Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 52: Bring a cat

But her ambitions didn't stop there. She transformed the entire Valeria Empire into a relentless war machine, like a train hurtling off its tracks with unstoppable momentum.

It crushed everything in its path until it ultimately led to the empire's own destruction.

Of course, these events were only Astrid's private musings and weren't completely detailed in the novel.

In the original story, Lyra, the heroine of Destiny, wouldn't stand idly by as the situation deteriorated.

Through her efforts, this grim outcome was ultimately averted.

"Yes, Miss Astrid."

A calm female voice interrupted Astrid's thoughts. Elise stood upright, her hands folded neatly over her lower abdomen, and spoke in a serious tone.

"I'll go to the imperial capital early tomorrow morning to look for stray cats and dogs."

Astrid specifically instructed her not to harm the kittens and puppies but to raise them herself.

Elise was pondering this when she suddenly heard Astrid speak again: "Actually, forget about the dogs. Just focus on finding stray cats, preferably ones with a good temperament and a cute appearance."

Cats are more agile, and if Lucas's spies were to notice one, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume it had slipped in through the palace walls.

Of course, Astrid wasn't planning to raise the cat herself.

She intended to give it to Amalia, who lived deep within the palace.

Amalia's mother was not the current queen but a lowly dancer.

She had resorted to deceitful tactics to seduce Hibbort while he was still a prince, ultimately giving birth to a child named Amalia.

Though Hibbort was a man of deep emotional loyalty, he felt nothing but contempt for the woman who had ensnared him.

Of course, Astrid did not believe he was entirely blameless in the matter.

His attitude toward his illegitimate daughter was just as indifferent, he had effectively abandoned her in the palace, never once making the effort to check on her.

It could be said that while Hibbort doted on Astrid, an adopted princess with no blood relation to him, he showed nothing but indifference toward his own daughter.

Astrid, the outsider, received far more love and care than Amalia ever did.

Putting herself in Amalia's shoes, Astrid suspected that the princess might harbor as much resentment toward her as she did toward Hibbort.

For this reason, Astrid wasn't ready to meet Amalia too soon, fearing it might provoke an extreme reaction.

Instead, she decided to have Elise catch a stray cat first.

Observing how Amalia treated the animal would reveal much about her character.

Often, a person's compassion could be gauged by how they treated small creatures.

If Amalia showed kindness to the cat, it would mean she hadn't completely lost her capacity for empathy.

It would suggest that the cold, judgmental eyes of the palace hadn't entirely hardened her heart.

In that case, Astrid might still have a chance to pull her back from the brink of despair and isolation.

On the other hand, if Amalia treated the cat cruelly, it would indicate that her cold, tyrannical tendencies were already taking root.

She would be well on her way to becoming the ruthless, emotionless tyrant from the later parts of the novel, a figure despised and feared by the common people.

Such a person would be nearly impossible to change, much like Lucas and Alistair, who were already beyond redemption.

"Does Miss Astrid have any other instructions?" Elise asked softly.

Astrid shook her head and replied in a calm tone, "Nothing else. You should go back and rest early."

From a broader perspective, Astrid didn't want Amalia to become irredeemably dark.

The Empire needed at least one competent ruler; otherwise, when the Kingdom of Velys invaded in a few years, it wouldn't be enough to rely solely on Lyra and a few other lords to hold the front lines.

Even from a personal standpoint, Astrid preferred to gain an ally rather than an enemy she'd have to constantly guard against.

Elise gave a respectful maid's curtsy and slowly retreated to the door of Astrid's room.

"Tomorrow morning's knight training session—" Elise began, pausing to let Astrid finish.

After a moment, Astrid rubbed her temples, which were aching from exhaustion, and replied softly, "Cancel it. I'll take Lyra to the alchemy lab to refine potions. Come find us directly when you return."

The thought of all the troubles ahead made Astrid feel as though she had aged ten years in an instant.

Aside from the fourth princess, Amalia, the eldest prince Lucas was also a cause for concern.

If Astrid were to leave the capital to inspect the lands and something unexpected happened, something not written in the original story, she wouldn't have enough mental strength to handle it.

Astrid was more eager than ever to grow stronger on her own rather than relying on others.

But since Aura Vault couldn't restore mental energy multiple times in a short period, she had to rely on potions.

These would serve as substitutes for magic and could play a decisive role in battle.

For example, a basic fire potion that ignites upon impact, a basic acceleration potion that boosts speed and explosiveness when consumed, and a blinding potion that creates a sudden burst of light akin to a flashbang.

Listening to Astrid's words, Elise gave a slight bow and closed the door softly.

---

"Your Highness Astrid, has this morning's knight training been canceled?"

The next morning, Lyra noticed several unfamiliar faces in the palace corridors, people she had never seen before.

The only familiar presence was Elise, the head maid who usually waited at the door to accompany her during training.

Astrid nodded lightly, her vision momentarily obscured by shadows.

She tilted her head slightly, revealing the smooth, elegant curve of her neck.

Her fingers brushed aside the soft strands of silver hair that had fallen over her ear.

"Elise has some business to attend to this morning. You and I will go to the alchemy workshop to help instead."

Astrid wasn't sure how long it would take Elise to catch a stray cat.

The thought of Elise, a serious, composed woman with the appearance of a cold, regal beauty, chasing after a cat gave Astrid a subtle sense of amusement.

Lyra didn't question the decision.

She simply stepped away and obediently followed behind Astrid, speaking in a quiet voice.

"Your Highness Astrid..."

"What is it?"

"I tried what you mentioned last night..."

As she broached the topic, Lyra felt a wave of embarrassment.

She bit her lip lightly and spoke in a soft, hesitant tone.

"I couldn't hide it, no matter how I tried."

The knight's sword was far too large and long to conceal under her skirt. She couldn't fathom how Miss Elise managed to do it.

Hearing Lyra's sudden and cryptic words, Astrid maintained her pace but couldn't hide the confusion in her tone.

"What are you trying to hide?"

Lyra hesitated, her voice slowing as she replied with some discomfort.

"That... knight's sword..."

Fortunately, she had used a scabbard during her attempt; otherwise, the blade might have cut through her nightdress.

Knight's sword?

It took Astrid a moment to process Lyra's words, but when she realized what the other girl was referring to, she quickly pressed her lips together, though she couldn't suppress a laugh.

"Did you actually try it?" Astrid asked, her voice tinged with amusement.

She had only been joking the night before.

There was no secret dimensional space under a maid's skirt where one could store anything.

"Hmm... What is Your Highness laughing at?"

Lyra watched as Astrid laughed openly in front of her, and her heart felt a warm, sweet sensation, as if she had taken a bite of ripe watermelon.

Not knowing how to explain herself to her adorable maid, Astrid quickly stifled her laughter and whispered, "I just think Miss Lyra is a bit silly... it's funny."

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"You don't have to try it again. When you need to carry a sword, I'll have you wear the appropriate belt or strap."

Almost eighteen-year-old Lyra was truly too naïve.

She believed everything Astrid said without question.

If this continued, she might even end up helping count the money if someone ever sold her off.

Lyra, oblivious to the underlying humor, simply nodded in response. "Yes, Your Highness Astrid."

Feeling that the protagonist before her was inexplicably cute, Astrid suppressed the urge to ruffle Lyra's hair.

She maintained her composed demeanor and walked forward with a soft, dismissive snort.

---

When they arrived at the alchemy workshop, Astrid assigned Lyra the task of preparing the rhizomes of the Sparkroot plant.

Meanwhile, she sat down at the alchemy table, slowly gathering her mental energy.

The primary Fire potion required Sparkroot rhizomes, two Cotton Stone Grasses, a measured amount of water, and purified ale.

Astrid pondered for a moment. She had seen purified ale mentioned in many fire-related potion recipes.

Presumably, it referred to alcohol, which could help sustain the fire element's combustion.

Following the steps, she heated the alchemy furnace, poured in the ale for purification, and then added the Sparkroot rhizomes and Cotton Stone Grasses in sequence.

As she stirred the mixture clockwise, she channeled her mental energy to fuse the elements together.

After a while, Astrid produced a light red potion.