The next day, night fell.

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, pouring silver radiance onto the ground, covering the dark earth with a thin layer of silver veil, hazy and elusive.

"Mmm~"

The silver-haired girl slightly opened her mouth, and a faint fragrance emanated from her nose, as if a sweet taste penetrated into her lungs, bringing a refreshing feeling. She murmured softly a few sentences, her eyelids trembled twice, and she opened her eyes.

Her golden red eyes sparkled like amber stones, shining brightly like stars in the night sky, but also appeared exceptionally gentle.

Curved willow-shaped eyebrows, straight nose. Rosy lips, and that jade-like face, couldn't help but want to kiss it.

"Damn!" The first words the girl uttered upon waking up were swear words. This was in stark contrast to her usual gentle and quiet appearance, leaving people stunned.

Iris looked at her delicate and soft left hand, and the corners of her mouth twitched involuntarily.

"What the hell are you doing? Why did you interfere with the assassination of the spy? I can understand if you mess things up, but why did you attack me?" Iris was furious, her pretty face covered in frost.

There was no response from her left hand. White Flame and Iris were one entity, so Iris scolding White Flame was the same as scolding herself.

Iris was trembling with anger, but White Flame remained unresponsive.

"Useless fool!" Iris cursed bitterly, "If you dare to do it again..."

Before Iris could finish speaking, her left hand slapped her directly, apparently trying to calm her down.

Slap-

Unfortunately, Iris misunderstood.

"Ouch!" Iris widened her eyes and grumbled angrily, "You've crossed the line! Can't you tell the difference, Your Majesty?"

Iris placed her left hand on the desk, and with her right hand, she took out a whip from her storage space and fiercely whipped it.

Crack!

Her left hand fell to the ground, leaving a bright whip mark on her fair skin, oozing a trace of blood.

Iris was still filled with anger, and she swung the whip again.

Crack-crack-

Under the light, the whip emitted a cold, ruthless glow, leaving grim scars on Iris's left hand, even revealing the white bones.

However, all this pain was borne by Iris herself, "Still can't tell the difference, Your Majesty?"

At this moment, Baixi was carrying dinner and was about to enter Iris's room, when she heard the sound of the whip cracking.

"What's that sound? Is Mother punishing someone? Or indulging in some bad habits." Baixi furrowed her brows tightly, her heart beating faster, with a vague sense of foreboding.

She took a deep breath, approached the room, pushed open the door, and walked in.

The scene that greeted her eyes shocked her deeply.

She saw a weird and cruel scene, her mother holding a whip in her right hand and whipping her own left hand, blood flowing from the whip marks. The areas that were hit had become a bloody mess.

Baixi thought it was some stimulating scene, but it turned out to be this.

"Mother..." she shouted.

However, Iris completely ignored Baixi's voice and remained focused on her activity.

Mother was very angry! Could it be that she had manic depression, a symptom of which is self-harm, and if it continues, it could lead to mental illness.

Images of her mother wearing a hospital gown, staying in the hospital, going crazy and self-harming day and night, smashing the food when it was brought to her, appeared in Baixi's mind.

"Mama, please don't do this!" Baixi put the meal aside and grabbed Iris's hand holding the whip, stopping her from acting recklessly. She anxiously consoled, "Take a break first, and then tell me what's going on."

Iris hesitated for a moment, and upon hearing Baixi's words, she slowly calmed down and stopped her actions.

Her left hand was beaten to a bloody mess, a horrifying sight that was very distressing.

"Doesn't it hurt, Mama?" Baixi asked tentatively.

"Huh?" Iris paused for a moment, seemingly just realizing the injury on her left hand. Her cheeks immediately turned red and she replied, "It hurts..."

Although Iris's words were fragmented, Baixi still understood the meaning behind them and couldn't help but feel both funny and exasperated.

Baixi sprinkled some pain-relieving powder on Iris's injured hand and gently said, "Mama, you must be too angry, so your pain perception has decreased. In life, setbacks are inevitable. Try to be more open-minded and never hurt yourself."

"I didn't hurt myself, I just..." Iris tried to explain, but Baixi interrupted her by placing a finger on her mouth and shushing her, saying, "I understand, Mama. In your eyes, this behavior isn't self-harm, but a way to vent frustration. Let's not use this method to vent in the future. Let's eat."

Baixi picked up a spoon and stirred the congee in the bowl, then brought the steaming hot porridge to Iris's mouth.

"Mama, let me feed you. Open up. Ah~"

"Ah..."

"It's hot..."

When Iris finally finished the porridge, Baixi tidied up the bowls and utensils and left. Before leaving, she said to Iris, "Mama, rest early and please don't hurt yourself anymore."

Watching Baixi's retreating figure, Iris felt a kind of indescribable frustration. She really wasn't venting her frustration; she was merely trying to differentiate between the sizes of her left hand and Your Majesty.

Iris pulled back the curtain and opened the window, allowing the cool breeze to brush her cheeks. The burden in her heart slightly eased, but she still couldn't let go.

The moonlight poured down, shining on Iris and embellishing her with a faint silver glow, making her look like a fairyland.

The moonlight illuminated Iris's profile, her beautiful facial features, long and curled eyelashes, and snow-white translucent skin.

Iris extended her left hand, which had already healed completely, without a trace of the previous injuries. Her right hand gently caressed her left hand. Suddenly, Iris looked up and stared at the stars and moon in the sky, lost in thought.

Iris began to recall her mother's words. "White Flame is conscious. It will protect you in times of danger, but it will never allow you to attack fellow disciples."

"What if I do attack?"

"White Flame will intervene and try to persuade you. If you want to kill a fellow disciple, it will stop you. If you refuse to listen, it will trigger a punishment mechanism, which is enduring the burning pain of White Flame. If you still persist, it will directly attack your heart and make you lose consciousness."

"When will the fire extinguish? Otherwise, one side will be burned to death."

"By obtaining the other party's forgiveness, White Flame will automatically extinguish. Oh, by the way, I have a disciple. If you happen to meet her and get into a fight, you must forgive her and not let her be burned to death by White Flame, or else I'll hang you up and beat you."

"What if the daughter gains the upper hand? Will she forgive me?" Iris muttered to herself, then grinned confidently, brimming with self-assurance.

"Of course she will forgive you. She is much older than you, no matter what mistakes you make, she will tolerate and care for you."

"Should I call her senior sister or sister? What is her name?"

"Calling her sister sounds more affectionate. As for her name, she might be using an alias and will not reveal who her master is. You will have to find out for yourself."

As the memories came to an end, Iris couldn't help but sigh, "Ah... just as Mother predicted, if only I had known she was Mother's disciple, I would have let her stay in the palace."

Anger not only makes people impulsive, but also clouds their judgement, and Iris was a typical example.

Why do I always act recklessly since I gained power?

Why? What is wrong with me?

Where did my calm and composed self go?

Back then, I was Night White, a Night White without power, a Night White who had to endure grievances, a Night White who just wanted to live a peaceful life and not attract attention.

But now I am Iris, the legitimate Empress of the Shuowang Empire. If I cannot control my temper, countless soldiers will die due to my impulsiveness. How can I face their families?

Emotions are mine to control, not to be controlled by them.

I am determined to unite the continents of gods, demons, and the Ruined Land as the Empress. I must remain calm and composed, and not let my emotions ruin things.

Iris's eyes gradually became resolute. She lowered her eyelids to hide her emotions. When she opened her eyes again, they were calm.

Human years combined with vampire years amount to only twenty-one years, and Iris became the Empress of the Crimson Empire at the age of eighteen. The country's name was changed to Shuowang. Three years have passed since then.

Iris looked at the bright moon in the sky, took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress the anger in her heart.

The incident where Lilia cut off Iris's arm was still on Iris's mind. Although they reattached it later and went their separate ways, there was a knot in Iris's heart. Otherwise, she wouldn't choose to ignore Lilia.

What often disturbs Iris is her excessive concern. Iris doesn't want to admit this concern, but she knows that she indeed cares a lot.

Iris needs to face this emotion towards Lilia. Or rather, Iris wants to control her emotions through the incident of her lost arm. Only then can she avoid negative emotions during battles with enemies and maintain clear judgment.

Iris carries the future and hope of the Shuowang Empire. She should handle these relationships rationally, rather than bury them in her heart.

Iris picked up the cat pillow from the bedside and couldn't help but say, "Why is Lilia so childish? Every time she gives me a cat pillow, doesn't she worry that I'll dislike it?"

As Iris complained, she tossed the pillow onto the bed and turned to lie down.

Your Majesty should be more magnanimous, especially since Lilia has lost her memory. She can be treated as a different person.

Iris comforted herself, rolled over, and closed her eyes to rest.

In her mind, she remembered her aunt's teachings: If you are peaceful, no one can hate you; if you don't hold grudges, no one can disturb you!

Iris silently recited her aunt's teachings in her heart.

She gradually fell asleep and in her dreams, she seemed to hear a faint call, but it was indistinct.

It seems like the past self has already departed, and a brand new self is born within her.