Upon returning to the villa, Dustin began to make the necessary preparations.He had finally gathered all three precious herbs needed. The rest of the supplementary herbs were prepared beforehand. Next, it was time for the most crucial step—producing Sanctifix. "Maximus, I'll be locked up in there for a day. You need to keep watch vigilantly. No one is to enter and bother me," Dustin reminded."Don't worry, Dustin. Not even a fly will be able to enter these doors!" Maximus guaranteed with a confident pat on his chest.Dustin nodded before looking over at Brooke. "Dr. Busch, I'll leave Mr. Shaffer in your hands then. Nothing must happen to him before I come out of the room.""Rest assured. I might not be able to cure Mr. Shaffer, but I'm fully capable of keeping him alive for some time," Brooke assured. "Great. I'll leave things to the both of you then." Dustin gave them simple instructions and wasted no more time on words before entering the makeshift alchemy room.He had all
"Do you smell that, Max?" Brooke seemed to sense something, and he took a deep breath."You mean the herbal scent?" Maximus tilted his head curiously. "It's been there all along, hasn't it? What's wrong?""No, it's different now. It's quite special." Brooke went up to the door of the alchemy room. Then, he crouched down to catch a whiff of the scent wafting out from the gap under the door. He spent most of his time around herbs. Thus, he could easily detect the slightest change in scent.All of a sudden, the door creaked open.Dustin was just about to step out of the room when he spotted Brooke crouching on the ground in a weird position. "Dr. Busch, what's wrong? Are you having a stomachache?" "Uhh …" Brooke smiled sheepishly before quickly reacting. He promptly asked, "Dustin, how is it? Did you succeed in producing Sanctifix?"Dustin sighed and put on a dejected expression when he heard that.At the sight of Dustin in such a state, Brooke froze and paled. "You f-failed?" h
"He's awake! He's awake! Mr. Shaffer's awake!" Brooke was so ecstatic that he cried tears of joy when he saw Cinna open his eyes.It had been ten years. Ten whole years! The person that he'd been watching over had finally come around! It was a pure joy that was simply indescribable."Thank god everything went smoothly." Dustin teared up when he saw Cinna slowly regaining consciousness. He could not contain his happiness.It was as they had expected. Only Sanctifix was able to cure Cinna of his condition. All his efforts had not been in vain."Busch, where am I?" Cinna lay on the bed and looked around in confusion. Then, his gaze rested on Brooke, and he asked raspily, "And ... Why do you look so old?" He sounded like he was in discomfort."Mr. Shaffer, you're in a safe place. You have nothing to worry about. As for what you mentioned about me looking old …" Brooke touched his face and chuckled wryly. "It's been a decade since the last time you saw me. How could I still look th
"What are you doing, Mr. Shaffer? There is no need for such formalities! Please get up!" Dustin quickly helped Cinna up from his knees."Your Highness, it was my mistake for failing to protect you and the Princess Consort. I am ready to receive my punishment!" Tears rolled down Cinna's face."Mr. Shaffer, what are you saying? Had you not risked your life to save me back then, I wouldn't be standing here now!" Dustin consoled him."All of our friends in Valiant Troop are now dead. I'm the only one left. I have failed the Prince and the Princess Consort. I have failed all of you!" Cinna choked up.“Mr. Shaffer, there is no need to blame yourself for what happened. You did your best, and I'm glad to see that you're still alive."I was the one who brought all the trouble upon all of you. I'm the one to be blamed. "Had it not been for me, you would not have laid unconscious for ten years."Had it not been for me, our friends in Valiant Troop would not have died. I am the one who sho
"Donovan Linsor?" Dustin frowned when he heard the name. "That name sounds familiar. Who is he?""You might not be familiar with Donovan Linsor, but I'm sure you know the Prince of Carsonne, Your Highness," Cinna said solemnly."So it was him!" Dustin saw red.The Prince of Carsonne, or Donovan Linsor, was the King's younger brother. He was considered an exceptional among the royals.Ten years ago, Donovan was acknowledged as an outstanding talent with a great strategic vision. But for some reason, he suddenly withdrew from the public eye. And till this day, his whereabouts remained unknown."Mr. Shaffer, are you saying that the Prince of Carsonne had something to do with the assassination back then?" Dustin pressed."I can't say for sure that he had anything to do with it, but he definitely knows something about it," Cinna answered."Oh? Why do you say so?" Dustin narrowed his eyes."The Prince of Carsonne had a close relationship with your father. When we were attacked outs
The most important thing was to find Donovan and ask him about the truth behind what had happened. "Mr. Shaffer, you should rest up since you've just woken up. If there's anything you need, just tell me any time." Dustin helped Cinna lie back on the bed."Your Highness!" Cinna suddenly grabbed Dustin's arm. He said earnestly, "What happened then is all in the past now. Forget about it. "If you continue investigating, it will only put you in danger. I believe the Princess Consort would have wanted you to live your life peacefully!""Mr. Shaffer, this is an unresolved matter that weighs heavily on my heart, and I feel guilty for it. If I do not get to the bottom of it, I shall never find peace," Dustin explained.Seeing the look of determination in his eyes, Cinna could only sigh. He did not say any more. He knew that with Dustin's stubborn personality, he would never back down on something when his heart was already set on it."Mr. Shaffer, all you need to do now is to rest well
Dustin showed no sign of joy after getting a definite answer from the woman. Instead, he looked gloomy. The person in Aylka must have only agreed because she was certain she had ways to get the information he needed.But somehow, he just had a nagging feeling that there was something odd about the whole thing. The closer he got to the bottom of things, the more uneasy he felt.He didn't even know what was the source of this unsettling feeling. It felt like intuition, but then again, maybe he was just overthinking things."Forget it. I'll work things out as they come." Dustin shook his head and did away with these troubling thoughts. Just as he was about to return to his room for a rest, his phone rang. It was a call from Lana."Hello, Ms. Camron. Is anything the matter?" Dustin looked around and noticed that the sun was already setting."Ms. Camron? Haha! I'm sorry, you guessed wrong." Suddenly, a raspy voice could be heard through the phone."What?" Dustin's brows furrowed i
Dustin had just gotten out of his car when he was blocked by two men with full tattoo sleeves."I'm here to meet someone," Dustin answered coldly."We need to run a body check on you!" the two men said before promptly patting Dustin down.He did not resist their actions and simply stood there cooperatively without moving. He wasn't going to do anything rash without ensuring Lana's safety."Alright, go on in." After checking Dustin and making sure that he didn't have any weapons on him, the two men stood aside and let him in.Dustin said nothing and entered the cathedral.In the cathedral, a burly man with unkempt stubble sat topless at a table. He had a bunch of lackeys around him, and they were enjoying a huge feast of roasted lamb. There were also all sorts of alcohol on the table. As they sat there, stuffing their faces with the lamb and chugging on alcohol, they looked like they were having the time of their lives.Over in a corner, Lana was tied to a stone pillar with a