As the guards stopped Rhea at the stairwell, she looked down the empty hallway and composed herself. "I have something important to tell Her Majesty. Please pass her my message; otherwise, you will all pay for this. It's about the experiment." Rhea's tone was arrogant, a reflection of her belief that she now worked for the queen.

The guards remained impassive. One said, "Her Majesty says no one is to disturb her."

Sensing something was amiss, Rhea tried to peer inside, but the guards restrained her. She frowned. "Is Her Majesty resting, or has she gone elsewhere?"

"We can't tell you that."

Feeling helpless, yet knowing she couldn't force her way in, Rhea considered her options. Although Yasmin had permitted her to use the laboratory, it didn't signify equal treatment. Moreover, it was unusual for the queen to allow Lily to conduct her experiment under these circumstances.

Frustrated, Rhea swallowed her anger and headed for the elevator. After a few steps, she paused, turning back to the guards. "Hey, if Her Majesty isn't around, can I see Rick? Tell him I have something important and urgent to discuss." She affected a hurried demeanor.

The guards exchanged hesitant glances.

"I'm not kidding," she emphasized.

The guards remained motionless. "Rick isn't here either. You'll have to wait."

"He's not around, either?" Rhea was surprised. Rick rarely left Yasmin's side; they likely left together. She wondered what could possibly be more important than the experiment—wasn't it the queen's top priority?

As she walked, a thought struck her: the experiment might not be Yasmin's top priority. Rhea realized the queen primarily cared about R10. For an elderly person like Yasmin, the allure of abilities like invisibility paled in comparison to immortality. That was why she favored Lily over Rhea.

Rhea found the pursuit of immortality absurd, despite her enjoyment of experimentation and the difficulties inherent in achieving it.

Abruptly, Rhea turned. "Did Her Majesty go to the lab?"

The guards didn't answer, but a brief hesitation confirmed her suspicion. 'So she went to the lab, yet I didn't see her on my way here. She either went to another lab or used a different passage. Why go to the lab now? And why is she keeping it from everyone? Wait a minute! Probably not everyone, but just me?'