Livia... Could she be that person...?
Amalia knew she wasn't as cold as she appeared when dealing with this distant relative. Deep down, she had always longed for soone to talk to.
Even if she was a mber of the Valeria family, she shared the sa blood as that indifferent man.
What if... What if the kindness Livia showed wasn't a facade but simply her nature?
Admittedly, Amalia had co to see Livia as soone more intimate than an ordinary acquaintance, but she wasn't sure if their relationship could be called a friendship.
Livia had many friends and could interact with far more people than Amalia ever could. The thought made Amalia's heart sink.
Even if they could be considered friends, she still wouldn't feel any happiness.
To Livia, she was just a passerby in life, a wretched creature locked away in an ancient castle, one of many who might be called a "friend."
And Amalia was the only one confined to these brief hours after nightfall.
She didn't like the feeling... Not at all.
Amalia found herself greedily wishing that Livia could stay in the castle all day, like Auri, and be her companion alone.
If only I could imprison her... How wonderful it would be to make her my own possession forever...
The mont the thought crossed her mind, the blonde girl stood up abruptly, her slender feet pressing into the soft blanket. A sharp chill ran from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
What was I thinking?
The sudden movent startled Auri awake. The orange cat glanced curiously at Amalia, wagged her tail, and padded out of the cat's nest, climbing onto the girl's lap.
Feeling the warm touch on her calf, the coldness in Amalia's eyes gradually dissipated.
She looked down at the orange cat rubbing against her leg, seeking affection, and let out an invisible sigh of relief.
"Go to sleep. I'm fine."
Bending down, she stroked Auri's furry back. The cat seed to understand her words, circling twice before returning to the old box, tucking her two little white paws underneath her and drifting back to sleep.
Amalia's gaze lingered on the broken wooden box beneath Auri and the old clothes padded inside for warmth.
She realized she had forgotten to add sothing Auri needed to the list earlier today. A flicker of self-reproach flashed in the depths of her blue eyes.
I'll ask Livia tomorrow. It's too late now, and it wouldn't be good to disturb her rest again.
With that thought, Amalia sat back on the bed, leaning against the pillow.
She reached for a book on the bedside table, opened it to where she had left off, and continued reading.
The wall clock ticked steadily, its rhythmic creaking less tireso than it had been the night before.
It was 12:20 a.m., and the night was still long. There was plenty of ti before dawn to finish the book.
anwhile, in the room next door, separated only by a wall, Astrid took out a potion from her bag.
After ensuring no one was around, she uncorked it and drank it all in one go.
Almost instantly, her brows furrowed like distant mountains, and a hint of displeasure flickered across her beautiful face.
No matter how many tis she drank it, she could never get used to the strange taste.
---
"Elise, I have sothing for you to do."
After lunch, Astrid called for the head maid and handed her the list Amalia had written the previous night.
"Shop according to this list. Don't let anyone else know. Make sure everything is bought before sunset today. I'll need it this evening."
Elise took the list, read it carefully from top to bottom, and nodded.
"Understood, Miss Astrid."
As the woman turned to leave, Astrid spoke again.
"Elise, have I been spending money too quickly lately?"
Every so often, Hibbort would give Astrid an allowance for her personal use.
She had always entrusted it to Elise for safekeeping, letting her handle paynts without worrying about the specifics.
But considering the severance package she had given out last month and the interdiate-level potion she had bought from Elowen without a second thought, Astrid began to suspect her funds might be running low.
"Miss Astrid, your expenses have indeed been higher than usual."
Elise tucked the list away, holding the tray with both hands, her tone calm and asured.
Princess Astrid had once spent lavishly on luxury items like clothing and jewelry.
Though she seed to have lost interest in such things now, she had replaced them with an even more costly habit: purchasing potions.
While the price of a single interdiate-level potion might not rival that of a string of precious jewels, the frequency of her purchases made the forr far more expensive in the long run. The costs were adding up quickly.
At this rate, Hibbort's allowance might not last Astrid through the month. The princess of the empire might soon find herself needing to ask for additional funds to cover her daily expenses.
"Potions really do burn through money..."
Astrid sighed softly, her brow creasing with concern.
In the novel, Princess Astrid had been dragged into trouble by Prince Lucas partly because of her tendency to overspend.
Unwilling to repeatedly ask Hibbort for more money, she had fallen for Lucas's sches, lured by the promise of quick wealth.
In the process, she ended up shouldering a great deal of bla for his misdeeds.
Now that she had decided to cut ties with Licas, Astrid had no intention of involving herself in shady dealings again.
She would rely on the Velmont family to make money. While their thods might not be entirely clean, at least they wouldn't involve her in anything as reckless and costly as Lucas' sches.
Astrid decided to assess the market's reaction to her first fragrance.
She was confident the venture wouldn't result in a loss.
Her confidence stemd from her skill and the Velmont family's marketing prowess. The only question was whether she would make a modest profit or a substantial one.
Once the profits started rolling in, Astrid was certain Elowen would co knocking, seeking further collaboration.
She wasn't worried about Elowen abandoning her. For one, Astrid was the only one capable of producing high-quality perfus.
Secondly, in the eyes of the public, she maintained good relationships with Hibbort, Charlotte, and even her troubleso brother Lucas. Elowen, being shrewd, would undoubtedly recognize this.
Tristian might risk offending the empire's most favored princess over personal matters, but Elowen wouldn't jeopardize her family's relationship with the royal family, or her friendship with Charlotte, for short-term gains.
"How much money do we have left?" Astrid asked Elise softly.
"Miss Astrid, you exhausted your pocket money last month paying off the balance for your jewels and potions. Lately, you've been using my funds," Elise replied honestly.
Astrid was montarily stunned, her cheeks flushing with rare surprise.
Even Lyra, standing nearby, looked at the silver-haired princess with wide eyes.
So even soone as noble as Her Royal Highness Astrid could run out of money...
Yet, despite her own financial struggles, Princess Astrid had gone out of her way to provide generous severance packages to the maids who had lost their jobs and were without a steady inco.
She truly was kind-hearted.
Unlike Lyra, who was lost in thought, Astrid quickly regained her composure after the initial shock.
She had nearly forgotten that the original Astrid had been a spendthrift, accruing significant debts even before Astrid had taken over.
"I've wronged you, Elise. When I receive my dividends next month, I'll repay you for what I've used."
"Miss Astrid, I don't really need that much..."
"Whether you use it or not, and whether you have it, are two different things."
Astrid interrupted Elise's speech, her voice carrying a hint of royal arrogance.
"It's unbecoming for a princess to rely on her maid's money to buy things. If outsiders were to hear of it, it would beco a joke."
Though the speaker might not have intended it, the listener took it to heart. Before Elise could respond, Lyra caught a deeper aning in Astrid's words.
Princess Astrid just said... "If outsiders were to hear of it..."
That ant she wasn't considered an outsider.
She could be trusted with such matters, and in Astrid's eyes, she was an "insider" , soone the princess didn't need to hide things from.
Realizing this, Lyra's eyelashes fluttered a few tis, and an inexplicable warmth spread through her chest.
If I think about it... Princess Astrid might already consider a close friend...
As Lyra stood there, lost in her thoughts, Astrid noticed the dazed expression on her maid's face. She cleared her throat lightly, snapping Lyra out of her reverie.
"Miss Lyra, haven't we practiced in a while?"
"Huh?!"
An hour later, in the palace garden, Lyra pressed her wooden sword against the floor tiles.
She glanced down at the white silk of her suspender, which had beco loose on her legs due to her vigorous movents, and her breathing was slightly uneven.
A few days later, during her spar with Astrid, Lyra lost again, this ti due to a parry error.
Seeing Lyra supporting herself with her sword, the sa sword that had just blocked a magical attack, the silver-haired girl casually raised her wooden weapon.
She opened her mouth slightly and blew away the cold frost aura clinging to the blade.
"Your Highness Astrid... I've lost again..."
Lyra bent forward, one hand gripping the hilt of her sword and the other clutching the white stockings that had slipped down her legs. Her voice was soft, tinged with apology.
Astrid lowered her head slightly upon hearing this, gathering her thoughts and the remnants of her ntal energy after the battle. She spoke in a quiet tone.
"You've been practicing well lately. Even though you lost, I can clearly see that you've improved."
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