"You're..." Ross remained dazed.

Rhea gazed into his eyes, rhythmically flicking the bottle. "I'm Rhea, your friend and master."

"My friend and my master?" Ross frowned, feeling uncomfortable.

"Yes, I'm your friend and master. Do you remember who you are?" Rhea asked.

"I'm Ross, the Yudonian prince," he replied, puzzled by Rhea's identity despite recalling his own.

Rhea nodded. "That's right. You're the prince. What are you doing in Hyderland?"

"I came to Hyderland to look for my mother, the queen," he answered cooperatively.

Rhea was surprised; she hadn't known the queen was also in Hyderland. Interacting with the prince already felt incredible. Holding her breath, she patiently asked, "Why are you looking for her? Has something happened to Her Majesty?"

"I don't know. My mother has been missing for a few days," Ross said, shaking his head in confusion. "My mom is missing!"

"The queen is missing?!" Rhea exclaimed, quickly covering her mouth. "So, have you found her yet?"

"No," Ross shook his head.

Rhea was almost certain her hypnotism had worked. The success with Prince Ross, unlike her previous experiment with Mike, validated her research. Otherwise, his cooperation would be inexplicable. Remaining calm, she continued, "So what have you asked Fred to do?"

"I want him to look for my mom," Ross replied. "I must tell him to leave now."

He reached for his phone, but Rhea stopped him. "No, you can't."

Confusion clouded his face. He wanted to contact Fred, yet he felt compelled to obey Rhea's commands within the hypnotic state. The conflict distressed him.

"I want to make him leave to find Mom. No, I can't," he muttered, seemingly trying to reconcile conflicting desires.

Rhea looked at him. "Your plan has changed. Fred must stay here; he has many important things to do. You should look for the queen instead."

"Me?" Ross pointed at himself, frowning in disbelief.