The queen loosened her grip on the bedsheet and sighed as she lay back down. She stared at the ceiling and asked, “Where’s Lily?”"She's doing well and is waiting to become your vessel. Rest assured, I've taken good care of your new body," Fred said smilingly."My body?" The queen looked at him. "What about your new body, Fred? Have you already prepared one?"Stunned, he caught himself and chuckled. "What are you talking about, Your Majesty? The experiment we're doing is for you. I'm still young, aren’t I?" "Yes, but for how long?" the queen said coldly, "Fred, you're brilliant for planning everything ahead. You’ve worked so hard to make the experiment happen so you can use me as a guinea pig, huh?""That's not—" Fred stopped himself and suddenly began to laugh. His laughter grew louder and wilder as if he could not contain it. "You're clever, Your Majesty, and you know me best. All right, it’s as you said. However, you don't have to get mad," he said steadily, "No matter what
When Alexander returned home, he saw Mike holding his phone in a daze in the living room. The former removed and tossed his jacket aside, asking, “What’s the matter with you?”"Something's wrong," Mike said, puzzled. "What are you talking about?""It's Rhea." Mike looked at Alexander. "Rhea?" Alexander frowned and glanced at the phone in Mike’s hand. "There's something wrong with her? What did she say to you?"Mike shook his head and said, "Nothing. She didn't answer her phone." "That's why you think something's wrong?" Alexander was puzzled. "I called so many times, but she didn't answer or send me any messages. Most importantly, I told her I would be giving her the invisibility potion formula in two days. She’s eager to get her hands on it, so it's unlike her to not answer my calls.""Could it be …" Alexander looked at him thoughtfully, "Did she realize she failed to hypnotize you?"Mike shook his head. "That's not possible. If she got suspicious, she would call me or ev
"I have no idea," Alexander said, "The entire embassy seems off, just like Rhea."After some thought, Mike asked hesitantly, "Do you think… Fred has started a coup?"However, it seemed unlikely. Even if that were the case, Mike knew he should still be able to reach Rhea, who was on Fred's side. At that moment, a voice said, "That's impossible."They turned and saw Ross slowly walking downstairs. "I don't think that's what’s happening.""What makes you say that?" Although Mike shared the same thought, he could not help but ask Ross. "My men are in the embassy. If there were indeed a coup, they would have told me about it. Anyway, the embassy staff members are still working as usual, but Fred could be doing something in secret," Ross said, "They haven't seen him for two days, although he has been giving out instructions.”Alexander thoughtfully added, "So he's up to something, and he might’ve told Rhea not to contact outsiders. That's interesting because Fred seems to care about t
"Also, if necessary, we must break into the embassy. I hope you won't—"Ross waved. "Don't worry, I won't hold it against you. If it comes to that, I'll even charge in with you."Alexander did not expect the prince to say that. The former nodded and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."He quickly walked outside and called Cameron. After all, things would be more efficient with Cameron around. ...Rhea had a nightmare and jerked awake. She looked around and realized she was still in the laboratory with a bunch of people.Some sat on the floor, a few slept with their heads on the tables, and the rest stood lost in thought. They gathered in twos and threes in the tense atmosphere. Since they were unfamiliar with each other, they hardly talked among themselves.Since each person handled different tasks and most had notable achievements in certain areas, they seemed to look down on each other. Still, Fred had gathered them there to complete a shared task tomorrow.Rhea felt cold and c
Rhea found herself covered in sweat and was thankful she only grunted instead of shouting when she woke up. She sat up and realized her legs were numb. She checked the time and noticed it was nearly midnight. As there were several more hours to endure, she felt frustrated. It was ridiculous that everyone there knew they were going to conduct the R10 experiment, yet no one knew the detailed procedure.Rhea knew how much the experiment meant to Fred, and it was highly classified.Even the "boss" only knew part of it and was put in charge of researching and developing the drug. However, he never discussed how the organization would use the drug. Rhea thought it was because the latter phase of the experiment had been assigned to another group of people. However, she finally realized that was not the case. Although she understood the need for secrecy, she thought Fred should at least tell them about the procedure. Otherwise, they would not know what to do tomorrow.Rhea got to he
Rhea approached the computer and realized it was still working. However, she dared not touch it.A while later, Fred entered in his robe. He yawned, looking a bit upset as he asked, “What’s so important that you had to see me in the middle of the night? Do you think you can do whatever you want just because I praised you recently?”“No, Your Grace. It’s about something important,” Rhea quickly explained, “We’re supposed to proceed with R10 tomorrow, but no one has told us about the procedure until now.“I fear we will make irreversible mistakes and affect the experiment’s outcome.”Fred looked at her as he impatiently sat down behind the desk. “That’s it? Someone will give each of you a handbook on what to do tomorrow. Now, all you have to do is rest.”"But…" Rhea noticed he was about to leave and quickly said, "But we might not be prepared then.""The experiment is not as complicated as you imagine, all right?" Fred said dismissively, "With your abilities, I'm sure you guys will
Fred thoughtfully paced back and forth for a long while. He looked somewhat anxious as he asked, “Who else knows about this?”Stunned, Rhea shook her head. “No one, I think.”“Not even Lily?” Fred was incredulous. After all, Lily had developed R10 and should know if there were issues with it.“Well… I’m not sure,” Rhea murmured, “As you know, we don’t like each other, and she wouldn’t tell me anything. Perhaps she doesn’t know or simply chose not to tell me about it.”Fred frowned but thought Rhea was being reasonable. “I see,” he said solemnly. Rhea said, “So…”“We’ll proceed with the experiment tomorrow,” Fred replied decisively. Rhea did not expect him not to change his mind. ‘Why is he so adamant?!’“But the drug—”Fred interrupted, “There’s nothing wrong with it, and the experiment will succeed. Is that clear?”Rhea hesitated when she saw his glare. She nodded slowly, saying, “Yes, Your Grace.”She finally realized Fred would proceed with the experiment even if sh
"I'm just worried the others might get suspicious," Rhea murmured, holding the phone.Fred said dismissively, "If he can't even answer your call, we might as well cut him loose. Call him while I'm still interested, got it?"Rhea realized by now that Fred only cared about R10, and everything else was just a bonus to him. She always thought she could impress Fred with her accomplishments. However, after spending some time with Fred, she gradually understood that it did not matter what she did. No research or drug was as crucial to him as R10.Rhea did not think much about R10, but since Fred was the boss, she could only do as he said. She called Mike, and the phone rang a few times before he answered."Hello?" Mike asked nasally, seemingly just getting out of bed. "Mike, you called me?" Rhea said as she studied Fred's expression. "Huh? Oh, I called in the afternoon." Mike seemed to have forgotten about it."You called so many times. Did you have something urgent to tell me? Ha
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