Princess’s Struggle for Survival

In the game rules Livia had set, each time a character passed the starting point of the map, the Imperial Bank, they would receive funds.

The amount received was related to both a fixed amount and the current principal, similar to interest.

Amalia didn't hesitate at all. She directly took out the black button representing her and placed it next to the plot, indicating that she had bought it.

"Amalia, why not save the money to pass the bank? You're just two steps away," Livia asked her.

In Monopoly games, unless one is on the verge of bankruptcy, it's a common consensus among most players to buy land whenever possible.

Amalia realized this on her first play, making decisive and swift decisions, which really surprised Livia.

Amalia blinked at the question and whispered, "Because although passing the bank once would yield a profit, compared to the possibility of you landing on it in the future, the extra money is minimal, so it's not worth it."

"Moreover, my initial funds are sufficient, so I won't encounter the situation where I can't afford to buy land for now. Buying more now means fewer options for you later."

Amalia had read the rulebook, which didn't mention how to transfer land.

As far as she knew, the only ways to acquire plots already owned by others were through event cards (whose effects she wasn't entirely sure of) or waiting for other players to be eliminated, turning the land into unowned plots for re-auction.

Since there were only two players in the game, it meant that if she bought the land first, Livia would have much less room to maneuver.

In fact, if neither of them bought land and relied solely on bank funds, each player's money would only increase, making it impossible to determine a winner. To win, she had to compress the opponent's activity space.

"It's your turn, sister."

Amalia counted the points in her hand while looking at the blank plots on the map, silently considering the possible scenarios ahead.

After listening to the golden-haired girl's explanation and seeing her thoughtful expression, Livia smiled and rolled the dice onto an empty plot.

Although Amalia hadn't considered as many details as the game's creator, such as the actual value of each plot not necessarily matching the labeled price, and the differences in location and region, her general approach was indeed correct.

It seemed that winning this round wouldn't be so easy after all.

Twenty minutes later, Amalia declared bankruptcy.

Looking at the seemingly evenly matched grid on the map and the vast disparity in their principal funds, the golden-haired girl fell into deep thought, pondering where she had gone wrong.

"It seems my luck today is slightly better than Amalia's," the woman said gently, looking at Amalia while organizing the markers and fund points on the bed.

"Sister, I want to play this again..."

As if figuring something out, Amalia looked up at Livia with a serious expression.

Her failure was indeed largely due to luck, but part of it was also due to insufficient thinking.

In some aspects, she had been too presumptuous.

Seeing Amalia's competitive spirit ignited, Livia nodded and replied softly, "Of course you can play if you want."

"Last time, I went first to demonstrate, so this time, you can roll the dice first."

Amalia obediently hummed in acknowledgment, took the dice, and rolled it.

After another ten minutes, the second round of "The Grand Lord" concluded. This time, Amalia's luck was slightly better, and she won with a narrow margin.

"Want to play again?" Livia asked Amalia.

In the second round, Amalia's considerations were clearly more mature. She skillfully avoided several traps and even managed to turn the tables on Livia slightly.

As expected of the future ruler of the empire, she learned things quickly.

"Mm," Amalia nodded slightly and actively helped Livia clean up the board.

She was getting addicted...

Livia watched Amalia busily organizing the markers, a faint smile curling her lips.

"Let's continue then."

As soon as the words fell, Amalia continued to roll the dice and moved the figurine according to the number rolled.

"You encountered a sandstorm and need to wait for two turns for rescue. Any player passing through this plot will also be affected by the same stopping effect, lasting for two turns..."

"Due to heavy rain, the nearest manor to this plot has been damaged, reducing the building level by one. If it cannot be downgraded, it remains unaffected..."

"Helped a stray cat by the roadside. You seem to have become luckier because of it. Next time you roll the dice, you can choose to increase or decrease the result by one..."

Looking at the neat and elegant handwriting on the paper, and imagining the gentle mood in which the person who wrote this event must have been, Amalia couldn't help but smile slightly, her emerald eyes shimmering.

At least while playing this game called "The Grand Lord," she had temporarily let go of the inexplicable obsession with the maid Livia had mentioned earlier.

When it was Amalia's turn to roll the dice again, the girl accidentally used a bit too much force.

The oak dice slid past the area where it was supposed to land and rolled forward a bit further.

Since the two were playing "The Grand Lord" on the bed, and Livia, unlike the petite girl Amalia, couldn't naturally relax her legs into the cute duck-sitting position, she had to sit sideways on the bed with her knees hugged tightly.

This caused the dice to roll along the indentation of the bedsheet, landing on the soft and smooth white silk-covered foot of the woman.

Amalia instinctively reached out to pick it up. Her smooth, delicate hands touched the warm back of Livia's foot.

Through the thin layer of silk, she could feel the delicate texture of the sock and the warmth of Livia's skin.

Seeing the golden hair falling before her eyes and the faint sensation under her, Livia subtly pulled her calf back.

The dice slid along the movement to the tip of her foot, wrapped in white silk, as smooth as a milk popsicle.

Noticing Livia's evasive little action, Amalia picked up the dice and asked softly, "What's wrong, sister?"

Livia touched her hair and wrapped her arms around her knees again.

"Nothing."

It was just a subconscious move.

Amalia hummed in acknowledgment and slowly retreated to her position, lowering her head.

She seemed to have figured out... where sister's weakness was...

Rolling the dice again to determine her next move, Amalia continued to fiddle with the wooden figurine, as if what had just happened was merely a trivial interlude.

At least, that was the case for Livia.

After a few rounds, it was already late at night. The final result was Amalia winning five rounds and Livia winning four.

It must be said that after familiarizing herself with the rules, Amalia had figured out how to win more effectively. Her matches with Livia gradually turned into pure contests of luck.

Clearly, the future empress was the one blessed with good fortune.

Not only did she easily catch up in score, but she also crushed Livia in the deciding round.

After the game ended, Amalia got up to take a bath. Hearing the sound of water from the corridor, Livia opened a bottle and drank a one-way transformation potion, then packed up "The Grand Lord" and put it back in her bag.

Half an hour later, Amalia pushed open the bathroom door and saw Livia still sitting by the bed in her regular clothes, not having gone to bed first as she had expected.

"Amalia, come here, I'll help dry your hair."

Noticing the slightly damp golden hair hanging behind the cold and delicate girl, Livia offered to let her sit on her lap and help dry her hair.

However, whether Amalia misunderstood or did it on purpose, the girl didn't sit facing away into her embrace. Instead, she faced Livia and gently hugged her, just like when they first met.

Sniffing the fresh scent of grass that filled the air, Livia didn't ask her to turn around.

She gently inserted her fingers into Amalia's hair and softly chanted a spell.

"Free wind element, please remove the dust for your most devout believer..."

As the woman's clear and melodious voice fell, Amalia's golden hair floated up with the wind.

The soft and thick strands resembled ginkgo leaves scattered in an autumn city, bathed in moonlight, leaving a warm and gentle glow.

Looking at the moonlight reflected in Livia's pupils, Amalia suddenly spoke.

"Sister."

"Yes? What is it?"

"I won against you today."

Her fingers pressed against Livia's smooth and alluring back, lightly drawing circles. Amalia blinked a few times and spoke in a low, soft voice.

"Can I have a reward?"

Hearing Amalia's words, Livia smiled gently.

"Of course. So, what reward do you want?"

Given Amalia's personality, she probably wouldn't make an excessive request.

The golden-haired girl fell silent for a moment, then whispered, "I haven't thought of it yet... Can I save it for later..."

She had originally wanted to say, "Sister, can you stop associating with Princess Astrid? I don't like her."

But once she said that, it would seem like she was forcing Livia to choose between her and Astrid.

Livia had said she didn't like domineering people, and Amalia didn't want to leave the impression of a possessive sister who wanted to control her at all times.

Moreover, there was a more crucial point...

She was worried that her weight in Livia's heart might not be as heavy as that of the bad woman, especially after those incidents.

Amalia was increasingly unsure of the relationship between Livia and Astrid.

Perhaps while Livia was talking to her and playing "The Grand Lord" just now, in the afternoon, she might have been at some restaurant, chatting and laughing with Astrid over afternoon tea.

Just a little more patience... She could definitely replace Astrid completely...

"Alright, you can save it for later. Tell me when you've thought of it."

At this moment, Livia naturally had no idea of the myriad thoughts swirling in Amalia's mind.

She lowered her head, her jade-like fingers gently wiping, continuing to control the wind element by the window to dry the golden-haired girl's hair.

The cool night breeze was like a natural brush, gentle and soothing.

"Your hair is dry. Let's go to bed~"

"Sister, you should sleep too."

Being held so tightly by Amalia, Livia spoke with a mix of helplessness and amusement.

"Well, you have to let me take off my clothes first."

Only then did Amalia slowly let go and get into bed. A few minutes later, Livia lay down on the bed, and the girl actively hugged her, burying her head close to her arm.

The next second, Livia's delicate body trembled slightly, and she opened her eyes in surprise.

Under the covers, Amalia gently placed one leg over her knee, like a boneless snake, prying open her legs and lightly squeezing.

"Sister..."

The girl's voice was low, her breath like orchids.

"Do you know what my happiest moment every day is?"

Livia remained silent for a while, then softly replied, "Drawing... or meeting me?"

Amalia chuckled lightly and tightened her arms around her.

"The latter is close... but not quite..."

She paused, then continued.

"...It's like now, hugging my sister while sleeping."