Ross nodded, "Of course, no one will. That’s because I've found a better candidate." "Who?" Seeing his smile, Fred had a hunch it was something terrible. He said, "Whoever it is, no one is more fitting than you, Your Highness. After all, you're—"Before he could finish, Ross interrupted, "Fred!"Puzzled, Fred answered, "Yes?""I'm talking about you," Ross said with a chuckle. He got up and slowly paced around the room. "You're my mom's most trusted right-hand man, and she listens to you.“You also know her the best. You're the best candidate there is. Besides, I'm sure you're worried about her safety, right?"It was a casual remark, but Fred was stumped. Ross was trying to put him in a dilemma like Fred did to him just now. If Fred said he was worried, he must follow Ross' plan. "I—"Ross continued, "It's fitting for me to go, but what if I have an accident or encounter any danger? What will happen if my mom and I can't return?""Your Highness, I—""You're afraid to say it
Fred was in disbelief as he stared wide-eyed at Ross. The former thought he was hallucinating. He had planned to get Ross to leave the embassy. Even if nothing happened to the prince, it would buy Fred time to do what he needed. Still, Ross wanted Fred to leave instead. For a moment, Fred even thought he had a point. ‘This is not happening!’Thinking so, he quickly explained, “Your Highness, it’s not that I don’t wish to go, but—”“So you’re willing to go, huh?” The prince interrupted, “I knew you’re most loyal to my mom despite the rumors. Anyway, this is the best opportunity for you to prove yourself. Just go, Fred. I’ll take care of everything here.“I’ll get two of my best bodyguards to protect you along the journey,” he said, “I thank you on behalf of my mom and the people of Yudonia!”As he spoke, he rested his palm on Fred’s shoulder. The latter was at a loss for words. He didn’t even know how he left the prince’s room. He could only remember Ross saying, “You better d
She tried to look sincere, but Fred was surprisingly calm. He only nodded to show he understood her, then beckoned, "I know it takes time to develop the invisibility potion, so don't worry about it as long as you continue to work on it."He held her shoulder and lowered his voice, saying, "I have something more urgent I need you to do. Once done, I'll give you everything and all the time you need for your research." Rhea looked up at him in surprise. "Is it about the hypnosis?"Fred nodded and asked solemnly, "Yes, I need it done as soon as possible. Can you do it by tonight?" Rhea was shocked and not confident. She wondered, 'I only succeeded in hypnotizing Mike because I knew much about his character. I don't even know the prince and have only read about him.’"Can you do it or not?" Fred tightened his grip on her shoulder, looking sinister.Rhea said through clenched teeth, "Yes, I can."She worried Fred would kill her if she said no. "That's great. I knew I could count o
Knowing he was irritated, Rhea said soothingly, "Your Grace, I wasn't trying to pry, but I needed information to give a proper answer. Men and women have different physiques, and their age makes a difference, too.“If it's someone old, it's normal if their heart rate slows. Even if the person looks healthy, heart failure is possible if there are underlying conditions. If there aren't any, then it might be a sudden illness—"Fred interjected impatiently, "That's not possible! She's so young!" Although he was upset, Rhea gleaned a bit of information from his reply. She continued, "Even young people can have sudden heart problems. Furthermore, there are differences between men and women, as well as factors like physical fitness—""The person is neither a man nor elderly, and she has no underlying conditions. She has always been in good shape." Fred grew increasingly annoyed by Rhea’s explanation.He might have revealed it was Lily, but he did not want to. "Is it possible she has don
"Okay," Fred said, "I'll give you an hour. After you finish, shower, change, and come to my office. There's something I need you to do."Puzzled, Rhea answered, "Okay."...A while later, she went to Fred's office. The backless dress Fred had sent her revealed her alluring figure. However, Rhea was somewhat uneasy. She had worn clothes like this but felt like Fred was using her as an escort.Rhea was upset because she only allowed others to exploit her intellect and talent, never her body.Fred sized her up and nodded. "You look great! Tell me about your plan."Rhea tried not to show her frustration, saying, "I'll spike the drinks and hypnotize him as we chat. Then, he'll unwittingly fall under my control.""No!" Fred met her puzzled gaze. "He's a cautious man. He won’t drink what you bring him."Rhea said, "I'll coax him, okay? I'll think of ways to get him to take the drug." "You underestimate him." Fred knew how difficult Ross could be. "Then what?" Upon hearing Fred's w
Rhea stood outside a room and steadied her deep breath before knocking on the door. After a while, someone inside said in perfect Yudonian, "Come in."She checked her dress, opened the door, and entered with a tray. She lowered her gaze and curtsied, saying, “Your Highness.”Having studied abroad for many years, she could speak fluently in Yudonian. Meanwhile, the casually dressed Prince Ross was reading a document behind the desk. There was a half-filled glass of wine, various beverages, snacks, etcetera. They made what Rhea was holding somewhat redundant. "Yes?" Ross only glanced at her despite her sexy outfit. Rhea bit her lower lip and approached with the tray. "I'm a waitress working for the Yudonian Foreign Ministry. Duke Frederick asked me to send you some drinks and snacks and keep you entertained." "Oh?" The prince looked up and studied her. "It was Fred?""Yes, sir, Duke Frederick sent me," Rhea quickly said. "Hasn't he left?" Rhea smiled embarrassedly. "The
“Oh?” Ross raised his brow and asked, "Are you sure I've never tasted that wine before?" "Of course, I’m sure." Rhea leaned forward to place the exquisite-looking wine bottle on the desk. "It's a specialty wine from Hyderland.""I've visited Hyderland many times and have tried food and beverages from all over the world. How are you so sure I haven't tasted something like that before?" Ross remained unconvinced. Rhea smiled, "That’s because it's home-brewed.""Oh?" Rhea poured the wine as she spoke, "My dad made it when I was born, and I just retrieved it from the cellar. It smells amazing."Its aroma filled the room. Ross sniffed the air, praising, "It smells like a good wine, all right.""Try it, Your Highness," Rhea said as she handed the glass to him, "See how different it is from the ones you had before."Although he complimented the smell, he did not take it.“I just had red wine. I might get drunk if I drink more." Indeed, Ross was cautious. "Since your dad made it fo
Ross's eyes lit up. Although he said nothing, Rhea knew he liked the wine when he took one sip after another.He soon finished the glass of wine, and Rhea knew her gamble had paid off. Fabian had not made the wine because he would never do anything like that for her. Rhea had only gotten it from a renowned wine collector in the country.Of course, Fred had spent a fortune on it. Still, it was indeed a good wine, and Ross enjoyed it. Most importantly, Rhea got him to consume R20 with it. She asked warmly, "It's not bad, right, Your Highness?""It's not bad indeed." Nodding, Ross finally smiled. "Although I've tasted many good wines in Hyderland, this one’s unique. Does it have a name?""It does." Rhea smiled. "What is it?" he asked curiously. Rhea touched the wine bottle and flicked it. She said smilingly, "It's called Pinot Le Héros, which means The Hero.”Ross nodded. "It's a good name for a good wine.""Well, since it's a good wine, you should drink more." Rhea tried to pou