“I heard you." Rhea held up her phone again and said blandly, "Come the day after tomorrow then.""The day after tomorrow? Why not tomorrow?" Mike said, "Don't you need it urgently?"Rhea grunted and said, "I do, but it's not that urgent. If you must come tomorrow, visit tomorrow night then."Mike asked, "Can't I come during the day?"Rhea lost her temper. "Don't push it, Mike! Do you still want to save your son or not?""Of course I do," Mike murmured, "Don't get upset. I'll deliver it tomorrow night then. Is that okay?"Calming down a little, Rhea grunted a yes and hung up. Fred sneered. "Your hypnosis isn't so effective, is it? He still dared to talk back at you." ‘My men would never dare to talk to me like that.’ However, Rhea did not think so and said, "Do you feel you have a firmer control over your men than I do to Mike?"Fred raised a brow and let out a confident look. "Isn't that the case?"Based on just now’s conversation, he did not think the hypnosis was effec
Satisfied, Fred took the phone and said, "Didn't I ask you to tell Mike that his son is dead?"Rhea grew alarmed. Although Fred sounded casual, he blamed her for not following his orders. "I…" Rhea said nervously, "I'm worried the news would be too much for him and cause brainwave fluctuations that could affect my control over him. Although I won't lose him, I don't want to cause any trouble at this crucial moment. I plan to tell him after the experiment." Fred caught on and nodded. "Oh, I see. Relax. I asked you to tell Mike about it so he would leave you alone. Since you know how to deal with him, I'll leave it matter to you.” However, Rhea was still worried. She said, "I'll tell him about his son's death after we complete the experiment tomorrow."Fred smiled. "I know I can count on you. I'm putting you in charge of the experiment tomorrow, then. You won't let me down, right?"He pressured her despite his gentle look. She nodded despite herself. "I'll do my best!"She da
"It sure looks like it." Ross nodded in agreement. "My men in the embassy told me things have been unusual over the past two days. However, that's all they could tell me."He spread his arms, indicating that even he knew little about what was happening at the embassy. Alexander and Cameron were quiet. They exchanged a look without voicing their opinions."Secretary Rollins, what's your take?" Mike asked.After all, Cameron was there to solve the problem together with them. "I'd like to hear your thoughts first, Alex," Cameron said blandly.Alexander cleared his throat and said to Mike, "It's evident they’re doing something significant tomorrow. The embassy has been postponing meetings, and Rhea has insisted that you only go there at night.“That shows she’ll be busy with something during the day," After a pause, Alexander continued, "Besides, why did she only call you now? What was she doing during the day? Why didn't she call you earlier?"Mike frowned. "I wondered about tha
"Okay." Ross sighed and stood up with raised hands. "I might not be able to help much. Still, if you guys can rescue the queen and stop Fred, I promise no one will hold you responsible for forcing your way into the embassy."It was a massive commitment for Ross. Alexander nodded. "We're counting on you then.""That must be it!" Austin suddenly said as he thought of something. Puzzled, everyone else looked at him. Austin cleared his throat and said, "I think I know what they are going to do tomorrow! It has to be the R10 experiment!"The others were shocked, and Alexander asked, “You just realized it?”Although he did not mention it, it was evident Fred would conduct the R10 experiment tomorrow. Since Fred only cared about R10, he must have directed all his workforce toward it.Alexander did not expect Austin to realize it so late. The former said sympathetically, “You should get more sleep. Lack of rest can affect your brain function, you know.”Austin was stunned for a mom
The calm before the storm felt suffocating to Lily. When it was time to deliver her dinner in the evening, nobody came. It was highly unusual because no matter how angry Fred was at Lily, he took great care of her regarding food and drinks. For the sake of the experiment, she knew he would never allow her body to suffer. Although she was not hungry, the fact that they did not deliver the meal indicated that something was up. Lily opened the door and asked the guard, "Where's my dinner?""No dinner tonight, ma'am. Please get an early rest," the guard said readily. "Why?" Lily asked, but the guard gave no reply.Besides telling her there was no dinner, he would not say another word. After some thought, Lily asked, "Where's Fred?"The guard continued to remain quiet. Lily raised her brow and then returned to her bedroom and shut the door. She sat by the bed but did not feel sleepy.'Fred hasn't shown up for quite a while, and they also didn’t deliver my dinner. Don't they care
It sounded like the rolling of car wheels, but it was louder than that. It even attracted everyone’s attention. Rhea joined the crowd as they hurried toward the door to see what was happening. Rhea saw two huge boxes being pushed past.Unable to see what they were, someone in the back asked, “What is it?A man in front shook his head and said, “No idea. They look like huge boxes. I wonder what’s inside.”"What else? The test subjects, of course," someone else said.Rhea's heart raced, wondering if Lily was inside one of the boxes. She wanted to take another look, but the workers had pushed the boxes out of her view.Soon, a guard appeared and said, “Everyone, you’ll be in groups according to this list. Please follow me when I call your names.”He then held up a list and started to call out names. Rhea was puzzled when everyone went to their groups and left with the guard.However, she did not ask about it and waited quietly. Several people shared curious glances and left as we
No wonder the guards separated them into groups and left in such a way. In other words, Fred had put them in charge of different parts of the experiment.With that, the authorities could never find out how the procedure worked unless they arrested all the personnel involved.“Thank you for trusting me, Your Grace,” Rhea said.She was happy to have the only complete handbook because she felt trusted and recognized by Fred.However, Fred squeezed her shoulder as if to emphasize how crucial her task was. He said, “It’s not because I trust you, okay? I want you to have it because you’ll be in charge of the most vital step.”Rhea was puzzled as he led her toward the laboratory’s innermost area. There was a rusty iron door that had stayed shut for a very long time. However, the door automatically opened when Fred neared, not even making a creak.Finally, Rhea understood the door simply looked old and worn to avoid attention.Fred let go of her shoulder and strode inside. “Come on. Her
Rhea wanted to tell Fred to leave the surgery to her, but she could not bring herself to do it. Her fingers trembled as she thought, ‘How am I supposed to perform such an intricate surgery alone?!’As if sensing her concerns, Fred said, "Don't worry, I've arranged top-notch assistants for you." 'What the hell?' Rhea thought. 'Why doesn't he have them perform the surgery instead? If they’re the best, why are they my assistants and not the other way around?' Although she had always thought highly of herself, her expertise was limited to research and development of drugs. Surgeries like these were not what she did best. "What's the matter? You can't handle it?" Fred asked somewhat unhappily after seeing her hesitance.Rhea gulped and said with a forced smile, "I'm honored you trust me so much, but—" "That's all I need to hear." Fred raised a hand and interrupted her. He knew he would not like what she was about to say."Rhea, I know you’ve performed brain surgeries before, and
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