Iris returned to the palace with her sister and daughter, and she sent them to the sleeping quarters to rest before saying, "Go to sleep early, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Lady Iris."

"Goodnight, Lady Mother."

The two spoke with a childish voice, smiling with a look of happiness.

Iris nodded gently and turned to leave.

Back in her own sleeping quarters, Iris saw a blue and white scarf placed on the bedside table.

"Who sent this? Baixi or Yar?" Iris looked at the blue and white scarf on the table, puzzled, murmuring to herself.

Iris picked up the scarf and carefully examined it. She found that the embroidery and font on the scarf were very delicate, with smooth lines and looked very beautiful.

She completely unfolded the blue and white scarf, and on one end of the scarf were embroidered two characters, "Ya Yuan." On the other end were two embroidered figures holding hands, Lilia and a mini version of herself, looking very cute.

"So it's a gift from Tool." Iris had no expression on her face and spoke in a flat tone.

She casually threw the blue and white scarf on the bedside table and walked towards the bathroom.

...

The next morning, early.

Snow fell, covering everything in a peaceful and serene scene. People on the streets had already gotten up early and started to busy themselves. Many children were running and playing on the street, wearing new cotton coats and holding snowballs in their hands, constantly chasing each other.

A soldier wrapped in black armor was rushing towards the Blood Race Palace at high speed.

He held a token in his hand, with a blood-colored rose carved on it, emitting a mysterious light.

No Blood Race guards dared to stop him because he was the courier responsible for receiving letters from the Sun-Moon Empire. Any urgent reports did not need to go through the palace inspection and could go directly to the palace.

The guards knew that if they obstructed this person, they would definitely be punished, even to the point of death. After all, no one could bear the responsibility of delaying urgent reports. They could only quickly open the city gate and let him pass.

Inside the Blood Race Palace, Iris sat in the chair of the study, quietly flipping through the thick files in her hand.

"Empress, here's your tea." At this moment, Candace walked in respectfully, holding a freshly brewed cup of tea and placing it on the table.

Iris raised her eyes slightly, glanced at Candace, and said calmly, "Hmm."

Candace slightly bowed and left the room.

After Candace left, Iris lowered her head again and began to read the documents in her hand, occasionally jotting down notes with a pen.

Meanwhile, the courier had already arrived inside the palace and was walking straight towards the main hall. Coincidentally, he ran into Candace.

Seeing the courier hurrying towards the main hall, Candace blocked his path and said, "The Empress is not in the main hall. She is in her study."

"Thank you, Lady Chamberlain." The courier bowed to Candace.

After speaking, the courier continued to walk towards the study.

...

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Come in."

"Reporting to the Empress, I have been ordered to deliver an urgent message to you." The courier handed a letter to Iris and said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing the courier's words, Iris set aside the documents in her hand and extended her jade finger to receive the letter from the courier. She opened it and quickly scanned the contents of the letter, frowning slightly.

"You go ahead."

"Yes." The messenger responded and turned to leave.

After the messenger had gone, Iris picked up the paper again and carefully read the contents of the letter.

"Your Majesty, the Ruined Land army has assembled at the border and is expected to launch a large-scale attack in half a month. Your Majesty should prepare early!" The letter read.

Upon seeing the contents of the letter, Iris clenched it tightly in her palm, a glint of coldness in her eyes.

"The barbarians from the Ruined Land?" Iris's lips curved into a sinister smile. "Since you want to come and fight, I shall meet you head-on. You must know that the Divinity and Demon's Continent is not a place where you can run wild!"

With those words, Iris burned the letter with White Flame.

"Blood girl, it seems there is no time to prepare for half a year to a year." Chaos's voice suddenly rang in Iris's ear.

"That's not necessarily true. Who knows, I might have more time to prepare." Iris snorted.

"Blood girl, what will you do next?" Chaos asked.

"I will personally lead the army to defeat those barbarians. Only by making them fear and intimidate them will they submit." Iris's lips curved into a cold smile as she spoke with determination.

"I look forward to it." Chaos's voice held a hint of anticipation.

"Knock knock knock."

At this moment, a knocking sound came from outside the door. "Lady Iris, may I come in?"

"Come in." Iris replied gently.

The door opened slowly, and a girl dressed in a black formal dress stood at the doorway.

Her face was flawless and delicate, with fair porcelain-like skin. Her features were beautiful, and her crimson eyes sparkled like crystals. She tied her silver hair into a ponytail and let a strand of silvery hair fall in front of her forehead, adding a touch of cuteness to her appearance.

"Can Lady Iris take me to see Mother?" Ling stared at Iris intently, her eyes filled with longing.

"Of course." Iris smiled softly and said in a gentle tone, "Follow behind me, my dear sister."

"Yes." Ling nodded obediently and walked to Iris's left, holding onto her arm like an adorable little cat, rubbing and leaning against her.

Seeing Ling's cute actions, Iris couldn't help but laugh, she patted Ling's head as if the person filled with killing intent just now wasn't her.

After Iris and Ling left the study, they headed towards a secluded place.

There were no other people passing by here, and it was empty, but there were various rare and precious herbs emitting a rich medicinal fragrance that made one's sense of smell feel much more comfortable.

"Wow, there are so many herbs here." Ling looked at those precious herbs and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"Yes, these herbs were all grown by Grandmother. She is older than me." Iris smiled and said.

"Grandmother?" Ling asked in confusion, "What kind of person is Grandmother?"

"Well, she is very easy-going." Iris thought for a moment. "Grandmother is a very gentle woman. For her, we, the younger generation, are her most precious treasures."

"Oh." Ling nodded, seeming to understand.

Not long after, Iris led Ling into a room by the window. She held Ling in her arms and pointed to Lilia, who was reading, saying, "That's Lilia."

"Your Highness?" Ling looked at Lilia, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion. "Why does Your Highness sit at the table like a child, studying the pronunciation of words?"

"Her nervous system has some disorders that have caused her to lose her language function. She can only improve by learning the pronunciation of words and practicing slowly," Iris explained.

"How did Your Highness end up like this?" Ling asked curiously.

"You should ask Dugu about that. He has been with Lilia the longest," Iris said with a faint smile.

"Okay," Ling shrugged, indicating her understanding.

"Don't be so disheartened. After this period of treatment, Lilia can speak, and she's quite fluent," Iris said immediately, trying to comfort Ling.

"Really?" Ling's eyes lit up with joy.

"Of course," Iris smiled and said.

At that moment, the door of the room opened, and Lilia walked out.

"Can I go in and talk to Your Highness?" Ling's eyes were filled with hope as she stared at Iris, hoping for her approval.

"No problem," Iris smiled and nodded.

With the affirmative answer, Ling immediately ran into the room, throwing herself into Lilia's arms, affectionately rubbing against her chest, and saying, "Your Highness, Your Highness!"

Looking at Ling's appearance, Lilia couldn't help but pause, "Who are you? Besides being slightly shorter than me, why do you look exactly like me?"

"Your Highness, I am your daughter! I used to be called Iria, now I'm called Ling. Does Your Highness still recognize me?" Ling blinked her eyes, showing a cute expression.

"My daughter?" Lilia looked at Ling's appearance, furrowing her brows, and thought for a moment. "My daughter is not called Iria or Ling. She's called Iris, tall, about this height." Lilia gestured with her hand to compare Ling's height. "And she also has silver long hair, golden-red eyes, she's very beautiful, and looks really nice."

Ling didn't feel sad because Your Highness didn't remember her. Instead, she became even happier. As long as she could see Your Highness safe and sound, she was content.

"Can you treat me as your goddaughter?" Ling asked Lilia.

"No." Lilia rejected her cruelly, "I can't share the love I gave to Iris with anyone else."

At this moment, Lilia noticed Iris standing at the door. She quickly got up from her chair, walked to Iris's side, and smiled at her, saying, "Iri came to see me, I'm so happy!"

Iris crossed her arms and casually said, "I just brought my sister to see you, that's all."

"Don't be like this, I really miss you, Iri! Come in and sit," Lilia pulled at Iris's clothes, wanting her to come in and sit.

"I am busy with state affairs and don't have time for you," Iris's words revealed indifference and alienation, "If it weren't for my sister wanting to see her mother, do you think I would come here?"

"Sorry, sorry, I was being too stubborn. Please don't be angry." Lilia heard Iris's blame and immediately abandoned the idea of letting her in, opting to apologize instead.

"Ling is your biological daughter, whether you believe it or not, but the fact is right in front of you." With these words, Iris left.

Lilia watched as Iris walked away from here.

...