Princess’s Struggle for Survival

After chatting with Amalia and taking a few sips of grape juice, Livia bid her farewell and returned to her bedroom to begin writing her first newspaper.

Drawing from the reading experience accumulated in her previous life, Livia divided the planned newspapers and periodicals into four modules: fashion wear, jewelry evaluation, monthly current affairs, and novel serialization.

She also interspersed some advertisements or other filler content to ensure the layout didn't appear too sparse.

First, fashion. Astrid had previously worked in the perfume industry and had brief exchanges with many clothing design professionals, giving her ample industry knowledge to draw from.

Writing about fashion wouldn't be difficult.

Moreover, the original Astrid had her own well-defined aesthetic logic.

From headdresses and cufflinks to complete outfits, she had an excellent sense of style.

As Livia knew, many aristocratic ladies imitated Astrid's attire, as if doing so would transform them into the unattainable silver-haired princess admired by countless young talents.

Upon reflection, this was hardly surprising. As the most dazzling jewel of the Valeria Empire, Astrid Calliste Valeria possessed a striking appearance that far surpassed ordinary people, and her clothing naturally reflected this excellence.

The tip of the pen dipped lightly into the ink, and the handwriting flowed onto the yellowed parchment as Livia wrote quietly by the candlelight.

'Today's recommended outfit is a casual ensemble submitted by the empire's princess and third princess, Astrid. It consists of a spring-inspired shirt and pleated skirt, paired with black tights and ankle-length leather boots.

The shirt is a milky white, high-necked design made of pure cotton, offering both softness and sweat absorption.

The chest is adorned with a metal brooch featuring a honeysuckle pattern, while the bronzed stripe design on the shoulders accentuates the wearer's noble temperament, creating a simple yet elegant look...

The pleated skirt is from the Leinster Clothing Workshop, a royal establishment known for its exceptional quality. The pure black tone contrasts beautifully with the upper body, making it especially suitable for fair-skinned ladies...

The black tights are crafted from lightweight velvet, offering comfort and breathability. Their form-fitting design prevents wrinkles and perfectly outlines the legs, making them an ideal choice for ladies looking to showcase a subtle, hazy beauty in spring…'

After completing the outfit recommendation, Livia carefully reviewed the parchment, ensuring the wording was precise, then set down the pen and flexed her wrist.

Words alone weren't enough. When she spoke to Elowen, she planned to find skilled painters to create detailed illustrations or try on the outfits for more accurate depictions, which could then be replicated using rubbing magic.

It was a shame Amalia only enjoyed painting architecture and rarely touched on people or objects. Otherwise, Livia could have asked for her input on the newspaper and magazine ideas.

As soon as she took a sip of juice, she caught a glimpse of a slender black shadow falling between the corridor and the door. Livia curled her lips and asked softly, "Amalia?"

Hearing Livia call her, the blonde girl walked into the room with the cat in her arms.

Her face still showed no emotional fluctuation, but her eyes, when they met Livia's, held a subtle depth that hadn't been there during their first meeting.

"Did I disturb Livia from writing?" Amalia asked softly.

Livia shook her head. "No, I just finished writing one section and was about to take a break."

Jewelry reviews could be handled by professionals, but when it came to the serialization of novels, Livia had to take charge personally.

This was one of the key elements to attracting attention in the early stages of the newspaper, and there was no room for carelessness.

Originally, Livia had considered transplanting masterpieces from the real world, but after some thought, she abandoned the idea.

On one hand, the differences in worldviews might make them unsuitable.

On the other hand, more serious works often lacked the kind of excitement needed to captivate readers in a serialized format.

Of course, the most important reason was that her own sister hadn't put much thought into writing "The Innocent Knight of the Stained Light", leaving many gaps in the worldbuilding.

This had led to some interesting discoveries when Astrid read the book.

Astrid couldn't have read every book in the world, so she wasn't sure which famous works had already been written by authors in this world.

If she copied them, it could deal a devastating blow to her fledgling newspaper.

Since shortcuts weren't an option, she had to rely on her own creativity. Fortunately, Astrid had read some romance novels during her school days and had a rough idea of what kind of plots would resonate with aristocratic ladies.

Noticing Amalia staring curiously at the parchment on her desk, Livia thought for a moment and smiled. "Amalia, are you curious about what I wrote?"

The blonde girl hesitated briefly before nodding. "Hmm."

It wasn't entirely accurate to say she was curious about the writing itself.

What Amalia was truly curious about was Livia herself. She wanted to know more about Livia, her life, her experiences, her hobbies.

Anything connected to the gentle blonde woman in front of her, Amalia wanted to understand.

In the next moment, Livia handed the parchment to Amalia and looked at her seriously. "It's nothing much, just some clothing and outfit recommendations based on the contributor's information."

As soon as she finished speaking, Amalia set Auri down and took the parchment from Livia. Her gaze swept over the first line, and her blue pupils contracted slightly.

'Today's recommended outfit is a daily ensemble submitted by the empire's princess and third princess, Astrid.'

The Third Princess... Astrid...

The name stood out glaringly, suddenly magnified in her vision.

Amalia clenched the paper, her cherry-pink lips pursing unconsciously, turning pale from the pressure.

Livia also noticed the change in Amalia's expression and followed her gaze, her eyes darkening slightly.

It seemed that Amalia's dislike for the original Astrid was far greater than she had anticipated.

The air grew silent for a moment, until a faint cry from Auri broke the stillness.

Livia picked up the orange cat and carried it to her seat, gently stroking its back.

Feeling the woman's soothing touch, Auri quieted down, allowing Livia to smooth its fur.

Two or three minutes later, Amalia set down the parchment.

A complex emotion flickered in her blue eyes, but when she looked at Livia, it vanished, replaced by a faint sense of attachment.

"Wonderfully written..."

Though Amalia knew little about aristocratic fashion, she could sense Livia's professionalism in the text.

The only drawback was that this submission came from Astrid Calliste, a delicate princess whose personality mirrored that of most members of the Valeria family.

Despite Livia's extensive efforts to describe this so-called royal sister, Amalia still couldn't bring herself to like Astrid.

As soon as she finished speaking, Amalia handed the manuscript back to Livia and asked in a low voice, "Livia... are you close to Astrid?"

What if Livia and Astrid were also friends?

Friends often grow close, and Amalia couldn't help but wonder if Livia might prefer the pampered Princess Astrid over her.

Livia blinked a few times at the question. Though she had anticipated some curiosity, she hadn't expected Amalia to ask so directly.

After a brief pause, Livia replied softly, "My relationship with her... is somewhat special."

So special that they were essentially the same person, indistinguishable from one another.

Amalia stared intently at Livia, her teeth lightly biting her pink lip.

She wanted to say more but struggled to find the right words.

After a moment, Amalia asked, "Does that mean... you two are close?"

Selfishly, she hoped Livia would say no, or better yet, that Livia disliked Astrid as much as she did.

But rationally, Livia's acceptance of Astrid's submission suggested their relationship wasn't bad, and might even be closer than hers with Livia.

While Amalia was caught in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, Livia was also pondering how to answer the question.

It would be easy to simply cater to Amalia's feelings, but doing so could lead to serious consequences.

Amalia, a vigilant and love-starved child, placed great importance on the words and actions of her friends.

Astrid had chosen to approach Amalia as Livia to avoid the negative impact of preconceived notions on their interactions.

On one hand, Livia wanted to change the future tyrant who would unleash her anger on the people.

On the other hand, she also wanted to save the fourth Princess, who was still just a child, immature and trapped in a bleak quagmire, and guide them toward a better path.

Initially, Astrid's primary goal had been to ensure she wouldn't be targeted by Amalia after the latter ascended the throne.

However, after getting to know Amalia, her secondary goal, to help this young girl, who had never experienced love, grow up in a relatively warm environment and become a strong yet gentle ruler, had become her main focus.

At least as Livia, Astrid didn't want to deceive Amalia.

"Sort of," Livia replied hesitantly.

Hearing Livia's somewhat reluctant answer, Amalia didn't press further.

Instead, she tried to console herself: Livia is Livia, and Astrid is Astrid. Even if the two were connected, they were still separate in her mind.

But even as she told herself this, a deep discomfort lingered in her heart.

The thought that Livia and Astrid might be closer than she and Livia made Amalia feel an intense, almost manic frustration.

That wretched woman... Why does she have to be friends with Livia?

She had to find a way to make Livia hate Astrid... to make Livia her friend alone...

Noticing Amalia's lowered head and unsettled expression, Livia reached out to brush aside the long hair that had fallen over the side of Amalia's face.

But before her fingers could touch, Amalia caught her wrist mid-air and looked up, her gaze dark and intense.

In that moment, Livia saw a fierce possessiveness in Amalia's eyes, along with a tyrannical edge reminiscent of the character described in the novel, as if Amalia wanted to consume her entirely.

However, the look vanished as quickly as it appeared. Amalia reverted to her usual childlike demeanor, releasing Livia's wrist and allowing her to gently tuck the stray strands of blonde hair behind her ear.

"I don't like her," Amalia muttered under her breath.

Livia blinked, slowly withdrawing her hand. "Amalia... are you talking about Princess Astrid?"

"..."

"Well, I hate her."

Amalia didn't elaborate further, knowing it wasn't proper to speak ill of one friend in front of another.

So, she refrained from listing Astrid's flaws, even though her dislike was palpable.

Amalia only needed to make her stance clear and leave the rest for Livia to inquire about or figure out on her own.

Amalia trusted Livia. Given the gentle nature the other had shown, she was certain that once Livia understood the kind of person Astrid truly was, she would undoubtedly side with her without fail.

Livia pursed her lips thoughtfully upon hearing this. Time ticked by, and after a few minutes, she finally spoke softly, "...I see."

"I'll try to mention her as little as possible in front of you from now on."

Searching through her memories, Livia couldn't recall how the original owner had mistreated Amalia.

Perhaps, for the original Astrid, those incidents were trivial and not worth remembering.

What concerned Livia the most, however, was the look she had seen in Amalia's eyes moments ago.

It was as if she had glimpsed the future tyrant, the brooding, ruthless ruler who would one day sit on the throne.

Continuing to discuss Astrid would only make the atmosphere more tense, so Livia skillfully shifted the topic, asking why Amalia had been standing at the doorway earlier instead of coming in.

"I saw you writing and didn't want to disturb you," Amalia replied softly.

Though she said that, Amalia had actually been hoping Livia would notice her and invite her in herself.

From these small, seemingly insignificant gestures, Amalia could feel Livia's care for her.

"Next time, just come in. You don't need to worry about that," Livia reassured her.

Taking out the dessert she had brought, Livia placed it on the desk. She then turned to Amalia, paused for a moment, and extended her hand.

Seeing this, Amalia didn't hesitate and quickly placed her delicate hand into Livia's palm.

The girl's hand felt soft and smooth, like warm jade.

Yet, it was this same hand that wielded a pen with such skill and would one day hold the scepter symbolizing the supreme power of the empire.

Guiding Amalia to sit beside her, Livia gently smoothed the hem of her skirt.

The simple action seemed to calm Amalia's restless thoughts.

"Livia, I have a question for you," Amalia said slowly.

Hearing this, Livia handed a small dessert fork to Amalia and pushed the plate of sweets toward her. "Hmm? What is it?"

"...Do you have any other siblings?" Amalia asked.

After a brief pause, Livia answered truthfully, "I have two older brothers and a younger sister."

"Though, I'm not particularly close with them."