“In…the herb hut in the backyard.” Austin pointed toward the backyard and added, "I'll take you there."Alexander was not in a hurry and asked, "What about the servants?""The servants are in their quarters. They've been told not to work until they’ve fully recovered. Everyone has to rest and isn’t allowed to go out." Austin did not know why he had so obediently answered Alexander's questions.Alexander nodded when he heard this. "Are those your granduncle's orders?""Yes," Austin quickly replied. Then confusion hit him. "How do you know?"Dominic was sick in bed, so one should assume Austin had been handling things around the house. Yet, somehow, Alexander immediately knew these were Dominic's orders."You're not that far-sighted," Alexander retorted with a smirk, which shocked Austin almost instantaneously.He was dissatisfied and about to defend himself when he thought about Alexander's validity. If it had not been for Dominic's orders before he passed out from high fever, Au
Galen's face was flushed as he lay there pitifully, no longer as agile as before. The sight of him angered Austin. In his moment of anger, he suddenly began slapping himself. "This is all my fault!"Alexander quickly stood up. "Don't be reckless. We don't even know what's going on yet. I'll go visit Dominic.""I'll accompany you!" Austin quickly responded. However, he immediately understood Alexander’s gaze toward Galen. "I'll stay and take care of the child.""Thank you." Alexander nodded, turned around, and walked toward the backyard.At this point, it did not matter whether or not Austin had close contact with the child. Besides, Austin showed no signs of sickness, so staying and caring for Galen was better.Alexander made a call as he walked toward the backyard. "Leave a few men here and call off the rest. Also, ensure those who leave stay home for three days and observe themselves if they have any symptoms.""Huh?" The assistant standing outside needed help understanding wha
A string of words came from Dominic's mouth, but Alexander could not determine what he was trying to say. "What did you say?"Another string of gargled words sounded. Alexander could see Dominic's mouth moving but could not hear what the older man was trying to say.Ultimately, Alexander, whose body was also wet from the splashed water, squatted beside the tub indifferently. "Old man, you…""You son of a b*tch!" Those five words were unambiguous. It was teeth-clenching clear. Although Dominic did not have much strength, his rebuke was still loud.It rendered Alexander speechless, but it was a good thing. It meant the older man's physical symptoms were not severe since he still had the strength to curse.Alexander checked the water and noticed it was warm. He looked at the equipment next to it, and it seemed no heating device was in this tub. However, the water continued to steam.It was strange as it had been a while since Austin greeted Alexander at the door until now. No matter
However, Dominic still looked meager and tired, and his voice sounded softer. It was dry and hoarse. Alexander would have missed it if not for his heightened hearing. He squatted beside the older man again and inched closer to him. “How’re you feeling?”Dominic shook his head feebly before opening his mouth and choppily muttered, "Don't…let…any…out."Although he was not speaking in complete sentences, Alexander still understood his meaning."Is it very contagious?"The older man nodded but did not answer."Will I be infected?" Alexander wondered if he could escape this calamity. After the last plague almost killed him, he did not think he would face another disaster. Despite this, none of it mattered now.If Galen had gotten infected, Alexander's fear was redundant. He must stay by his son's side to accompany and care for him."Not…sure." The older man took a deep breath before raising his arms with great effort. "Look!"Before he could lift his arm to put it out of the tub, it
Alexander's eyes widened. Something was moving in Dominic’s veins, wriggling as it moved along. It was not a hallucination, as something was squirming in the older man’s veins.The hairs on Alexander’s skin stood at the sight of this despite everything he had been through. "Old man, that’s…"If Dominic had not warned Alexander from touching him before this, he would have rushed forward to hold Dominic's arm."Symbiote!" Dominic slowly uttered the word and took another long breath. Then he glanced at his arm as if nothing was out of place and put it back into the water again. His arm plopped heavily into the water once again, making a splash. This time, Alexander was ready and leaned back."Three hours…later…get Austin…that bastard…help me up!" With that, Dominic fell silent again.Alexander, too, did not speak. He knew the older man must have exhausted all his strength at this moment. Although he seemed to have passed out, it was nothing severe.After taking a deep breath, Alexan
All of Austin’s initial attempts had failed, but he immediately succeeded when Mike gave him a plan. Then Mike made no more appearances after that.‘Why would he help if he didn’t have ulterior motives? Would he be so kind as to help Austin without hoping for anything in return?’ Alexander could not believe it.After pondering momentarily, he blurted, “Mike?”Austin was stunned. “You know him too?”A moment later, he added, “It was him! He was the one who saved me! He told me how to escape the place and what I should do along the way. I shouldn’t have trusted him! If I knew this would happen, I’d be better off in there!”Alexander felt conflicted upon hearing Austin’s words as he could not determine if Austin was telling the truth.‘Did Mike really do this on purpose? Based on my understanding of Mike, he would think otherwise. However, his son is captive now, and he did not mention doing anything for Nick. Mike might’ve done that under the organization’s immense pressure or thre
Galen was in stable condition. His fever had subdued, and there was nothing much different about the little boy.Alexander did not bring up the matter of the symbiote with Austin as he was still puzzled about it too. Moreover, Dominic might bring it up once he regained consciousness later, so Alexander was in no rush.He carried Galen back into the room and placed him on the bed. Then he removed Galen’s clothes before wrapping him up in a blanket. He lifted Galen’s sleeve subtly to check on his arms carefully. Then he also checked on Galen’s chest, back, and private parts. Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief.Fortunately, he saw nothing like what Dominic had on his arm anywhere on Galen. He hoped Dominic was a special case and that nothing would happen to Galen. Even so, Alexander still felt uncomfortable about it.Recently, he only had little time to spend with Galen. He had placed Galen here under Dominic’s care for his safety, but he did not expect accidents to happen here too
“I do!” Mike tightened his grip on his phone and tried hard to control his emotions.“My men found Nick’s last known location. He’s in Yudonia.”That surprised Mike. “Yudonia?” A moment of hesitation later, he denied that possibility quickly. “That’s impossible! My men have searched all over the world, including Yudonia. I have a lot of connections there too, and none of them had ever seen Nicky there.“If he were there, I would’ve known it instantly. Your news is wrong!”Mike was disappointed. He thought he could finally find his son this time, but he immediately knew Alexander had received false news.Then again, if it were that easy, Mike would have found Nick by now. He would not have to wait for so long.“Are you sure?” Alexander loosened his tie, helping himself to breathe better. He stared into the distance; the cloudy sky appeared endless to his eyes.Since Dominic’s manor was in the suburbs and on a vast land, Alexander could practically see everything from the balcony.
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