Lily barely had time with the Queen before Fred's return. He disregarded the Queen, striding into the outhouse before heading toward the bedroom.

"Fred!" the Queen exclaimed, "Stop!"

Ignoring her, Fred opened the bedroom door.

"Fred..."

"Just as I thought," Fred sneered, spotting Lily. He started to pull her up, then hesitated, drawing back his hand. "Do you think you can escape by hiding here?"

"Escape? Why would I?" Lily raised an eyebrow.

"You better be telling the truth! There's no escape, understand?" Fred said coldly. "Follow me!"

"Why should I?" Lily remained indifferent.

"Don't you want your children? Don't you care about their lives?" Fred threatened.

Lily shook her head. "Well, don't you care about your life? Don't forget you've taken—"

"My poison?" Fred chuckled. "I don't give a damn! I know it's not poison. You expect me to believe you could make one under my nose? Please!"

"I tried to warn you," Lily sighed. "You're running out of time."

"Save your concern for your babies."

The babies' cries came from outside. Lily's gaze dropped, her eyelids twitching despite her composure. She still cared.

Fred, believing he'd seen through her, laughed. "So? Are you coming, or will you keep hiding?"

"What difference does it make? You can't relocate me to Yudonia, can you?" Lily feigned sadness, subtly probing. Fred smiled. "Are you sure about that?"

His smile vanished, replaced by a stern expression. The sling on his arm reminded him to keep his distance.

"Let's go!" Fred turned. "If you don't come out in thirty seconds, I'll ensure you won't hear their cries again."

He then addressed the Queen, sneering. "Your Majesty, this is for your own good. You're getting old and prone to mistakes; leave everything to me. You'll see my loyalty when the experiment succeeds."

The Queen looked at him askance. "You show loyalty by imprisoning me and turning others against me?"

"Don't put it that way, Your Majesty. I'm preventing the Hylanders from deceiving you. You know how cunning they are. Those around you are acting for your sake. Remember, we're your subjects, not the Hylanders."