He truly cared for her in any way he could.After breakfast, they departed to the site. Although it was barely 7 a.m. and the morning breeze blew, the temperature difference between day and night was clear. Lily wore a thin cardigan and a sun hat. They needed to take precautions against sunburn since they would be at the nursery.This time, a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon was their ride instead of a Rolls-Royce. Jenny did not say a word, but her excitement at seeing the ride was evident. The SUV looked fantastic and was perfect for their journey because of its off-road capabilities.“What a great arrangement by the company. I didn’t know they had so many models of cars we could choose to ride in.” Jenny exclaimed while admiring the view outside the window.Then she turned to look at Lily. While resting her head on the window, Lily sensed Jenny's gaze on her. She continued to stare out the window, trying to appear clueless for fear of Jenny noticing something.However, Jenny would not le
The man in charge of the nursery did not exaggerate its size as it was indeed enormous. After walking around the entire morning, Lily and Jenny probably visited only a third of the site, and their legs were already sore.“Let’s get ready to head back soon. Later, we’ll get them to send us samples of all the flowers they have so we can compare them and decide which ones to use. Our task is basically done after that.” Jenny dusted her hands, her face dotted with sweat from the heat.There was a considerable contrast in the temperatures between the day and evening. It was still bearable in the morning, but it was sweltering now, even after they removed their cardigans.“I want to look around a little longer,” Lily said.“Huh?” Jenny was surprised. “At what? I think we’ve seen enough. Even if we spend all day here, we probably won’t be able to see everything because the place is so big. How about this? What species do you want to look at specifically? I’ll get someone from the nursery
”Y-You’re up?” Melanie forced a smile.“You’re going to get what you deserve.”His words washed away all of her humiliation as she looked at him with wide and gleaming eyes. “Really?”“Of course!” He lowered his head and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Take a shower and get dressed up. I’m taking you somewhere later.”“Where are we going?” Upon hearing what he said, she suddenly felt energized.“Didn’t you want to learn how to become a star perfumer? Then, you shouldn’t ask anything and just do as I say.”Finally, he stood up and withdrew his arms. When he looked down at Melanie, she felt immense pressure and was at a loss for words. Even though he was right, it made her feel like she was an item for which he could set a price as he wished. It made her uncomfortable, but when she thought about it, she would give him what he wanted in exchange for her dreams. That was how a deal worked.He would find it amusing if she suddenly became concerned about her pride, given that she w
After deleting all the messages, Melanie went downstairs happily and saw a very cool Wrangler at the hotel entrance. She was excited, especially when Frank was sitting in the car waiting for her. Thinking that someone of his stature was coming to pick her up like this, she felt that her own stature had gone up. “Where did this car come from? I remember that the company didn’t book this car.” She suppressed her little excitement and asked smilingly.“That little company of yours?” Frank’s words were full of disdain.Melanie did not mind that. To her, MN Inc. was indeed insignificant. It was a pity nonetheless. After all, in the beginning, she was determined to expand it into a listed company, but now she had given up.Naturally, someone with Frank's worth and status would look down on MN Inc. “Hmm.” She nodded.Frank said, “To be honest, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't ride in your company’s car from the airport.”Who knew how much truth there was in Frank’s words? Still, Mel
“I don’t know.”Jenny changed her question, “Hmm. Do you know what scent you want?”“I can’t describe it.” Although Lily’s answers were unreliable, Jenny could probably understand them. Nonetheless, this was something she could not help Lily with.The car from the base arrived not long after. However, it was not the young man who picked them up initially. The person who arrived was more enthusiastic, “Are you tired? I didn't expect you to go so far out and for so long. Generally, those who come here usually stay for an hour at most.“We have all the best samples. We pick and ship out flowers on the same day, and we even update the samples daily, so you don’t have to worry about the flowers not being fresh, affecting your judgment. You can just tell us what you’re looking for,” the driver enthusiastically spoke while driving.Lily quietly looked at the flowers by the nursery. The natural fragrances filled the air as several scents mixed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breat
“You…” Melanie was stunned and was just about to lash out. Frank beside her reached out to block her, “Mel, this must be Lily Christian that you’ve mentioned before.”Melanie was stunned for a moment, then nodded, "Yes, it’s her."“Ms. Christian, removing an ingredient from the essential oil formula and maintaining the rest may not seem much, but the results were completely different,” Frank paused and said slowly, "You’re quite smart."Lily raised her eyebrows, looked at him, and suddenly realized, "Are you the one Nathaniel brought in to help?"No wonder Nathaniel stopped worrying all of a sudden. According to the news from Sapphine, MN Inc.’s factory had re-opened and resumed production. That must mean that Nathaniel solved the essential oil formula issue.Of course, Lily knew MN Inc. could not solve the problem with the existing staff, so Nathaniel must have hired external aid. Nonetheless, Lily had been in Middle Valley over the past few days and had been too busy to consider
Melanie did not expect Jenny to fire back. Additionally, Lily did nothing but stand there, depriving Melanie of any satisfaction.Melanie became increasingly furious and said, “You think Rebirth is so great? It is just a little subsidiary of La Beauté, not any better than MN Inc. Besides, no one can compare to Mr. Moreau, even in La Beauté.”Lily noticed Melanie was holding Frank’s arm as she spoke proudly.“All right, Mel, let’s not waste time here. We should focus on what we came here for.” Frank did not take part in their quarrel, but his words showed contempt and disdain.“You’re right. Let's go! It even smells bad here.” Melanie waved her hand and covered her nose as they walked away, as if she genuinely smelled something. Jenny was dumbfounded at Melanie’s act, and she said to Lily, “What a weirdo. She’s the one that started the smear campaign, yet she’s acting all high and mighty. Lily, how’d you even become friends with her?”Yes, how could she be friends with such a per
Jenny was quite dehydrated, and it took a large glass of water to restore her strength.“The fame of this place is well deserved. There’s a wide variety of flowers, and the fragrance is very pure.”“I’ll write down the types and quantities that I need first. What about a 20 percent price cut from what you originally proposed?” Jenny skillfully haggled the price while motioning with her hand that she wanted a discount.The seller was reluctant, “T-That price is a little low. The most we can give you is a 10 percent discount. You should know that this is the best deal you’d find.” “Frankly speaking, this is not the lowest price on the market, but I took a liking to the product you have here. We’re all seeking a long-term connection, and you should give us a little extra margin to earn, right?”After a brief pause, Jenny added, “We didn’t specifically make this trip to look for suppliers, as you know. I could easily hand over the purchase list to my company, and our procurement depa
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