“Hey, my beard!” Dominic cried in pain because he failed to protect his beard from Galen’s hands.On the other hand, Galen was lying on Dominic’s chest. Between his fingers were the gray hairs that had formed part of Dominic’s beard just a moment ago. That was Galen’s favorite “toy.”“Where are the toys? Where are the snacks? Did you guys bring them here yet?!” Dominic exclaimed. Even so, he could not bear to punish Galen for what he did and carefully got up.Lily headed over to take Galen from Dominic’s body and reprimanded him softly, “You can’t do that! It’s bad!”“Bat?” Galen flapped his arms, looking around for bats. Confusion filled his eyes when he realized there were no bats in sight.His naive acts made Dominic chuckle and get up, saying, “It’s fine. He’s still a young boy. What would he know? It’s my people’s fault for being too slow to bring out the toys!”The servants were speechless upon hearing that. They were already moving as fast as possible and had created an ar
Dominic was speechless and subconsciously held his hand to his chin. “Pull my *ss, you punk!”“Hahaha!”Dominic felt tired about an hour later, but Lily had yet to return from the backyard. He lay on his rattan chair by the pile of toys and looked at Galen while drowsiness was slowly taking over him.However, he forced himself to stay awake, knowing he could not fall asleep this way. If he did, all his precious plants and herbs might go missing when he opened his eyes again. That would not be as simple as getting his beard pulled off.When his eyes were almost closing, he heard one of his subordinates report, “Mr. Dominic, the young master is here!”“Which young master? Isn’t he here?” Dominic turned to look at the toys area and was shocked to find that Galen was out of sight.“No. It’s Mr. Austin!” the maid said. However, Dominic was not in the mood to care about that now. “I don’t care who came! Find that punk right now! No, find the kid!”‘He’s still here now, and I didn’t fa
Upon hearing that, all the servants looked in Austin’s direction. Two seconds later, they again lowered their heads and continued searching for someone, yelling, “Young master! Young master?”Austin was utterly puzzled. ‘Is there another young master besides me? What?’With a confused look, he continued walking toward the manor, not bothering to ask the servants what was happening. When he was about to reach the residence, he could no longer move his feet.He looked down and saw a little boy hugging his calf and clinging to it like a koala. Austin looked down while the little boy looked up with a grin. “Teehee!”The little boy did not have all his teeth yet, and on his face was an innocent smile. However, his presence shocked Austin. “Whose kid is this?”Subconsciously, he wanted to shake the boy off his calf, but even though the little boy was still young, he had a tight grip on Austin’s calf. Galen clung onto Austin’s calf calmly and even sat on top of his shoe like it was a swi
‘What did he say earlier? Did he say I was dirty? Which part of me was dirty? I would wipe my shoes clean every time before leaving the house! I did not even say anything about this brat wrinkling my clothes!’Austin was suffering from tremendous shock and stood in his spot, stupefied. Seeing the older man and the little boy being friendly, he felt like an outsider.Finally, he returned to his senses and asked in a hoarse voice, “Granduncle, this kid is…”“What the h*ll are you guys doing?” Dominic suddenly rebuked Austin, shocking him again. “All of you can’t even take care of one little boy! You’ve taken so long to search for him in this small place! What’s the point of me hiring you guys?”The servants just stayed silent in the face of Dominic’s rebuke.“What are you guys still standing here for? Get back to work! Oh, right. Get the chef to prepare something the little boy likes to eat. Move fast!” Dominic nagged and was back to being the ill-tempered man he usually appeared to
Dominic carried Galen into the house, and when he turned around, he noticed that Austin had followed behind them. Suddenly, he glared at the young man. “Why did you come…”Before he could finish roaring, his cheeks were pushed upward, and he could only let out a funny smile. Frowning, he pursed his lips at Austin, motioning for the latter to move aside as he sat down with Galen. He loosened his grip and asked, “What about you go inside and play with your toys?”Galen shook his head fervently at the sound of that, rendering Dominic speechless.“Then you can’t hold onto my beard all the time. You pulled off so many, and you won’t have any to play with in the future anymore.” Dominic coaxed patiently, “Plus, your mommy will spank your butt if she knows about this!”The last part of the sentence probably sounded scarier to Galen because a hint of hesitation flashed across his eyes upon hearing that. Finally, he released his grip and went back to his playing area.“Phew…” Dominic breat
The most crucial point was that if he were Lily’s son, then everything would make sense. ‘She has an odd relationship with Dominic and even knows who his secret apprentice is. If that’s the case, I can understand why the old man would dote on the boy.’ “Granduncle, he’s Lily’s child, isn’t he?” Austin asked hesitantly after giving it some thought. While drinking water, Dominic choked. “Who told you that?” He looked panicky and glanced at the boy’s face. ‘Does he look like her that much?”Although he did not admit it, Austin could tell from his reaction. ‘Bingo!’“Granduncle, what’s your relationship with Lily? You’re not only good to her but also her child…” He could not help but suspect that the child was his grandson, but he shook off the ridiculous idea. ‘No way! No f*cking way!”Seeing him look puzzled and shake his head, Dominic frowned. “Why do you care? Who are you to pry into my affairs? Why are you here? If you have nothing to discuss with me, then get lost!”“Ye
However, on second thought, she figured it was not surprising to see him here. She had gathered what she wanted in a bag and was carrying the bulky container. She thought that since she was here, she should take as many as she could. “What good stuff have you plundered this time?” Lifting his eyelids, Dominic asked. However, he did not seem to mind and had no intention of checking her bag. “The ones you don’t appreciate, okay?” She answered and looked toward her son. “Galen, have you been naughty and bullied Grandpa?”As if he had not heard her, the little boy did not answer and buried his head in a heap of snacks. “Hmm-hmm.” He made the sound to show that he was having fun. “No, no, he’s been a well-behaving boy!” Dominic said protectively of him, “There are food and drinks and things to play with here. Of course he’s on his best behavior!”“Really?” Doubtful, Lily curled her lips. “Then how about we come tomorrow again?”“Well…” Dominic gave an awkward look. ‘I knew it.
Lily was also baffled, and even Galen, playing by himself, looked up questioningly.“Granduncle, you’ve always refused to tell me or publicly announce who your secret apprentice is.” Austin curled his lips into a mysterious smile and peered at Lily. “It’s Alexander, isn’t it?”Lily and Dominic were perplexed. They exchanged looks and communicated without words again.‘He’s so dumb. Is he truly your grandnephew?’‘He’s not my family, and I don’t know him, okay?’Austin felt frustrated to see the two communicating through expressions. It was as if there was a wall between them and him, and he could not be a part of them no matter how hard he tried. He could not understand why they were shrugging, shaking their heads, blinking their eyes, or sighing.“Granduncle, I know you don’t wish to announce it publicly because Alexander is someone special, and he wants to keep it a secret, but you don’t have to hide it from me. I guarantee that I won’t reveal it to anyone!” Austin held up his
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