"I want to meet the Queen," Camilla spoke slowly, voicing her request.
"And it must be done without Princess Luna's knowledge."
Meet the Queen?
And keep it from Princess Luna?
Stephen's hand trembled slightly as he poured the tea, causing it to spill over the rim of the cup.
"My apologies," he set the teapot down and dismissed the butler with a wave, his gaze sharpening as it settled on Camilla.
"Madam Luther, did I hear you correctly just now?"
"You did," Camilla took a sip of tea, her eyes clear and unwavering.
"This is the favor I need from you, President Mega."
A faint, inscrutable smile played at the corners of Stephen's lips, though his eyes remained unreadable.
"Madam Luther, you overestimate my influence."
"Let's not beat around the bush," Camilla's delicate brows arched with a faint smile, her voice soft yet carrying an unmistakable air of certainty.
"Since I've brought this up, I know full well that Chairman Mega has the means to make it happen.
There's no need for modesty."
Stephen didn't respond immediately. Instead, he toyed with the glass in his hand before speaking slowly.
"The Mega family operates in Country E under the Queen's rule—that much is non-negotiable."
He paused, his fingers stilling as his gaze settled on Camilla, scrutinizing her openly.
"May I ask what you and your husband intend to do?"
Sinclair and Camilla were San Francisco nationals, free to leave Country E at any time.
But he and the Mega family didn't have that luxury.
Camilla caught the underlying concern in his words. Her expression softened slightly as she smiled.
"No need to worry, Chairman Mega.
I've simply heard Her Majesty has been unwell for some time now, and I'd like to assess her condition."
Surprise flickered in Stephen's eyes.
He remained silent for several seconds before responding.
"Are you suggesting you could treat the Queen?"
"If possible," Camilla replied without hesitation, her clear, dark eyes meeting his directly.
"Of course, that's secondary. Whether treatment is feasible depends entirely on seeing Her Majesty first."
Stephen pressed his lips together, his cold gaze glinting behind the golden-rimmed glasses.
"May I ask why Mrs. Luther would want to do this?"
From his perspective, Camilla—or rather, Sinclair—had no real need to forge any connection with the Queen.
After all, the Luther Family's roots were firmly planted in San Francisco.
Moreover, due to her declining health, the Queen had already stepped back from active governance for some time.
Most royal affairs were now jointly managed by Crown Princess Luna and the Queen's trusted advisors.
If the Luther Family wanted to collaborate with the royal family, reaching out to Crown Princess Luna through Aiston would have been more than sufficient.
There was no real necessity to meet the Queen in person.
"I'm afraid I can't disclose that just yet," Camilla replied, shaking her head with a faint smile.
"But I can assure you, Mr. Mega, that everything I've said is true.
I would never put you in a difficult position."
Stephen studied her expression, his dark eyes veiled like mist.
After a long moment of contemplation, he finally spoke.
"When?"
His tone made it clear—he had agreed.
Camilla smiled.
"The sooner, the better."
Luna had already discovered her true identity and was bound to take action—the sooner, the better.
Stephen narrowed his deep, ink-dark eyes in contemplation.
After a brief silence, his expression settled into calm resolve as he spoke.
"Tomorrow, the palace will conduct its monthly comprehensive examination of the queen.
That's when I'll arrange for Mrs. Luther to be escorted inside."
"Understood," Camilla nodded.
"Then I'll await your word, Mr. Mega."
Stephen studied her for a long moment before replying in a composed, measured tone.
"One more thing—once inside the palace, I hope Mrs. Luther will consider the Mega family's standing in whatever actions she takes."
Camilla gave a faint nod.
"Naturally.
I'll take my leave now."
Stephen smiled slightly and inclined his head.
"Allow me to see you out."
Only after watching Camilla's car disappear into the distance did he summon the butler into his study without delay.
Outskirts of the City.
Inside a smoothly gliding Maybach.
"Camilla, don't you have anything to ask your grandpa?"
"Would Grandpa like to tell me?"
Camilla leaned against the old man's shoulder, her voice soft as she inhaled the familiar scent of medicinal herbs lingering around him.
"If Grandpa wants to talk, I'll listen.
If not, I won't pry."
"You, child..."
Grandpa Rodriguez chuckled and shook his head.
After a brief pause, he spoke again.
"Sinclair has already told me what you both know.
So now, let me share something you don't."
His aged, profound eyes gazed at the scenery whizzing past the window as his memories drifted back over two decades.
Allen was someone Grandpa had discovered while gathering herbs on the mountains of the forest.
After bringing him back to the clinic and reviving him, they realized he had lost his memory.
He couldn't recall his identity or what had happened to him before.
Unable to bear turning him away, the old man let him stay by his side.
On one hand, I could study his case and help him recover his memories through treatment; on the other, I could keep him company.
Obsessed with medical studies, grandpa Rodriguez had never married or had children.
He simply ran a small clinic to pass down his family's medical heritage.
So, having Allen around didn't disrupt his life in the slightest.
At first, Grandpa Rodriguez didn't even realize Allen was a foreigner.
Apart from his strikingly deep, chiseled features and a pair of brown eyes, he looked no different from a native San Francisco.
What's more, he spoke English flawlessly, without even a hint of an accent.
Time passed quietly, and before they knew it, a year had gone by.
Allen had long since regained his physical health, but his memories showed no signs of returning.
For convenience's sake, Grandpa Rodriguez began introducing him as his son and even arranged for him to get proper identification.
Grandpa Rodriguez named him Oliver Rodriguez—a name that carried the hope of praying for the swift return of his memories.
But hope was just hope. Allen's memories never came back.
Life continued peacefully, and Grandpa Rodriguez gradually came to regard him as his own son, the two living together in quiet companionship.
Eventually, the old man even dug into his savings to help him start a business.
It was during this period that he met Kimberly, Camilla's mother, and they eventually held a wedding ceremony.
Their business flourished over time, leading them to relocate to the capital.
To make it easier to visit grandpa Rodriguez, he even moved his father's clinic to the outskirts of the city.
Preferring solitude and unwilling to intrude on the lives of the younger generation, the old man quietly ran his clinic, keeping his distance from his son and daughter-in-law's affairs.
After their marriage, the couple welcomed a lovely daughter—Camilla.
For a while, it seemed their happiness would last forever.
But then, without warning, Allen began to feel as though he was being watched.
One evening after work, he was ambushed from behind in an attempted kidnapping.
Though passersby intervened before he could be seriously harmed, the attack left him with a head injury.
From that moment on, fragments of his lost memories slowly resurfaced.
He confided everything he recalled—his past, his true identity—to grandpa Rodriguez.
The old man's emotions were mixed, but in the end, he supported Allen's decision to return to the life he had forgotten.
Allen made plans to take his wife and daughter back to Country E, determined to uncover the truth.
For safety's sake, he avoided contacting anyone there in advance.
Yet just as everything seemed ready—disaster struck without warning.