Princess’s Struggle for Survival

The only thing that shattered was the fragile and transparent glass wall, but in the crisp sound of the collision, Amalia felt her heart tremble along with it. Her previously steady heartbeat suddenly became irregular.

Livia quickly realized what had happened.

Seeing Amalia about to squat down and touch the broken glass, her brows slightly furrowed, and she hurriedly spoke.

"Amalia, stay still. That could easily hurt your hand."

As soon as she finished speaking, the girl's delicate body stiffened. Her waist, halfway bent, stopped moving, and she obediently straightened her legs.

Livia told Amalia not to touch anything, then went to the nearby storage room to fetch a broom and dustpan, carefully cleaning up the shards of glass on the floor.

The golden-haired girl looked at the tiny bubbles faintly visible in the dark green liquid, her delicate nose lightly sniffing. The air carried a faintly sour and astringent smell, almost identical to the description in the books.

Transformation Potion, dark green, bitter and astringent in taste, with a strange sourness upon drinking.

After handling the glass shards, Livia noticed that Amalia's shoes were stained with a few drops of the potion. The silver-white princess shoes now had a few discordant dark spots, and even the soft white stockings on her feet showed deeper wet marks.

Her brand-new outfit, worn for the first time, was already a bit dirty.

Livia stood up and went to the washroom to fetch a wet cloth, absorbing the remaining potion on the floor. After making sure there were no shards left that could cut someone, she turned to open the window for ventilation.

"It's all my fault for accidentally breaking the glass."

"As long as you're not hurt, that's what matters. Remember not to walk barefoot or with just socks on the floor recently. Always wear shoes!"

Livia softly reminded her, while glancing at the clock on the wall. Less than ten minutes remained before this potion would lose its effect. It was time to drink the second bottle.

Although she had accidentally broken two potions in a moment of distraction, Livia had already prepared a backup plan. She had a night's worth of Transformation Potion under her bed in her room, which she could fetch later.

Taking the glass bottle from her bag, Livia was about to lift her finger to remove the cork when her left wrist, holding the potion, was suddenly grasped by a warm and soft hand. Lowering her gaze, she saw a tender, white arm.

Amalia, who had been silent until now, tightly gripped Livia's wrist. The girl looked up, her blue eyes quietly staring at the woman before her. Livia's snow-white, delicate face was reflected in the clear pupils.

Sensing something subtly off about Amalia's mood, Livia's expression froze for a moment.

Her long eyelashes lowered as she softly asked, "What's wrong, Amalia? Did you get hurt somewhere just now?"

Upon hearing this, a trace of struggle flashed in the golden-haired girl's eyes, but it quickly turned into determination. Her grip on Livia's wrist tightened, as if afraid the other might escape.

"Sister, I'm not hurt..." Amalia's voice was calm, yet carried a complexity she had never shown before.

"This potion... does it taste very bitter?"

Hearing Amalia's question, Livia's thoughts raced. She looked at the hand holding hers, where the faint blue veins beneath the skin were visible. After a moment, she softly replied, "Yes, it's very bitter. Not pleasant to drink."

Her intuition told her that Amalia might have discovered something, though she wasn't sure how much the girl knew.

Did she know that Livia's identity was fabricated, or had she guessed the inseparable relationship between Livia and Astrid?

Or perhaps her intuition was wrong. Logically, if Amalia truly knew the truth, she wouldn't have been so intimate in calling her "sister."

Asking this was probably just a simple concern.

In fact, intuition was often more accurate than thought. Amalia noticed Livia's momentary tension, her heart involuntarily tightening. She steadied her breathing and spoke again.

"So, is it really necessary to drink it?" Amalia asked.

Her cool voice blended into the dark night. Astrid once again sensed an atmosphere different from usual.

She placed her fingers lightly on the bed, while her other hand, still firmly held by Amalia, remained in mid-air. The skin where they touched felt slightly warm.

"Yes, if I don't drink it, something very serious will happen."

"...Something serious?"

Facing the golden-haired girl's persistent questioning, Livia lowered her gaze and whispered, "I'll disappear, and I might never see Amalia again."

Not drinking the potion meant she would quickly lose the identity of Livia. Astrid didn't know how Amalia would react then, nor was she sure if all her previous efforts would be in vain.

Hearing this reply, Amalia's dry lips trembled slightly. Her already pale cheeks now looked even paler.

"Disappear... never to be seen again..."

Livia didn't use words like "death" or "illness," but instead chose "disappear," which wasn't quite appropriate.

This phrasing was too roundabout in normal contexts, not a very clear expression.

To some extent, this answer conveyed Livia's attitude and hinted at some long-existing facts.

"Then... may I ask, sister..."

The girl hesitated for a few seconds, slowly lowering her head. Her other hand, which had been resting on Livia's waist, now lifted gently to touch the woman's cheek. Her voice was strained as she spoke.

"The one who will disappear... is it really you..."

"Or is it Livia Valeria?"

"..."

A simple name seemed to drop a ton of depth charges. Astrid's eyes changed slightly, and the muscles in her legs and lower back instantly tensed.

The evening wind howled outside the window, the damp, cold air blowing her skirt. Amalia's golden hair, illuminated by the moonlight, cast intertwined shadows. The lingering scent of the potion continuously stimulated Astrid's nose.

Amalia's question undoubtedly separated her from Livia, and the implied meaning was clear.

When had she realized it? And through what had she discovered it?

Had the potion revealed its flaws in its effects, or had Amalia hidden her spiritual strength from her, allowing her to vaguely sense the illusion but not completely break it?

"Sister..."

Seeing that Livia remained silent, Amalia's hand, gripping her wrist, slid down along the arm.

The touch of her fingertips raised slight goosebumps on Astrid's skin. Amalia looked at her, her shimmering green eyes glinting.

"Why are you silent?"

The silence was for Astrid to think about where she had left clues and how to answer Amalia's almost certain fact.

Livia had never deceived Amalia, and now there was no need to weave new lies. Astrid needed to consider how to let her original identity land softly in Amalia's eyes, rather than ending in a way neither could accept.

Amalia probably only knew that she might not be Livia, but not her true identity as her malicious stepsister.

The air fell into silence. Amalia quietly waited for Astrid's answer. The ticking of the wall clock echoed, the sound of the gears turning like a hammer striking the hearts of both.

Everything had happened too suddenly. Astrid was not prepared to confront Amalia so soon.

"The one who will disappear is Livia Valeria..." Livia said.

Receiving the expected answer, the glint in Amalia's eyes gradually faded. She didn't notice her toes curling slightly in the white stockings, only seeing the two fingers near Livia's cheek trembling unconsciously.

She had hoped Livia would give her an unexpected answer.

"Tick, tick, tick..."

The sound of the clock grew clearer. Just as Amalia found it unbearably piercing, another deep, resonant bell tolled from hundreds of meters away, echoing throughout the capital of the Valeria Empire.

Midnight. A new day had begun.

Amidst the deep, surging bell tolls, Amalia looked up at Livia.

Under the cold silver moonlight, the woman's smooth golden hair lost its dazzling royal hue, replaced by a cold, moon-like silver. The once gentle and caring blue eyes had quietly changed into a vivid, blood-like crimson.

The silver-haired, red-eyed princess of the empire, Astrid Calliste.

Not just her appearance, but as the Transformation Potion lost its effect, Livia's previously gentle, off-shoulder dress transformed into an intricately decorated pure black court gown.

The light green decorative brooch turned into a deep red circular gemstone, almost matching Astrid's eye color, making her skin appear even paler.

The skirt reached below her knees, revealing only her black-stockinged calves, her delicate feet stepping on matching lace-up high heels, exuding elegance and nobility.

Seeing the person before her, even though she had prepared herself, Amalia's pupils still contracted for a moment. She quickly withdrew her hand from Astrid's cheek and stood up unsteadily.

The hard-soled princess shoes made a crisp sound on the tiles. Amalia looked at the silver-haired princess sitting on her bed, her vision momentarily blurring.

Livia Valeria was most likely a fabricated character. The real person was Astrid Calliste.

This possibility had played out countless times in the golden-haired girl's mind, but when the bloody truth was laid bare before her, she found it hard to accept.

How could it be... someone like Astrid...

Remembering how Livia had gently fed her, held her in her arms, stroked her head, and taught her to play the intriguing game of Grand Lord.

If... all of that was fake...

"Amalia?"

Hearing Astrid softly call her, Amalia covered her forehead with one hand, turned away, her eyes filled with pain and unwillingness.

Even the voice was fake... Astrid's tone was much sharper than Livia's...

Noticing the look in Amalia's eyes, Astrid knew her potion had completely worn off. She reached out to touch the golden-haired girl, but the latter slapped her hand away without hesitation, her gaze icy.

"Don't touch me... you... liar..."