Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 139: Birthday?

When she agreed to spend the day with Amalia, Astrid had considered various scenarios and had prepared her own change of clothes a few days ago.

However, taking a bath with Amalia was completely outside her considerations.

The last time she bathed with someone was with her younger sister, when they hadn’t even graduated from kindergarten, so there was no sense of shame.

As an adult, with her busy schedule, not only did she not engage in such intimate childhood activities, but she also rarely had the chance to meet her sister. It was only later, when she fell seriously ill, that she regained some time to spend with her.

Hearing Livia’s response, Amalia frowned slightly, biting her pink lips, and spoke softly.

"But... I want to bathe with you..."

Amalia had never seen how siblings in ordinary families interacted, but her intuition told her that bathing together shouldn’t be too embarrassing.

She wanted more love from Livia...

Hearing this, Livia paused for a moment, then turned around, looking at the golden-haired girl in front of her, dressed in an exquisite little dress.

Amalia’s hands rested on the lace hem of her princess dress.

The essence of the transformation potion was to create an illusion around the user, altering the observer’s perception.

As long as the potion’s effect lasted, even if they were physically exposed, Livia would remain Livia, not Astrid.

"...Is it not okay?"

Seeing Livia remain silent for a long time, Amalia lowered her head slightly, her delicate white fingers twisting together.

Hearing Amalia’s voice, which had noticeably dropped in tone, Livia stood still, her fingers gently stroking her hair, her gaze calm as she looked at the golden-haired girl before her.

In truth, apart from the initial embarrassment, Livia didn’t feel much awkwardness or psychological pressure about this.

Amalia was just a fourteen-year-old child, and they were both of the same gender and called each other sisters. Bathing together wasn’t a big deal.

It was just like going to a public bathhouse.

After a brief mental preparation, Livia spoke softly.

"If Amalia really wants to bathe with me..."

"Okay."

After spending so much time together, Livia wasn’t unaware of Amalia’s dependence on her. Even if she made such a request, it wasn’t too surprising.

It was just a bath together, nothing she needed to be particularly concerned about, but for a girl like Amalia, who had lacked love since childhood, it was a great encouragement.

The next second, Amalia’s eyes lit up, and she gently hugged Livia’s arm.

"Okay~"

"Then I’ll go get my nightgown. The clothes you brought are in the bag, right?"

Livia nodded. "Yes."

Hearing this, Amalia’s voice rose slightly. "Then I’ll grab them together later."

Listening to the crisp sound of her small leather shoes on the floor tiles, Livia went to the bathroom to wash her hands, then drank a transformation potion.

Seeing her silver-haired, red-eyed self in the mirror, and thinking of Amalia, who had insisted on bathing with her, Astrid recalled the first time they met, when the petite girl had been cold and unwilling to speak a word.

Back then, Amalia had been uncomfortable even with her nightgown clinging to her after a bath, unwilling to interact with her. Now, she didn’t hesitate at all, even actively inviting her to bathe together.

The duality of the blonde tyrant from their first meeting to now truly surprised her.

Meanwhile, Amalia went to the room, took out her silk nightgown from the wardrobe, and then opened the bag Livia had brought, gently searching through it.

Feeling the smooth texture of the fabric under her fingers, Amalia lowered her head, her gaze deepening.

Black, lightweight... with lace patterns...

These clothes were different from what Livia usually wore. It seemed her sister was more mature than she had imagined.

Folding the clothes and carrying them to the bathroom, Amalia saw Livia staring at the mirror in a daze and spoke softly.

"Sister... let’s begin..."

With that, Amalia gently sat by the bathtub, her fingers tugging at the tips of her stockings, then slowly pulling them down.

Seeing this, Livia also bent down, her hands reaching behind her back to untie the dress’s laces.

The water attribute crystal released liquid, and soon, the sound of running water filled the bathroom.

...

Late at night, after bathing and changing clothes, Livia and Amalia lay in bed.

After their more intimate contact, Amalia seemed to become even more clingy, wishing she could stay attached to Livia at all times.

"Sister, I’m so happy today..."

In Amalia’s heart, what she had gained today surpassed all her experiences in the past fourteen years combined.

Hearing this, Livia’s eyelashes trembled slightly, thinking of the soft, water-like Amalia in her arms earlier, her cherry lips parting.

"I’m relieved to hear you say that, Amalia."

While Livia’s favorability had been successfully raised, poor Astrid was still stuck in place.

Hearing Livia’s words, Amalia nuzzled her arm, her voice soft.

"As long as I’m with you, sister, I’m happy no matter what."

As soon as she finished speaking, Amalia suddenly chuckled, her tone complex.

"Sister, did you choose this day as a special birthday gift for me?"

Birthday gift?

Hearing this, Livia was momentarily stunned, a rare flash of surprise crossing her face.

The story hadn’t mentioned when Amalia’s birthday was, and her investigation had only yielded a vague date.

Probably, after her mother’s death, Amalia was the only one in the world who knew her exact birthday.

"Amalia... is today your birthday..."

Just as Livia thought her question was pointless, Amalia gave her another vague answer.

"Maybe."

The girl’s tone was indifferent, showing no emotion.

"I can’t remember, and no one cares anyway."

That woman had never told her her birthdate, and Amalia could only guess from fragments of information that she was born in late spring.

Before Livia could speak, Amalia continued.

"Though I don’t know, I’m sure now."

"Today is my birthday."

A birthday should be a day to receive blessings from others, but neither her father nor her mother had ever truly loved her.

A birth without blessings wasn’t worth celebrating.

Now that she had Livia, a sister who truly cared for her, Amalia no longer needed to search for that vague, buried birthdate.

It was unnecessary and meaningless.

Today, Livia had been with her from morning till night, giving her the happiness and joy she had never experienced in her fourteen years.

"I’ll remember this day, sister," Amalia said.

At this moment, she truly received blessings and, as an individual, enjoyed the love of another.

Livia Valeria might not be the one who loved her the most, but she was definitely the sister she loved the most.

Smelling the sweet and fragrant scent of the person in her arms, and feeling the gentle breaths brushing against her hair, Amalia tightened her arms, wrapping them firmly around Livia’s waist.

Her snow-white legs naturally entwined around Livia’s knees, the coolness of her skin particularly noticeable against the silk sheets.

"Speaking of which... Sister knows so many things..."

Perhaps feeling that her previous words were too sentimental, Amalia changed the subject.

Her cold voice carried a hint of sweetness, subtly blending with the scent of soap lingering in the air.

"Magic, cooking, writing, and even knowing how to grow purple roses."

Although Amalia wasn’t particularly fond of the royal nobility, she had to admit that Livia perfectly fulfilled her few positive conceptions of an imperial noble.

With flawless beauty, a curvaceous figure, a perfect sense of style, and elegant yet approachable manners, Livia seemed to embody all the admirable qualities Amalia could imagine in a noblewoman.

This was what a true imperial princess should be like... Compared to her, someone else was like the difference between mud and clouds...

Hearing Amalia’s praise, Livia reached out to adjust the blanket, covering the golden-haired girl’s exposed shoulder, and spoke softly.

"It’s not as impressive as you make it out to be. I’m just a little skilled in many things."

Having lived two lives, with the skills from her previous life and the memories of this one, if she couldn’t even manage to be a jack-of-all-trades, she would have to seriously reflect on how much time she had wasted.

Amalia blinked a few times upon hearing this, then responded gently.

"That’s still amazing..."

"I’m curious, where did Sister learn all these things?"

Take cooking, for example. In Amalia’s experience, no noble lady would attempt anything beyond desserts and tea.

They were too lazy to pick vegetables, disliked handling raw animal products that might dirty their hands, and hated the greasy fumes that filled the kitchen.

Seeing Livia pause for a few seconds without speaking, Amalia continued.

"Are these... also secrets?"

Earlier on the rooftop, when she had asked Livia about the origin of her grilling skills, Livia had dodged the question.

Were these other things also going to be kept secret?

Hearing the expectation in Amalia’s tone, Livia moistened her lips and spoke softly.

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"Magic is mostly self-taught, though I did receive some guidance from elders."

"Growing flowers and plants was something I figured out in my spare time, and writing is the same. After reading so many stories, I occasionally thought I could try writing my own."

Livia’s answer was concise, but it didn’t fully satisfy Amalia.

What she wanted wasn’t a simple summary, but details about Livia’s personal experiences.

She wanted to know under what circumstances Livia had encountered these things and what had motivated her to learn them.

The more detailed, the better.

"Is writing difficult?" Amalia asked softly.

Livia shook her head, her hand resting on the golden-haired loli’s back. "If you have a story in mind, it’s not too hard."

Painting was also a highly creative art. Just as a novel’s plot needed structure, so did the composition of a painting. The two shared some commonalities.

Amalia hummed thoughtfully upon hearing this, then spoke again after a moment.

"Where do the stories come from?"

Amalia had read some storybooks, but when it came to writing her own, she couldn’t produce a single word.

She was good at depicting specific scenes but struggled to connect multiple events into a coherent narrative.

Livia spoke slowly, "Stories need life experience. You can gain that either by interacting with people around you or by reading extensively, learning about other people’s lives through books."

Life experience?Amalia pondered Livia’s words, her pink lips unconsciously tightening.

She had lived in this castle for so many years, and aside from herself, she hadn’t even seen a single cat or dog. Accumulating life experience was no easy task.

She wasn’t like Livia... who had a whole social circle besides herself...

Sensing Amalia’s slight disappointment, Livia seemed to realize what she was thinking. After a moment, she gently rubbed the girl’s head.

"Amalia..."

"Do you want to leave this place?"