Chapter 573 Ask for Her Help
Dane could actually talk again!
Right then, Liam strolled in. “So? Shocked enough?”
Tilda covered her mouth, nodding nonstop. “This is crazy! Liam, you liar! You told me there was only a little progress—this is a straight-up miracle!”
“Hey, don’t blame me. Dane was the one who wanted to keep it quiet. He wanted to surprise you, and he thought he’d be even better the next time you saw him. And since the news about the lithography machine came out today, it brought you all the way here.”
“Thank you, Liam…” Dane’s eyes showed nothing but gratitude. If Liam hadn’t stepped in, he would’ve given up long ago. He’d been close to breaking.
“Not at all. We’re like brothers. I’ll do everything I can to help you recover. But honestly, it’s your grit that made this work. The treatment was endless and brutal, and you never once complained. You just kept going. That’s what a real doctor-patient team looks like.”
“Exactly! One is a genius scientist, and the other is the legendary Mad Doctor. Both tall, handsome, and totally awesome. And lucky me—I get to call you both my seniors. Wow, I just wanna parade you two around and show off!” Tilda winked, grinning from ear to ear. She hadn’t felt this happy in ages.
Was that what people meant by double blessings? It felt amazing. A brand-new lithography machine was born, and Dane could talk again.
“Oh yeah, Dane, you still haven’t told Tilda what you needed from her. Go on. Say it now.”
Tilda raised a brow. “Hmm? Do you actually need my help? I thought this was just about surprising me.”
“Tilda… Mr. Parker said… since I’m the lead on the lithography machine project… I’ll get a medal like everyone else… but I also have to give a speech. It’ll be broadcast… live worldwide… but my voice isn’t strong enough yet. So… I’ll write the speech… and I was hoping… you’d read it for me… up on stage?”
“Me?!” Tilda’s eyes nearly popped out. “Dane, are you serious? Wouldn’t Mystro or Liam be way better at this?”
“No way. I’m not standing in front of the whole world and talking. Not happening. I’d rather stay in the shadows. And I already talked to Mystro. He agrees this is the best plan. The three of us are all on the same page, so you can’t say no.”
Tilda bit her lip. “But…”
“I… asked Mystro… and Liam. They both said… they don’t want… their names on the project. They don’t want… the spotlight. Tilda… what do you think? I truly want you… to do this for me. You’re the… only one I trust with it…”
Even Dane, who usually didn’t care about recognition, treated this speech as one of the biggest moments of his life. He had poured his heart and years of effort into that project. Even Manfred, who’d been with him the whole time, didn’t fully know how much Dane had given up.
He’d risked it all. Even if it had failed, he could’ve held his head high. But they’d succeeded. And nobody felt that joy more deeply than Dane.
He wasn’t the type to show emotions. But for him to ask for this favor with that look, how could Tilda possibly turn him down?
After a pause, she said, “Alright, Dane. If this is what you want, I’ll do it. But don’t put my name on the research. This belongs to your team. I don’t need the attention.”
She knew being too high-profile only brought trouble. In fact, Mystro and Liam had made the smart choice. They already had enough titles, wealth, and influence—why pile on more? The same went for her.
If her name got attached as part of the very first lithography machine team in Cetherland, she’d probably shock the whole world. She’d never live in peace again.
Besides, Tilda and the others hadn’t done much. The real work—the plans, the methods, the years of trial and error—came from Dane’s team. They were learning from and building upon the experiences of those who had gone before them.
All three of them did was help things along at the right time. In short, they’d just been lucky.