Wanting to caress his face initially, Yasmin withdrew her hand. "So you still want me to give up on the experiment." "I just want you to spare yourself." Ross tried to hold her hand, but she moved it away. Yasmin averted her gaze and said, "I'm tired. You should go back to rest as well." "Mom…"Without looking at him, she said, "Rick!"Rick hurried inside and asked, "What can I do for you, Your Majesty?""Bring him to his room," she said coldly.Rick motioned to walk over, but Ross stood up and said grimly, “I know my way out.”As he walked toward the door, he stopped and looked over his shoulder, “Mom, I know you won’t listen to what I say, but I hope you think this through. Consider the ambitions you once had when you were young.“Do you remember what you wanted to do when you first became the queen?” Ross then turned and left.Yasmin sat in her room alone for a long time. However, her gaze was unfocused as her mind drifted off. Her son’s words had affected and reminded
Yasmin probably did not try hiding Nick on purpose, unlike Fred. Of course, the latter had to do many things in secret back then.The man guarding Nick’s room tried to stop Lily before letting her in. As they were under constant surveillance, she guessed it was an order from the higher-ups and that the guard must have received the order through his earpiece.Nick sat obediently in the room. He smiled when he saw her, saying, “Hi, Lily.”“You still remember me, huh?” Lily felt sorry for the boy as she looked at him.“Of course I do.” He nodded.Lily had saved his life in Westwood and helped him a lot afterward. Nick also used to visit her house often before he got abducted. "You've gone through so much, Nicky." Lily noticed his scared expression and could not help but take a step closer. She then pulled him into her arms, but the boy tensed.Lily patted his back and said kindly, “Don’t be afraid. You know I’m not the bad guy, right? You used to play with Galen at my house, rem
Lily remembered she was still pregnant the last time she saw Nick. She chuckled and palmed her flat tummy, saying, “I already gave birth.”"Was it a boy?" Nick asked curiously."A boy and a girl," she said smilingly, showing her fingers. Nick's eyes lit up, finally becoming less guarded and more childlike. "Twins? Woah!"Lily was much gentler with children. She chuckled and said, "I'll bring you to meet them when we have the chance."Seeing Nick reminded her of her children."I'd love to meet them, but I don’t think I can…" Nick’s voice trailed off as he lowered his head.Lily felt a surge of sorrow. "Why can't you? You’ll meet them when we go back.""Can we?" He looked up expectantly, and Lily was saddened to see him like that. "Yes, of course!" She pulled him into her chest as she said so, both to him and to herself. Thinking she was no match for the queen, Lily had almost given up and prepared to die there. However, she changed her mind when she saw Nick.'How can I gi
Yasmin lowered her gaze to hide her emotions. She could not tell anyone what the experiment was for back then. After all, people would condemn her for trying to prolong her life by sacrificing another.Yasmin could not bear to give up on the experiment. Therefore, the organization only gave each team a formula and told them to follow it strictly during the research.Of course, the organization also gave the teams irrelevant formulas to keep them from figuring out what the experiment’s goal was. Although it would cause a waste of manpower and resources, it was necessary to ensure the experiment’s confidentiality.Lily said thoughtfully, “Now that I think about it, some things don’t add up in the formula. I’d like to try making adjustments to it.”“How?” Yasmin asked softly.“I’d like to change some ingredients and their dosages and the sequence in which I add them,” Lily explained, “Our research had always been about transplantation, replacement, and continuation before this.“I’m
Yasmin thought Lily was right. If Lily failed, the queen could always proceed with the original plan.The R10 experiment had met plenty of resistance, and even Yasmin’s own son objected to it. Furthermore, the public outcry would be overwhelming if people found out about it. Most importantly, Yasmin could not get past her conscience.Although she sounded determined, she was still hesitant. If not, she would have proceeded with the experiment the other day instead of putting it on hold. However, doing so had made her even more hesitant.Yasmin asked, “What do you need?”Since Lily had come to see her, the queen thought the young lady must have come to make a request.“I need your support and the right to use the lab and all its chemicals,” Lily casually said, “I also hope you can let Dominic go.”Yasmin chuckled. “He’s the one who refuses to leave.”Dominic wanted to stay behind for Lily’s sake, but the young lady did not want him to do that. Lily asked, “I can talk to him, but a
Lily got the idea from some sci-fi novels and movies she had read and watched before. She came up with it at the last minute just to buy time.She could not let Nick become the test subject. Therefore, she planned to convince Yasmin that her idea had worked so that the old queen would give up on the R10 experiment. Of course, whether she could realize it was another matter. At least Lily had gotten the queen to let Dominic leave. However, the old man stubbornly refused to do so as Lily had expected.Dominic said in a huff, “I’ll only leave with you!”"Come on!" Lily let out a helpless sigh. "You know I can't go.""Then I'm staying. I've lived long enough, anyway. If you don't care about your life, then I don’t care about mine!" Dominic spoke dismissively, spreading his arms. Lily knew he was upset because he cared about her safety. "Old man…" Having not called him that for a long time, she sat beside him and dangled her legs like when she was young. She softened her tone and
After some persuasion, Dominic left the following day.To avoid any trouble, Lily ensured the old man left early in the morning. It was done quietly, so not many people knew about it. Lily stood on the balcony and sighed in relief when she saw the car carrying Dominic leave the embassy.She knew Fred might try to stop Dominic halfway, but the queen would not do such a thing. Lily then took a deep breath and headed straight to the laboratory. Although familiar with her way there, she was surprised to see it still in operation when she arrived. Entering, she saw Rhea sitting alone by the table, where a piece of equipment was running. Rhea seemed to have dozed off with her head propped on her hand and back toward Lily. Lily quietly walked up behind her and narrowed her eyes when she saw the things inside the equipment. She could not tell what they were, but she knew Rhea's experiment was never meant to help people.Rhea caught herself from leaning forward and looked up. She then
Rhea sounded rather proud of herself, but Lily looked at her impassively, asking, “Are you done?”Rhea looked puzzled. "Get out of my way then." Lily pushed her aside and walked away. Rhea was furious, but there was nothing she could do because she was no match for Lily. Even if she had a gun, she could not kill Lily. Rhea then took a deep breath and reminded herself not to get upset as Lily was bound to die. Instead of arguing, Rhea knew to focus on her experiment.After studying the formula many times, she discovered that it should work. However, she needed to adjust the ratio of the ingredients. At least according to computer analysis, the formula was able to change the DNA sequence of organisms, which was crucial. Rhea was thrilled, thinking she might be able to make it work.On the other hand, Lily chose a relatively quiet room to conduct her experiment. After checking out other rooms, she picked this one because there was only one entrance that she could easily monito
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