Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 155: "I need… some time alone…”

In a daze, Amalia heard a soft "click" by her ear, as if something had fallen to the ground, or perhaps the sharp heel of a shoe had struck the tile.

Suddenly, a cluster of silver hair entered her vision. The next moment, Amalia felt a soft cloth gently touch her eyes, absorbing the moist tears, leaving only a lingering shimmer in her eyes.

Astrid knelt on one knee, completely unfazed by the possible dust or glass shards on the ground.

Her skirt trailed behind her, the thin black stockings slightly revealing the flesh of her knees as they pressed against the tiles.

The woman remained silent, quietly holding the handkerchief, carefully wiping away the tears by Amalia's eyes, just as Livia had once wiped the oil from Amalia's lips.

Realizing what Astrid was doing, Amalia was momentarily stunned, then awkwardly turned her head away, her delicate nose sniffling slightly.

Seeing this, Astrid blinked a few times and slowly stood up.

At the very least, Amalia hadn't pushed her away as roughly as before.

"Amalia, I can understand your doubts about me..."

If it were Astrid herself, and one day Lucas suddenly became a refined, benevolent prince, she would probably suspect some ulterior motive rather than believe he had truly turned over a new leaf.

"But there's one thing I hope Amalia can believe."

"Livia never lied to you."

As soon as Astrid finished speaking, Amalia seemed to find an outlet for her emotions. She looked up, her watery eyes fixed on Astrid.

"Her name was fake, made up to deceive me..."

She thought back to how she had once naively believed that Livia and she shared a blood connection, that they were bound by blood, different from many others, and that they were family.

But in the end, Livia wasn't a member of the Valeria imperial family, and the blood ties that connected them were false. She wasn't as special to Livia as she had imagined.

"If there has to be a deceiver, then it's me, Astrid, who deceived you."

"I just didn't want Amalia to refuse to interact with me from the start because of my past mistakes."

Astrid's words were eighty percent truth and twenty percent omission. She had indeed taken on the alias Livia because the identity of Astrid couldn't get close to Amalia, and that part was true. The twenty percent omission was Astrid deliberately leaving out her purpose for meeting Amalia.

She did like this well-behaved golden-haired girl, and she genuinely wanted to take care of her nominal younger sister.

But another part of her motivation was seeing Amalia ascend the throne as the kind of ruler she envisioned.

In this regard, Astrid had a clear purpose and had indeed approached Amalia out of self-interest.

After hearing Astrid's words, the surprise in Amalia's eyes from the tears being wiped away finally faded. She pursed her lips and spoke mockingly.

"So, Princess Astrid, are you saying you sought me out because of a guilty conscience?"

"Even I wouldn't believe such a reason. How did Princess Astrid manage to deceive herself..."

"What exactly was your purpose in approaching me?"

For a moment, Amalia wavered. She wanted to believe Astrid's words, but the recent deception was still fresh in her mind, and any fiery thoughts were quickly extinguished by cold water.

She couldn't trust someone who had just deceived her, no matter how sweet their words or how sincere their expression.

Seeing the complex look in Amalia's eyes, Astrid knew that mere words wouldn't be enough to regain her trust.

She considered whether to reveal more to Amalia, especially about her plan to groom her.

A clear exchange of interests might help Amalia trust her, but it could also lead to another dilemma.

Amalia might start questioning whether Astrid's previous actions were just emotional manipulation, especially for a bastard daughter who had endured years of loneliness in the castle. Amalia's sensitivity might far exceed Astrid's expectations.

Could she accept that the foundation of their relationship had been built with a purpose?

That the warmth she had felt might not have been entirely pure? All of this was uncertain, and Astrid couldn't be sure whether her next words would trigger more chain reactions.

"Can't say it anymore?" Amalia's lips curled slightly, her pupils flashing with disappointment.

As soon as the girl finished speaking, Astrid shook her head in response.

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"It's not because of a guilty conscience, nor is it for self-comfort."

"Because I like you, I want Amalia to accept me."

Amalia had heard Livia say "I like you" before, but hearing it from Astrid now gave the words a completely different meaning.

The golden-haired girl's expression froze for a moment, then she quickly furrowed her brows and spoke coldly.

"Do you really think I'd believe the words of a big liar now..."

She couldn't believe that Astrid would go this far just because of a so-called "like."

Hearing this, Astrid blinked and replied softly, "Whether you believe me or not is up to you, Amalia. I'm just laying out my true feelings."

"But if I must give a reason, I did have another motive when I first approached you."

Amalia's heart sank. She had expected this, but hearing it still made her clench her fists tightly, then release them to her sides, her slender white fingers pressing into her white-stockinged thighs.

"What reason?"

Whether it was disappointment or resignation, Amalia's voice dropped even lower.

Seeing this, Astrid relaxed her brows and spoke gently, "I want Amalia to become the future emperor of the Valeria Empire."

"..."Emperor of the Valeria Empire?

The words echoed in Amalia's ears, causing her thoughts to stall.

Her first reaction was that Astrid was talking nonsense. Not only was she the least favored bastard daughter, but even with her blood ties to Hibbort, she had no legitimate claim to the throne.

From another perspective, Lucas and Andre were the true heirs, having received elite noble education from a young age. They were far more suited to ruling the country than she was.

"Even if Princess Astrid wants to make up a reason, she should at least make it believable. I've never heard of a bastard daughter becoming empress in the Valeria Empire."

It was no wonder Amalia didn't believe it. Given the current circumstances, her ascension to the throne was nothing short of a fantasy.

And was Hibbort's health already so poor that even Princess Astrid was thinking of finding a new tree to shelter under?

"It sounds unbelievable, which is why I gradually changed my mind."

If not for having read the original story, Astrid would have never imagined that the future emperor of the empire was currently confined in a castle, a delicate and fragile golden-haired girl.

"In the process of getting to know you, I grew to like your paintings and you as a person, so I wanted to be a truly good sister."

A child's anger shouldn't last overnight. No matter how much Amalia disliked her, Astrid couldn't do nothing at this crucial moment, leaving the other to digest her emotions alone in the room, as often depicted in movies and TV shows from her past life.

At the very least, she would explain the entire situation to Amalia, leaving no room for seeds of doubt to grow unchecked.

More than tactics or strategies, what Amalia needed most was sincerity. She had just experienced betrayal, and if Astrid held back too much, their relationship would inevitably slide into an irreparable abyss.

"Good sister?"

Amalia took a few steps back, her legs brushing against the wall as she leaned halfway against the window.

"So, in Princess Astrid's mind, the definition of a good sister is weaving lies to deceive her younger sister?"

If everything Astrid said was true, then her only motivation for doing all this was because she liked her.

Because she liked her, she was willing to spend time meeting her. Because she liked her, she didn't mind spending money like it was on fire.

Because she liked her, she taught her magic and introduced her to new foods like hot pot and barbecue.

It all seemed to make sense, but Amalia didn't dare believe it, nor would she.

Astrid couldn't possibly like her. In all their previous interactions, the princess had only shown disdain, mixed with jealousy over Amalia's royal bloodline. Neither of those emotions could be mistaken for affection.

Hearing Amalia's words, Astrid paused. Just as the younger girl thought she had caught her in a lie and that was why she remained silent, the princess raised her head, her pink lips parting softly.

"I'm sorry, Amalia," Astrid said.

The sudden apology left the golden-haired girl stunned, a flicker of disbelief flashing in her eyes.

What had Astrid just said?

Sorry… She was apologizing to her…

Would a proud imperial princess like Astrid truly lower her noble head to apologize to her?

"Amalia Valeria, I apologize for deceiving you."

Astrid's voice was steady, her eyes closed, her left hand resting over her right chest as she slightly bent her long, black-stockinged legs and leaned forward.

This was the most formal apology gesture among the nobility of the Valeria Empire, symbolizing the apologizer's profound regret toward the recipient.

Watching the silver-haired princess, her expression sincere, Amalia's mouth opened slightly, her throat swallowing imperceptibly.

Even if it was an act, Astrid Calliste couldn't possibly go this far.

Noble etiquette was reserved for interactions between nobles or servants addressing their masters. Apologizing to a lowly illegitimate daughter like her was something the old Astrid would never have done. Her ungrounded yet sky-high pride wouldn't allow her to lower her head, even if she had truly done wrong.

Time ticked by, and Amalia showed no sign of accepting the apology. Astrid maintained her posture, waiting patiently until five minutes had passed before she slowly straightened up.

Another quarter of an hour later, Amalia took a deep breath, her arms hanging limply at her sides, her voice low.

"I need… some time alone…"