Austin sat quietly, then got up and left his room. The spacious house seemed unusually quiet, with no signs of anyone around. He noticed the open backyard door, crossed the hall, and went outside.When he arrived at the backyard, he caught the unique scent of various herbs. Dominic stood thoughtfully among the herbs with his hands behind his back.Austin did not interrupt his granduncle and remained quiet for a while. When he turned to leave, he heard Dominic’s voice, “Since you’ve regained some strength, why don’t you help me pick some herbs?”Austin was surprised but still walked over and picked up the basket Dominic had placed aside.“I’ve written whatever I need, but can you still recognize them?” Dominic pointed forward with his chin without looking at his grandnephew.Austin gazed down and saw a piece of paper inside the basket. Several names of uncommonly used herbs were on it, but he knew what they looked like. Austin smiled, swung the basket over his shoulder, and walked
Michelle hurried over and realized she had forgotten herself when she got near. She slowed down but soon came close and greeted Dominic courteously, “Hello, Uncle Dom.”Then she quickly took out a tissue to dry Austin’s sweat. “You’re not well yet. What are you doing out here in the breeze, all sweaty? What if your sickness worsens?!”“I’m all right. I’ve gotten much better!” Austin knew his mother was worried, so he smiled and took the tissue to wipe his sweat. His other hand was still holding the basket. “Uncle Dom, where should I put this?”“Take it inside. Someone will put it away.” Dominic said as he blandly looked into the distance.“Then you…”Dominic turned and walked away, saying, “I’d like to be left alone. Don’t mind me.”In other words, he wanted them to leave.“Then we’ll go to the foyer. We shouldn’t stay too long here since it’s cold.” Austin expressed concern, then took his mother’s hand and led her away.Michelle wanted to help him carry the basket, but he ref
“Of course, it has something to do with it! If you hadn’t studied herbal medicine, you wouldn’t have gone to that so-called research institute and met that b*tch who put you through this!” Michelle blamed everything on her son’s profession.‘If he hadn’t studied this, he wouldn’t have gone there and suffered so much. Thinking back, I shouldn’t have let him learn herbal medicine from Dominic in the first place.’Austin grew somewhat upset when he heard what his mother said. “If that’s the cause, perhaps you shouldn’t have given birth to me. I wouldn't have suffered if I weren’t even born, right?”“Are you…” Michelle also got upset and was on the verge of crying. “Are you blaming me now?”“No, I’m just trying to point out that it has nothing to do with me learning herbal medicine. The guilty ones are the perpetrators who don’t value human lives, not us, okay?” Austin held his mother’s shoulder.Then he patiently continued, “I know you feel bad for me, but you shouldn’t say that. Per
‘If the organization no longer values her and their conspiracy is about to be exposed, it’s not unfathomable for them to murder her to hide the truth. But when I recall every detail, everything seems weird. Even my escape was too easy.’Austin had tried to escape before that but had consistently failed. However, his last attempt went so smoothly that he thought it was a dream. He even tried hurting himself to ensure it was real. Only after slowly pulling himself together did Austin finally accept that he had escaped.As for Mike, Austin wondered if the organization would figure out that Mike was the one who let him go.‘If so, what would happen to Mike? Why did he help me? If he was sincere about it, why didn’t he do that on the first day instead of waiting so long?’The more Austin thought about it, the more suspicious he got. Still, he could not come up with an answer. Besides, he had not fully recovered yet, so there was no point thinking about other things when he could not eve
Lily could not leave for the time being. More accurately, even if she went over, she could not do much. She had analyzed the blood on the needle but needed more time to further investigate certain substances. Only when she knew what they were could she devise a counteracting medicine to cure Cameron. Although she had done it fast enough under the circumstances, Anastasia could hardly wait. Cameron was in a position of authority where many people wanted to speak with him daily. It was difficult for a young woman like Anastasia to deal with their requests to see him.It was okay to claim he had been sick for two days, but people would get suspicious if he remained that way. “Not yet.” Lily pondered for a moment. While conducting an analysis, she examined the liquid inside a test tube.“Then, how much longer do we have to wait?” Anastasia was anxious. “It’s not that I want to rush you, but it’s truly…”Holding her phone tight, Lily said solemnly, “Tasia, I know you’re in a tigh
“Okay!”As the servant turned around, they heard a commotion downstairs, followed by hectic footsteps. There seemed to be more than one person, and it was rather crowded. “Miss Rollins?” Shocked, the servant looked at Anastasia. She was also surprised but merely waved dismissively. “Don’t panic. Let’s go check it out.”Anastasia led the way, and when she got to the stairwell, she saw a dozen or more burly men below and heard voices. She could tell one of the voices belonged to another servant. “Mr. Moore, Secretary Rollins would be mad if he finds out you’re misbehaving in the house.”“Then let him come out and give me an earful!” Fabian shouted boldly. “I don’t care even if he beats me up! No matter what, I must see him. I’d like to ask him if he treats me as his family!”“Miss…” The servant beside her whispered. Anastasia stopped her by raising a hand, then went downstairs. “I was wondering who was making a ruckus. It turns out to be you, Uncle Fabian.”Her voice drew e
The glass made a crisp, shattering sound as it smashed onto the floor. The servants immediately rushed in from outside. “Miss Rollins?”Anastasia waved them off, then casually looked at Fabian as she said, “What are you doing, Uncle Fabian?”Her tone was calm, but she had dropped her smile, and her cold expression looked dignified.Slightly drunk, Fabian continued to yell, “What am I doing?! It’s your cousin’s funeral today, yet neither you nor your dad bothered to ask about it. Also, your father hasn’t answered my calls for the last few days. What is that supposed to mean?!”“My father hasn’t been feeling well and needs to rest. If there’s anything you would like to ask him, please wait until he gets better.” After a pause, she said meaningfully, “However, I don’t know how he’ll feel if you ask him with your current tone. After all, he hasn’t been feeling well, and you know we all tend to be in a bad mood when we’re sick.” Fabia’s shock was evident since he was still scared of C
“What a joke! Why would I deceive you? What good would that do?” Anastasia scoffed, then looked around at the men Fabian had brought to her house. “Uncle Fabian, I know how you feel, but you have barged in with this many people.“Have you considered how we feel? If my father is unwell, could you come in so effortlessly? Besides, even if I’m lying to you and my father isn’t around, he would eventually return home.“What do you think he’ll do when he finds out what you’ve done today?” Her casual remark made Fabian shiver, and a chill ran up his spine.Cameron’s icy eyes flashed through his mind, and he sobered up a bit. Fabian subconsciously stepped back, then hesitated and looked suspiciously at Anastasia, thinking before saying, “Is your father truly sick? What kind of illness does he have?”Anastasia bit her lower lip and said, “He has overworked himself, so he feels weak and needs to rest.”“Really?” Fabian then asked, “Has he seen a doctor yet? Which hospital has he visited? Ar
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