Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 178: Two People and Their Thoughts

After listening to Amalia’s words, Astrid’s expression remained unchanged, but her body leaned slightly forward, her palm supporting her chin.

Her black high heels, studded with tiny diamonds, tapped rhythmically against the floor tiles, the sound so faint it was almost inaudible.

Through the mirror, Amalia saw the smile on the silver-haired princess’s lips. Those once icy red eyes now sparkled with a gentle light, softened by the morning sunlight streaming through the window.

This scene reminded her so much of the nights when she would eat her dessert, with Livia sitting on the edge of the bed behind her, gazing at her with tender eyes.

The two figures in her mind overlapped once again. Amalia scooped a spoonful of dessert, the sweet and creamy apple pudding sliding over her tongue, cool and smooth.

Watching Amalia finish her dessert, Astrid spoke softly.

"Would you like to study magic with Lyra later?"

Recently, Elise had been too busy to spare any time, and Lyra’s knight training had to be temporarily put on hold. For now, her focus was mainly on magical theory.

"With Lyra?" Amalia wiped her mouth, her voice soft and low.

Ever since she first saw Lyra, a faint question had lingered in Amalia’s mind. The pink-haired, blue-eyed girl was dressed as a maid, so why had Astrid agreed to let her study magic?

In the Valeria Empire, magic was something only the self-proclaimed upper-class nobility had access to. Commoners, unless they were exceptionally talented and fortunate enough to gain a foothold in the magical world, could never become mages.

Could it be that Lyra was the daughter of some noble, who had come to serve as Astrid’s maid in order to curry favor with the royal family?

Sensing the confusion in Amalia’s tone, Astrid hugged her knees, relaxing her calves, and spoke in a calm voice.

"That’s right, my personal maid." Without waiting for Amalia to ask, Astrid continued.

"Lyra and I only signed a one-year master-servant contract. Next spring, she will enter the Elizabeth Academy of Magic to study, so she needs to prepare in advance."

Hearing the familiar name, Amalia put down her silk handkerchief and moistened her lips lightly.

"Astrid... will you be going next year?"

If Astrid entered the magic academy, the time they could spend together each day would surely decrease.

Unless she could also attend the Elizabeth Academy of Magic.

"Of course," Astrid replied.

Most of Lyra’s main storyline would take place at the Elizabeth Academy of Magic. Whether it was to increase her favorability or to improve her own strength, Astrid had to accompany her.

Moreover, Charlotte had been urging her to enroll as soon as possible, treating her as a rough gem that only needed polishing. Astrid didn’t want to disappoint her.

Hearing this, Amalia lowered her gaze and after a moment, spoke.

"When that time comes... will I stay in the palace?"

The Empire’s encyclopedia had information about the admission requirements of these magic academies. Prestigious institutions like Elizabeth only accepted students between the ages of seventeen and twenty-four.

The lower age limit ensured that students were mentally mature and had sufficient mental energy to handle the intense magical studies without harming themselves. The upper age limit filtered out those with poorer aptitude who might take years to successfully meditate.

As the academy’s dean put it, this period was the golden age for learning magic, worthy of significant educational resources. Good steel should be used on the blade.

Amalia was fourteen this year, three years away from enrollment.

Knowing what the black-haired girl was worried about, Astrid didn’t keep her in suspense.

"When I brought you out, I said that once we left the castle, everything else would be my responsibility. You don’t need to worry."

"Since I’ve done this, how could I possibly leave Amalia alone?"

She could tease Lyra verbally, but not Amalia. The latter already lacked a sense of security, so Astrid had to give her enough attention and love, repeatedly making Amalia understand that Astrid was not a substitute for Livia, she was Livia.

"Then what should I do..." Amalia asked softly.

Hearing this, Astrid straightened her back, her fingers lightly tapping her knees. The thin silk fabric and the soft flesh of her thighs sank slightly under her touch, then quickly rebounded as her fingers moved away.

"The Elizabeth Academy of Magic provides each student with a companion slot. Next spring, I will designate Amalia as my companion, and Elise will take Lyra’s slot."

There were age requirements for students, but not for companions. Although Astrid could use her royal connections to get Amalia in, doing so would risk exposing the fact that Amalia had already studied magic.

Moreover, Amalia was too young, not yet at the optimal age for storing mental energy, and would struggle to keep up with the academy’s curriculum.

Leaving here with Astrid... studying at the academy...

As a companion, they would likely spend the entire day together.

Understanding the implications, Amalia felt a warm sensation in her heart. After a few seconds, she spoke.

"Astrid..."

"What can I do for you?"

Whether it was Livia or Astrid, they always seemed to be the ones giving, while she, as the younger sister, felt she should also do something for her sister.

Faced with Amalia’s question, Astrid thought for a moment, then gave an answer that parents often told their children in her previous life.

"I don’t need you to do anything for me. Just focus on your studies."

Magic was a force close to the world’s origin in this world. The nobility’s ability to maintain their power and status was not only due to the system but also their long-standing monopoly on magic.

If Amalia wanted to secure the throne, it would be best for her to possess some power herself. Although Astrid didn’t know whether Lyra’s assassination attempt, or rather, military coup, against Amalia in the original novel had succeeded, judging from their respective strengths, Lyra had a high chance of success.

The scepter, symbolizing the empire’s power, could block all spells below the super-tier and even some super-tier spells.

But Lyra was a holy knight who practiced both magic and combat. Even without using magic, she could rely on her combat skills and mental energy to defeat the palace guards around Amalia.

At that time, if Amalia had some ability to protect herself, the situation might have been very different.

Hearing this, Amalia turned to face Astrid.

"Astrid, you haven’t actually given up on the idea of me inheriting the throne, have you?"

Many of the books she had read in the castle were related to governing the empire. Amalia didn’t think these specialized books were randomly chosen by Astrid.

"Yes," Astrid replied.

"I believe that the future Amalia might be more suited to be emperor than the current two princes."

They were already on the same side, so Astrid didn’t need to hide too much from Amalia. Since Amalia had chosen to come out, she must have come to terms with it. A person with self-awareness would certainly be easier to handle than a prisoner in a castle.

If Astrid only saw Amalia as a tool and not someone she cared about, she wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble. A puppet emperor didn’t require so much effort.

Looking at the silver-haired, black-dressed princess before her, Amalia didn’t feel the slightest displeasure at Astrid’s intentions. Instead, she felt a surge of joy at being needed by Astrid.

At least in some ways, she could repay her, rather than being completely useless, even if this so-called repayment was something bestowed upon her by her lofty father.

Thinking of the robust figure in her memory, Amalia unconsciously clenched her fingers and bit her teeth.

If she really lived up to Astrid’s expectations, and if Hibbort was still alive but too weak to interfere in politics, what would he think? Would he be so angry that he’d spit blood? A bastard daughter he had locked away in a castle had now taken the position he had reserved for his noble royal children.

A stain that disgusted him, a glorious and dazzling emperor, these two concepts, if they ever came into contact, would surely make Hibbort feel nauseated. If they were truly combined, wouldn’t it be even more unbearable for him?

And then there were Lucas and Alistair. The things that should have belonged to them had been snatched away by her. They probably wished she would have an accident, preferably dropping dead on the carpet in front of the throne.

Compared to physical harm, this kind of psychological blow was more devastating and more in line with the revenge Amalia desired.

She wanted every member of the royal family with the surname Valeria to feel that the glory they had always worn had been forever tainted.

Noticing that Amalia’s emotions were a bit off, Astrid reached out and gently rubbed her head.

"Amalia, don’t think too much. I will do everything in my power to pave the way for you..."

"You just need to understand how to be a good emperor and work towards that."

It sounded simple, but the burden on Amalia’s shoulders wasn’t necessarily lighter than Astrid’s. After all, Astrid had the original novel as a guide, giving her foresight in many areas.

She knew that Amalia had a high chance of inheriting the throne, but how to be a good emperor, a goal with no clear standard, was even more pressure.

Feeling a hand on her head, Amalia instinctively wanted to pull away, but seeing the familiar tenderness in Astrid’s eyes, she quickly stopped and allowed the touch.

Come to think of it, if she really became emperor, wouldn’t she be able to repay her sister for all her help?

Looking at Astrid before her and thinking of Livia, who had once accompanied her, another thought emerged in Amalia’s mind.

If she were emperor, the forces that could bind her would be few and far between. At that time, wouldn’t she be able to have her sister by her side at all times?

Livia... Astrid...

No matter what form she took, she was her sister, and hers alone.

"Alright, I understand," Amalia said.

She knew what she needed to do next.

Seeing this, Astrid smiled and removed her hand from the girl’s head.

"Then I’ll have Lyra come in to clear the dishes, and we’ll start studying magic later."

With that, Astrid stood up to leave, but just as she withdrew her hand, Amalia suddenly grabbed her wrist.

The black-haired girl looked at her quietly, her crimson eyes shimmering, her cherry-colored lips slightly parted, as if waiting for something.

She seemed to have said everything, yet nothing at all.

Astrid looked at her wrist, tightly held by Amalia, her red eyes narrowing slightly. After a moment, she hesitantly spoke.

"...Is it something I didn’t have time to do this morning?"

Amalia nodded, leaning closer to Astrid.

"Yes."

This morning, she had been a bit hesitant, and with Lyra also present, she had ultimately dismissed the thought.

But now, Amalia couldn’t hold back any longer. She wanted more than just a hug, even if the person before her didn’t have the familiar face or the scent of mint and citrus.

But she was Livia, the Livia who had always taken care of her. That hadn’t changed.

The next moment, Astrid leaned in gently, bending down to place a kiss on Amalia’s forehead.

After completing the routine morning kiss that Livia and Amalia had agreed upon, Astrid whispered.

"I’ll go call Lyra."

Hearing the name of the pink-haired maid, Amalia’s hand tightened for a moment, but then quickly relaxed.

"Alright," Amalia said.

Watching Astrid’s retreating figure, Amalia touched the spot on her forehead where she had been kissed, then stretched her fingers out in front of her, gently flexing them.

As she had expected, Livia had many friends in the outside world.

Besides Elise, there was also this personal maid, and Astrid clearly treated her differently, even arranging for her to study magic alongside Amalia. fгeewebnovёl.com

This didn’t seem like a master-servant relationship at all, it was more like they were good friends.

A faint sense of possessiveness spread through Amalia’s heart, tickling and itching like ants crawling.

Interacting with others meant Astrid would have less time to spend with her.

Just thinking about this made Amalia feel very uncomfortable, her chest tightening.

She didn’t want Astrid to be distracted. She wanted her sister’s eyes to be filled with only her.

On the other hand, Lyra, standing at the door, was also conflicted, though her concerns were more focused on what Astrid had said that morning.

Originally, she had just wanted to come to the capital to study, to learn magic as soon as possible, and use that ability to earn more money, so she could bring her parents to the city.

But now... she felt a mess inside...

Princess Astrid had only hired her for a year, and their relationship was purely that of master and servant. Why was she so hung up on Astrid’s views?

Royalty, dukes, nobility, these terms, which should have had nothing to do with her, had started to become frequent in her life since she arrived in the Capital.

This circle didn’t belong to her. She would eventually leave the Elizabeth Academy of Magic, leave the capital, and leave Princess Astrid.

At this point, Lyra was completely confused about what she was even thinking about. Was it the unfamiliar aristocratic rules, or was it Princess Astrid herself?

"Lyra..." The door opened, and a silver-haired beauty stood in the room.

Astrid pursed her lips, casually brushing aside a strand of hair that Amalia had messed up.

"Come in."