“I’ll see to it,” Dr. Blanc said, “How do you know she got poisoned?”Having asked that, he felt it was redundant as a herbal medicine practitioner could determine many hidden problems by taking one’s wrist pulse.“Then who do you think could’ve poisoned her?” He asked again.Lily shook her head. “I’m unsure and don’t want to jump to conclusions. However, it’s a serious problem. Whoever the person is, what is their goal? What motives do they have? It’s too dangerous having someone like that around here.”“You’re right.” Dr. Blanc nodded and turned to Edmund. “What do you think?”“I think Dr. Russell is correct. Whoever the person is, we must catch them! I never expected anyone like that to be hiding among us. It’s truly horrible.”Dr. Blanc was thoughtful. “Then about the poisoning…”“Debbie will be fine. I fed her the antidote, which should be able to counteract the poison very soon,” Lily explained.Taken aback, Edmund asked, “That was for the poison? Not to protect her heart
Austin groggily opened his eyes, but his eyelids felt so heavy that he gradually closed them again.He did not know how much time had passed, and it felt like a year later when he reopened his eyes. He saw a wooden roof instead of the unnerving white ceiling. He then looked around him and saw a closet, desk, chair, the bed he was lying on, and the blanket…Everything was not the cold and hard stuff he had before. Almost subconsciously, he lifted his hand and slapped himself.‘Ouch, that hurts!’ However, he was glad he felt pain. ‘This isn’t a dream!’In other words, he finally escaped and no longer needed to suffer in that hellhole. He eagerly tried to get off the bed, but the moment he removed the blanket and his feet touched the floor, he went limp and almost dropped to his knees if he had not propped himself up.“What are you doing? Are you trying to kill yourself?” The voice was familiar and yet so strange. Austin had not heard it for a long time, and hearing it again felt lik
“Uncle…” The moment Austin opened his mouth, Dominic handed over the herbal medicine. “Drink it!”Dominic sounded rude, but the medicine was the most delicious thing on earth to Austin now. Without asking what it was, he gulped it down in one shot. He did not even care that it was hot and smacked his lips after finishing it. “It’s so sweet!”Dominic stared at his nephew. “I doubled the amount of bitter melon! Very sweet? I think you must be suffering from a concussion!”Despite being scolded, Austin did not mind and laughed happily. “Thank you for saving me, Uncle Dom.”“I told you I’m not that free, got it? Your father will come to pick you up later. Don’t dilly-dally and try to stick around. You’re no more than a pain in my a*s!” After a pause, he added, “Oh, yes, I don’t want the bed and blanket anymore since you’ve used them. Tell your father to buy new ones for me!”“Sure, I’ll buy the best ones for you, Uncle Dom!” Austin said laughingly. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in hi
“Take off your shirt!” Dominic said.Austin did so without asking why. Dominic examined him from top to bottom, then took two steps back to size him up. “Take off your pants, too!”Austin was stunned. “Uncle Dom?”“Stop dawdling! You want me to do it for you?” Dominic said it threateningly.Austin was resigned, could only do as he was told. Although he still wore his underwear, wearing so little in front of the old man was embarrassing.Crouching down, Dominic looked at his calves, then flicked his finger at the back of his knee. He slowly got up, stepped back, and rubbed his beard as he narrowed his eyes. He seemed to be either looking at Austin or thinking about something.“Grandpa…” A voice sounded.Austin knew his granduncle was trying to figure out what was wrong with him, but standing there without a shirt or pants was embarrassing.‘I wonder if he’s done. He should at least let me put on my clothes, right?’“Grandpa…” The soft voice sounded again. Since it was soft and
“It’s not fun over here. Grandpa will take you to have fun, okay?” Carrying Galen, Dominic was about to leave.Still standing there in embarrassment, Austin was taken aback. “Uncle Dom, what about the virus?”“What virus? I said you have no virus!” Dominic impatiently left without looking back.Austin stood for a long time in a daze, then went into the ensuite bathroom. Standing before the large mirror, he looked at his nearly naked self.He was wearing nothing except a pair of short pants. As he only took off his shirt just now, it was the first time he could take a good look at his body.It had been days since he had done so. He would have been shocked to see how much weight he had lost if he had not been mentally prepared. His cheeks were deeply sunken, and one could tell from the dark circles under his bloodshot eyes that he had not slept well for days. His body, however, did not look like his at all!It was not skinny. On the contrary, his muscles were firm and clearly out
Letting go of Debbie’s wrist, Lily sighed in relief.She quietly left the room and went next door. Still awake, Alexander could now move around in the ward and looked no different from a healthy person.“Dr. Russell. Doing your rounds, huh?” He said it half-jokingly but cooperatively offered his hand.Lily gave him a sidelong glance. “You look well. You should be able to leave tomorrow.”“I do? But I feel I can’t.” Alexander raised his brow as she took his wrist pulse. No matter how often she did it, she was always serious.Her fingers lingered a bit longer on purpose. She let go, and her tense look visibly relaxed while her eyes sparkled with relief. “You’ve fully recovered, and your wrist pulse is steady. Since everything is normal, you should leave tomorrow, okay?”Alexander stepped forward, held her around her waist, and gently pulled her close.Lily hastily held him back by pushing his chest with one hand. “Don’t…”“But I can’t bear to leave you. What should I do?” He look
Lily came to the laboratory and saw Edmund standing in a daze. “Dr. Morris?”“Lily, look.” Edmund glanced over his shoulder at her. He looked disturbed and pointed with his finger. Lily looked in his finger’s direction and saw the mice lying supine in the observational cage.“How did it happen?” Shocked, Lily took two steps over and examined them one by one. Most of the mice were dying, and two were lying in lethargy. She opened each box and examined them. She knew none of the mice would survive.“I didn’t do anything.” As Lily turned to look at Edmund, he raised his hands to show he was innocent. “I saw this when I reached here, and then you came.”Lily gave him a deep look and did not say anything. Soon, Dr. Blanc rushed over. He was shocked to see what happened as the mice had been injected with the virus and fed Lily’s concoctions.‘If herbal medicine is the cause, I wonder what would happen when the patients drink it?’“What happened?” He asked with a frown.“I heard someth
“What the…” The crowd reacted in shock and confusion.Although test subjects sometimes died, it was highly unusual that none would survive. Besides, they had been fine for the past few days, so everyone wondered how the mice could have died so suddenly.“I’m sure you all know these mice had been drinking the herbal medicine I made, so I have to take responsibility for their deaths,” Lily said.Dashiell nearly burst out laughing. “So you admit there’s a problem with your so-called medicine, right?”“No. On the contrary, there’s nothing wrong with my medicine,” Lily turned around as she spoke, very sure of it.Dashiell scoffed. “We are witnessing a 100% death rate now! Yet you still claim your medicine is fine? You’re not saying the problem lies with the mice, right?”Lily only smiled at his remark. “That’s right. There’s something wrong with these mice.”“What the hell?” The others looked as if she had said something ridiculous.“Someone did something to the mice, and that’s why
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