The queen was tucked into a hospital bed when she awoke. She heard various monitoring devices emitting crisp sounds beside her. Although the queen felt fine, she was uneasy. After all, she had lost control of the situation.She yelled, “Fred? Fred!”She thought no one would respond, but Fred soon appeared before her. “What can I do for you, Your Majesty?”“Let me out!” she snapped.With a faint smile, Fred said, “Oh, I can’t, Your Majesty. We’re continuing with the experiment the day after tomorrow. You can’t leave now.”The queen frowned. “What? You just want to kill and dethrone me, don’t you?”“How could you think like that, Your Majesty? Would I go through so much trouble just to kill you? I’m doing this for your good, yet you stopped believing me because of that woman? What a shame.”Fred sighed and shook his head as if the queen was in the wrong. The latter suppressed her anger and said, “Then what are you doing? If the experiment is in two days, how can we return to Yudon
“What are you doing?” The queen looked at Fred, then looked at the document. She realized it was a will, stating she knew she was about to die from deteriorating health. Therefore, the queen would pass on the throne to her third grandson.Simultaneously, she would give Fred the full authority to assist in governing the country. She knew signing the will would be a political suicide.“It’s so obvious you’re after my throne!” The queen grabbed the paper and glared at Fred. “My third grandson is only four. Instead of the princes, you want me to entrust my reign to someone who can’t run the country. Anyone with a brain can tell what you’re up to!” Fred smiled. “No, the third grandson is a bright and promising candidate. I’ll just be assisting him. I’ll return power to him one day. As for your sons, you know what they’re like. They aren’t suitable candidates at all!”The queen propped herself up and said, “Why didn’t I realize how ambitious you were?” “Of course you did, Your Majes
“Why must you think this way, Your Majesty? We can both benefit from this. You regain your youth and achieve immortality while I gain supreme power. Isn’t that perfect for us?” Fred rubbed his cheek indifferently.The queen snorted and turned away. However, it did not matter to Fred because everything was under his control now. He would soon get what he wanted, and no one could stop him.At that moment, a weak voice came from outside, “Your Grace…”Fred frowned and looked at the queen deeply. Then, he went out after wiping his hands and saw the person bowing at him respectfully. Fred asked, “What’s the matter?” He was upset that his men kept bothering him even after he told them not to.‘The midget was much better. He was smart despite his disability. Too bad that…’He stopped thinking when the man produced a small bottle resembling a perfume sample. However, the liquid inside seemed somewhat peculiar. “What is it?” He frowned, not taking it.After learning his lesson and be
Fred was alone with the woman. He sat still and looked her up and down. Although she tried to look dignified, her clothes were messy.“How did you—” Fred said.The woman raised her head. “I’m Rhea. I was the ‘boss’s’ most capable assistant. I helped the organization—”Fred waved and interrupted, “I have no interest in knowing who you are. Why are you here? How do you know I’m the one you should be looking for?”“Well…” Rhea smiled and said steadily, “I didn’t know who’s in charge of the organization until…I found the identifier on the ‘boss.’” “What identifier? That round metal piece? Isn’t that just a game token or something?” Fred said casually. Instead of admitting she was right, he tried to probe her. Rhea had expected this. She smiled and said thoughtfully, “That’s not an ordinary game token. The boss used it when communicating with you. I didn’t think anything was special about it. I only thought the pattern looked familiar.“I later realized the design resembled the emb
Fred was quiet, but Rhea’s words struck a chord with him. After a moment, he cleared his throat and said, “What’s your—”“Rhea Moore,” Rhea said proudly, puffing out her chest.“The ‘boss’ has been dead for quite some time now. That means you’ve had that thing for a while, too. Why have you only come to me now?” He suspected her intention.Rhea caught his drift and said, “I didn’t realize it at first, and I didn’t know how to approach you. I also got detained by Alexander Russell and his gang.”“Alexander?” Fred stood up and looked at her. “He and his gang?”“Yes! It took me a while to escape, but I came straight to you. I know only you can give me what I want, and I’m the only one who can help you,” Rhea spoke confidently.However, Fred cared more about another thing. “How did you escape?”He knew what Alexander was capable of and doubted she could escape him.“I…used a trick of mine.” Rhea smiled mysteriously, lowering her head. “You don’t have to know. Just rest assured, the
If Rhea could not stay here, she would have nowhere else to go. After some thought, she answered confidently, “I’ve been researching mind control.”Fred scratched his nose and frowned in puzzlement. “Mind control?”Rhea explained, “Have you played with a marionette before? That’s the general idea.” “You’re saying turning people into puppets?” He shook his head. “What’s the point?”Indeed, he wanted to take over Yudonia and even the world, but he wanted people to yield to him willingly. There was no fun if they were just puppets.Rhea chuckled, “I know you want people to submit to you willingly, but there are always stubborn ones who won’t. With R20, you can manipulate them into doing anything you want.“They would look no different than ordinary people, but you can command them. Wouldn’t it be fun?”Fred initially thought it was boring, but he was interested after hearing her explanation.‘Imagine if the queen did anything I want, but no one suspected a thing. That way, I won’
“If you can use it on anyone, you can use it on me, too, right?” Fred stared at Rhea. Although he looked calm, his words sounded like a threat.Rhea felt a chill run down her spine when she realized she had misspoken. She kept her head down and said, “Of course not, Your Grace! Since I’ve given you R20, you’ll decide who to use it on. I-I would never—”“I’m just saying. I doubt you could do it even if you wanted to.” Fred interjected and laughed, “You’ve done well, so stay here for now. I’ll get someone to settle you in. However, don’t go outside the embassy for your safety. Understand?”Rhea nodded. “Yes, I’ll do anything you say, sir. From now on, I’m yours to command!”Pleased with her attitude, Fred waved her off and asked the guard outside to take her away. Immediately after, he dropped his smile and took out his handkerchief. He unwrapped it and examined the small bottle inside.He couldn’t help but wonder if it was as powerful as Rhea said.…Cameron soon rushed to Alexan
In other words, the surveillance cameras did not capture how Rhea left. There were two possibilities—someone in the house had helped her stay clear of all the cameras and everyone else, or she had become invisible.Before the test results were out, no one dared to jump to conclusions. Cameron and Dr. Blanc left after exchanging their views as they could not stay long. At that moment, the DNA results of the two babies were out. Reading the report, Alexander felt like shedding tears after reading the report. Indeed, they were his children. The twins he had not met since their birth had returned to him.He felt conflicted for a moment. After all, he still did not know if Lily was okay.Alexander hired an old maid who had worked for him for many years to care for the children. He could not stay by their side daily and did not trust others. After having a questionable experience with the nanny caring for Galen, he did not want to hire just anyone. When Mike and Austin went to rest,
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