Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 209: Possessiveness of Amalia

As Amalia could smell the scent of another woman on her sister, Astrid could also sense the obvious jealousy in the voice of the black-haired girl.

"I heard from the servants that Lady Charlotte has built a few new large pools for bathing. I was quite interested, so I asked Lyra to accompany me."

Astrid inserted her fingers into Amalia’s hair, gently stroking downward through the gaps. She felt a bite on her collarbone, but it wasn’t painful, just a faint itch.

"Sister... why didn’t you call me to join you..." Amalia said.

Feeling the girl’s breath on her neck, and the air between them filled with her pleasant body scent, Astrid blinked a few times and whispered softly.

"Because Livia was painting, I didn’t want to disturb her."

That was part of the reason, but more importantly, she wanted to have a private conversation with Lyra.

If Amalia had been there, the shy pink-haired maid might not have been able to say anything.

Amalia’s fingertips circled on Astrid’s lower back. Through the thin fabric, she could feel the softness of her skin.

Thinking of Astrid bathing in the same pool with Lyra without any barriers, Amalia’s possessiveness surged uncontrollably, and her arms around Astrid tightened even more.

Sister carries Lyra’s scent, and even the strong soap smell couldn’t mask it.

They must have been very close... and in the pool, they were both naked...

Secretly guessing that Astrid might have done something even more intimate with Lyra than with her, Amalia lowered her eyes, feeling as if a heavy stone was pressing on her heart. She then pressed her ear against Astrid’s left chest.

"If it was just because you didn’t want to disturb me... Sister, you don’t need to think that way next time..."

Listening to Astrid’s steady heartbeat, Amalia spoke softly.

"Nothing is more important than you, Sister..."

She wasn’t so busy that she couldn’t spare time to bathe with her beloved sister.

After listening to Amalia’s words, Astrid comfortingly patted the black-haired girl’s back and whispered gently.

"Alright, I understand."

In truth, it wasn’t that Astrid had returned late tonight, but that Amalia had come early.

Usually, Astrid would go to bed at ten, and Amalia would also arrive at that time, freshly bathed and punctual.

Glancing at the clock, it was 9:50. Astrid thought to herself that Amalia had indeed come early. But considering Amalia’s circumstances, it wasn’t unreasonable for her to be so clingy.

After all, Astrid was her only sister and the one who had taken her away from the castle.

Amalia had always lacked a sense of security, so it wasn’t strange for her to be a bit more possessive.

She could slowly correct this behavior as she grew older. As long as she didn’t become more "dark," everything would be fine.

Lying down on the bed with Amalia, Astrid felt one of her legs gently squeezed by the girl, who then hugged her tightly.

"I missed you, Sister."

Amalia’s voice was soft, her warm breath brushing against Astrid’s earlobe.

"I missed you too, Livia," Astrid replied.

Receiving the response she wanted, Amalia blinked and gently rubbed her cheek against Astrid’s freshly washed, silky silver hair.

Sister’s hair also carries Lyra’s scent...

Noticing that Amalia was hugging her tighter, even to the point where her chest felt a bit suffocated, Astrid brushed a strand of black hair that stuck to her lips and spoke gently.

"What’s wrong, my little princess?"

It seemed that Amalia was even more clingy tonight than usual. Was it because she hadn’t joined her for the bath?

"Sister smells so nice," Amalia replied.

Although Astrid always carried a faint rose scent, which was especially pleasant up close, at this moment, Amalia’s actions seemed less about sniffing and more about wanting to imprint her own scent on Astrid.

Astrid asked Amalia to loosen her grip a bit, and the girl complied, though her legs still clung to Astrid’s knees, her soft, white feet pressing against her skin.

Amalia didn’t dislike Lyra, but smelling Astrid’s body tainted with the pink-haired maid’s scent still stirred a strange feeling in her heart.

She didn’t like her sister carrying someone else’s scent...

Childishly rubbing her head against Astrid’s hair a few times, Amalia wrapped her arms around Astrid, her palms resting on her rounded shoulders, clasping her from behind.

"Sister... I want a goodnight kiss..."

Astrid leaned down and gently kissed Amalia’s forehead. After the kiss, she heard the black-haired girl speak again.

"...I want another one."

Usually, one goodnight kiss was enough, but tonight was different.

Astrid had gone to bathe without inviting her, and it was just the two of them with Lyra.

Amalia couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable whenever she thought about it, as if her most important sister was being taken away by another woman.

That must never happen.

Hearing this, Astrid was momentarily stunned but quickly realized that Amalia was still upset about the earlier incident. She leaned down again and gently kissed the corner of her forehead.

"Let’s go bathing together tomorrow, just you and me," Astrid said.

Hearing this, Amalia’s chest trembled slightly, her long lashes brushing against Astrid’s chin like tiny brushes.

Sister knew what she was thinking and understood how to comfort her.

Was she being too petty... feeling unhappy even over a maid’s normal service to her mistress...

She wanted Astrid’s eyes to be only on her, to be gentle only with her. This intense, almost pathological possessiveness surged uncontrollably in her chest.

But... no...

Amalia knew that this mindset wasn’t right. Astrid had her own life and her own career. She couldn’t focus solely on her younger sister.

Her possessiveness was getting out of hand and could even affect Astrid’s normal life.

Burying her head in Astrid’s chest, the silk fabric and soft fullness created an exquisite tactile sensation. Amalia felt the warmth transmitted through the fabric and bit her lower lip until it turned pale.

But understanding was one thing, and controlling these emotions was another. When emotions and reason clashed, one would always prevail.

She would try her best to restrain herself, not letting this extreme emotion born from years of loneliness harm her dearest sister.

After a while, Astrid noticed that Amalia’s arms around her gradually loosened, returning to their usual embrace around her waist.

Fifteen minutes later, Astrid spoke softly, "Livia..."

As she expected, Amalia wasn’t asleep yet and softly hummed in response.

"Hmm?"

"What do you think about me helping Lady Charlotte develop magical devices?"

"..."

They had been staying at the manor recently, watching Professor Elandor instruct the craftsmen on building the prototype of the airship, including the gasbag, the hull, and the cavities left for placing the crystals.

Faced with Astrid’s question, Amalia remained silent for a moment before whispering her response.

"Is it because the Emperor wants magical devices to develop rapidly?"

When mentioning Hibbort, Amalia’s tone was indifferent, as if discussing a stranger rather than the father who had given her life.

"Before the Emperor’s death, he still held the pinnacle of power in the empire. Gaining his support would largely mean gaining the support of the royal family and some die-hard loyalists."

In Amalia’s understanding, Astrid was taking a different path from her two elder brothers.

Lucas and Alistair were fixated on gaining the support of several dukes, leveraging their political power to help them ascend the throne and fulfill the promises they had made once in power.

While this approach could demonstrate their political skills to be passable, it might not necessarily win Hibbort’s favor, nor could it guarantee leading the empire to prosperity.

In the end, gaining the recognition of the domestic nobility was only one part of the heir assessment.

Hibbort had many factors to consider when choosing the next emperor, and whether their political views aligned was also a crucial consideration.

After listening, Astrid nodded gently, her eyes tender as she looked at Amalia.

"Livia, it’s quite impressive that you can think of all this."

"I do have that consideration. My two elder brothers are too focused on currying favor with the nobility, neglecting the true pinnacle of the empire, the Emperor. They keep promising great benefits to the dukes, which is somewhat putting the cart before the horse."

"But what I want to ask isn’t just about political motives..."

Hearing this, Amalia raised her eyes, their crimson pupils reflecting each other’s faces.

"Sister... are you doing this because you like Countess Charlotte..."

She could see that Countess Charlotte doted on Astrid immensely, sharing everything she had without hesitation.

In return, Astrid also took great care of Countess Charlotte. Their relationship wasn’t just that of a mentor and mentee; often, it was more like peers supporting each other. At least in promoting magical devices, Astrid had indeed provided substantial support to Charlotte. Whether it was understanding Hibbortr’s true intentions or proposing the fantastical idea of a magical airship, Astrid was the most crucial and indispensable part.

"I do like Lady Charlotte, but that’s not the main point," Astrid said, gently ruffling Amalia’s hair.

"Livia, perhaps it’s too early for you to discuss these things now, but the value of magical devices far exceeds what it currently shows."

Upon reflection, perhaps she was being too demanding of Amalia. Even most of the empire’s nobility couldn’t see the full picture of what magical devices could offer, so why should she expect a fourteen-year-old girl to have such foresight?

Amalia’s ability to see through the first two points already demonstrated her keen insight.

When Astrid was fourteen, she was still pondering whether to go home to do homework or visit a bookstore to read magazines. She certainly couldn’t have considered these complexities.

There were still four or five years left, enough time to mold the once tyrannical girl into a wise ruler.

Looking at the dazed Amalia in her arms, Astrid leaned down and planted another kiss on the corner of her forehead, where she had kissed twice before.

"Sleep now, Amalia."

This time, Astrid didn’t call her Livia but used her real name, Amalia.

Half a minute later, the black-haired girl pursed her lips, then raised her head to kiss the barely noticeable on Astrid’s neck.

"Goodnight, Sister."

She would remember her sister’s words and slowly digest them.

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