Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 182: Guest with red eyes and Hibbort

Gregor’s suggestion wasn’t something Hibbort hadn’t considered. As the emperor, Hibbort had far more to consider than these specialized ministers.

Standing up, he walked to the square window behind him with his tea, feeling a few strands of sunlight brush his face, warm but unable to dispel the chill in his limbs.

The development prospects of magical devices were vast. They could improve living conditions, and if the issue of expensive magical crystals was resolved, they could even be used in production.

By then, the empire’s overall strength might reach new heights, no longer fearing potential future wars.

Thinking of the neighboring Kingdom of Velys, which had been restless in recent years with frequent border clashes, Hibbort tightened his grip on the teacup, his usually resolute eyes showing a rare hint of uncertainty.

He knew his body best. After that incident, his life force was nearly exhausted, and he didn’t have many years left. While the King of Velys wouldn’t act recklessly during his lifetime, if the empire’s next ruler couldn’t shoulder the burden, the situation would become perilous.

Lucas, Alistair... neither of these princes currently had the capacity or talent to become emperor.

Handing the empire over to them would be inviting doom.

Finishing his tea, Hibbort left the study with the document, heading towards the dining room.

His body was failing, and he needed to live as long as possible to ensure a smooth transition of power in the empire.

Continuously pondering the implications of magical devices, Hibbort suddenly recalled the genius mage who had single-handedly propelled the empire’s magical device development, the wife of his friend, the legendary mage Fanya.

"Where is Astrid now?"

Hearing the man’s question, the servant in the hallway nervously lowered his head and quickly replied.

"Your Majesty, Princess Astrid is dining upstairs."

"Is she alone?"

"There’s also a guest with red eyes."

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At 8:40 in the morning, on the viewing platform, Astrid gently slid the metal knife in her hand, cutting a small piece of steak from the plate.

The slightly yellow lemon zest mixed with the sauce, paired with the perfectly cooked steak, created a refreshing and unique flavor. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

"Livia, after breakfast, accompany me for a walk in the palace," Astrid said softly after swallowing the steak and taking a sip of grapefruit juice.

Being allowed to have breakfast with Princess Astrid in her private dining room, Amalia had already proven her importance to the third princess in the eyes of those around her.

Astrid looked at the sweetly dressed black-haired girl across the table, thinking it was about time to show her off in public.

Since Hibbort usually didn’t move around in the morning and had his breakfast delivered to his study, there was no need to worry about running into him.

"Okay..." Amalia replied softly, her slender legs tightly pressed together under the table. Her timid expression truly resembled that of a poor girl who was out of place in high society.

Feeling that Amalia’s acting skills exceeded her expectations, a sense of relief flashed in Astrid’s eyes, accompanied by a faint trace of heartache.

A normal girl of this age shouldn’t be so composed. Take Lyra, for example, the destined heroine of the novel. At fourteen, she was probably the type to hide under the covers and cry after reading a tragic love story.

Noticing Astrid’s gaze lingering on her slightly, Lyra straightened her back, her sky-blue eyes not nervously avoiding but naturally lowering, politely looking at the tip of Astrid’s nose and her luscious lips below.

In noble etiquette, a maid generally shouldn’t make eye contact with her mistress for more than three seconds, or it would be seen as overstepping and subject to various punishments.

After a moment, Astrid withdrew her gaze and continued eating. Ten minutes later, the two had almost finished their meal.

Seeing Amalia put down her knife and fork, Astrid intended to pick up a silk handkerchief to wipe her mouth, but as soon as her fingers touched the fabric, she seemed to remember something and abandoned the habitual gesture.

Princess Astrid, no matter how fond she was of a picked-up commoner, couldn’t lower herself to do such things for her, at least not now.

Previously focused on instructing Amalia, she had almost forgotten that she herself should also act the part and avoid overly intimate gestures.

Noticing Astrid’s subtle movement, Amalia also reacted. She blinked without saying much and carefully wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth herself.

It seems that in some aspects... sister is as unfree as I am...

Calling the maids in to clear the table, Astrid took Amalia’s hand and led her away from the viewing platform.

"For lunch, I specifically asked the chefs to prepare a specialty from near the Capital, a mille-feuille made from a black berry. We happen to have the ingredients in the cold storage. You can try it, Livia."

Hearing this, Amalia leaned closer to Astrid, her fluffy skirt slightly brushing against Astrid’s thighs as they walked.

"...Thank you, Princess Astrid," Amalia replied.

"No need to thank me. I just thought that since you used to live in such a remote place, you probably haven’t tasted royal delicacies. This time, I’ll broaden your horizons."

Showing a bit of noble arrogance was more in line with her character. After months of pretending, Astrid had almost fully grasped the persona of this villainous princess.

Hearing words that the former third princess might have said, Amalia tightened her fingers, but soon felt Astrid’s fingertip lightly scratch her palm.

With the added layer of silk gloves, Astrid’s light scratch felt like a feather brushing across her palm. Amalia looked up at the woman’s smooth swan-like neck, the small earlobe hidden under her silver hair pale with a hint of pink.

This place... also seems perfect for leaving a mark...

Unaware of what Amalia was thinking, Astrid assumed her comfort had been received and continued walking out of the dining room.

Just as they were about to turn the corner of the long corridor, she suddenly heard heavy footsteps approaching.

Before Astrid could react, she and Amalia turned the corner and came face-to-face with the source of the footsteps.

The moment she saw who it was, Amalia’s pupils slightly contracted, and she gripped Astrid’s hand even tighter, almost leaving a red mark on the pale skin.

But Astrid had no extra attention to spare for her hand at that moment. Her gaze fell on the man’s sharply defined cheekbones, and her heart skipped a beat.

The scorching sunlight through the windows fell on the man’s golden hair like wheat, the honeysuckle medal on his chest shining brightly, reflecting off the red magic crystal on his scepter. All of this seemed to announce his identity to everyone: Hibbort Valeria, the current emperor of the Valeria Empire.

Why is he here... of all times...

According to the emperor’s habits, he should be handling affairs in his study at this hour. Why would he suddenly come to the dining room?

In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Astrid’s mind, and even her back broke out in a light sweat.

But compared to her, Amalia’s emotions were the most complex. If even she, as the older sister, was thrown off, the latter would have no chance of fooling Hibbort.

"Good morning, Father," Astrid greeted politely.

"You too, Astrid," Hibbort nodded.

Unlike formal occasions, Hibbort’s private interactions with Astrid lacked the emperor’s usual air of authority. He was more of a father talking to his daughter.

"Why did Father decide to come here for breakfast today?" Astrid asked first, buying time for Amalia to adjust.

As the most favored princess, she naturally knew Hibbort’s habits, so this question wouldn’t raise suspicions.

Hearing this, Hibbort’s gaze slowly swept over Astrid, noticing the obediently standing black-haired girl beside her.

Amalia kept her head down, and from his elevated perspective, he couldn’t quite see her eye color. Hibbort assumed she was intimidated by the powerful aura he exuded from his long-standing high position and didn’t pay much attention.

"Being cooped up in the study all day can be stifling, so I came out for a walk."

With too many worries lately, recalling Lady Fanya naturally made him think of his good daughter Astrid, whom he hadn’t seen in a while, so he came to check on her.

Of course, Hibbort wouldn’t say these things to Astrid. As the ruler of a nation, his expressions of emotion were always relatively reserved.

"How was breakfast?" Hibbort asked.

Astrid’s pink lips parted slightly, "I don’t know if it’s the chef’s improved cooking skills or the superior quality of the ingredients, but today’s dishes tasted exceptionally good."

Hibbort nodded, quickly noticing Astrid and Amalia’s tightly clasped hands. Combining this with what he had just heard from the servants, the man spoke up.

"And this is..."

His deep voice blended into the air. Even when talking to his daughter, the inadvertent authority Hibbort exuded was enough to make people sweat nervously, let alone Astrid, who was now at risk of catastrophic missteps.

Forcing control over her facial expression, Astrid pretended to speak nonchalantly.

"Livia Calliste, an orphan Elise found outside."

"Her eyes are red like mine, and I felt a connection, so I kept her in the palace and gave her the surname Calliste."

After hearing Astrid’s explanation, Hibbort continued to gaze at the girl with lowered head. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the petite girl Astrid was holding had an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Feeling the man’s gaze sweep over her body and finally rest on her forehead, with a hint of probing, Amalia wasn’t nervous at all. Instead, she felt a blazing fire burning in her heart.

Calm down... Amalia...

The resentment that had once filled her chest turned into hatred. Amalia wanted to do something to the man before her, but her precarious reason pulled her back.

With her strength as an early apprentice, chanting a spell would take some time, and there was no way she could harm Hibbort at this distance.

Moreover, if she revealed her identity now, it wouldn’t just be her in danger, but also Astrid, who had always taken care of her.

There’s no need to act now... there will be plenty of opportunities for revenge in the future...

She had to endure, as Astrid said, climb to the pinnacle of power, and let all the royal family members see who their new leader was, a bastard child with half the blood of a lowly dancer. That would be the best revenge on Hibbort.

"Livia Calliste?" Hibbort paused, then said in a low voice.

"A good name, but... she seems afraid of me?"

"Can you look up? I won’t bite."

Hearing this, Amalia’s shoulders trembled slightly, and her legs beneath her seemed to go numb, keeping her standing stiffly.