Lily’s words were earth-shattering, and a strange clattering sounded from the speaker, followed by a low gasp. Lily smiled, but there was no sound after that.There was no movement, either, as no one came to take her away. It was as if everyone had forgotten she was in that room.Lily grew bored and paced around the room. Then she heard a faint sound on her fifth lap as if a door had opened. She instinctively turned toward the sound, but there was no movement. She knew there were other doors in the room.Then Lily heard a wheelchair rolling on the floor. However, the wheelchair she had arrived in remained untouched. When she turned again, she saw movement behind the folding screen.Another wheelchair slowly emerged, and on it was an older woman. The woman frowned slightly as a man pushed her wheelchair while Fred stood behind the older woman with his cane.Lily stood rooted and quietly looked at the woman. They locked eyes for a moment and fell into a momentary silence.Fred spok
The queen sat in the wheelchair and gently called out to Lily, “I’m sorry. I admit it’s unfair, but do you believe in destiny?”Lily was surprised. “Do your people believe in that?”“I do!” The older woman nodded. “Well, perhaps I didn’t when I was young, but I do now that I’m weaker. You might not believe me, but I’m not afraid of dying. It’s just that there are many things I haven’t completed yet, and my people still need me.“I’m not ready to die, and you’re the most suitable candidate out of so many people in the world. Even your blood type is similar to mine. Don’t you think it’s your destiny? So, I’m very sorry, but I have no other choice.”She spoke earnestly with a gentle look, but what she wanted to do was vile. Lily smiled and found a place to sit and gaze at the older woman. “What happens when my body grows old and weak?”“It won’t. Your body will remain well-preserved with R10. Besides, my country's most brilliant doctors and scientists will take good care of it.” Th
Lily stared sideways at them momentarily. Then she chuckled indifferently and said, “Don’t mind what I said, okay? I know how easy it is to talk about other people, but when it comes to doing it ourselves…”She looked at Fred and continued, “Besides, as you said, it would only work if the person has the same blood type, and yours might differ. Perhaps I am indeed your best choice.”“Yes, you’re right!” Fred quickly said, seemingly having just remembered it. “My blood type isn’t similar to Her Majesty’s. If not, I would’ve made the sacrifice without hesitation. Don’t try to sow discord between me and Her Majesty. My loyalty is unquestionable!”“Yes, indeed, you’re loyal. Building such a massive lab and implementing such an extensive experimental project is undoubtedly impossible for anyone to achieve overnight." As Lily remarked casually, she observed the queen’s expression.Although the older woman did not speak, her frown deepened as her expression grew grave.“I’ve done everythi
“Well, he’s here,” Alexander told Dr. Blanc and hung up.“Let him in,” he instructed.With his clothes wrinkled and dirty, Mike looked so messy that those unfamiliar with him might not be able to recognize him.Mike practically threw himself inside when the car door opened. He snapped, “How could you, Alex?! I passed on the news to you, but you let them lock me up!“What do you take me for? A guinea pig? Who the hell were those people? They took my blood and ran tests on me as if I was infected with the virus. What the f*ck was that all about?”Mike knew who Dr. Blanc and his men were, and they naturally did not reveal their identities to him. Although they did not mistreat him, he was upset about being locked up for no reason for two days in the X Department building.Therefore, the first thing Mike wanted to do upon his release was to vent his frustrations on Alexander.Alexander stayed silent and let him vent, then handed him a towel.Puzzled, Mike looked at it and asked, “W
Alexander raised his brow. “Because I am.”Mike was at a loss for words. He cursed inwardly and moved to the back to get changed.He wet the towel with water available at the back to wipe his face, neck, and hands clean. Then he put on Alexander’s spare clothes and looked much more refreshed.Mike sat beside Alexander and looked at him, asking, “Now, can you tell me where we’re going?”Alexander threw him a casual glance and slowly said, “The embassy.”“The embassy?” Surprised, Mike widened his eyes. “For what? Is my son there?”“No, but we can only get your son back by going there.” Alexander tossed him a file.It contained printouts of emails from Lily’s inbox that Olivia had shared with him. From the sender’s signatures and the content of the messages, one could tell who the person was.Mike was puzzled but took the file. His frown deepened as he carefully read the emails, and his eyes widened in astonishment. “This is…”“Invitations the royal family of Yudonia sent. Oh, th
Mike rolled his eyes.“Even so, they aren’t serving any tea either, are they?” Thirsty, Mike grumbled while spreading his arms as he stared at the empty coffee table.When he was free to leave the X Department building, he ran out to meet Alexander. Mike also forgot to drink water in the car with Alexander because he was busy asking Alexander questions.Mike glanced around and saw a small water dispenser tucked away in the corner of the room. He got up, grabbed a disposable cup to fill it, and asked, “Do you want some?”Alexander shook his head slightly as he sat still with his arms crossed.“These people are so rude! So what if it’s the embassy? It’s still within our country, isn’t it? What a bunch of arrogant *ssholes!” Mike complained as he drank his water.At that moment, footsteps sounded from outside. Alexander looked over and saw two men showing up at the doorway, one after another.The first man had a cold and intense expression. After throwing Alexander and Mike a deep
Mike had been suppressing his anger for too long and could not help but shout, “Then hand Lily over!”Fred looked at him and shrugged. “Hand what over? Sorry, I don’t understand.”“Cut the act, you—" Mike was furious.‘What a shameless man! How can someone like him exist in Yudonia’s Embassy?’Mike knew they were involved in inhumane experiments and wanted to lunge over to expose him.‘He’s holding Nicky and Lily hostage, yet he dares to play dumb!’Alexander stopped Mike and looked at Fred. “Here’s what happened. Lily, my wife, received your invitations and told me she would take the job. But she hasn’t returned until now. So, I’m wondering if the job is holding her up. After all, she’s pregnant, and I worry about her.”He sounded courteous and reasonable. As a husband, it was natural that he came looking for his wife since she did not return from work.Fred caught on. “Oh, you’re Lily’s husband. Now I see why you’re here. But…”He shook his head and then said apologetically.
Mike held his neck, which the man nearly grabbed just now, thinking, ‘That was too close.’He looked at Fred and saw the man casually watching the fight. The latter seemingly enjoyed the show as he narrowed his eyes scrutinizingly.After exchanging several blows, the two men shoved each other away. The man was about to charge toward Alexander again when Fred said, “That’s enough, Verne. They’re our guests.”Verne stopped himself and stepped aside. He returned to his initial spot and gazed at Alexander.“You’re an excellent fighter, Mr. Russell. Your country indeed has a wide range of talents.” Fred clapped but did not sound sincere.Alexander smoothed a wrinkle on his shirt and said blandly, “Well, your man is quite impressive too.”“He’s just a so-so fighter. Don’t mind him,” Fred said while looking at his guard indifferently.However, Verne remained impassive and stared at Alexander like he was dangerous. Fred cleared his throat and said, “I understand how you feel, but Lily d
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