Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 140: Seed of Doubt

"Do you want to leave this place?"

A simple sentence, but it stirred a storm in Amalia’s heart.

Before Livia appeared, she had thought countless times about escaping the castle.

The prolonged loneliness and waiting had nearly worn her spirit to the breaking point, and she had even considered ending her life at one point.

Whether it was painting or reading, they were merely ways for her to alleviate her misery.

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Amalia remained silent for a moment, then spoke softly.

"I used to want to."

This castle was her prison, the beginning of her self-loathing. If she could leave, it would be for the best.

"What about now?" Livia asked.

Amalia replied, "I still want to, but not as strongly as before."

At least her life wasn’t as dull as it used to be. Now, there was someone she looked forward to seeing every day.

"Why?"

"Because Sister comes to see me at night."

It was Livia who gave her the strength to keep going. She wanted to see her, all the time.

"..."

After half a minute, Livia lowered her gaze and gently poked Amalia’s head.

"If it’s because you miss me, even if you leave, the time we spend together won’t decrease."

The longer she knew Amalia, the more Livia liked this little sister who, in reality, shared no blood relation with her. The more love you gave her, the more passionately she would return it.

In a way, Amalia was one of those most deserving of love.

Thinking back to the original novel, where the loli tyrant’s personality had become irredeemably twisted, Livia sighed softly in her heart and spoke in a low voice.

"Amalia..."

"What is it, Sister?"

"Do you trust me?"

Without hesitation, Amalia immediately responded.

"I trust you."

Livia was her beloved sister, and that alone earned her absolute trust.

Hearing this, a complex emotion passed through Livia’s heart, a faint sense of relief, mixed with a slight guilt.

As Livia, she had never deceived Amalia, so gaining her trust was only natural.

But if Livia truly existed, the situation wouldn’t be so complicated.

"I promise you, Amalia," Livia said, her tone unusually serious.

"One day in the future, you will regain the freedom that rightfully belongs to you."

Just like in the story, Amalia Valeria would ascend the throne under the gaze of the masses, holding the scepter that symbolized the power of the entire empire.

Amalia remained silent for a while, then spoke.

"What about Sister?"

She didn’t ask when that day would come. There was a question more important than that.

More than freedom, she cared about Livia.

"I’ll be there to witness your rebirth."

Hearing the answer she most desired, Amalia hugged Livia tightly, her face half-buried in Livia’s chest.

"I’ll wait for that day to come."

Whether Hibbort would let her leave, Amalia didn’t know, but she believed Livia’s words.

"Sister..."

"I love you."

After a long pause, Livia responded, "I love you too."

Perhaps their initial interactions hadn’t been entirely pure, but after spending so much time together, she had genuinely grown fond of this obedient yet aloof loli.

"Sleep now, Amalia."

With that, Livia leaned down and kissed the girl’s forehead. Amalia’s expression froze for a moment, and it took her a few seconds to react. Her emerald eyes glowed faintly.

"Sister!"

She smiled, but instead of kissing Livia’s forehead as usual, she lowered her head and gently kissed her collarbone.

It was more of a nibble, Livia thought, as she felt the slight pressure of teeth, accompanied by a wet, ticklish sensation, as if something had licked her.

"Today is the happiest day of my life," Amalia said.

"Goodnight."

Feeling the golden-haired loli’s attachment to her, Livia replied softly, "Goodnight, sweet dreams."

She softly chanted a spell, and the wind closed the window. The white moonlight seeped through the cracks, scattering across the bed like a river of stars.

In the room filled with the scent of soap, Livia spent yet another long night with Amalia.

The next morning, Livia left the bedroom with her change of clothes, leaving a note behind, reminding Amalia to eat well.

Without anything to hold, the sleepy golden-haired girl sat up, slipped on her slippers, and headed to the bathroom. After washing up, she stood in front of the mirror, lost in thought, replaying the events of the previous day in her mind. A faint smile appeared on her lips.

Bending down, she pulled out a small box from the bottom drawer of the sink and opened it gently, taking out a hair curler with a strand of hair wrapped around it.

The next second, her pupils slightly dilated, and her fingers paused mid-air.

Under the bright light, the strand of hair, which had been golden like wheat, had now turned into a fine, silvery color.

Amalia checked it many times yesterday. The strand of hair taken from Livia’s head had definitely been golden, just like hers.

How could this be... Had she remembered wrong?

Recalling every detail of yesterday morning in the bathroom, the way she had held the strand of hair in deep thought, Amalia pursed her lips, her delicate brows furrowing tightly.

No, she couldn’t have been mistaken. Something this important, her memory wouldn’t fail her.

Why had the golden hair turned silver after just one day?

Her heart pounded in her chest, and Amalia’s body trembled slightly, almost losing her balance. Her other hand instinctively gripped the edge of the sink.

Could it be... that this was Livia’s natural hair color?

Silver hair. In all her life, she only knew one person with such a feature.

That wicked stepsister, the most favored imperial princess, Astrid Calliste.

Thinking back to the silver strand of hair she had found on the bed a while ago, even if Livia was close to Astrid, it was unlikely that she would have Astrid’s hair on her clothes every day.

If Livia’s hair was naturally silver, but she had used some method to temporarily dye it golden, and once the method wore off, the hair would return to its original color.

Just like in the story of Cinderella, where the fairy godmother gave her a beautiful dress, glass slippers, and a carriage, but everything would vanish at midnight.

Livia knew magic, so temporarily dyeing her hair golden wouldn’t be too difficult. Thinking about it this way, everything seemed to make sense.

A thought suddenly crossed Amalia’s mind, one she desperately didn’t want to believe. Just considering the possibility made her throat dry and her chest tighten.

Could Livia and Astrid... have been the same person all along?

Wrapping the strand of hair around her finger, the smooth silver hair shimmered softly under the light, but the moment it touched her skin, it felt scalding, as if it could burn her.

Astrid had no reason to treat her so well, nor would she go to such lengths to approach her under the guise of Livia.

Unless... she wanted Amalia to experience the feeling of falling from heaven to hell.

In Amalia’s mind, Astrid was the type of person who would do such a thing. Her personality was that malicious, especially when it came to bullying the weak.

But... hair could be faked, but how could their faces, bodies, and temperaments be so different?

Thinking of how Astrid had arrogantly destroyed her dress, falsely accused her of starting the fight, and withheld her dinner for a long time, and then comparing her to the gentle sister Livia, who would bring her midnight snacks and remind her to eat well every morning.

No... it couldn’t be...

Even if it was an act, it was impossible to create such a stark contrast. Not to mention, Livia and Astrid had different body types.

Livia was tall and curvaceous, the epitome of a mature older sister, while Astrid was relatively petite, somewhere between a girl and a woman. Though she had her curves, she was still a far cry from Livia.

As for the finer details, there were even more differences. Having slept with Livia every night, and today even taking a bath together, with almost zero distance between them, Amalia was certain that Livia and Astrid had completely different body types.

If hair alone could determine someone’s identity... it seemed absurd...

Trying to calm her racing heart, Amalia gently touched her chest, noticing in the mirror that she was covered in a thin layer of sweat. Her sheer nightgown clung to her body, perhaps from the water during her morning routine, making it slightly transparent.

Surely, no magic could achieve something like that...

Amalia tried to rationalize, but her intuition kept pulling her in the opposite direction.

Was it really impossible?

Or was she just unwilling to believe it?

---------

Leaving the ancient castle, Astrid returned to her palace in the morning mist. Lyra had been waiting at the door for a long time. Hearing the familiar footsteps, she turned her head, her eyes sparkling with a hint of light.

"Good morning, Princess Astrid."

As she spoke, Lyra took the infiltrator’s robe handed to her by Astrid and skillfully helped straighten it.

Her fingers lightly flipped through the fabric, where the residual warmth of the woman’s body lingered, and a faint rose scent diffused into the air, momentarily overpowering the incense in the corridor.

Astrid nodded in acknowledgment and pushed open the door. The two entered the bedroom, one after the other.