"It's just an idea." Alexander looked toward Dominic. "I think Queen Yasmin is obsessed with the R10 experiment because she hasn't completed it. If she thinks she has, perhaps she might not be so hung up on it.""I think so, too." Nodding, Dominic said thoughtfully, “It makes sense from a psychological standpoint." Austin leaned into his chair and sighed in relief. "So, here comes the crucial question: who’s going to hypnotize her? She has her guard up against us. Besides, it's not easy for commoners like us to meet a queen." He spoke half-jokingly and spread his arms, yawning."Me!" Dominic suddenly said, startling Austin so much that he almost fell backward. "Uncle Dom?" Austin reseated himself and looked toward the old man. "Are you out of your mind? You just got back, for goodness' sake! No, you can't take such a risk."He shook his head vigorously. He could not let his granduncle put himself in danger again.“Who else can go? You?” Dominic gave Austin a sidelong glance a
"Do you think I need your protection?" Dominic knocked Austin’s head and said bluntly, "More like you're going to mess things up for me.""Hey! Uncle Dom, I—"Dominic interrupted, "What will you do while I hypnotize the old gal? Sing her a lullaby? Do you think I can hypnotize her with you hanging around?"Austin was stumped."I'm going to hypnotize her, not move furniture. I don't need you." Dominic then turned to Alexander. "Give me two days to prepare. I need to return to my estate to take care of something."Alexander nodded. "Okay. If you need anything, just let me know."With that, the group concluded their meeting. Although it was only two days, the wait was distressing enough. For them, each day delayed was unbearable.Meanwhile, Rhea and Lily put their best efforts into their experiments as if competing against each other. Yasmin had never visited the laboratory, not even once. It was as if she had forgotten about the place. All she did was bask in the sun and feel th
Yasmin looked at Rick. "How are their experiments?""They are still working on them."The queen knew it meant the two had made little progress."Can I trust them?" She could be asking herself or him. After not getting a response, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “How’s Fred?”"He's been quiet," Rick answered.Fred had not spoken a word since Yasmin’s visit. It was as if he had accepted his fate."Did you give him the supplements?" Yasmin asked.Rick nodded. "Yes, just as you instructed.""Good." Yasmin nodded thoughtfully and then turned to look out of the balcony. The lush greenery around the place lifted her mood. However, many yellow leaves fell from the branches when the wind blew. "I don't wish to wait forever." Gazing at the fallen leaves on the ground, Yasmin said thoughtfully, "Inform all the experts to get prepared. I want to proceed with R10."Rick was somewhat surprised. "Now?""Tell them to prepare and await further instructions," she said solemnly an
‘Not again!' Rhea exclaimed inwardly. She knew she should not be so impatient but could not help it. Somehow, she felt threatened by Lily also experimenting.Rhea took a deep breath and looked up at the apparatus and the data on the screen. She then threw everything into a specialized trash bin and marched out to see Lily’s progress. Rhea soon reached Lily’s area and realized she was sleeping inside.Rhea rubbed her eyes and looked again to ensure Lily was indeed asleep. The latter lay comfortably on a rocking recliner with a thick blanket over her. Lily looked like she was on vacation, with tea and snacks on the table beside her.Rhea grew even more frustrated when she saw how smoothly Lily’s experiment went.'How can she be enjoying herself here while I've been working my ass off? Instead of experimenting, she just found an excuse to slack off! No, she came here to agitate me. That must be it!'Thinking so, Rhea glared at her and had an evil idea when she turned to look at the s
Finally, Lily opened her eyes and slowly sat up. “You studied medicine, yet you can’t tell me what it contains?”Rhea turned and studied the contents of the apparatus with a frown. However, she still could not tell even after sniffing at it. She roared, “You’re just bluffing!”She noticed her hand was reddish on one side as if it had been scalded. Even so, what she touched was not hot. Some liquid flowed out from the several bottles that she knocked over.Still, Lily did not look nervous, as if she did not mind them. She even refilled her teacup and casually took a sip. She then said with a half-smile, “Why? You don’t know what they are? It's okay—you can tell me.”"They’re just some corrosive chemicals. What's so special about them?" Rhea said, "I only burned my hand because you tricked me.""I warned you, didn't I?” Glancing at her, Lily put down her tea while glancing at Rhea before heading toward her.The former looked at Rhea’s injured hand and then at the table, continuing,
Rhea had no idea what sort of deal Lily had made with Yasmin. After all, the queen had only put Rhea in charge of the laboratory two days ago.Rhea knew Lily was different from her. The former was upset that almost everyone favored Lily. From the look of it, Lily was not serious about her experiment at all."Whatever." Lily glanced at Rhea casually. "Snitch on me if you want."Rhea’s hand hurt, making Lily’s attitude agitate her further.“Do you think I won’t? You’re not the queen’s only favorite! Don’t forget why you’re here, Lily. There are no VIP guests in the embassy,” Rhea mocked and turned to leave. Lily remained seated as she gazed after Rhea’s departing figure. As the former’s smile faded, she grew solemn. Lily knew she was not the queen’s favorite. Although Yasmin seemed kind and friendly, she was highly selfish.If not, she would not have held onto the throne for so many years without abdicating and ignoring her son’s advice to stop the experiment. Therefore, Lily thou
As the guards stopped Rhea at the stairwell, she looked down at the empty hallway and calmed herself down. “I have something important to tell Her Majesty. Please pass her my message. Otherwise, you’ll all pay for messing things up, okay? It's about the experiment.”Rhea could not help but speak arrogantly, thinking she was now working for the queen.However, the guards remained still. One of them said, "Her Majesty says no one is to disturb her."Sensing something was off, Rhea tried to peer inside, but the guards held her back. She frowned and asked, "Is Her Majesty resting, or has she gone somewhere else?""We can't tell you that."Rhea felt helpless but knew she could not force her way in. Although Yasmin permitted her to use the laboratory, Rhea knew it did not mean the queen treated her differently. Besides, it was unusual for the queen to let Lily conduct her experiment under the circumstances. Although Rhea was upset, she could only stomach her frustration and head tow
Rhea had a sudden thought and hurried back to the laboratory. When she arrived, Lily was still lying on the recliner with her eyes closed. This time, Rhea marched in and asked, “You’re still here?”Lily opened her eyes and casually glanced at Rhea. “Where else should I be?”"So you don't know either," Rhea mumbled. After some thought, she caught herself and snorted. “Never mind. Just continue with your experiment.”Rhea felt better when she realized Yasmin had not told Lily anything either. It showed Lily did not matter as much to the queen as Rhea had thought. Still, Rhea wondered where else the queen could be if not the laboratory.Puzzled, Rhea turned and headed out. Lily half-sat up and gazed after her with a frown, feeling something was amiss. "What… do you mean?""Nothing. Just continue with your work," Rhea answered without looking back. "Or I should say go back to sleep."She mocked Lily because she did not seem serious about the experiment. Rhea thought she did not nee
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