My older sister is a villainous rich girl.

Wayne carried some desserts and tea back to Chris's study.

These things weren't something he was supposed to do himself, but why did he use that excuse to slip away? Even if the prince knew that wasn't the real reason, he still had to go through with the act.

His Highness sat very properly in his seat, tilting his head to admire a bouquet of flowers placed on the windowsill.

He had an exceptionally handsome face, yet he didn't appear overly delicate. His brows held a touch of heroic spirit, and he seemed to attract the attention of the entire world simply by sitting there quietly.

"Flowers, like beautiful girls, need careful nurturing to truly shine," he remarked.

Wayne was internally screaming, "Apologize to those adorable wildflowers blooming so beautifully by the roadside!"

Seeing the gentle and affectionate prince, the maids standing at a distance couldn't help but starry-eyed.

"Please enjoy." Wayne placed the dessert on the coffee table.

Richard then turned his head and, not seeing Chris, a look of surprise flashed across his face.

But he quickly regained his composure. "Thank you."

The two fell silent for a moment.

Richard finally broke the silence, taking out several documents from a briefcase beside him. "When we last met, Wayne, didn't you say you were very interested in the knights' weapons and equipment? I've also done some research on that, and these are the documents I've compiled."

"Although there isn't a particularly in-depth analysis, it basically covers the changes in equipment over the past few hundred years since the founding of our Kingdom of Saint Loens." Richard handed the document to Wayne.

Here it comes! The first trick to winning someone's favor is to cater to their interests.

Wayne accepted it with both hands, and said with great surprise, "I just mentioned it casually, I didn't expect Your Highness to be so thoughtful."

"The information was readily available; I just retrieved it from the archives. It didn't take long," Richard said modestly.

Ah, I'm so tired.

Wayne wasn't exactly a smooth talker in his past life either. When it came to dealing with people, he would often run out of things to say after just finishing his opening remarks.

For example, right now, the conversation has only just begun, and he already feels very tired, even though it's not outwardly apparent.

Chris, however, used the excuse that since His Highness the Prince had come specifically to see him, he should personally receive him, and completely shirked the task of entertaining the guest. Wayne didn't even have a chance to say anything about trying to drag her into the mess.

Today is the birthday of the god of agriculture in the ancient legends of the Lornes region, and it is a national holiday. It is also known as "Farming Day".

Because it uses the old calendar system, the exact dates of each year are not fixed in the current calendar. This year, the dates fall just one day after the start of the school term. As a result, many students are facing the awkward situation of being on holiday right after starting school.

"Wayne, what are your plans for your days off?" Richard asked.

"Read a book," Wayne said, "or take extra classes."

He glanced at the clock on the wall; it was 9:10 a.m.

"At this time, it's about time for my literature class, and my personal maid should be reminding me by now."

However, Karen has not yet shown up, so it seems that today's tutoring plan has been canceled.

"Oh, I see. Did I come at the wrong time?"

No, don't worry about it.

The tutor's lessons can actually be taught anytime. Wayne has roughly figured out the level that a fifth grader in this world should be at; what he lacks is mostly common sense knowledge.

However, it's not appropriate for Wayne to propose canceling classes himself, otherwise he wouldn't be able to successfully cultivate his "angelic good boy" persona.

Seeing this, Richard suggested, "Is Wayne interested in magic? Why don't you come with me to visit my magic teacher later? Your magic power is very strong, so even if you receive a magic incantation in advance, it won't put too much strain on your body."

Upon hearing the word "magic," the unfamiliar maids nearby changed their expressions and exchanged bewildered glances.

After a while, one of the maids quietly withdrew, and Wayne knew she had probably gone to inform Ashville.

Ugh……

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly again. Just how unreliable was Elliott Winch? He hadn't even told his family that he knew magic.

In the original work, this incident only came to light because Chris kept pestering him to use a more advanced magic spell, which led to the loss of control over their magic and injuries to both of them.

Wayne hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's not right to bother the teacher during break time, is it?"

Working during the week is already tough enough; if he were to be conscripted on his day off, Wayne knew he definitely wouldn't give that uninvited guest a friendly look.

Just like how I used to wish I could turn off my phone and lose all contact during holidays, only working people understand the pain of being a wage earner.

"Hmm, that's true. The teacher is always on duty in the palace, available whenever needed. He must also need some time to spend with his family in private," the prince said in a low voice.

It seemed to be the first time he had thought about things from this perspective, and for the first time ever, he felt a slight pity for the teachers.

The proposal was rejected, but His Highness remained very talkative, pulling Wayne aside to chat about this and that.

Wayne understood that if Richard truly wanted a marriage alliance, his real intentions were probably with the Duke.

Otherwise, why would the timing be so coincidental? Lord Elliott had just returned to the capital yesterday, and today he was visiting the Duke's mansion under the pretext of visiting a new friend.

However, Chris didn't want Richard and her father to meet her. No one knew if she had done anything else. Wayne believed that Elliott Winchester must know that the prince was in the manor at the moment, but he didn't know why he hadn't shown up.

He chatted with Richard very cooperatively, occasionally offering insightful remarks.

Prince Richard was initially just making small talk, but after a while, he became genuinely interested.

"What you're talking about—combining magic with daily life—is indeed something some people are working towards. The most representative figure is Professor Conley from Seiki Academy, who has created some items that can store magic in advance and can be activated with just a small amount of magic. It's said that his next research direction is to invent tools that will allow ordinary people to use magic."

He paused for a moment at this point.

"I don't know if it's okay to say this... Although he himself doesn't care, he has been attacked by many nobles because of this idea."

Why?

The moment the question slipped out, Wayne already had the answer in his mind.

Richard smiled wryly. "Because they think magic is the exclusive domain of the nobility."

really.

"Does Your Highness think so too?" he asked.

"I believe that any truly talented person, regardless of their background, should be discovered and put to use by the kingdom," Richard said earnestly.

And so, the two talked from morning until noon.

It wasn't until Wayne was forced to invite the prince to stay for dinner that the maid Karen suddenly appeared and told them some bad news.

"During this rare moment of leisure, Lord Elliott took his wife and Miss Chris to the outskirts of the city for a stroll. Before leaving, he told His Highness not to worry and to simply tell Young Master Wayne if he needed anything."

Chris, well done!

Yes, it would be even more beautiful if you could take me with you.

In the end, Richard still didn't get to see Duke Elliott.