โY-Youโre up?โ Melanie forced a smile.โYouโre going to get what you deserve.โHis words washed away all of her humiliation as she looked at him with wide and gleaming eyes. โReally?โโOf course!โ He lowered his head and planted a kiss on her forehead. โTake a shower and get dressed up. Iโm taking you somewhere later.โโWhere are we going?โ Upon hearing what he said, she suddenly felt energized.โDidnโt you want to learn how to become a star perfumer? Then, you shouldnโt ask anything and just do as I say.โFinally, he stood up and withdrew his arms. When he looked down at Melanie, she felt immense pressure and was at a loss for words. Even though he was right, it made her feel like she was an item for which he could set a price as he wished. It made her uncomfortable, but when she thought about it, she would give him what he wanted in exchange for her dreams. That was how a deal worked.He would find it amusing if she suddenly became concerned about her pride, given that she w
After deleting all the messages, Melanie went downstairs happily and saw a very cool Wrangler at the hotel entrance. She was excited, especially when Frank was sitting in the car waiting for her. Thinking that someone of his stature was coming to pick her up like this, she felt that her own stature had gone up. โWhere did this car come from? I remember that the company didnโt book this car.โ She suppressed her little excitement and asked smilingly.โThat little company of yours?โ Frankโs words were full of disdain.Melanie did not mind that. To her, MN Inc. was indeed insignificant. It was a pity nonetheless. After all, in the beginning, she was determined to expand it into a listed company, but now she had given up.Naturally, someone with Frank's worth and status would look down on MN Inc. โHmm.โ She nodded.Frank said, โTo be honest, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't ride in your companyโs car from the airport.โWho knew how much truth there was in Frankโs words? Still, Mel
โI donโt know.โJenny changed her question, โHmm. Do you know what scent you want?โโI canโt describe it.โ Although Lilyโs answers were unreliable, Jenny could probably understand them. Nonetheless, this was something she could not help Lily with.The car from the base arrived not long after. However, it was not the young man who picked them up initially. The person who arrived was more enthusiastic, โAre you tired? I didn't expect you to go so far out and for so long. Generally, those who come here usually stay for an hour at most.โWe have all the best samples. We pick and ship out flowers on the same day, and we even update the samples daily, so you donโt have to worry about the flowers not being fresh, affecting your judgment. You can just tell us what youโre looking for,โ the driver enthusiastically spoke while driving.Lily quietly looked at the flowers by the nursery. The natural fragrances filled the air as several scents mixed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breat
โYouโฆโ Melanie was stunned and was just about to lash out. Frank beside her reached out to block her, โMel, this must be Lily Christian that youโve mentioned before.โMelanie was stunned for a moment, then nodded, "Yes, itโs her."โMs. Christian, removing an ingredient from the essential oil formula and maintaining the rest may not seem much, but the results were completely different,โ Frank paused and said slowly, "Youโre quite smart."Lily raised her eyebrows, looked at him, and suddenly realized, "Are you the one Nathaniel brought in to help?"No wonder Nathaniel stopped worrying all of a sudden. According to the news from Sapphine, MN Inc.โs factory had re-opened and resumed production. That must mean that Nathaniel solved the essential oil formula issue.Of course, Lily knew MN Inc. could not solve the problem with the existing staff, so Nathaniel must have hired external aid. Nonetheless, Lily had been in Middle Valley over the past few days and had been too busy to consider
Melanie did not expect Jenny to fire back. Additionally, Lily did nothing but stand there, depriving Melanie of any satisfaction.Melanie became increasingly furious and said, โYou think Rebirth is so great? It is just a little subsidiary of La Beautรฉ, not any better than MN Inc. Besides, no one can compare to Mr. Moreau, even in La Beautรฉ.โLily noticed Melanie was holding Frankโs arm as she spoke proudly.โAll right, Mel, letโs not waste time here. We should focus on what we came here for.โ Frank did not take part in their quarrel, but his words showed contempt and disdain.โYouโre right. Let's go! It even smells bad here.โ Melanie waved her hand and covered her nose as they walked away, as if she genuinely smelled something. Jenny was dumbfounded at Melanieโs act, and she said to Lily, โWhat a weirdo. Sheโs the one that started the smear campaign, yet sheโs acting all high and mighty. Lily, howโd you even become friends with her?โYes, how could she be friends with such a per
Jenny was quite dehydrated, and it took a large glass of water to restore her strength.โThe fame of this place is well deserved. Thereโs a wide variety of flowers, and the fragrance is very pure.โโIโll write down the types and quantities that I need first. What about a 20 percent price cut from what you originally proposed?โ Jenny skillfully haggled the price while motioning with her hand that she wanted a discount.The seller was reluctant, โT-That price is a little low. The most we can give you is a 10 percent discount. You should know that this is the best deal youโd find.โ โFrankly speaking, this is not the lowest price on the market, but I took a liking to the product you have here. Weโre all seeking a long-term connection, and you should give us a little extra margin to earn, right?โAfter a brief pause, Jenny added, โWe didnโt specifically make this trip to look for suppliers, as you know. I could easily hand over the purchase list to my company, and our procurement depa
โLetโs have a look.โ Lily felt interested in it.When they stepped inside, they saw several red sandalwood containers. At first sight, there were little differences from the standard. There were many fake sandalwood on the market, but the ones here seemed very good at first glance. However, they were still not very rare.โWhatโs so special about it?โ Jenny leaned closer to look at the leaves and sniffed them a few times.โYou are the experts. Why donโt you look at it yourself?โ Ben, who seemed like a simple and honest guy, said with a smile.Lily took a closer look and reached out to pluck some leaves. A bit of sap dripped from the broken stem as a unique smell overflowed. She smelled the leaf and touched the branch. She could see that a part of the branch was clefted. โYou guys performed grafting?โโMiss, you have a good eye. Youโre the first one among those who came to see this sandalwood who noticed this.โ Ben gave her a thumbs up.โGrafting? What plant did you graft it with
โI-Iโm afraid I canโt sell it to you. As you know, this is not easy to cultivate. We have spent much time and effort on these. Also, we do not have them in large quantities, so theyโre not suitable for purchase.โ Ben refused.โI donโt need a large quantity. I only need half of what you have here. I want the other half, too, but I will leave the rest for now since I will need you to take good care of them. Still, youโre not allowed to sell these to others.โโIโm terribly sorry, but we canโt do that.โ Ben still refused and said in embarrassment.โJust name your price,โ Jenny said. She saw Lilyโs persistence and figured out that she must have a use for them. In addition, grafted red sandalwood was indeed rare. It would be helpful if they could obtain all of them. However, the price would likely be on the higher end.โI-Itโs not about money. We put much effort into these, but theyโre still incomplete. We are still trying toโฆโโYou can continue your experiment on the remaining half. I
Lily tilted her head up to fight back her tears, saying, โThereโs something I find strange.โโWhat is it?โ Mike asked after comforting his son.โInstead of detaining Prince Ross, Her Majesty has sent him back to Yudonia. If so, why couldnโt we reach him?โAfter some thought, Mike answered, โThere are two possibilities. Itโs probably due to poor signals, or he doesnโt want us to contact him.โThe two shared a look, knowing what each other was wondering.โWhy canโt we contact Ross? Is he planning something?โโฆThree days later, Lily inserted the last needle into the queenโs leg and looked up at her, saying, โYou should start feeling your legs tomorrow. Still, itโll take some time before you can stand.โSuddenly, Lily chuckled.โWhy are you laughing?โ 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, โOf course, you wouldnโt.โโThatโsโฆ quite a pity,โ the queen murmured thoughtfully.โWell, thereโs a price to pay for everything. Thatโs how the world balances itself,โ Lily continued, โI canโt stop you if you must carry on with R10. Still, I wonโt witness whether or not it succeeds. I just wish the outcome isnโt something youโll regret.โLily 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 Yasminโs legs. โYour Majesty, those needlesโโThe queen waved dismissively. โItโs okay. Lily will remove them later.โEven so, Rick was wary. โYouโre being too careless, Your Majesty. What if that womanโโโShe wouldnโt,โ 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.โTell me. What do you want?โ The queen took a deep breath to calm herself. She then reminded herself that she could always say no to Lilyโs 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 donโt 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 wasnโt sure if youโd blame him, but he did rescue me once. If I don't do anything, it would be ungrateful of me," Lily said gently, "Also, didnโt 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.โThatโs it?!โ 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.โI havenโt felt my legs for over a decade. I wouldnโt mind waiting for three more days.โโAre you sure I can get up and walk in just three days?โ 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, โI canโt guarantee that youโll walk as fast as you once could. After all, you havenโt used your legs for a long time, and your muscles have atrophied. Still, youโll recover slowly.โYasmin nodded repeatedly, thinking it was good enough. She never dreamed of walking as well a
โBecause only our opinions matter." Lily thought of something and said, "Unless you choose to believe Rhea.""Iโฆ don't trust anyone." Yasminโs 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? Youโve done enough as a queen over the last few decades. Arenโt you tired of living a lonely life?โLily gently spoke as she gazed at Yasminโs back.The older woman caressed her knees with both hands and stared down at her legs, murmuring, โSightsee, huh? Iโve forgotten what thatโs like.โYasmin 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 Lilyโs suggestion.Lily asked, โWhat 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 couldnโt 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 whoโs willing to die for him. If Mike decides to take drastic action against youโ Yes, you're a queen, and you don't care much about an insignificant businessman.โHowever, 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?""Youโฆ" 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, โBring Lily over. Iโd like to see what excuses that sly woman can come up with.โ"Your Majesty?" Rick was puzzled. "You know she'll just lie to you. Why must youโ"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, โHer Majesty wants to see you.โLily 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. โYou stay.โ"But we came together!" Mike glanced over his shoulder at Lily, signaling her to persuade the man. Rick added, "The queen doesnโt 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 queenโs 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, โIf any of you go with her, they might stop or suspect you. They wonโt do that to me. Itโs natural for me to want to see and rescue my son. Iโm the best candidate because it makes sense for me to sacrifice myself for him.โAfter a short silence, Lily said, โYouโre right.โ She then looked at Alexander, who pondered before slowly raising his head and saying, โMe too.โDominic 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, โThanks, you guys!โ"Why are you thanking us? Just be careful, and donโt be rash like you promised," Aust