Fred stopped and looked at Rhea solemnly. He told her to follow him and turned to leave. Rhea hurried after him, glancing over her shoulder at the others with a feeling of unease.

Instead of leaving the building, Fred led her into an office and pointed his chin at the door. "Close it," he commanded. Rhea quickly obeyed and turned to see him sitting down. Fred lit a cigarette, took a puff, and looked at her with narrowed eyes. "You wanted to tell me about the invisibility potion?"

Rhea nodded. "Yes, Your Grace. Mike said I should have the formula in two days. It's not that I don't want to stay in the lab, but I'm afraid of missing crucial updates."

"Your phone is with me," Fred tapped the desk indifferently. "If there are any updates, I'll tell you immediately."

"But..." Rhea noticed his warning expression and said carefully, "Only I can control Mike. If anyone else answers his calls, it might compromise the hypnosis." She continued, "If he wakes up, we won't get the formula."

"Is that an excuse to threaten me, Rhea?" Fred snorted. He had anticipated this from the beginning; he believed her claim about the hypnotic drug's imperfections was merely leverage.

"No, I'm not," Rhea quickly explained. "Even though I'm the only one who can control him, I still obey your instructions. What I've done is entirely for your interests and the project."

"So if I don't let you leave the lab, you won't be able to help me obtain the formula?"

Rhea looked troubled as she nodded. "You could say that."

"Then I don't want it," Fred said decisively, standing up. "Return to the lab immediately and stay there with the others. We'll discuss everything else after the experiment." Rhea was shocked; not even the invisibility potion could change his mind.

"Your Grace..." Rhea called out, taking a step closer. "Is R10 really that important? Even more so than other research?" She couldn't understand his anxiety. Even if successful, the queen would benefit. If he truly cared about the queen, he wouldn't have detained her.

"Yes, it is!" Fred left without looking back.

Speechless, Rhea knew she would never learn the reason from him. Soon, someone escorted her back to the laboratory. The others thought the Duke had shown her special treatment by letting her leave with him, but they gloated upon her return. Rhea knew they were laughing at her, but she ignored them.