Since Lanzu learned that Iris was pregnant, she took care of her daily, which made Iris very uncomfortable.

Her daily diet and activities were strictly regulated, no alcohol and no martial arts training. She felt like a prisoner, but she couldn't refuse, so she had to cooperate with her aunt's demands.

One day, Iris looked at the battle report and situation map sent by Sui Liangfeng and couldn't help but sigh, "I really want to have a drink and eat barbecue~"

Iris was startled by her own words. How could they slip out of her mouth without thinking? If her aunt heard it, she would probably give her another lecture.

Sure enough, Lanzu brought a nutrition meal to Iris from behind and immediately frowned, "What nonsense are you talking! Pregnant women can't drink alcohol, and barbecue is junk food without nutrition. If you end up hurting the baby in your belly because of your reckless eating, I will not spare you."

"I understand, I understand." Iris quickly responded.

"Eat this quickly." Lanzu handed the nutrition meal to Iris, "It supplements the nutrients needed during pregnancy, which is good for you and the baby."

Iris took the meal box, but wrinkled her brow before swallowing a bite. The taste was simply unbearable, but under her aunt's gaze, Iris gritted her teeth and swallowed it. However, this overly complex formula made her nauseous. She had been eating this nutrition meal for a month already.

"Is it really that bad?" Lanzu saw Iris's reaction and understood that the taste of this nutrition meal was indeed hard to swallow, but for the sake of the "baby's" health, she had to ask Iris to endure it.

"I know it tastes bad... but the nutrients inside are very important for you right now." Lanzu sighed, "For the baby, you have to bear with it...the taste doesn't matter as long as you can eat it. The vampire royal family throughout history have all eaten nutrition meals during pregnancy, once a day, for nine months. Endure it."

Upon hearing this, Iris felt a bitter taste in her mouth again. Her aunt's words were full of concern for the "baby."

Iris bit her lip and reluctantly finished this damn nutrition meal.

"I'm done! Can you stop guarding me like a prison guard 24/7?" Iris protested unhappily, "You know, this way, I have no privacy at all. What if I get depressed because of you? It's not good for Lilia."

After thinking it over, Lanzu felt Iris's argument was reasonable, and then repeatedly instructed, "Alright, I understand—I will give you some freedom and personal space. But you also need to promise me a few things: first, no more getting into trouble outside; second, eat regular meals and ensure nutrition during pregnancy; third, report to me every day about where you're going, in case of any emergency; fourth, go for a prenatal check-up every week, you must adhere to it."

Lanzu's string of instructions gave Iris a headache—she thought she would have complete freedom, but she didn't expect her aunt to still control her so strictly. But compared to being stuck in her aunt's palace all day, it was a world of difference—she had to compromise and agree to her aunt's demands.

"I understand, I will abide by everything you said." Iris nodded quickly, "I promise to arrange my schedule reasonably and take necessary safety measures—rest assured, I won't cause you any trouble. I will report my whereabouts and conditions to you regularly, and I will definitely go for regular check-ups. I assure you."

"Very well." Lanzu felt slightly reassured by Iris's sincerity, "As long as you agree to my terms, I will give you some freedom—But if you break our agreement, I will immediately tighten control, so don't complain later."

"I understand, thank you for Aunt's trust!" Iris cried with joy after hearing this—the nightmare finally came to an end.

Aunt only cared about Lilia, as for the younger generation like Iris, they would only receive some consideration due to Lilia's face.

Only Lilia could restrain Lanzu, and this move was not in vain, at least it would make Lanzu forever loyal to her.

Let's consider the remaining nine months of nutrient meals as a reinforcement to bind Lanzu's shackles.

"Aunt, I will take a walk in the palace."

Lanzu instinctively wanted to object, but she remembered her promise to Iris just now and had to suppress her opposition.

"Be careful and don't run too fast." Lanzu looked at Iris, genuinely worried.

Although the relationship between Lilia and Iris was not very harmonious, in many ways, Iris was similar to Lilia.

Especially during pregnancy, her sister also disliked eating nutrient meals and preferred to eat some food that was not good for the fetus.

"What danger can there be in the palace?" Iris smiled and said, "Aunt, you don't need to worry too much. I will take good care of myself and the child in my womb, after all, she is family."

Lanzu watched Iris leave. In some aspects, Iris was simply a duplicate of her sister.

Iris thanked her with a smile and turned to leave. She could finally move her body now. Iris strolled in the palace garden, breathing the free air—it was a wonderful feeling that was hard to describe.

Suddenly, the aroma of barbecue wafted over.

Iris's mouth kept salivating, and she gently touched her belly, "Look, even you want it, right?" She whispered, "It's just a few skewers, I promise to be moderate—after eating nutrient meals for a month, we also need a little indulgence."

Baixi's ears twitched and faintly heard the sound of her mother's footsteps.

"I heard mother's footsteps. Quickly put away the wine and replace it with a drink," Baixi hurriedly said to Ling and Baiying.

Ling and Baiying quickly cleaned up the remaining wine glasses and replaced them with a glass of juice. Baixi took out a fruit-flavored spray and sprayed it around to prevent Iris from smelling the alcohol. All three of them understood that it would be best not to mention the matter of alcohol in front of Iris—Baixi, Baiying, and Ling were underage, and if their drinking behavior was discovered, there would be consequences.

At this moment, Iris approached and looked at the barbecue in front of her, unable to help but salivate.

"Mother, why are you here?" Baixi stepped forward and held Iris's hand, looking quite obedient. Baiying followed closely behind, sweetly shouting, "Mother."

Iris smiled and gently stroked the cheeks of her two daughters. Baixi and Baiying were Iris's two most beloved daughters. They had been sticking to Iris since they were young and were the most attached to Iris.

"Lady Sister." Ling bowed to Iris with respect. Compared to Baixi and Baiying's intimacy, Ling always maintained a respectful attitude towards Iris.

"No need for formalities, Xiaoling."

As she spoke, Iris reached out to take the barbecue skewers, but was stopped by Baixi's hand.

"Mother! You are pregnant now, let us take care of these junk food for you." Baixi gestured for Ling and Baiying to take care of the food on the barbecue skewers.

"Yeah, yeah, sister is right. You shouldn't eat junk food, it's not good for the baby in your belly," Baiying agreed while munching on grilled skewers.

"Sister, you should endure for a little while longer," Ling advised.

"But... Can't I just have a taste? Is that not allowed?" Iris couldn't resist the aroma of the barbecue and couldn't help but speak up. She only wanted a small bite and didn't think it would be a big problem.

"No!" Baixi firmly rejected, "For the sake of the baby and yourself, you need to endure. If you continue to act up, I will call Auntie Zuyimu." Baixi was also concerned, but her tone was too harsh.

"Baixi, are you threatening me? You're audacious." Iris became angry.

Seeing Iris getting angry, Baixi also became a little flustered. She quickly said, "Mother, I didn't mean to threaten you—I'm just very worried about your health, that's why I spoke so strongly. Please forgive me."

Iris looked at Baixi's slightly panicked appearance and couldn't help but feel a bit guilty—she knew that Baixi was also concerned for her, but her way of expressing it was too direct, which caused her displeasure. Now, seeing Baixi apologizing so sincerely, her anger subsided a little.

"How did you know I was pregnant? I didn't mention it to any of you," Iris asked.

"The whole palace knows about it, except for a few individuals," Baixi explained.

"What?"

"Auntie said that the Empress suffered an assassination attempt and the Empress Dowager, grief-stricken, attempted to use secret techniques to resurrect the Empress, but it ended up harming her foundation. To continue the royal bloodline, the Empress chose to use secret techniques to conceive a child," Baixi explained.

"If you don't want to let me eat, then don't..." Iris turned and left without looking back.

Ling: "..."

Baixi: "..."

Baiying: "..."