Ch. 2391..2400

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2391-Rick had been waiting outside while Yasmin talked to Fred. The former lowered his gaze and went over to help Yasmin push her wheelchair. The queen remained silent until they entered the elevator.

Rick muttered, “Prince Ross wishes to see you, Your Majesty."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. Rick knew what she meant and stopped telling her about it.

As Yasmin gazed at the elevator's floor indicator above, she suddenly said, "Okay."

"Your Majesty?"

"Bring him to see me." The elevator opened, and she wheeled herself out of the elevator.

Rick gathered his thoughts and pressed a floor button. A while later, he brought Ross to the queen's room. Rick then gently knocked on it and found that it was unlocked.

"Let him in," Yasmin's impassive voice came from inside.

Rick made way for the prince and saluted him.

Ross marched in anxiously. "Mom…"

"Where are your manners?!" She raised her voice solemnly.

Hesitating for a moment, the prince knelt on one knee and bowed. "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Stand," she said, turning her wheelchair around to face him.

Looking up at her, Ross thought his mother seemed to look older in just two days. Not only there were more wrinkles on her face, but she also looked haggard. He got up and took a step closer. "Mother."

Standing at the doorway, Rick leaned slightly forward, ready for anything.

"Rick, leave us," Yasmin said.

Torn between his duty to protect the queen and the need to obey her command, Rick looked at her intensely. When he saw her frown, he hesitantly stepped outside. However, he left the door open, not wanting Yasmin to put herself in danger again.

"I'm sorry, Mother," Ross apologized sincerely. Since he had worried about her over the past two days, he could not forgive himself if anything were to happen to her.

Although Rick had told him she was fine, Ross could not help but feel uneasy.

"Now you're sorry? After all the terrible things you said to me?"

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2392 -Yasmin snorted. However, as Ross was her son, she felt less angry after hearing his apology.

Ross lowered his head and said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things."

"Are you really?" Yasmin raised her brow at him. "Look me in the eyes."

He slowly looked at her, and they gazed at each other quietly. Yasmin narrowed her eyes and chuckled. "Ross, your eyes tell me you're insincere."

She knew her son best and that he only apologized lest he upset her. However, Yasmin's mindset changed after she passed out last time. Whenever she spoke to Dominic or Fred, her perspective would shift as well.

"Ross, you've been in Hyderland for a long time, so I can understand why Hylanders can influence you," she murmured, "But have you ever wondered if they might be using you?"

Ross stared at her in disbelief. "Mother, I wasn't born yesterday. I have good judgment."

If not for his mother's health, his retort would have been much harsher.

'How can she say such a thing? Does she genuinely think I'm so stupid and that others can easily manipulate me?' "I know you weren't born yesterday, but you're too sentimental and easily blinded by emotions," Yasmin sighed and muttered, "That's one of the reasons I haven't passed the throne to you."

Ross fell silent, not expecting her to bring that up. He had once looked forward to becoming the king, but after many years, he gradually stopped hoping.

Perhaps it would only happen after Yasmin reached a hundred. Perhaps he would even die before her.

Having a good family, he did not mind being a prince for the rest of his life. Now that Yasmin had brought it up, Ross could not help but say, "Mother, have you successfully avoided manipulation your whole life?"

The queen fell silent as she recalled her past mistakes. She had chosen to forget about them as they were negligible compared to her achievements over the decades. Still, she felt embarrassed when Ross mentioned it.

Yasmin said grimly, "Is that how you talk to me?"

Budging, unlike last time, Ross said, "I'm sorry, Mother. I shouldn't have said that. I'm just saying that it might…or might not be my fault."

She looked less angry but still felt upset. Yasmin closed her eyes with a sign and adjusted her breathing before saying, "You look gentle but are stubborn as a mule."

Ross chuckled. "Aren't you the same? An apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?"

"Do you know that Hyderland is also conducting this experiment?" she suddenly asked.

Ross was stunned.

'You didn't know, huh?" Yasmin opened her eyes and looked at him knowingly.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2393-"No, I didn't." Ross was unusually calm.

Yasmin snorted. "Of course not. They wouldn't let you in on such a classified matter, would they?"

"Then how did you find out about it?" he asked calmly.

Yasmin looked away and gently cleared her throat, saying, "I have my ways. Do not doubt my words. They're the truth."

"I don't," Ross said casually, "I'm just curious since you said it's classified. Of course, you may claim you have spies, but think about it. You've been conducting this research for years. How many people know about it?"

Ross steadily continued, "Or do you think you've done a better job at keeping secrets than the Hyderland government?"

His series of questions stumped the queen. "Ross, you—"

Ross gently interjected, "Please don't get upset. You know I'm making sense, don't you?"

He had done some soul-searching over the past few days and concluded that talking back at his mother would not work. Since Yasmin had grown accustomed to giving orders all these years, she would instinctively refute any differing opinions.

Worse, she would stop listening to what others said. Therefore, Ross had to communicate with her in ways that she could accept.

Yasmin's expression stiffened. It was evident she was upset. Although Ross did not shout at her like last time, she could make no retorts. Yasmin had to admit she had no proof—except Fred's claims—to back up what she said.

The duke's words had struck a chord with her. Not only did she think it made sense, but the queen also felt she needed to continue the experiment.

Therefore, she chose to believe it without investigating the truth.

"Ross, you've even learned to talk in circles like the Hylanders," Yasmin said meaningfully instead of losing her temper.

Surprisingly, Ross did not get upset. He took a step nearer and slowly knelt on one knee.

Stunned, Yasmin looked on as he gently placed his hand on her knees and gazed up at her. Ross then muttered gently, "Mom, I'm lucky to have you around, especially at my age.”

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2394-As Ross seldom behaved like this, Yasmin stared at him, not knowing how to react.

"Mom, I know you're scared too. You're scared of aging and death, and you're worried because there are many things you haven't finished yet. I know you want to continue the experiment not just to live forever but because you have many things you want to do for the country."

Yasmin fought back her tears upon hearing this.

“I know you've been exhausted all these years. Whenever I get home late and walk past your room, I can hear you pacing around inside. You've shouldered everything, and I wish to share your burden, but…"

Ross did not continue. Although he meant well, he did not want his mother to think he wanted her power. The truth was that he just did not want her to tire herself out at her age.

"You shouldn't bend over backward so much," Ross thoughtfully spoke as he patted the back of Yasmin's hand, "You've worked so hard for so many years.

Are you going to carry on forever?"

Yasmin hesitated for a long while before saying huskily, "Ross, do you…want the throne?"

She stared at her son profoundly. She had wondered about it for a very long time but had never voiced it out. Now, she could not help but ask him that.

Ross did not avoid the question—instead, he looked into her eyes and nodded.

"I did. I'd be lying if I said I didn't. I wanted to be king since the day I was old enough to enter politics, but I've changed my mind."

He earnestly smiled as he spoke. Even so, Yasmin was still skeptical. "Really?"

"Of course," Ross continued, "I'm your son and second only to you in Yudonia. It doesn't matter much whether I'm a prince or a king. Besides, you've run the country exceptionally well."

He gently held her hand and said with a half-smile, "The country has developed well over these years. I think it doesn't matter who the ruler is as long as it will be good for the country and people."

Yasmin grew emotional and nodded sharply. She was overwhelmed with a mix of feelings, not expecting her son to say such things to her. "Ross, I.."

"It's okay, Mom. I understand. Regardless of what the rumors say about you, you're my mom, and I know what kind of person you are," Ross slowly continued, "You should also know what kind of person I am.

"If you think you can cope, then you should continue ruling the country.

However, I hope you'll reconsider the experiment."

Yasmin's smile froze.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2395-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 her of a distant past she had almost forgotten.

Yasmin was just a nervous young lady when she had just become the queen.

Her father, the former ruler, gently put her hand on the scepter that symbolized power. He asked warmly, "Do you know what this is?"

"It's the scepter, Father!" Yasmin's teenage voice sounded crisp.

However, her father shook his head. "No, this is responsibility. By taking it, you will be responsible for the Yudonians' fate. You must protect and care for them so that they can live better lives."

Yasmin realized how important her job was at that time. After being on the throne for so long, she had forgotten many things and had grown so accustomed to being a queen that she could not let go of her power. She wanted to rule the country forever.

'What did I want to do back then?' Yasmin pondered as she gazed out of the window. A withered leaf then fell off a tree branch after being blown by the wind.

For Lily, the only good thing about Yasmin taking charge was that she had more freedom now. At least Lily could walk around freely on that floor. She could not have asked for more after being held captive for so long.

Of course, she knew Yasmin would never let her go. Having invested so much into the experiment, it was nearly impossible that the queen would give up so easily.

Nonetheless, it did not take long for Lily to locate Nick's room.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2396-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 higherups 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, remember?"

Nick slowly relaxed. "Lily…"

Lily caressed his head and led him aside to sit down before examining him.

"Have they mistreated you?"

Nick shook his head slightly.

Lily thought he might not even know what mistreatment meant.

"I mean, did they beat or scold you? Did they bully you?" Although she could not see any injuries on him, he might have been traumatized. After all, Nick was not as lively as before, and his eyes were dull.

Nick shook his head again quietly. Although he was no longer talkative, he was as sharp as his father. Still, he was now tense and highly guarded.

Lily knew a child like him should not behave like that. She caressed his head again and continued, "All right, did you know where you were before this?"

Nick nodded and asked, "My dad…will rescue us, right?"

Caught off guard, Lily took a deep breath. "You know they're all bad guys, huh?"

Nick nodded again. "Did they catch you as well? Aren't you good at fighting?

Why did you let them take you? Also."

After a pause, he looked at Lily's stomach in puzzlement. “Where's your baby?"

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2397 -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 give up now? My children need me while Mike is still waiting for Nicky's return,' she thought.

"I believe you, Lily." Nick let out a faint smile.

After leaving the room, Lily told the guard, "I'd like to see Her Majesty."

The man then led her to Yasmin's room. When the queen saw Lily, she asked, "Have you come here to tell me to give up on the experiment?"

Yasmin knew Lily's every move, including her visitation to Nick's room just now.

Therefore, the queen knew Lily's reason for coming over.

"No, I just want to go to the lab." Lily shook her head.

"You want to go to the lab? For what?" Yasmin asked, widening her eyes in surprise.

"I want to refine R10. I want to see if I can increase its success rate or change its nature," Lily said thoughtfully.

The queen was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Fred proposed the experiment, right? I only had the formula initially, but I didn't know what the experiment was for because he, or should I say you, kept it from me and everyone else."

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Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2398-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 considering stimulating cell activity and regenerating cells. That way, there will be no need for complex and risky surgery like transplantation, and we still can achieve what you want."

"Really?" Yasmin eagerly asked, tempted by Lily's explanation.

She was not as eager as she was now when Fred first mentioned the experiment. Although Yasmin longed for it, she was still hesitant, too. Firstly, the experiment was inhumane as it involved sacrificing another person. Secondly, it was highly risky.

Although she did not fully understand what Lily said about cell regeneration, Yasmin knew she would not have to swap bodies with anyone.

She also would not need to go through endless surgeries to prolong her life. Not only might she regain her youth through cell regeneration, but she also did not have to explain swapping bodies to her people.

"Well, I can't guarantee it'll work, but it's feasible," Lily said seriously. She knew she could not make such a promise, but the less confident she sounded, the more Yasmin would believe her.

If Lily promised to make it work, the queen would only think it was an excuse to save Nick and herself. After some hesitation, Yasmin asked, "Then… How much time do you need?"

"Six months or longer," Lily answered truthfully. Since she had to redo everything, it would take time.

The excitement in Yasmin's eyes gradually faded as she mumbled, "I'm running out of time."

She had waited long enough for R10, and she knew she might not even be around for another six months.

After some thought, Lily said, “Perhaps you can let me try? There's no harm in exploring another option, right?"

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2399 -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 are you okay with letting him go, Your Majesty?"

The queen fell silent. Deep down, she was reluctant because she had seen how excellent the miracle doctor was. Without relying on any equipment, he was able to pinpoint Yasmin's condition by just taking her wrist pulse.

Furthermore, he had also saved her once, making the queen want to bring him back to Yudonia to be her personal physician. Still, she knew what Dominic was like after spending some time with him.

If she were to force him to stay, he might even kill himself than help her.

After some consideration, Yasmin nodded. "Well, I respect that old man's decision on whether or not he wants to stay."

Lily nodded. "Then I'll go say goodbye to him before I begin the new experiment."

"Okay." Seeing Lily leave, she called out to her, "Lily! Despite the circumstances, I do treat and trust you as a friend. I hope you won't let me down. Do you understand?"

Lily nodded. "I do."

'As the ruler of her country, Queen Yasmin wouldn't trust anyone easily, especially after what Fred did. If I were to deceive her…' Lily looked at the queen deeply before leaving. However, she did deceive Yasmin. The so-called new idea was just something Lily had made up.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2400 -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 continued, "Do you think I want to die? Do you think I don't want to leave? You know how hard I've been trying to leave, right?"

Dominic looked upset but said nothing.

"I have to stay, but not you." Lily looked over her shoulder at him.

"Yasmin is willing to set you free.Why won't you seize the opportunity? I would’ve left without you if she let me."

"You…"

Although Dominic knew she was exaggerating, he could not help but glare at her.

"Little brat!"

"You should leave as soon as possible."

Lily dropped her teasing smile and said thoughtfully, "She might change her mind, you know.You can still try to rescue me when you're outside.

"Besides, you know the situation here.Yasmin only agreed because she's grateful to you.If she stops being so merciful, she won't let you go so quickly.Dominic knew she was right.They had to walk on eggshells around Yasmin because she was unpredictable.

Although Dominic’s words had impacted Yasmin, she still refused to give up.

It showed how obsessed Yasmin was with achieving immortality.

Still, Dominic disliked the idea of leaving Lily behind.

"Lily—"

Lily interrupted, "I know what you're thinking, old man, but it's different now.I'm trying my best to buy time."

After a pause, she said, "I need you to help me with something when you get out."

"Hmm?"

Dominic looked at her, puzzled.

Lily whispered something, and his eyes grew wide.

"Will it work?"

Lily nodded.

"I think so."