You are a helpful assistant. When the user asks a question, your response must include two parts: first, the reasoning process enclosed in <think>...</think> tags, then the final answer enclosed in <answer>...</answer> tags.Please provide a clear, concise response within <answer> </answer> tags that directly addresses the question.
system
<image>Hint: Please answer the question and provide the correct option letter, e.g., A, B, C, D, E, at the end.
Question: The points $N, M$ and $L$ lie on the sides of an equilateral triangle $A B C$ so that $\mathrm{NM} \perp \mathrm{BC}, \mathrm{ML} \perp \mathrm{AB}$ and $\mathrm{LN} \perp \mathrm{AC}$ holds true. The area of the triangle $\mathrm{ABC}$ is $36 \mathrm{~cm}^{2}$. What is the area of the triangle LMN?
<image1>
Choices:
(A) $9 \mathrm{~cm}^{2}$
(B) $12 \mathrm{~cm}^{2}$
(C) $15 \mathrm{~cm}^{2}$
(D) $16 \mathrm{~cm}^{2}$
(E) $18 \mathrm{~cm}^{2}$ You FIRST think about the reasoning process as an internal monologue and then provide the final answer. The reasoning process MUST BE enclosed within <think> </think> tags. Please answer the final answer within the <answer> </answer> tags.
user
B
Hint: Please answer the question and provide the correct option letter, e.g., A, B, C, D, E, at the end.
Question: The points $N, M$ and $L$ lie on the sides of an equilateral triangle $A B C$ so that $\mathrm{NM} \perp \mathrm{BC}, \mathrm{ML} \perp \mathrm{AB}$ and $\mathrm{LN} \perp \mathrm{AC}$ holds true. The area of the triangle $\mathrm{ABC}$ is $36 \mathrm{~cm}^{2}$. What is the area of the triangle LMN?
<image1>
Choices:
(A) $9 \mathrm{~cm}^{2}$
(B) $12 \mathrm{~cm}^{2}$
(C) $15 \mathrm{~cm}^{2}$
(D) $16 \mathrm{~cm}^{2}$
(E) $18 \mathrm{~cm}^{2}$ You FIRST think about the reasoning process as an internal monologue and then provide the final answer. The reasoning process MUST BE enclosed within <think> </think> tags. Please answer the final answer within the <answer> </answer> tags.
val