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 dicine every two hours ant 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 seed. 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 ntioned 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 sothing to a completed potion would nullify its original effects, but in that mont, 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 shimred 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 movent 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.
anwhile, 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 ntal energy.
One of the strengths of the original story was that, although the Valeria Empire was set in the late dieval period, its hygiene conditions were vastly different from those of real-world European countries at the sa ti.
Magic had indeed improved people's lives to so 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 ti 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 ergence 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 co, and there was still a chance to change such an outco.
As long as Amalia didn't beco that twisted tyrant, and the empire's situation was managed by a rational ruler, there was still ti 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 centiters away from Amalia's, and spoke softly.
"Amalia, is there sothing 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, eting Livia's long, slightly curved eyelashes.
Caught by Amalia's focused, slightly probing gaze, Astrid felt a mont 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 mont," 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 ditating yet?"
"Not yet."
Livia smiled slightly, then turned and sat back down.
"You can try ditating first. If you can gain elental vision, you should be able to channel ntal energy soon."
Gaining elental vision through ditation was the foundation of becoming a mage. If one struggled with this, it might indicate a weaker talent for sensing elents, 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 elental 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 elental 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 elental 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 ditator's ntal state.
If there were too many distracting thoughts, making it hard to even settle into ditation, how could one open their elental vision and observe the free-floating elental particles in the air?
As ti 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 overwheld 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 ti she cald down, a quarter of an hour had passed. Amalia felt as if she had grasped sothing, and her intuition told her it was ti to open her eyes.
When she did, everything in her vision had changed. Brownish-yellow earth elents, flowing wind elents, 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 elental fluctuation spreading through the air.
Those potions... they were indeed related to magic...
"Sister, I can see the elental particles the book ntioned."
Hearing the golden-haired girl speak, Livia also entered her elental vision, ready to provide one-on-one guidance.
"Amalia, this light green one is the wind elent. Its characteristic is that it flows continuously and is hard to restrain. It has a high affinity with the thunder elent..."
"The earth elent is the least mobile of the elental particles. Controlling it requires much more ntal energy than the others..."
"Besides the basic elents, higher elents 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 elents 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 so lessons.
Unconsciously, the second bottle of unidirectional transformation potion was about to wear off. Livia exited her elental vision and took out a transparent glass bottle from her bag.
The glimring 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 mont, 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 ntal energy equivalent to that of a peak apprentice. Amalia had just started ditating; there was no way she could break through the psychological illusion.
Amalia was montarily 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 sothing you want to tell ?"
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 hard 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 movent, Livia's body tensed for a mont before quickly relaxing.
Amalia seed to enjoy expressing her affection in this way.
Suddenly rembering 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 mont, 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 an?
Eating als 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 sa 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 sa, 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 mont, 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.
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