Maroon, trying to console her, echoed the words Long Yan had once spoken: "Crying for the dead does not bring them back, Your Grace."
At those words, Long Yan turned to her and, in a fit of anguish, slapped her. Maroon, stunned, silently turned away and began walking back toward the Duchy. But suddenly, Long Yan ran after her and embraced her from behind, sobbing. "I'm so sorry for slapping you. How could I forget my own words? Hick… hick… You're right."
Maroon turned to her and spoke gently. "I heard you crying in the alley when we were sleeping that night. You may not have realized it then, but losing the Empress was painful for you. Now, witnessing Duke Vekem's death has shattered you completely. That's why you finally cried."
Long Yan, still in tears, nodded. "Yes. I wept that night… for the Empress."
The battle raged until evening, but in the end, Long Yan's forces emerged victorious. The battlefield was drenched in blood.
After their victory, the remaining knights marched toward the Grand Empire's estate, capturing and imprisoning the concubines and Leonos. At dawn, Long Yan raised the Red Dwarf Empire's flag atop the Grand Empire's administrative house, marking their triumph.
The next day, a grand funeral was held in the Dukedom. Duke Vekem's body, along with those of the fallen knights, was carried through the village streets. The villagers mourned deeply, and nobles and monarchs from across the land gathered to pay their respects. Grief spread far and wide, but Long Yan resolved to honor Duke Vekem's memory while moving forward with her life.
Time passed, and the world slowly healed. Villages and realms were rebuilt. Legal proceedings confirmed the Grand
Emperor's crimes, and with undeniable evidence, Long Yan was declared the victor. The concubines and Leonos were sentenced to death for treason. News of these events spread across the world, reaching the Red Dwarf Empire. Filled with guilt, the elders and village leaders of the empire decided to seek Long Yan's forgiveness. They traveled to the Duchy and humbly apologized.
A month later, Long Yan was crowned Grand Empress Regnant of half the world, honored by the soul of the Dragon Queen. Maroon married a young baron, earning the title of Baroness and later becoming the Head Maid of the Grand Empire. Since Long Yan had not borne a child before Duke Vekem's death, she adopted Maroon's daughter and named her the next Empress to ensure the nation's future.
Thus, peace returned, and all went well ever after.