Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 167: Princess Astrid... is truly a good sister...

The next morning, Astrid accompanied Charlotte to breakfast in the dining room, then followed her to the entrance of the manor.

The carriage back to the imperial capital was already prepared, and Lyra and Elise stood respectfully on either side, waiting for their mistress to board.

"Little Astr, I've had the servants pack everything you asked for into the carriage," Charlotte said, releasing Astrid's hand and taking the staff handed to her by a maid.

To avoid drawing attention, besides the Pale Ink Flowers, Charlotte had also prepared some additional alchemy materials. Since Astrid knew how to make perfume, these materials would come in handy.

"Alright, I understand. Be careful on your journey, Charlotte. Please visit the palace when you return," Astrid said.

Charlotte nodded, smiling in response. "Yes, it's been a long time since I've had a meal cooked by you. I must savor it this time."

From what Astrid had expressed last night, she had already put the plan to bring Amalia out of the castle on the agenda. If it weren't for her pressing work, Charlotte wouldn't have wanted to leave the capital at such a critical moment.

If she were here, even if something unexpected happened to Astrid later, she could use her influence to mediate and help share some of the burden.

"Then I'll be off. Have a safe journey, Charlotte."

"See you next time, little Astrid."

As soon as Charlotte finished speaking, Astrid handed her hand to Lyra, who slightly bowed and supported it with her palm, helping the silver-haired princess into the carriage.

The hooves and wheels of the carriage kicked up some dust as they rolled over the dirt. Watching Astrid's party disappear from view, Charlotte's thoughts stirred.

The wind elements around her began to gather along the direction of her mental energy, forming a gust strong enough to carry a person in less than half a second.

Gripping her staff, her body quickly ascended. Charlotte floated hundreds of meters in the air, waiting until the small black dot representing the carriage entered Capital before turning around and driving the strong wind, swiftly flying towards the eastern part of the empire.

Thirty minutes later, Astrid returned to her residence. Elise arranged for the maids to move the alchemy materials to her room, then left the palace alone to visit the nearby Honeysuckle Guild.

Astrid had specifically instructed her to purchase a batch of plant membranes commonly used by elves as soon as possible.

...

"Princess Astrid, I've brought the mortar and related tools you asked for. Where should I put them?"

"Just place them on the desk."

Astrid tilted her head, letting the silver hair that had fallen onto her chest naturally slide behind her ear. Her black-stockinged legs straightened slightly as she walked over to the pink-haired maid in slippers.

"Lyra, help me crush these herbs."

Pointing to the small wooden box containing the Pale Ink Flowers, Astrid opened a drawer and took out a water-attribute crystal, handing it to Lyra.

"Remember to filter and add water during the crushing process. Stop when it's as black as regular ink."

"Also, don't add too much water at once. Make sure the liquid remains thick."

This step was risky, so the rest of the preparations had to be extra careful, with no room for error.

Lyra nodded softly in response. "Understood, Princess Astrid."

Standing at the table with the mortar, Lyra crushed the Pale Ink Flowers as per Astrid's instructions.

As the princess's personal maid, Lyra was now proficient in processing alchemy materials, making milk tea, assisting in the kitchen, and hair care, gradually moving closer to the role of head maid.

Sitting down and taking a sip of hot tea, Astrid watched Lyra work diligently, her crimson eyes gently fluttering.

Since Astrid had crossed over, the head maid who used to take care of her daily needs had become increasingly busy, leaving little time to stay by her side. Most of the assistance work had been left to Lyra.

Looking back, her decision to forcefully keep Lyra by her side that night had indeed been the best choice.

Not only could she increase Lyra's favorability, but it also significantly improved her quality of life.

Thinking that the main storyline of the destined heroine would begin in just over half a year, Astrid suddenly felt a bit reluctant to part with this hardworking maid.

Picking up the "Secrets of the Eternal Dark Forest" that Charlotte had given her, Astrid shifted her focus to the book itself.

Besides recording some stories about elves, this book also contained information about the environment of the Giant Wood Mountains and some alchemy material knowledge, covering a wide range of topics.

The plant membranes that Astrid was most interested in were also included.

Finding the section on plants in the table of contents, Astrid turned to the corresponding page and soon saw the description of the eye-protecting membranes.

These magical plant membranes were transparent and semi-circular, small and thin in appearance. Their color could be changed with other dyes, and long-term wear had a brightening effect on the eyes.

Astrid read through it carefully, confirming that this was similar to the colored contact lenses from her previous life.

Although both were uncomfortable to wear, the membranes not only enhanced beauty but also nourished the eyes, offering some benefits to the body.

She could ask Amalia later what color eyes she wanted.

After a while, Astrid heard Lyra speak softly.

"Princess Astrid, I'm done."

Turning her head, Astrid saw that the mortar in Lyra's hand was filled with a thick, black, gel-like substance that resembled some kind of chemical product.

Astrid took the mortar and had Lyra help her comb her hair. She then took a few naturally shed silver strands and slowly soaked them in the Pale Ink Flower juice.

After half a minute, the strands were completely soaked. When she took them out, they had turned completely black.

Astrid looked at the strands between her fingers and rinsed them with regular water. The Pale Ink Flower juice on the surface of the strands didn't fade at all, remaining as black as ink.

She then crushed some of the plant's roots into powder, added water, and soaked the strands again. As soon as the strands touched the root liquid, they quickly faded back to their original silver color.

The difference between silver and black was too stark. Astrid stared at the strands for a while, then took off the silk gloves stained with ink and reached out to rub Lyra's head.

R𝑒ad latest chapt𝒆rs at freewebnovёl.ƈom Only.

The pink-haired maid froze the moment she felt the touch, her body stiff and unmoving, only her white-stockinged legs trembling slightly, revealing her inner turmoil.

When Lyra first arrived, her hair had just reached her shoulders. Over time, it had grown a bit longer, now reaching just below her shoulder blades.

Astrid rubbed for a while, plucking a few pink strands from her personal maid and repeating the experiment. Seeing her hair being thrown into the mortar, Lyra quickly realized that Astrid hadn't actually meant to pat her head.

She had thought... that Princess Astrid had suddenly changed her nature...

Lyra lowered her eyes, her cherry-like lips gently pursed.

She was overthinking again. Such an intimate gesture as patting someone's head shouldn't occur between "rivals."

But Princess Astrid hadn't pulled too hard, just gently rubbed, like combing someone's hair.

She really was gentle.

After repeating the experiment with Lyra's pink hair and getting the same result, Astrid was now certain that the Pale Ink Flowers could effectively disguise hair color, though she wasn't sure how long the effect would last.

She had Lyra tie a strand of her own and Lyra's hair, dyed black, with thin strings and hang them by the window during the day, bringing them in at night to simulate daily exposure to sun and wind.

"Princess Astrid... are you going to dye your hair..."

Like Charlotte, Lyra also thought Astrid's current hair color was particularly beautiful, needing no embellishment.

This moonlight-like silver hair might look strange on others, but on Astrid, it accentuated her noble demeanor, especially when paired with those crimson eyes, creating a perfect combination.

"I'm not dyeing my hair," Astrid said.

"These are for Amalia."

If Amalia agreed to come out, she would inevitably interact with Lyra. Rather than leaving the latter unprepared, it was better to give her a heads-up in advance.

"Princess Amalia?" Lyra's voice was soft, tinged with a hint of confusion.

"Yes, Elise has probably already guessed. I want to bring Amalia to my palace," Astrid said calmly.

Bring... bring her here?

Lyra's expression froze, her pink lips slightly parting.

Since Astrid met with Amalia every night, Lyra had naturally become curious about her.

Through Elise, she learned about the fourth princess's true identity and her tragic past.

Even with her poor political sense, Lyra could sense the danger in this.

The Emperor didn't like Amalia, yet Princess Astrid was risking his wrath to bring her sister out.

"What's wrong? Are you surprised?" Seeing Lyra frozen in place, Astrid asked coldly.

Lyra shook her head, then nodded. "...I didn't expect it."

"Princess Astrid... is truly a good sister..."

Hearing Lyra's words, Astrid narrowed her eyes, remaining silent for a moment.

After a while, Astrid spoke. "Go and clean up the room next to yours later."

"If Amalia can come out, she'll stay there."

Although Astrid didn't respond to the praise, Lyra didn't mind. After receiving the order, she slightly bowed and softly replied, "Alright."

"One more thing, you don't need to wait for me at the door tomorrow morning."

Astrid took a sip of tea, slowly crossing her legs. The smooth thighs wrapped in black stockings shimmered enticingly in the light.

"I won't be visiting Amalia tonight."

Two days of cooling off were enough. Astrid didn't dare leave Amalia alone for too long, fearing the girl might become corrupted and do something drastic, which would be counterproductive.

"Understood, Princess Astrid."

Her gaze falling on the carpet, Lyra held the strands of hair and, after ensuring Astrid had nothing else, quietly left the room.

Hearing the soft click of the door closing, Astrid closed her eyes, leaning back in her chair, her toes slightly lifting to keep her slippers from falling.

Little Astrid... you really dote on your sister that much?

Princess Astrid... is truly a good sister...

Recalling Charlotte and Lyra's words, Astrid reached out, her index finger pressing against her temple, rubbing it firmly.

In all honesty, while nurturing Amalia was one aspect, her main goal was to let this caged canary experience the freedom she so desperately craved.

Amalia loved Livia and regarded her as her most important sister. As the one being loved, Astrid also received strong emotional feedback from Amalia.

She was dependent on her and valued her deeply. Months of interaction had not only made Amalia fall for Livia but also made Astrid feel a sense of pity for this tragic golden-haired girl.

No one could resist a little sister who adored them, especially one who would wait at the castle every night, seeking hugs and kisses, so obedient it was heartbreaking.

Astrid wasn't someone who was indifferent to emotions. On the contrary, she usually followed her instincts in major decisions, while paying more attention to rationality in the details.

Amalia had once considered Livia her only sister, even saying that everything she had belonged to Livia. In return, though Astrid couldn't be as unreserved as Amalia, she at least tried to respond to her efforts.

She liked this well-behaved fourth princess, who occasionally showed a strong possessive streak. Even if Amalia didn't have the original story's settings, after getting to know her, Astrid would still choose to help her.

Her hand resting on the desk, Astrid found the teacup handle, took a sip, and let her thoughts drift.

She thought of her own younger sister from her past life. Though she often did foolish things, acting on whims, she was also quite cute at times.

And as the relatively reliable older sister, she had eventually let that unreliable younger sister take care of her for the rest of her life.

With that in mind, Astrid opened her eyes, calmly gazing at the ceiling.

It was time to practice her mental energy.

Meanwhile, in the castle, Amalia sat on the edge of the bed, silently staring at a crack in the corner.

The untouched breakfast on the table had gone cold. Auri crouched by the plate, her whiskers brushing against the book opened to the middle, the rustling sound particularly noticeable in the room.

Despite not sleeping all night, Amalia, who should have been hungry, had no appetite. She just sat quietly, her tender legs pressed against the bed, her eyes distant.

Would Livia never come again...

Just one night apart, and she missed Livia more than she had expected.

Her throat moved imperceptibly. Amalia clenched the bedsheet, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

Even when they didn't meet, they were only separated by a wall. At least she knew Livia was next door, that she was there.

But now, she didn't know where Livia was or if she would return.

The only connection had been severed by her own hand, like a broken kite string.

Suddenly, a wave of nausea hit her. Amalia covered her mouth, quickly walking to the bathroom and retching over the sink.