After leaving, Iliana turned her gaze to Xue Youyue and Lessi, "For the happiness of your master, you should also make some contribution."

She extended her jade hand, and a sharp blade appeared in her hand.

With a flick of her wrist, the blade cut off the right arms of Xue Youyue and Lessi.

"Ah!"

Xue Youyue and Lessi screamed in agony, covering their severed arms. The intense pain caused them to break out in a cold sweat.

Blood instantly flowed onto the carpet, forming two pools of crimson water.

Iliana, however, remained composed, as if this scene was something she was already accustomed to.

"I will keep your two sister's arms for now. Whether to continue cutting off your arms or reattach them, it's up to you." Iliana gently stroked her long sleeve, her tone gentle as water. But the coldness in her eyes revealed her true emotions at this moment, that she was not speaking gently, but urging them.

"We will try to persuade Lady Merice." The two of them gritted their teeth, speaking carefully and respectfully. They felt an itching hatred towards Iliana and wished to tear her apart. But they couldn't show this anger, they had to suppress it and speak to Iliana in an extremely respectful tone.

"I look forward to your good news." Iliana said, and turned around, leaving gracefully.

Once Iliana was gone, the two of them looked at each other. They bit their lips, tears streaking down their cheeks, feeling intense pain all over their bodies.

After a moment, two female healers walked in, bandaging the wounds on the right arms of Xue Youyue and Lessi.

"Are you two okay, Lessi?" The healer Aether-Reid asked with concern, her gaze towards Lessi filled with worry, as she noticed Lessi's bloodied face, looking disheveled.

"Ah!" The other healer, Fanne Percy, sighed. "The rule of Cecilia's tyranny has already ended. You two should surrender and serve the princess properly, or else the princess will make it impossible for you two to live or die."

"But...we have been obedient to Lady Merice. It's because Merice is always cold towards Iliana, and if she doesn't ask, you can't talk, making her unhappy. So she cut off our right arms, and if you still ignore her tonight, she will cut off our other arms tomorrow. Until you are willing to speak to her first, that damned woman will not return our arms." Lessi said indignantly, her expression showing extreme displeasure.

"Call her 'Princess', otherwise you two will be punished." Aether-Reid sternly reminded Lessi.

"I know, I know." Lessi pouted, cursing Iliana in her heart over and over again.

After Aether-Reid and Percy properly bandaged the arms of Lessi and her sister, they left.

Several maidservants came in and supported the sisters to the third floor and into Merice's room.

"The princess wants me to tell you two sisters that whether your limbs will be severed or reattached tomorrow depends on your behavior in the afternoon. If you perform well, the princess will reward you. But if you perform poorly, don't blame the princess for not being polite." The maid said coldly.

"Yes." The sisters, Lessi, lowered their heads and agreed.

Then the maid opened the door and let the two of them in, locking the door behind them before leaving the room and returning to Iliana's side.

"Lessi, your sister's right arm..." Merice looked at the empty arms of the two sisters and furrowed her brows. Worry flashed across her face.

"Of course it's Iliana. The reason is that you always have a cold face towards her. If she asks and you don't speak, it makes her unhappy. So she cut off the right arms of me and Xue Youyue. If you still ignore her tonight, she will cut off our other arms tomorrow. Until you are willing to take the initiative to talk to her, that damn woman won't return our arms." Lessi complained.

"Is this Iliana's idea?" Merice frowned, wondering how Iliana came up with such a plan. She couldn't imagine how Iliana was capable of getting her sisters into this situation.

"Of course it's that stupid woman Iliana. She's the one who came up with the idea. The one who suggested it is called Ling Xi. I think she's just a dog-headed strategist, always coming up with these treacherous ideas, causing us to be cut off." Lessi said angrily, her expression showing deep dissatisfaction. "If I could turn the tide, I will definitely chop Iliana into pieces and use all the treacherous schemes that dog-headed strategist came up with on her."

"Have something to eat." Merice sighed, "I will have Elena help you reattach your arms."

"But won't that mean..." Xue You Yue worriedly asked.

"I'll be fine. I'm going to get married anyway, it doesn't matter who I marry. Besides, I have you both by my side, so I have a companion." Merice smiled lightly, but her smile seemed somewhat bitter.

"Merice..."

"Xue You Yue, don't look at me like that." Merice raised her hand to stop Xue You Yue from saying anything further. "As remnants of the former dynasty, we were already destined for a dead end. Elena saving us from death is already an act of mercy."

As Merice spoke, a touch of sadness flickered across her face.

Lessi, who had vowed to kill Elena, fell silent after hearing Merice's words. Her eyes were filled with desolation. She had wanted revenge, but the current situation made it impossible.

Your Majesty and the Crown Prince's lives were uncertain, and all members of the shadow guard had died in battle. The generals who had sworn allegiance to Your Majesty met a tragic end. The surviving vampire generals were all opportunistic, only concerned with preserving their own positions and lives, and didn't care about loyalty.

If Your Majesty were to return and reclaim the throne, these opportunistic generals would surely turn their blades against her.

"Enough, Lessi. Don't speak ill of Elena behind her back. Accept the reality that the Crimson Empire has been destroyed, and let go of the fantasy of restoration." Merice patted Lessi's shoulder and advised with a serious tone.

"I understand." Lessi nodded.

Merice stood up with a smile. She looked out the window, where the sun shone brightly. The rays illuminated her fair and beautiful face, making her appear particularly charming. She gently closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun.

She seemed to have accepted her current situation calmly, no longer thinking about restoration or any similar issues. Perhaps there was still a shred of hope deep in her heart, but that hope dissipated with the cool breeze.

"Merice, are you really giving up?" Xue You Yue looked at Merice's back with a bit of reluctance, whispering softly.

Merice slowly opened her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. She nodded slightly, "Yes, I'm giving up. Because my weakness is you two. Since I can let you two sisters live safely, I have no regrets. Besides, I am not being executed, so it's not a big deal."

Lessi quietly ate the pastries on the table, listening to Merice's words. She didn't know what to say, she just watched Merice quietly.

...

At night, the stars filled the sky. Under the darkness, the lights were brightly lit inside.

Ilena sat in the dining room, quietly waiting for Ling Xi and wife Merice to arrive.

She was dressed in a elegant purple gown, her hair elegantly swept up, with a touch of light makeup, making her appear exceptionally noble and graceful.

At this moment, she was sitting in a chair, looking at the scenery outside the window, with a focused expression.

Suddenly, she sensed footsteps approaching. She slowly turned around and saw Ling Xi walking towards her.

"I'm here, Ilena." Ling Xi walked over and sat at the table, smiling at Ilena.

"I cut off the arms of the two sisters as you said. Will Merice be angry or blame me?" Ilena was momentarily startled, and then asked.

"Madam Merice will certainly spend a pleasant night with those two sisters and have more interaction with you in the future. Who knows, maybe they could even propose marriage to you." Ling Xi said with a smirk.

"That's good." Ilena breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Ling Xi, you really understand me."

At this moment, Merice, dressed in a magnificent white gown, gracefully descended the stairs. The white gown made her look like a fairy, and she had a faint smile on her face, appearing especially gentle.

She walked towards the dining room with elegant steps. "Miss Ling Xi, good evening." Merice greeted Ling Xi with a smile, but secretly cursed Ling Xi as a treacherous advisor in her heart.

"Good evening, Madam Merice." Ling Xi stood up, smiled, and greeted Merice with a bow.

"Good evening, my dear husband," Merice smiled at Elena.

Elena walked up to Merice and took her arm, and the two of them looked particularly affectionate.

Merice nestled in Elena's arms and whispered, "From now on, I, Merice, am yours."

"Merice, you better not go back on your words," Elena smiled and looked at Merice with deep admiration in her eyes.

"I mean it," Merice nodded, her face adorned with a sweet smile, as if she had fallen into a river of love.

Ling Xi stood aside, quietly watching the scene in front of her. In her heart, she thought, "Looks like I played the step of gaining trust smoothly. Now, I just need to showcase my abilities, make Elena value me, and have her introduce me to the current emperor. Only then can I learn more."

In order to achieve her goal, she didn't care about the means, even if it meant hurting her once beloved cousin.