Ch. 2261..2270

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2261 -Rhea would control everything and possibly threaten Fred if that were the case.

"Not yet." Rhea looked troubled. "I understand your concerns, but R20 can only work alongside hypnosis now, which takes time to learn. We must lay the groundwork and give commands to hypnotize someone, especially in the early stages."

For example, flicking the wine bottle was a subtle suggestion to Ross, conditioning him to the hypnosis.

"Enough!" Fred held up a hand and grew impatient. "Just hearing that gives me a headache. Remember, you must still listen to me, even if you can control many people. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Your Grace." Rhea lowered her head.

However, Fred did not trust her completely. To be precise, he would not trust anyone wholeheartedly.

The queen served as a cautionary tale for him. She trusted him even though he would later betray her. That was why he would never believe in anyone so quickly.

"Don't ever think about using R20 on me. You’re in my place and can’t escape if you do. Even if you controlled me one day, you can’t manipulate all of Yudonia.

However, if you obey me, I'll reward you when I rule the world."

Rhea was shocked as she glanced at him and nodded. "I won't disobey you, Your Grace."

She never expected Fred to want to rule the world. She wanted to change humanity and advance civilization through her research, but she had never considered ruling the world. Rhea knew throwing the world into chaos was easy, but controlling it would be a tall order.

‘How can he control so many people over a vast territory?’ Rhea cared more about fame. She wanted to shock the world, even through infamy.

"You've done well today. Get some rest, and continue working on the invisibility potion tomorrow. You must develop it as soon as possible,” Fred commanded grimly.

"Yes, Your Grace," Rhea answered and left. However, she was somewhat upset that Fred was even more ridiculous than the boss. At least the latter knew what was achievable. On the other hand, the duke wanted the impossible.

Rhea feared Fred would abandon her if she failed to deliver what he wanted.

She returned to her room and lay down, thinking about what had happened in the last two days. She began to feel that something was amiss.

However, she could not pinpoint it.

When Fred asked about someone suddenly dying, Rhea could only make a rough guess. Thinking about it now, she believed he was referring to Lily.

Simultaneously, Rhea thought it was unlikely.

‘Hasn't Lily been fine all along? Besides being held in the embassy, Lily can’t obtain any drugs that make her look like she’s dying. It doesn't make sense or seem possible.’ Rhea could not figure it out. However, she knew Fred would ask for her help if the person was indeed Lily.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2262-Rhea believed the doctors in the embassy could not deal with Lily’s condition.

Otherwise, Fred would not beat around the bush when asking about it.

Therefore, Rhea looked forward to Fred asking for her help if it concerned Lily.

… In Lily's room, the doctors surrounded her. They were sweating profusely.

Despite their best efforts, they could only maintain her heart rate, but her readings showed that she was dying. They just could not figure out what was wrong with her. At the thought of what would happen to them if she died, their sweating became even more intense.

"How is she?" Fred asked as he came by again.

He could not allow Lily to die, especially not now. This was the most crucial moment. How could she die at this juncture? He simply could not let that happen!

Seeing the numbers on the electrocardiogram, Fred grew upset. "Her condition is still the same as before! What the fuck have you guys been doing?!"

"Your Grace, we've tried everything, but we can’t find the cause of this. Her internal organs are shutting down.” Fred snapped, "I want results, not your excuses!" His grim look was unnerving.

"But…"

"No buts! If she doesn't wake up by tomorrow morning, you’ll all be very sorry!"

Fred then turned to leave.

"Your Grace!" one of the doctors suddenly shouted.

Fred stopped in his tracks. "What?"

"There is one method we can try."

Intrigued, Fred stared at him. "Go on."

"We've tried everything except acupuncture. It involves inserting silver needles into certain spots in the body, and I heard it might produce unexpected results.

Maybe we should give it a shot."

"Acupuncture?" Fred thought it sounded interesting. "What are you waiting for then?"

"Well…" The doctors looked troubled, and the one who made the suggestion said, "We don't know how."

It was a technique known only in Hyderland. He had witnessed it being performed before, but he and the other doctors had never learned the method.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2263-"What the hell?" Fred scolded, "Aren't you guys supposed to be experts?"

One of the doctors said nervously, "Your Grace, acupuncture is a special practice developed by the Hylanders. We've never learned it."

Fred asked coldly, "Are you saying I should get you a doctor from Hyderland?"

"Well…" The doctors exchanged hesitant looks.

Seeing this, Fred grew upset. "Out with it!"

"Well…"

"Say it, or I will bury you guys alive!"

Alarmed, a doctor quickly said, "There's a so-called miracle doctor in Hyderland, but he has been a recluse for some time. If we can get his help, we might be able to save Lily."

"A miracle doctor? I’ve never heard of such a person?" Fred narrowed his eyes in puzzlement.

"He's a practitioner of alternative medicine and has led a secluded life for so long that he's rumored to be dead. However, there was news of him not long ago, so I doubt the rumor is true. He has several formidable students who are now in different parts of the world, and only he is in Kingsland."

Fred caught on and nodded. "So we can save Lily as long as I get him to come?" He pointed toward the woman on the bed.

The monitor beside Lily showed that her heart rate was extremely slow, and Fred was both angry and anxious when he saw this. If he could, he would choke Lily to death. He had met such a stubborn and unyielding woman before.

Worse, he could not hurt her now.

"We think the chances are high."

Other than to save themselves, the doctors said so to minimize the risk.

Now, Fred directed all his anger at them. If Lily could not wake up, they would likely be killed. But if they could get him to hire the miracle doctor, they would be safe if the miracle doctor could save Lily. If he failed, then the fault would not be on them, and their lives might be spared.

Fred knew what they were thinking, but what mattered most right now was to revive Lily.

“Where is this miracle doctor?" he asked coldly.

"He should be somewhere in an estate on the outskirts of Kingsland, but we don't know the exact location. Given your capabilities, I'm sure you’ll be able to find him, Your Grace."

Fred looked over his shoulder at them. 'These fellows sure know how to shift responsibility while buttering me up, right?' He chuckled, "Okay, I'll send my men to look for him, but if anything happens to Lily until then, I will kill you.” He pointed at them, then left the room.

Although he did not know whether there was indeed such a miracle doctor, he had to give it a try.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2264 -The following day, Ross left the embassy and pulled onto the highway. Not wanting anyone to know where he was going, he did not take a plane and chose to travel by car. He was to leave Kingsland, switch cars, and head south to look for the queen.

Standing on the balcony, Fred watched the car leave with a satisfied smile.

Rhea stood by his side, relieved to see his smile.

"If Ross can’t find the queen, he will return," Rhea said tentatively.

"Of course, he will." Fred nodded. "But by the time he returns, I'll have already completed what needs to be done. Besides…" He turned around and looked at Rhea appraisingly. "Isn't Ross under your control? You can keep him from coming back, can't you?"

Rhea was at a loss for words.

"Why? Is that not so?" he asked sternly.

Rhea quickly answered, "Yes, yes. I can."

"There you go. Nothing to worry about then. Just remember to get him to report to you his whereabouts and send you his location every day."

Fred wanted to make sure they knew if the hypnosis or R20 stopped working.

He had considered sending someone to tail Ross but was afraid of attracting too much attention in Hyderland.

Furthermore, as his goal was to get Ross to leave, tailing him seemed unnecessary. As long as the prince reported his location to them daily, there was nothing to worry about.

Rhea nodded. "I'll make sure of that."

She was somewhat worried, but she did not dare to speak her mind. Although the drug and hypnosis had worked, the further Ross went, the harder it was to give him commands on time. She also was not sure how long the effect of the drug would last.

R20 was not perfect and was still in an experimental stage after all. It seemed to have worked well, but she did not know to what extent. Even so, she had to seem confident right now.

Fred then stretched, and just then, his phone rang. As he picked up his phone, he glanced at Rhea. Picking up on his signal, she left and gently closed the door behind her.

He then answered the call and was pleased to hear the caller say, "Your Grace, we've found the miracle doctor."

Outside the room, Rhea realized the door was soundproof. Unable to hear anything, she walked away.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2265-"Bring him here right now," Fred said in a lowered voice.

"He refused to come with us, sir. We can't force him, or he might call the police."

As they had already attracted enough attention, they could not risk it as the miracle doctor was well-known. Besides, they could not enter his estate. They had asked to see him, but he turned them down. The only thing they could do was wait in the car and call Fred for further instructions.

Suppressing the urge to curse, Fred said grimly, "What does he want? Tell him to name a price."

"No, Your Grace. He doesn't care for money."

They were at their wits' end. As they were not in Yudonia, they could not do as they pleased.

"No one ever says no to money!" Palming his forehead in frustration, Fred shouted, "Make him an offer he can't refuse! I'm sure he’ll say yes once we offer him enough."

Just as he was about to hang up, he had a second thought. "Never mind. I'll go there right now." He thought perhaps it was better if he took charge in this matter.

Fred got someone to drive him to the estate. On his way, he had his men look into the physician's background and send their findings to his phone. When he was almost there, he finished reading the information and narrowed his eyes.

His men were waiting for him outside the estate when he arrived. They got out of the car and greeted, "Your Grace."

"You guys are supposed to lay low." Holding up a hand to stop them, he glanced toward the estate. "Has anyone left the place?"

"Yes, Your Grace," one answered, "Based on what we've found, they go out for supplies once a week. Sometimes, they have essentials delivered to them instead of going out to buy them ."

"He's a recluse, all right." Fred snorted. "But even a hermit has a weakness.

Stay here. I'll go meet him."

Fred approached the gatekeeper, who went inside to pass on his message.

Soon, someone came out to let him in, but only him. His bodyguards wanted to follow, but Fred stopped them."It's okay. What can he do to me?" Knowing that the physician was an old man, he was not worried. Besides, he only came to engage the physician’s services.

Fred entered the estate alone and was led by a servant to a gazebo instead of the main hall. An old man was brewing some medicine there, and the courtyard was filled with the scent of herbs.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2266 -Unused to the smell, Fred covered his nose and gagged. Dominic glanced over his shoulder and then turned back to his brewing.

"Hi, sir. It’s been quite a challenge to meet with you," Fred said as he went to take a seat across from the physician.

Before he could sit down, Dominic said, "No!"

Startled, Fred froze. He looked at Dominic, then to the chair. "What's the matter?"

"That chair is about to fall apart. Use that one instead." Dominic pointed at a small stool with the bellows in his hand.

Fred was speechless when he saw the stool. It was meant for children. Thinking he would look funny hunched over, he remained on his feet. "It's okay, I'll stand.

He then continued, "I don't like beating around the bush. You know who I am, and I'm here to seek your help to save someone.” Dominic shook his head. "Save someone? I've not done such a thing for many years."

"But this time is different. I know you’re a hermit, but aren't you going to ask me anything?" Fred asked, "Are you sure you don't want to save a life?"

As if he had not heard Fred, Dominic continued tending the fire.

"Don't you want to save your student?" Fred took a step toward Dominic and smiled meaningfully.

Dominic looked up at him and squeezed the bellows at the flames, sending a plume of smoke that choked the duke.

Fred scrambled backward as he started coughing.

"I've no idea what you’re talking about." Shooting Fred a cold glance, Dominic continued to fan the fire.

Coughing so hard that tears welled up in his eyes, Fred took out a handkerchief to cover his nose and mouth.

"I told you that I don't like to beat around the bush, so you can cut the act. Lily’s your student, right? She's currently in a coma and is dying. Aren't you going to do something about it?" he asked, staring at the old man.

Fred had just learned about Dominic and Lily’s relationship. Although Lily was skilled in herbal medicine, he never expected her to be the miracle doctor's student. If he had not discovered that she and Alexander had frequented this place recently, he would never have guessed it.

His first thought was that Alexander was Dominic's student, but the man did not appear to have much knowledge of herbal medicine, and he had also nearly died from the pandemic disease. Therefore, Lily had to be Dominic’s student, so she was so good in this field.

Fred stared at Dominic, confident the old man would save his beloved student.

According to the rumors, Dominic's last student was his favorite, so it was unlikely that he would stand by and do nothing.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2267 -To his surprise, Dominic continued to fan the flames with the bellows and said after a moment, "Everyone has their destiny. Those who are fated to die will not live, and those who are fated to live will not die. We can't go against nature, or we will suffer the consequences."

As he spoke, Dominic looked up at Fred meaningfully, who frowned in response.

Fred could tell the old man was mocking him and seemed to know something.

"I came here to ask for your help because I'm concerned about Lily's health.

Don't push me," he threatened.

Dominic then hit Fred on the hand with the bellows. "And what if I do?"

"Hey!" Alarmed, Fred stepped back and glared at Dominic while holding his hand that had been hit. "Lily's heart rate is so slow that she might die at any moment. If you don't come with me, her chances of survival will be slim. I know you don't save people anymore, but Lily's your favorite student, right?"

"As I said, everyone has their destiny. Lily—"

Fred suddenly pulled out a gun and pointed it at Dominic.

"I told you not to push me. Although I don't wish to make a scene here, I won't go easy on anyone who messes with my plan!" he said coldly, "Why do you have to be so stubborn? Lily’s your student.

“If you didn't care about her, you wouldn't have helped her with her kid and did everything else you did for her.” Dominic was surprised that Fred knew this much. The servants hurried over, but the old man waved them off. "Fine, I'll go with you, but I won’t promise that I’ll be able to save her."

Not buying this, Fred chuckled. "We all know how amazing your skills are.

Besides, I'm sure you’ll do your best for your beloved student." He gestured with the gun. "Let's get going then. We shouldn’t waste any more time."

And thus, after so many years, Dominic finally left the estate and got into his car.

The two vehicles then set off.

… As the sky darkened, a car maneuvered through a narrow alley. The car made several more turns before finally entering the gates of Alex’s house. The gates immediately closed behind the car heading to the parking lot.

The second the car came to a stop, Alexander, Edward, and Mike approached.

There was no one else besides them. The car door then opened, and Ross stepped out.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2268 -"Your Highness!" Taking a step nearer, Alexander offered to shake his hand.

Ross gave him a deep look and shook it.

"This way, please!" They led the prince inside the house and proceeded to the study room. Closing the door, Alexander turned on the surveillance system and sat down with others.

He then poured them each a cup of coffee. They were quiet for a moment.

"I'm sorry you have to come here, Your Highness," Alexander said.

"Don't be." Ross shook his head. "Although I'm a prince, I've been through all kinds of hardship before. Besides, you've got a nice house."

He glanced around and nodded approvingly.

"I'm glad you like it. You'll have to stay here for a couple of days," Alexander said.

Remembering something, he gestured at Mike and said, "This is Mike. You guys spoke on the phone."

"Oh, it was you." Catching on, Ross nodded. "I'd like to thank you. If you hadn't warned me, I might have fallen into her trap."

"Don't mention it, Your Highness," Mike waved no. "I'm just doing my part."

"Well, I really appreciate it."

Nodding, Ross looked excited, although he was a bit tired.

He left the embassy early today and switched cars after leaving Kingsland. He then made several detours and returned to Kingsland.

Thinking he was hypnotized, Fred must have assumed he left the city.

"I'm quite curious. How did you know that they would try to control me?" No longer putting on airs as he did when he first met Alexander, Ross had become much friendlier.

Exchanging a glance with others, Mike said, "If you must know, it's because it happened to me before."

"Oh, you told me over the phone that Rhea tried in vain to control you through hypnosis and some drugs. Why were you so afraid that it would work on me?"

Ross was puzzled.

Mike said, "I wake up easily, so it's difficult to hypnotize me, not to mention that I was on guard. Therefore, I couldn't say for sure that her drug wasn't practical.

“Whatever it is, it's better to take precautions. Fortunately, you decided to work with us. If you hadn't told us about Rhea, we wouldn't have anticipated it."

"Well, I was curious what was a woman from Hyderland doing in the embassy. I had to be careful." He nodded, pensive.

In the beginning, he didn't trust Alexander and others completely. He only noticed Fred was acting strange after returning to the embassy.

Although he didn't find anything unusual in the embassy, the people there looked anxious, as if hiding some crucial secrets from him.

As most of them worked for Fred, he couldn't determine what was wrong.

When he realized Rhea was trying to hypnotize him, he decided to play along.

He pretended to leave the city to see what Fred would do.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2269-“Now that Fred thinks you’ve left Kingsland, he’s likely to make a move soon,” Alexander said as he placed his hands on the coffee table. "He did nothing before this. Although Lily would be safe for a while, we couldn't do anything for her. As long as he does something, I'm sure we'll be able to locate her."

He could only wish that things would happen the way he wanted.

Ross said as he raised a brow, "I'm curious. Why the hell are they holding your wife captive?

"So that the queen can live on forever?" Alexander shrugged.

"And how would that be possible?"

"We feel the same way, but some believe in the experiment." Alexander sighed.

'It's a difficult position for the prince to be in, isn't it?' he pondered, 'On the one hand, he doesn't want anything bad to happen to his mother. On the other, if the queen truly lives forever, how will he deal with it? He’ll grow old while his mother stays young and continues to rule the country till the day he dies.’ Mike asked worriedly, "Your Highness, Rhea hasn't discovered you've been deceiving her, right?"

"I doubt it." Ross shook his head. "I've never been this obedient to anyone before."

He was right. Rhea would never suspect that the prince was just playing along.

"She even wants me to report my whereabouts and send her a location update daily." He turned to Alexander. "Can you do something about that?"

Giving him an okay sign, Alexander said, "Don't worry, we can take care of that using a computer."

Changing IP addresses and geolocations was simple. As for video calls, they could just set up a background when Ross talked to Rhea.

"I have a question." Ross scanned their faces. "If Fred did all this for my mom, why must he hide her?"

The trio was surprised like the others, and Mike asked, "Perhaps Her Majesty doesn’t want to see you, so she told Fred to lie that she went missing?"

"I don't think so." Ross shook his head. "She could’ve just told me she had stuff to do and instructed me to return to Yudonia. There's no need for so much drama."

The others thought he was right, but they could not come up with any better explanation.

Edward then cleared his throat. He hesitated about whether to speak up since it was not his place.

Glancing at him, Alexander said, "Just speak your mind. This is my assistant and friend, Edward Sullivan."

Edward was touched. Although he knew Alexander treated him as a friend, he appreciated being mentioned as one in front of an important guest.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2270 -"Your Highness, I think the duke didn’t do all these for the queen, at least not entirely," Edward said seriously.

"Oh?" Ross asked curiously, "What makes you think that?"

"I spent some time in the lab and suffered at their creation. Fred did all this for something even more ambitious than achieving eternal life." After a pause, he continued, "If it's just for eternal life, they wouldn’t have to conduct experiments besides R20. Besides…"

Edward then looked toward Mike and said, "As Mr. Corden is also aware, there are many poisonous plants and drugs in the lab, and they wouldn't be useful in achieving eternal life. That's why I say he isn’t doing this just for the queen."

Ross nodded thoughtfully, thinking that what Edward said made sense. "It does add up, but why would Fred want to conduct the experiments in Hyderland where the risks are much higher? Why choose here?"

If it was true Fred was doing this behind the queen's back, he could have done it in Yudonia, where it was more convenient. After all, he was a duke and the queen's favorite, so it would be easier to conduct his experiments there.

"Forgive me for being blunt," Alexander said, "but how do you know that he hasn't conducted these experiments in your country, Your Highness?"

Ross was shocked.

"You weren't even aware of what Fred was doing behind your back. How can you be sure he hasn't been running similar labs in Yudonia?"

Ross's face stiffened. However, on second thought, he knew Alexander was right. Perhaps there were similar labs in Yudonia, and he did not know about them. Thinking this, he felt a chill down his spine.

"I must make a call and have this looked into!"

Just as Ross picked up his phone, Alexander stopped him. "You can't, Your Highness. Don't forget that according to your itinerary, you're supposed to have reached Eldermere."

Ross caught himself. 'That's right… I'm supposed to act like someone under Fred's control. If I call anyone in Yudonia and the word gets out, all our efforts will go to waste.' Lowering his phone, Ross could hardly contain his anger. "What the hell is Fred up to?"

"All we know is that he's up to no good."

At this moment, there was a knock on the door, and everyone quieted down.

Austin's voice reached them, "Are you in there, Alex? My granduncle was kidnapped!"

Stunned, Alexander leaped to his feet and said, "I'll be right back." He hurried to the door and opened it. "What did you say?"