishing some of the scalding vegetables, Amalia noticed that, in addition to the two pairs of chopsticks on the table, Livia held another slender utensil in her hand.

Livia caught the girl's gaze and asked softly, "Would you like to try this again?"

Amalia nodded, accepting the utensil from Livia with a quiet "thank you."

For the rest of the meal, Amalia alternated between using the fork for vegetables and the chopsticks for others.

Livia watched as the girl clumsily brought the food to her mouth, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

"Move your middle finger a bit to the side, like this..."

Before finishing her sentence, Livia demonstrated, holding the dark chopsticks delicately between her thumb and middle finger, her index finger resting lightly on top to stabilize them.

She applied gentle pressure as she picked up a piece of vegetable.

Amalia adjusted her grip according to Livia's demonstration, shifting from her usual pen-holding posture to something closer to Livia's method. After a few attempts, she managed to get the hang of it.

"Miss Amalia is a quick learner, as expected of a seasoned painter."

Hearing Livia's direct praise, Amalia pursed her lips, saying nothing.

Unseen by the others, her legs, hidden beneath her nightdress, tightened slightly, her delicate skin brushing against itself as she shifted.

No one had ever praised her like this before, and no one had ever called her paintings beautiful, except for the person in front of her, who called herself Livia.

A strange, unfamiliar sensation stirred in her chest, and at that moment, Amalia realized something serious.

Livia's influence on her might be far deeper than she had initially thought.

They had only known each other for a few weeks...

After a while, when the last batch of vegetables was on the plate were finished, Livia softly asked Amalia if she could eat. Amalia was momentarily stunned before replying that a little more would be enough.

Livia bowed slightly placed little bit broth and vegetables on Amalia's plate.

She also added an egg that had been fried earlier and soaked in the consommé.

"Miss Amalia should eat more eggs. It's important for growing bodies."

According to the original novel's setting, Amalia, even as an adult, retains a petite figure.

Livia wasn't sure if this was due to a lack of nutrition or her mother's genes, but it certainly wouldn't hurt for her to eat a bit more at this size.

"Okay," Amalia replied.

She took a bite of the egg, and the yolk and egg whites, mixed with the broth, were particularly delicious and unforgettable.

Livia glanced at the egg Amalia was holding carefully with her chopsticks.

The oval notch left by the girl's bite looked especially cute on the plate.

If it weren't for the subsequent plot developments, Livia would never have associated this petite, adorable blonde girl who will become the tyrannical emperor.

Watching Amalia eat the egg so carefully, Livia felt a softness in her heart.

But then another headache-inducing thought crossed her mind, and her brows furrowed slightly.

Astrid, Livia, how would she reconcile these two identities in the future?

Because the original Astrid had bullied Amalia, Livia now had to use a transformation potion to disguise herself and get closer to her.

However, this also laid the groundwork for future complications.

Astrid didn't know what would happen if, one day, she suddenly disappeared. Would Amalia make some drastic move?

For a fourteen-year-old, there was nothing crueler than first giving her hope and then cruelly snatching it away, leaving her to endure loneliness once more.

Amalia needed companionship, and as her companion, Livia couldn't simply say goodbye.

It would be best to find a way to transition slowly, avoiding too much stimulation for Amalia, as it could easily lead to uncontrollable developments.

The Valeria Empire needed a qualified emperor, and Astrid Valeria needed an imperial sister who didn't hold a grudge against her.

While lost in thought, Livia noticed that Amalia had finished all the food on her plate and was now looking up at her.

Livia quickly smoothed her expression and gracefully began her own supper.

The meal lasted a little over an hour. Afterward,

Livia used magic to clean the used utensils, while Amalia got up and went to fetch a rag from the bathroom.

Seizing the opportunity, Livia took out a small bottle of potion from her bag, removed the cork, and brought it to her lips.

She took a deep breath and drank it all in one go.

The strange, bitter taste of the potion was a stark contrast to the savory flavors of the hot pot.

Just as she finished, Livia heard footsteps behind her. With a quick motion, she tucked the empty bottle back into her purse and turned to face Amalia.

The blonde glanced at her briefly before stepping aside to wipe the oil-stained desk with the wet rag.

'Was Livia drinking grape juice just now?' Amalia wondered.

As she wiped the table, Amalia's gaze shifted to the cup Livia had used during the meal.

It was placed a couple of positions away, and the light red liquid inside the glass bottle remained untouched.

Livia noticed Amalia's gaze but didn't realize that her act of drinking the potion had been keenly observed by the girl.

She thought Amalia might be curious about the juice and considered offering her some if she hadn't had much experience with it.

After tidying up the room, Livia suggested softly, "We just ate. Would you like to take a walk? A little stroll can help with digestion."

Amalia didn't refuse. She gave a barely audible hum in response.

A few minutes later, the two walked one after the other through the deep corridors of the castle.

Amalia held Auri and silently followed Livia.

The moonlight fell on Livia's smooth, delicate calves, clad in white silk, highlighting the graceful curve of her legs.

The hard heels of her boots made a crisp, bright sound as they tapped against the brick floor.

"Amalia..."

After walking for a while, Livia stopped and looked back at her, her lips parting softly.

"I'm not very familiar with this place yet. Could you show me around?"

Hearing the slightly softened tone in Livia's address, Amalia didn't feel awkward at all. Instead, it felt natural, and a faint warmth spread through her heart.

"Yes... but I don't know it well either..."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Amalia quickly added, "I don't like to walk around much."

Her voice was as cool as ever, but Livia detected something different in it.

Before this, Amalia would never have gone out for a walk with her, nor would she have felt the need to add that last sentence of explanation.

Amalia didn't want to be misunderstood, and her clarification suggested that she cared about Livia's opinion.

Processing this, Livia nodded, showing absolute trust in Amalia with a calm tone.

"No wonder... Miss Amalia doesn't seem like the lively type..."

The title had shifted back again.

Amalia frowned slightly at this, her legs swaying as she walked, her pure white silk nightdress fluttering gently with her movements.

"Do I seem boring to you?"

Perhaps a little, she thought to herself.

Livia glanced at the petite girl walking beside her, cradling the orange cat like a gentle elf. She adjusted her skirt and spoke softly.

"Well, you do seem like a very quiet girl."

Perhaps it was because of the time they had spent together, or Livia's evident care and concern, but through this meal, Amalia clearly felt the distance between them had grown smaller.

To be more precise, Livia had never shown any resistance toward her in the first place.

It was Amalia who had been hung up on the Valeria name, deliberately keeping her distance.

She didn't want to lose Livia, especially not by pushing her away with her own indifference.

Absolutely not.

"Then, does Livia prefer livelier people?"

In the wide corridor, Amalia's cool voice echoed softly.

Livia turned to look at her, but the girl maintained her pace, her snow-white cheeks expressionless, as if the question hadn't come from her.

If Livia hadn't heard it herself, she wouldn't have believed those words came from the usually cold girl.

After half a minute of silence, Livia still hadn't answered.

Amalia turned to look at her, her blue eyes reflecting the golden hair that cascaded down Livia's back.

Finally, Livia spoke slowly. "Lively or quiet, each has its own charm."

Amalia's eyes narrowed slightly, clearly unsatisfied with the answer.

Charm was one thing, but people always had preferences... Just as she preferred sweet and sour flavors but didn't refuse salty or spicy ones...

Strictly speaking, Livia hadn't answered the question.

After a few seconds of silence, Amalia pressed further. "So, which one does Livia prefer?"

She wanted a clear answer.

Looking at the blonde's extremely serious expression, Livia fell silent for a moment before her pink lips parted slightly.

"I like both, but if I had to choose, I tend to prefer gentleness."

Although it wasn't clear why Amalia had suddenly brought up such a peculiar topic, Livia's answer was based on two considerations.

First, she genuinely preferred dealing with people who were mild-tempered and could control their emotions.

Second, she hoped that Amalia would grow into a gentle ruler in the future.

In the original novel, Amalia was portrayed as tough and ruthless.

If she could retain even a hint of tenderness, she might not become the brutal, blonde tyrant spoken of by the people.

Hearing this, a flicker of complicated emotion passed through Amalia's eyes.

She adjusted her strappy sandals, turned around, and continued walking forward.

'Livia likes gentle people…'

'So, does that include her?'

They walked around the sixth floor of the castle and then made their way to the exhibition hall on the fifth floor.

Amalia didn't ask any more questions that seemed out of character for her, but she quietly pondered the matter, occasionally responding to Livia's remarks.

"How did you find the meal today?"

"It was delicious."

"That's good. We can prepare it more often in the future."

"Hmm."

In the past, Amalia hadn't cared much for the word "future."

She had always believed her life would be confined to the castle, from childhood to old age, with no hope of change.

The concept of a "future" had seemed meaningless.

But now, hearing the same word from Livia's lips, it took on a new meaning.

Amalia couldn't help but imagine what the future might hold.

Livia would come over every night and stay with her.

Always.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Auri suddenly leaped out of Amalia's arms with a burst of energy and circled around Livia's legs.

This time, Amalia didn't immediately reach out to pick Auri up.

Instead, she let the cat nuzzle affectionately against Livia.

Understanding, the woman crouched down, stroked the orange cat's back, and then gently returned Auri to Amalia.

Back in her master's arms, Auri stretched comfortably, her little white paw lightly pressing against Amalia's arm. Her round eyes stared intently at Livia.

After a while longer, the two returned to the bedroom on the sixth floor near Amalia's quarters. Before parting, Amalia hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke.

"Livia..."

"I'm here."

"..."

"Are we friends now?"

In Amalia's mind, relationships needed clear boundaries.

She needed to hear Livia confirm it directly to feel completely at ease.

Hearing this, Livia smiled. She leaned against the edge of the door and replied softly, "I've always considered Miss Amalia a friend."

Children who lacked love craved recognition and care. Livia had already taken action, so she saw no reason to withhold the words.

Receiving this clear answer, Amalia stood still for a long time. It wasn't until the early morning bell rang that she finally spoke.

"Good night, Livia."