Everything had happened so suddenly; no one else knew. After making the necessary arrangements, Fred proceeded to the queen's room. He had stationed his trusted aides there to provide her with the best possible care, but her condition had deteriorated over the past two days. Initially, he even suspected she and Lily had conspired, given their simultaneous health issues. However, upon reflection, he realized they had no motive to collaborate; besides, they couldn't have planned it, even if they had wanted to, as he had confined them to separate areas.

He entered the room and saw the queen breathing weakly. Hurrying to her bedside, he bent down, calling warmly, "Your Majesty? Your Majesty?" Her eyes remained closed, though he noticed some movement. It was unclear whether she lacked the strength to open them or simply chose not to.

Fred dismissed the others and took the queen's hand. He said softly, "It's me, Your Majesty. I've come to see you. You can hear me, right?" Her eyelids twitched, but remained closed. Fred sat beside the bed, continuing, "I know you resent me because of misunderstandings, but I don't mind. I know what I'm doing and what I want. I'm sure you feel the same, Your Majesty?"

He gazed at her. "The experiment was your idea. When I first heard it, I knew it was remarkable. All these years, I've been working hard to fulfill your—no, our dream! Now that we're so close to success, you must hang on, okay?" He squeezed her hand. "I know you can do it. You've always accomplished what you set out to do, and this time will be no different."

He lowered his voice. "You know what? Besides R10, there's R20 now. There will also be R30, R40, and many more creations. We'll become increasingly advanced, and our nation will control the world's most cutting-edge technology. Wouldn't you like to see that?"

The queen's eyelids fluttered as if she were trying to awaken. Fred's heart soared; his words were working, because she cared deeply about her country. "Your Majesty, we will proceed with the R10 experiment tomorrow, okay? I believe you will recover. Although the doctors advise against it, I fear you won't be able to wait any longer." He sighed, patting the back of her hand. "Let's take a risk, okay? I'm sure it'll work. If it doesn't..." He trailed off, lost in thought.

"If it doesn't work, then what?"

The queen's weak voice startled him. He was close enough to hear clearly. Surprised, he looked at her. "You're awake! I knew you could pull through!"

"Fred..." She struggled to speak his name.