Princess’s Struggle for Survival

As Lyra pondered this, she heard Charlotte say, "But if he doesn't remain in that position, there will only be one heir left..."

"Alistair Valeria."

Charlotte didn't know much about Alistair, but rumors suggested that the second prince's ambitions were no less than Lucas's.

He had recently grown close to Duke Thomas Redgrave, one of the four dukes, clearly trying to consolidate his faction.

Such a person would not be content to remain an idle prince in the future.

"Do you want to support the second prince to succeed to the throne?"

Looking at Astrid, who sat upright before her, Charlotte moistened her throat and whispered.

"Actually, Little Astr, you don't need to take sides at all. As long as you are willing, no matter who becomes the emperor, I will do my utmost to protect you."

"All you need to do is live your life as it is, and trust me..."

There was no doubt that Charlotte had the ability to do so.

If Astrid's initial intention had merely been to break away from Lucas's political group, the proposal Charlotte offered at this moment would have been the best choice for her.

However, after testing Amalia, Astrid felt she needed to do more to secure leverage for the more distant future.

She believed she could change the fate of the fourth princess, who had been unloved since childhood, and guide the blonde, white-dressed tyrant from the book onto the right path.

Not only would this eliminate one of the challenges posed by Lyra, but a more virtuous emperor would also benefit the people of the Valeria Empire.

"I'm touched that Lady Charlotte would say that."

Astrid spoke sincerely, placing her hand on the back of Charlotte's knee and covering it with her own. She looked at Charlotte with watery eyes.

"But there is one thing you misunderstood. Opposing Lucas does not mean that I will necessarily support Alistairi."

"There will be more than two heirs to the throne in the future."

The weight of this statement was so profound that even Charlotte, who had always been well-informed, fell into a brief silence. After a moment, she spoke quietly.

"Little Astr... Do you want to be an Empress?"

From a legal standpoint, Astrid, lacking royal blood, could not be a legal princess.

Throughout the history of the Valeria Empire, there had been very few female monarchs.

Only under extraordinary circumstances, such as exceptional talent, the absence of heirs, and the support of the four major noble families, could such a possibility arise.

For Astrid, a foreign blood, to ascend to the throne through her own efforts was nearly impossible.

Although Charlotte knew of Astrid's extraordinary magical talent, she did not believe it would be enough to make her the next Empress.

This was evident in Lucas's attitude toward Astrid.

Men like him had never seen her as a potential rival.

Unless she could achieve the rank of a Spellcreator in her lifetime and conquer the empire by force, her chances of ascending the throne were virtually nonexistent.

Of course, the likelihood of Astrid becoming a Spellcreator was even slimmer than her becoming empress.

Seeing the strange expression on Charlotte's face, Astrid smiled, the corners of her lips curling into a graceful arc.

"Of course, the emperor can't be me..."

Astrid was not so presumptuous. Compared to Lucas and Alistair, she lacked both the advantage of royal blood and the deep foundation of support.

The resistance she would face in forcibly claiming the throne was insurmountable.

Moreover, regardless of the old emperor's character, he had treated Astrid as his own daughter all these years, showering her with affection.

It would be morally unjustifiable for her to repay his kindness by seizing his inheritance.

If we exclude the both prince on the surface and Astrid herself, then the only remaining candidate who can barely be regarded as having a certain degree of competitiveness for the throne becomes very obvious.

The illegitimate daughter of Emperor Hibbort, rumored to have been born from his union with a dancer, was raised by him in the deep palace and remained hidden from outsiders for many years, Amalia Valeria.

Compared to Astrid, the silver-haired princess favored by His Majesty, Amalia may be neglected, but she possesses an innate advantage that is difficult for the other to ignore: she carries at least half of the blood of the royal family of the Valeria Empire.

This alone is enough to serve as a stepping stone for her potential ascension to the throne.

"Little Astr, do you intend to support the succession of the Fourth Princess?"

Charlotte's tone was clearly surprised.

In her view, the likelihood of Amalia ascending the throne was not much higher than Astrid's.

Amalia was not favored by Emperor Hibbort, and having lived in seclusion within the palace for so long, she had accumulated no political capital.

How could she possibly compete against Lucas and Alistair?

In fact, if Astrid hadn't read the original book, she wouldn't have imagined that the young blonde girl would one day become the Empress of the Valeria Empire and lead the nation to declare war on the entire Kingdom of Velys.

If anyone was to blame, it was the both princes, who proved incapable of holding up the crumbling empire.

They schemed against each other, their reputations collapsing in the later stages, resulting in one's death and the other's exile.

This left Amalia, who had contributed little, to unexpectedly seize the throne.

"I do have this idea at the moment, but it depends on whether Amalia can wear that crown steadily."

Astrid's eyes were half-narrowed, her voice soft.

"Lucas is two-faced, lustful, and treats the lives of the common people as worthless. Alistair is narrow-minded, ruthless, and violent. Whoever leads the empire will bring disaster to its people."

In truth, Amalia in the later part of the novel also exhibits similar flaws, but she is slightly better than her brothers.

Being still young, she has the potential for re-education, whereas the other two heirs are power-hungry and fundamentally irredeemable.

"..."

After a brief silence, Charlotte looked into Astrid's eyes, swallowed imperceptibly, and whispered, "Who told you all this?"

She didn't know much about the second prince, Alistair, for now, but Astrid's assessment of Lucas was indeed accurate.

If Charlotte had harbored any doubts before, thinking that Astrid's sudden change in attitude might have been orchestrated by Lucas, she now fully believed that Astrid was genuinely distancing herself from the eldest prince.

This should have happened long ago.

Astrid's previous arrogant and domineering personality had undoubtedly been influenced by Lucas.

Having lived in the palace for so long, surrounded by aristocratic etiquette and royal rules, Lucas's innate sense of superiority had inevitably rubbed off on Astrid, shaping her behavior.

"No one told me. I figured it all out myself."

Astrid realized she had spoken too candidly and quickly adopted a more vulnerable tone, befitting a young girl.

"When you live in the palace for a long time, you can't help but overthink things, doubting everything and everyone. Especially in the middle of the night, your thoughts never stop racing."

"Lucas is only kind to me because I still have value to him. I used to adore Earl Tristian so much, and Lucas did everything he could to facilitate that. But as soon as the situation turned unfavorable, he abandoned me without hesitation, even encouraging other women to get close to Tristian, without any regard for my feelings as his Imperial sister."

The speaker had no intention of listening, and Lyra soon realized that Astrid's mention of the "other woman" was most likely referring to her.

She suddenly felt the urge to interrupt Astrid, wanting to assure her that she would never meet with Earl Tristian in private, no matter the circumstances, even if Prince Lucas forced her to do so.

This was her promise to Her Highness Astrid, and she would never break it, not even in the slightest.

However, these thoughts were fleeting. Interrupting others would be rude, and at most, Lyra could only entertain the idea in her heart.

She would never actually voice it.

Her parents had taught her from a young age that actions speak louder than words, and she would prove this truth in her life.

On the other side, after listening to Astrid's story, Charlotte unconsciously pursed her lips.

Her slender, jade-like legs crossed, and her eyes softened like still water.

"It's not too late for Little Astr to realize this now..."

"Lucas may lie to you and take advantage of you, but I won't."

With that, Charlotte leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Astrid's back in an exceptionally warm embrace.

"In the future, whether you're feeling lonely or simply want someone to talk to, complain to, or confide in, you don't have to hide under the covers alone, lost in thought. Whenever you need me, I'll always be here for you."

As an elder, caring for the mental well-being of the younger generation was her duty.

Breathing in the rich, rose-like scent that clung to Charlotte, Astrid raised her lips and whispered softly into the other's ear.

"Understood... Lady Charlotte~"

The girl's voice carried a slight upward lilt, cold yet sweet, a tone even she might not have realized could be so alluring.