Austin’s hands wandered to his throat, and his mouth opened and shut. There was still no sound to be heard. He was starting to get anxious as sweat began to form on his forehead. On the other hand, Lily turned her back on him and continued concentrating on her experiment.Austin was panicking. Although he didn't know what was happening, he knew it had something to do with Lily.Without much thought, he tapped her shoulder. However, she did not pay attention to him as she bent over and stared at the test tubes in front of her. In response, he tapped her shoulder again and again.At this point, Lily was so annoyed that she turned around and impatiently poked him twice. "Are you done?!"Austin was stunned. This time, not only did he lose his voice, he couldn't even move his hands. This feeling was weird and terrifying. He stood there as his eyes darted around. It was as if he was trapped in a nightmare. In just a blink, he was subverted. Was there such an acupressure point in this w
In an instant, Thompson's attention was turned to the computer. He let go of Austin's shoulders and took a few steps forward. "How is it?"Lily didn't answer as she tapped away on the keyboard, watching the data on the screen move around quickly. After a while, the integration was complete. "It's a success!" The excitement in her voice was unmistakable.Although this experiment was a simple medicinal herb fusion, it was still a giant leap forward. As long as there were successful precedents, the subsequent ones would be easier. There would always be some commonalities between them."Amazing!" Thompson was delighted as he pumped his fists happily. "This is terrific! I knew I was right about you, Lily! You are amazing! You're still our savior at the end of the day. I thought you wouldn't return. I'm so glad you're back!"He continued saying, "Now that you're back, I'm sure the experiment will succeed! Austin, don't you think so?" Seeing that he didn't get a response, he turned to l
The unbelievable incident from earlier filled Austin’s mind. All the other things, including the experiment's success, could not divert his attention.Thompson could tell that something was off with him as well. When he thought about how Austin had always looked down on Lily, he thought it was because Austin felt dissatisfied and unconvinced upon learning that Lily’s experiment had succeeded.Hence, he started, “Austin, you’ve recently stayed for days in the lab and worked hard for the experiment. Look at the dark circles under your eyes! You should go home and rest today. You can only continue with the experiment in a better state!”“I’m fine, Professor Thompson. I’ve had enough rest. I…”Before Austin could finish, Thompson interjected, “Hey, don’t take this lightly just because you’re still young. Work is a never-ending process. Since this one has succeeded, I’m sure it’ll be a smooth process for us in the coming days!“Don’t be too hard on yourself, and don’t worry too much. W
Austin was shocked to his core. After leaving the lab, he headed right for Dominic’s place. No matter how Dominic was feeling today, Austin was determined to meet him and get to the bottom of things.He guessed that Dominic and Lily had a close relationship with each other. Otherwise, Dominic would not have allowed her to enter and stay in his place for such a long time. Dominic probably knew things about Lily and should also know what happened today.Austin did not believe in numbing someone by hitting their acupuncture points, so the only justification was that Lily might have temporarily poisoned him.‘Is there a type of poison that can temporarily make someone lose control over their bodies, and they can only recover from it later?’His mind was full of thoughts, and he was so distracted that he almost knocked into someone else’s car. He sped up and finally arrived at Dominic’s villa in the suburbs. When his car came to a halt, he instantly jumped out and rushed into the place.
“You guys are useless pieces of cr*p!” Dominic glanced at the book he was holding and instructed, “Just let him go!”His people released Austin and stood in their spots to await further instructions. After regaining his freedom, Austin immediately stood up and stretched his body before saying, “Granduncle! I’m not causing chaos this time, and I’m not here to beg you for anything. I really need to ask you about something important!”“You?” Dominic looked up and clicked his tongue. “What important matters could you possibly have?”“I…” Austin started but hesitated as he looked around them.“What embarrassing things did you do this time?” Dominic questioned and waved to motion for the others to leave. Austin continued when only the two remained, “Granduncle, you’ve been researching medicinal herbs for many years. Do you know of herbs that could temporarily numb one’s nerves, making them unable to move for that period?”Dominic looked at Austin as if he was an idi*t before slowly sayi
This question stunned Austin and made his face flush red. This was embarrassing to him, especially since Lily, whom he had been looking down on, had frozen him on the spot. If anyone were to hear about this, he would be too ashamed to meet anyone in the future.“N-No!” Austin straightened his back and denied it. “It’s my friend!”“Your friend?” Dominic stopped rocking his chair and looked up at Austin. “Your… friend?”“Yes!” Austin was adamant about using this reason. He would never admit that he was the main character in his story.Dominic understood what was going on and smiled. “Then why does it have anything to do with Lily? Didn’t you say that you had something related to Lily to tell me? You’re not trying to tell me that your friend is Lily, are you?”“That’s impossible!” He denied it almost instantly. ‘What the h*ll? Why would she be a friend of mine?’After denying it, he found another cover for himself. “It’s like this. I want to ask if you have a close relationship with
‘His friend? Austin feels that he's been different from the rest since he was a child and smarter than them. He dislikes and refuses to make friends with anyone.’ Dominic thought, ‘Due to that, Austin had no friends and only spoke to those who sought medicinal help from him.’Therefore, it was the worst reason Austin could come up with to tell Dominic. “Granduncle, I’m genuinely curious about one thing. Does Lily know how to numb someone’s nerves? Who is she? How is she so capable?” Austin decided to address his concerns.Dominic smiled. “Capable? Don’t you think women are incapable? Do you think she’s great now?”“I… It’s not that I think she’s great. I just think that numbing someone’s nerves is not something that’s scientifically proven. If it truly exists, then it’s something amazing.” Austin tried to reason, but Dominic knew he was almost convinced of its existence.Was Lily incapable?If she was incapable, Thompson would not have trusted her so much. If she were incapable,
"You seem to know a lot about Lily, Granduncle." Austin looked at Dominic strangely, finding Dominic’s reaction too unusual.Whenever Austin mentioned someone in the past, be it his grandfather or parents, Dominic had never looked so excited before. Only mentioning Lily would make him look hesitant and cause him to lose control over his emotions.“Do I?” Dominic raised a brow and was determined not to admit to it. “I’m just interested in that experiment you guys are doing! I like seeing you lose too.”Austin was rendered speechless for a moment.“I’m your grandson!” Austin whined.“Cut the cr*p!” Dominic put his hand up and widened the distance between the two. “I’m all alone and without children, so how would I have any grandchildren?”“That’s why I treat you like my grandfather. In the future, I’ll take care of you and manage your funeral-”Before Austin finished his words, Dominic interjected, “Stop that! Funeral, my *ss! Even if there is one, it’ll be for your grandpa. I can
Lily tilted her head up to fight back her tears, saying, “There’s something I find strange.”“What is it?” Mike asked after comforting his son.“Instead of detaining Prince Ross, Her Majesty has sent him back to Yudonia. If so, why couldn’t we reach him?”After some thought, Mike answered, “There are two possibilities. It’s probably due to poor signals, or he doesn’t want us to contact him.”The two shared a look, knowing what each other was wondering.‘Why can’t we contact Ross? Is he planning something?’…Three days later, Lily inserted the last needle into the queen’s leg and looked up at her, saying, “You should start feeling your legs tomorrow. Still, it’ll take some time before you can stand.”Suddenly, Lily chuckled.“Why are you laughing?” Yasmin touched her legs. She had begun to regain sensation in her legs over the last two days. She then began to believe that she could get up. However, the queen was hesitant when the queen heard Lily chuckle.Lily shook her head
Lily straightened up and said without resentment, “Of course, you wouldn’t.”“That’s… quite a pity,” the queen murmured thoughtfully.“Well, there’s a price to pay for everything. That’s how the world balances itself,” Lily continued, “I can’t stop you if you must carry on with R10. Still, I won’t witness whether or not it succeeds. I just wish the outcome isn’t something you’ll regret.”Lily smiled and turned to head out the door.Rick heard their conversation as he stood guard outside. After exchanging looks with Lily as she brushed past him, he entered the room and saw the needles in Yasmin’s legs. “Your Majesty, those needles—”The queen waved dismissively. “It’s okay. Lily will remove them later.”Even so, Rick was wary. “You’re being too careless, Your Majesty. What if that woman—”“She wouldn’t,” Yasmin interjected, shaking her head."Why do you trust her so much?" Rick asked despite himself. The queen fell silent. If Rick had not asked her that, she would not have rea
Lily took out a cloth and unfolded it, revealing a row of silver needles inside. Yasmin was surprised she carried the needles with her.“Tell me. What do you want?” The queen took a deep breath to calm herself. She then reminded herself that she could always say no to Lily’s request. Still, Yasmin was cautious about Lily trying to trick her.Lily casually said, "I left because Prince Ross wanted to help me. I hope you don’t punish him.""That's it?" Yasmin thought she had misheard Lily. 'Is she trying to talk terms with me just so that I won't punish my son?' she wondered in disbelief."Ross is my son. I won't harm him. Don't you think you've wasted an opportunity by making such a request?" The queen shook her head. "I wasn’t sure if you’d blame him, but he did rescue me once. If I don't do anything, it would be ungrateful of me," Lily said gently, "Also, didn’t you already lock him up?"Yasmin was puzzled. "No, I only sent him back to Yudonia. He kept trying to get me to sto
"Three days," Lily replied.“That’s it?!” Yasmin was in disbelief. She thought Lily would try to buy some more time and suspected she would say the process would take several months or even years.‘I haven’t felt my legs for over a decade. I wouldn’t mind waiting for three more days.’“Are you sure I can get up and walk in just three days?” Yasmin pressed her legs hard but felt nothing. She would have treated her legs long ago if it were that easy.The queen had visited many famous doctors from various countries, but they could only stop her legs from getting weaker. However, Lily confidently told Yasmin that she could fix her legs so quickly.Yasmin wanted to believe it.After some consideration, Lily said, “I can’t guarantee that you’ll walk as fast as you once could. After all, you haven’t used your legs for a long time, and your muscles have atrophied. Still, you’ll recover slowly.”Yasmin nodded repeatedly, thinking it was good enough. She never dreamed of walking as well a
“Because only our opinions matter." Lily thought of something and said, "Unless you choose to believe Rhea.""I… don't trust anyone." Yasmin’s expression stiffened as she turned her wheelchair away."Your Majesty, I know you're dedicated to the experiment, but there are other things in life. Have you ever considered letting go of your burden to sightsee? You’ve done enough as a queen over the last few decades. Aren’t you tired of living a lonely life?”Lily gently spoke as she gazed at Yasmin’s back.The older woman caressed her knees with both hands and stared down at her legs, murmuring, “Sightsee, huh? I’ve forgotten what that’s like.”Yasmin had not used her legs for many years. Initially, she could still stand up and sometimes took a few steps. However, she could no longer get to her feet.She had grown accustomed to sitting in a wheelchair, but she felt a pang of sorrow after hearing Lily’s suggestion.Lily asked, “What if I can help you stand again? What if you can walk a
"Yes, I returned not just for him but also for you," Lily said, "I'm sure you were anxious for my return, weren't you?"Yasmin scoffed dismissively. "Why would I be? I have my bargaining chip. Besides, did you honestly think I couldn’t bring you back?""Bargaining chip? Do you mean Nick?" Lily shook her head with a smile. "Don't forget that he's not my son. Do you think he'll be much of a bargaining chip to you if I choose to ignore him for my three children?"She did not wait for Yasmin to reply and continued, "Besides, Nick still has a father who’s willing to die for him. If Mike decides to take drastic action against you— Yes, you're a queen, and you don't care much about an insignificant businessman.“However, don't forget that his business spans worldwide. There's no guarantee what he might do. Who knows, he might spread information that can affect Your Majesty and Yudonia's reputation?""You…" The queen was exasperated but could not retort.Lily noticed it and casually said
Rick could only remain silent at that moment.Yasmin then turned her wheelchair around and blandly said, “Bring Lily over. I’d like to see what excuses that sly woman can come up with.”"Your Majesty?" Rick was puzzled. "You know she'll just lie to you. Why must you—"Yasmin interjected, "I'd like to hear what she has to say."Rick had no choice but to leave and do as she said.As Lily was about to doze off, she heard noises from outside and opened her eyes. Immediately after, the door opened, and Rick appeared. He glared at her and spoke coldly, “Her Majesty wants to see you.”Lily glanced at Rick calmly and stood up as if she had expected his appearance. On the other hand, Mike rose before her and headed out.However, Rick stopped him as he reached the door. “You stay.”"But we came together!" Mike glanced over his shoulder at Lily, signaling her to persuade the man. Rick added, "The queen doesn’t wish to see you. Just stay here!"Lily patted Mike's shoulder and said gentl
Everyone was shocked when Lily returned to the embassy with Mike. One of the staff members quickly left to report the news to Queen Yasmin.Meanwhile, Lily saw people peering at her and Mike from the corner. Afterward, several guarded-looking men appeared. Lilt recognized them as the queen’s attendants. They brought Mike and Lily inside and then gave the duo a thorough search.The men only relaxed after finding nothing suspicious about the duo. Even so, Lily could not see the queen as the men told her to wait in an innermost room instead.After returning to the embassy, Lily felt a sense of strange familiarity. Although she knew the place well, her mindset had changed.She previously hated the embassy and simply wanted to escape. However, she had returned with a critical mission. Not only did she have to complete it, but she also needed to leave the place in one piece.While she was calm, Mike was somewhat anxious. He clasped his hands on his knees and glanced around as he sat dow
"I promise I'll do anything you want, okay?" Mike begged. He was desperate to see his son, so he decided to follow Lily when she insisted on returning to the embassy.Mike continued, “If any of you go with her, they might stop or suspect you. They won’t do that to me. It’s natural for me to want to see and rescue my son. I’m the best candidate because it makes sense for me to sacrifice myself for him.”After a short silence, Lily said, “You’re right.” She then looked at Alexander, who pondered before slowly raising his head and saying, “Me too.”Dominic tapped the table. "So do I."Cameron thought for a moment before saying, "I've no objections."Seeing this, Austin spread his arms and said, "Since you all agree, what else can I say? Let's do it!"It did not matter whether or not he agreed, but he just wanted to support Mike. The latter nodded and became emotional, saying, “Thanks, you guys!”"Why are you thanking us? Just be careful, and don’t be rash like you promised," Aust