Austin wondered why Rhea would want to put the virus into herself if the experiment’s purpose was to put people under control.“Well, that might not be,” After some thought, Austin said, “Rhea’s condition is more similar, yet also different to mine.”Alexander and Mike remained quiet. The latter left the cold towel around his neck and continued to hold his cold water as if it would calm him down. The duo waited for Austin’s further explanation.“Simply put, the virus inside her body acts as a catalyst for accelerating cell division and growth. It causes her cells to undergo faster metabolism.”“You’re saying…” Mike said hoarsely, “Will her body rapidly swell like you experienced before? It might even split apart?” Austin cleared his throat. Although he was sick and not in a clear state of mind, he later saw the surveillance footage from Dominic’s house. Those days were not only torturous for him but also shameful. Just the thought of him running around in the yard and leaping o
Alexander felt awful when he said that. He had never considered the concept of using humans as vessels.‘How can they disregard Lily’s life and treat her as a container for a new soul?’Alexander had never told anyone about it, but even a cool-headed person like him had several nightmares about it. In one of them, he saw a woman who looked identical to Lily. He called her name, but she ignored him.Shortly after, she slowly turned to him with a creepy smile. She tugged his arm and shouted like a maniac, “I’m your fucking wife! Don’t you know me?!”“No! You’re not! Where the hell is Lily? Return her to me!” Alexander jerked awake as he screamed, his back covered in sweat.It was dark outside, and he found the bed cold and empty without his wife. It made him panic as if he was about to lose her.“Yes, as a vessel, but Rhea has always envied that.” “What?” Austin’s jaw dropped, dumbfounded. “Rhea envies being a living dead?”He palmed his open mouth and looked at Alexander. Howev
That was why Austin was willing to believe something, even if it seemed far-fetched.Mike’s thoughts became clearer after calming down. He said, “Should we trust Rhea and make a deal with the organization?”Alexander did not answer because he also needed to consider their options.‘We’ve confirmed that Rhea has used the virus on herself. Still, we don’t know to which extent its effects have taken hold or if there will be any complications or aftereffects.’After a moment, Alexander decided to put the matter aside. “Let’s not make the deal first.” “You don’t trust her?” Austin looked at him. ‘Well, she hardly tells the truth. It’s understandable if Alex doesn’t believe her.’However, Alexander shook his head. “It’s the organization I worry about. So far, Lily has been important to them. Why? Because they treat her as a…vessel.”He paused toward the end because he found it hard to utter the word.“Will the organization let Lily go if they find a better vessel or know someone c
Mike licked his dry lips before saying, “I stole two bottles of the viruses when I was at the lab.”Austin and Alexander exchanged shocked glances. One of them asked, “What kind of viruses?”“Stuff they developed at the lab. I have no idea what they are, but I thought they might come in handy one day, probably for an exchange or something. Anyway, I just took them,” Mike spoke casually.“I didn’t tell you guys before for selfish reasons. As I said, I thought they might come in handy. I feel we can use them now.”Alexander disliked Mike’s plan and frowned, asking, “What are you planning to do?”“I want to use the virus on myself.” After a pause, Mike looked up with an unwavering gaze.“Have you lost your fucking mind? You don’t even know what it would do to you!” Alexander exclaimed. ‘What the hell is he thinking? How can he even consider such a thing?’ he thought.“I don’t, but he might,” Mike pointed his chin at Austin and said, “I’m okay as long as I don’t die. What matters
Mike would have some peace if Alexander cared for Nick.“Hey!” Alexander pushed Mike’s hand off his shoulder and said, “Take care of Nick yourself, got it? Just stay positive and stop worrying. Austin’s been through a lot, but he’s doing fine, right?”Austin was surprised. He did not expect Alexander to cue him to say something. The former shrugged and smiled awkwardly, saying, “Life goes on. Besides, it’s not the end of the world yet.“We might still have a chance to do something,” Austin paused momentarily and added, “Can you guess why they haven’t started the experiment’s last phase?” Mike blinked. “Why?”Alexander pondered for a moment. “It’s not the time yet.” “That’s right! I think so, too! They have Lily, and they’ve abandoned the lab. Why don’t they start the last phase now? It must have something to do with timing. Then what are they waiting for?” Austin rubbed his chin.Mike recalled what he knew, “They wanted Lily to recover from her delivery. They’re probably waiti
Lily did not get to spend much time with the queen because Fred returned. He no longer showed respect to the queen and strode into the outhouse. After glancing around, he turned and headed toward the bedroom.“Fred?” The queen noticed him ignoring her and shouted, “Stop right there!”However, Fred continued to ignore her and pushed the bedroom door open. “Fred…”“Just as I thought,” Fred sneered. He saw Lily sitting on a chair and went to pull her up. However, he caught himself and drew his hand back. “Do you think you can escape by hiding here?”“Escape? Why would I do that?” Lily raised her brow.“You better be telling the truth! There’s no escape for you, got it?” Fred spoke coldly. “Follow me!” “Why should I?” Lily asked, still looking as indifferent as before.“Don’t you want your children anymore? Don’t you care about their lives?” Fred threatened. Lily shook her head. “Well, don’t you care about your life? Don’t forget that you’ve taken—"“Your poison?” Fred chuckle
“You’re quite a talker, aren’t you?” the queen spoke coldly.“I’m many other things as well.” Fred looked over his shoulder and smirked, seeing Lily emerge from the room. He then left without looking back.As Lily followed him, the queen could not help but call out to her, “Lily!”“Your Majesty, I know you’re not foolish. Take some time to think about what I said.” Lily looked at her intensely and left.Lily did not see her babies outside the doorway. Instead, a guard held a miniature recording device with the babies’ cries coming from it. She asked, “Where are my babies?”“Oh, you still care about them? I was thinking of feeding them to the dogs.” Fred revealed an annoying smile.Lily felt like pouncing on him and ripping his face apart. “You’ll be sorry if you dare lay a finger on them!” “Your life is in my hands, remember? Who the fuck are you to threaten me?” Fred snorted. “Take her away!” Although he told the guards to imprison her elsewhere, he was still worried. ‘Th
The man winced at the intense light and groaned in agony. He looked dirty and disgusting, with bloodstains and wounds all over.Fred clicked his tongue and waved his handkerchief. He mocked, “How could they do this to you? You’re a doctor, after all. They shouldn’t have been so harsh on you, right?”The prisoner was the doctor who examined Lily. He had refused to leave with his family and returned as Alexander’s spy. Unfortunately, he got caught and confined in the underground chamber.He looked horrible after enduring two days of torture. Fred sat on a stool a guard had brought over. “So, what did they offer you to turn you against me?”He crossed his legs and continued to hold the handkerchief over his nose. He felt better being able to sit down.The doctor knew the organization would kill him either way. He neither looked at Fred nor replied.“Talk!” Fred glanced at a guard, who then lashed the doctor. The crisp sounds of the whip striking his flesh were terrifying. The do
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