Princess’s Struggle for Survival

Amalia sat at her desk, one leg stretched out while the other was bent against the chair.

Her blue eyes were fixed intently on the bag in front of her.

Normally, she shouldn't have been able to hear the sound of water from the sink at this distance, but tonight, the sound of droplets hitting the porcelain basin was unusually clear in the silence of the night, even grating on Amalia's ears.

Should she do it?

Taking medicine every two hours meant Livia had almost no chance of deep sleep. If she truly had to rely on this potion to sustain her life, missing even a single dose could lead to severe consequences. Such a life would be unbearable.

Or perhaps... Livia only drank that dark green potion when they were together...

The more Amalia thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. She bit her lip, her hand gripping the edge of the table, a flicker of struggle in her eyes.

If she were to switch the potion, she didn't have anything similar on hand, nor did she know the exact taste of the original. There was a high chance she'd be exposed.

As she pondered this, Amalia's gaze shifted to a bottle of grape juice on the table nearby, her eyes growing more intense.

In The Essentials of Magical Knowledge, alongside discussions of magic, there was a small section on potions. One point mentioned that during the brewing process, the ingredients and their proportions couldn't be altered arbitrarily, as it could weaken the desired effects or even cause the potion to fail entirely.

Amalia didn't know if adding something to a completed potion would nullify its original effects, but in that moment, she couldn't help but consider the feasibility of such an action.

After half a minute, the golden-haired girl reached out and gently opened the leather bag. Inside, several bottles of dark green potion shimmered with a cold, deep pool-like hue under the light.

Amalia picked up one of the bottles of unidirectional transformation potion, holding it up to her eyes and squinting as she examined it closely.

She watched as the liquid inside swirled with the movement of her fingers, tiny transparent bubbles rising to the surface.

The answer to everything might lie within this small glass bottle, no thicker than two fingers.

Meanwhile, in the washroom, Astrid took out a few pieces of crushed soapberries and clean grass from the countertop.

She rubbed them between her palms until they produced foam, then stopped and prepared to activate the water crystal with her mental energy.

One of the strengths of the original story was that, although the Valeria Empire was set in the late medieval period, its hygiene conditions were vastly different from those of real-world European countries at the same time.

Magic had indeed improved people's lives to some extent, or at least, the lives of nobles like them.

Suddenly thinking of Charlotte, who had been struggling with magical machinery recently, Astrid flexed her fingers. The foam on her skin made them slide slightly as they touched, producing a soft splat.

According to the original story, Charlotte never managed to solve the energy drive problem of magical machinery by the time Lyra graduated from the Elizabeth Academy of Magic. Those magic crystals were far too expensive for ordinary families to afford.

In the end, these magical devices, which were supposed to improve people's livelihoods, were used by Amalia for territorial expansion.

The emergence of magical weapons not only exacerbated the empire's financial burden but also forced many commoners, who could have avoided conscription, onto the battlefield.

Of course, these were all events yet to come, and there was still a chance to change such an outcome.

As long as Amalia didn't become that twisted tyrant, and the empire's situation was managed by a rational ruler, there was still time to prevent it.

After washing the ink off her hands, Astrid left the washroom and returned to the room, where Amalia was still staring intently at her book.

Livia approached quietly, bending down until her face was just over ten centimeters away from Amalia's, and spoke softly.

"Amalia, is there something you don't understand?"

The sudden scent of mint wafted into Amalia's nose, stirring faint ripples in her previously calm heart. She looked up, meeting Livia's long, slightly curved eyelashes.

Caught by Amalia's focused, slightly probing gaze, Astrid felt a moment of unease. It was as if the unidirectional transformation potion had already worn off, and she was now exposed to Amalia in her true form.

A dangerous, subtle feeling spread through her heart.

"Not at the moment," Amalia shook her head, her voice low.

"The notes are very detailed. Most of the points I didn't understand before are explained here."

Amalia's attention hadn't originally been on learning magic, but considering the elusive truth and the burning desire for revenge in her heart, she had no choice but to force herself to focus.

"Have you tried meditating yet?"

"Not yet."

Livia smiled slightly, then turned and sat back down.

"You can try meditating first. If you can gain elemental vision, you should be able to channel mental energy soon."

Gaining elemental vision through meditation was the foundation of becoming a mage. If one struggled with this, it might indicate a weaker talent for sensing elements, making it harder to cast spells later on.

But Amalia was still new to magic and quite young. Even if she couldn't open her elemental vision right away, it wasn't a big deal. She could catch up later.

Amalia nodded obediently, softly replying, "Okay," before closing her eyes as Livia had instructed, attempting to gain elemental vision.

One second, two seconds, five seconds...

Ten minutes passed, and Amalia still hadn't opened her eyes.

Livia didn't rush to speak, simply sitting quietly, her gaze resting on the girl in silence.

It had taken her a few minutes to first open her elemental vision, while the protagonist Lyra had done it in less than half a minute. This wasn't just about talent; it was also directly tied to the meditator's mental state.

If there were too many distracting thoughts, making it hard to even settle into meditation, how could one open their elemental vision and observe the free-floating elemental particles in the air?

As time passed, Amalia's brows furrowed slightly. Livia's eyes narrowed, and she gently placed her hand on her arm.

Was she too nervous?

In truth, Amalia wasn't nervous, she was just overwhelmed by too many thoughts.

As soon as she closed her eyes, she couldn't stop thinking about Livia, her mind a whirlwind of chaotic thoughts.

By the time she calmed down, a quarter of an hour had passed. Amalia felt as if she had grasped something, and her intuition told her it was time to open her eyes.

When she did, everything in her vision had changed. Brownish-yellow earth elements, flowing wind elements, light blue water particles everywhere, and the faint green life energy emanating from Livia's body.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the bag on the table, a faint elemental fluctuation spreading through the air.

Those potions... they were indeed related to magic...

"Sister, I can see the elemental particles the book mentioned."

Hearing the golden-haired girl speak, Livia also entered her elemental vision, ready to provide one-on-one guidance.

"Amalia, this light green one is the wind element. Its characteristic is that it flows continuously and is hard to restrain. It has a high affinity with the thunder element..."

"The earth element is the least mobile of the elemental particles. Controlling it requires much more mental energy than the others..."

"Besides the basic elements, higher elements like light and dark are even more elusive. You can try to understand them after mastering the basics. As for concepts like life and death, the academic world hasn't clearly classified them as specific elements yet."

Leaving the girl to study on her own would be self-learning, and Livia naturally couldn't let Amalia figure everything out by herself. When necessary, she would also teach her some lessons.

Unconsciously, the second bottle of unidirectional transformation potion was about to wear off. Livia exited her elemental vision and took out a transparent glass bottle from her bag.

The glimmering light between the woman's fingers instantly caught Amalia's attention. She watched as Livia removed the cork, brought the bottle to her lips, and tilted her head back, her swan-like neck exposed.

Her throat moved almost imperceptibly as the dark green liquid in the bottle slowly disappeared. After a moment, Livia elegantly wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, then turned her head to see Amalia still staring at her.

"What is it, Amalia?"

It might have been her imagination, but Livia felt that the sense of being watched had grown stronger, as if Amalia could already see through her disguise.

To see through the unidirectional transformation potion required mental energy equivalent to that of a peak apprentice. Amalia had just started meditating; there was no way she could break through the psychological illusion.

Amalia was momentarily stunned, then replied softly after a pause.

"Nothing... Sister, are you done with your work?"

"Yes."

"Then let's go to bed."

Feeling that Amalia was acting a bit off today, Livia raised the back of her hand and gently touched the girl's forehead.

"Is there something you want to tell me?"

Yes, and a lot.

Amalia felt her arms trembling slightly, but she maintained a calm exterior as she replied to Livia.

"Yes," the girl said.

"I missed you."

Hearing Amalia's direct words, Livia blinked, her cherry lips parting slightly.

"I missed you too, Amalia."

....

Late at night, Amalia curled up in Livia's arms, silent, simply feeling the warmth radiating from the other's body.

After a long internal struggle, she had ultimately decided not to tamper with the potion Livia was supposed to drink.

No matter the specifics, all her suspicions were based on subjective speculation stemming from the change in hair color. Livia might not be Astrid, and that dark green potion might not be a tool for her to conceal herself.

What if the potion Livia drank was truly life-saving, and adding grape juice weakened its effects, leading to unforeseen consequences?

The thought of Livia possibly being harmed because of her suspicions and doubts felt like a heavy stone pressing on Amalia's chest, making it hard to breathe.

Even if there was only the slightest chance... she wouldn't touch Livia's potion...

Amalia didn't dare to gamble.

Her arms tightened slightly around Livia's waist, and the golden-haired girl leaned closer, gently biting the woman's collarbone.

Feeling the movement, Livia's body tensed for a moment before quickly relaxing.

Amalia seemed to enjoy expressing her affection in this way.

Suddenly remembering the baseless dream she'd had that morning, Livia looked down at Amalia, who was curled up against her chest like a little kitten.

After a moment, Amalia released her lips, looking at the faint red mark on Livia's skin, her eyes downcast.

If Livia really was Astrid, what did all her actions these past days mean?

Eating meals with the person she hated most, taking her to the rooftop only she knew about to watch the stars, and sharing so many heartfelt words.

She had even expressed her hatred for Astrid in front of Livia.

Unconsciously, she had started to see Livia and Astrid as the same person, but as soon as she realized it, Amalia quickly denied the thought.

Livia couldn't be Astrid. Even if their hair color was the same, their personalities didn't match.

Appearance could be disguised with magic, but inner character couldn't be faked. Astrid wouldn't have the gentle, tolerant heart that Livia did, nor would she call Amalia her little princess.

But if that was the case... what was she so worried about?

Two completely conflicting thoughts clashed in her mind. Amalia buried her face in Livia's chest, feeling the woman's steady heartbeat through the soft warmth.

Even though Livia was the one who had deceived her, why was she the one so torn, while Livia remained so calm?

Her fingers gently moved to Livia's back, touching the delicate clasp of her bra. Amalia closed her eyes, her breathing growing rapid.

She didn't have to be so conflicted.

All she had to do was ask. Livia would give her an explanation, and even if she didn't say it outright, Amalia could find the answer in her attitude.

Astrid had two older brothers and a younger sister, and so did Livia. Both had strained relationships with their siblings. Everything aligned too perfectly.

The truth was within reach... but she didn't dare to ask...

Once suspicion took root, whether the deception was real or not, once revealed, they could never go back to how they were before.

Amalia didn't actually care if Livia was Astrid. What she truly feared was the reason behind Astrid, as Livia, approaching her.

Was it to win her heart, only to crush it underfoot?

"Amalia... are you going to sleep?" Livia suddenly spoke.

The golden-haired girl in her arms paused, then slowly raised her head, replying softly.

"Yes."

In the next moment, Livia leaned down and pressed a kiss to Amalia's forehead.

"I forgot earlier. A goodnight kiss," Livia said.

Feeling the smooth touch on her forehead and seeing the gentle look in Livia's eyes, Amalia hesitated for a few seconds, her lips parting slightly before she finally tilted her head up and kissed Livia's temple lightly.

"Goodnight, sister."

Deliberately ignoring certain existing problems to maintain a false sense of happiness, people could never escape this self-deception.

At least for now, Amalia hoped that, if possible, Livia could keep the truth hidden from her forever.

If it was all just an act from the start... then please commit to it fully...

Don't let her discover any more clues that could link Livia to Astrid.