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
Ross answered, “Of course, provided you perform well and have a clean history." "You can count on it, Your Highness," Rhea nodded and touched the wine bottle again. "It's getting late. How about another glass before you rest?" "No," Ross turned her down again, "As I said, I don't want to get drunk.”"Fred should be leaving now, right?" he asked, glancing at the clock on the wall. Rhea again flicked the bottle and murmured, "Oh, yeah, it's late now. You should rest, Your Highness.""I still have work to do. You should leave now." Ross picked up a document to read. As he did, he suddenly felt dizzy and unbearably sleepy. He frowned and tried in vain to shake off the sleepiness."It must be so tiring to handle so much work, right? You don't have to work so hard, you know." Rhea stayed put and continued, "Why don't you get an early sleep? I bet you must be sleepy."She repeated, and Ross felt he could hardly keep his eyes open hearing the word "sleepy." He felt as if a powerful
"You're…" Ross was still in a daze. Rhea looked into his eyes and rhythmically flicked the bottle, "I'm Rhea, your friend and master.""My friend and my master?" Ross frowned, looking and feeling uncomfortable."Yes, I'm your friend and master. Do you remember who you are?" Rhea asked. "I'm Ross, the Yudonian prince." He remembered who he was but was puzzled about Rhea's identity. Rhea nodded. "That's right. You're the prince. What are you doing in Hyderland?""I came to Hyderland… to look for my mom, the queen," he responded cooperatively. Rhea was surprised because she did not know the queen was also there. After all, interacting with the prince already seemed incredible to her. She held her breath and patiently asked, "Why are you looking for her? Has something happened to Her Majesty?""I don’t know. My mother has been missing since a few days ago." Ross shook his head, looking confused. "My mom is missing!""The queen is missing?!" Rhea exclaimed but soon covered her
"That's right. You're her son, and it's most fitting for you to go,” Rhea’s gentle voice enchanted Ross, leaving him unable to say no."Yes, I'm her son. I should be the one who finds her," Ross said, nodding. Rhea smiled, knowing she had proved herself. She stressed, "Go to sleep then. You'll depart early tomorrow, okay? Remember that.” "Okay!" Ross answered, nodding again. Rhea then tapped on the bottle to make it ring. Ross blinked, then fell asleep for real this time. Rhea got up and strolled out of the room. Someone soon brought her to Fred's office, where he waited. Since Ross demanded removing the surveillance devices from his room, Fred could not see what happened. Fred looked at Rhea, questioning, "Did it work?""Congratulations, Your Grace. You got what you wanted," Rhea said, bowing respectfully. Fred was thrilled because he could control Ross and target anyone through the drug and Rhea's hypnosis. Although Fred was more interested in the invisibility potion, h
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