My older sister is a villainous rich girl

Simpson's expression changed.

Chapter 273 How can a sparrow know the ambition of a swan?

Seeing his face turn extremely ugly in an instant, Wayne knew that he was probably thinking of the worst possible outcome.

"Since you have come from afar, I have welcomed you all as my most honored guests..." Simpson's words indeed began to turn unfriendly.

"But, did you gentlemen come here solely to humiliate me?"

Wayne tapped the table lightly with his knuckles and declared, "This is just a simple question, and you are not the only one being investigated. The data collected will only be used for academic research and will not have any other meaning."

However, despite Wayne explaining his purpose, Viscount Simpson still seemed very resistant to it.

He instinctively argued, "Although my family never told me these things, I think there must have been nobles among them."

"Where's the evidence?" Wayne asked calmly.

"Because my family has an ancestral sword, which has been identified as a popular style among nobles in the early days of the founding of Lornes."

This reason is hardly credible.

Because, as clearly stated in the documents that Wayne and Tasia consulted in the royal library, many people chose to fabricate a less unsightly background by secretly acquiring ancestral noble heirlooms.

On the one hand, some nobles who have fallen on hard times will sell some of their private collections to supplement their household income; on the other hand, many adventurers can occasionally find these things while searching for treasure.

Although the difference between commoners and nobles is vast and extremely difficult to conceal, it is relatively easier to fabricate a noble ancestor for oneself.

For them, this level of dignity is enough.

It's better than nothing.

Seeing that he insisted that this was the truth and refused to accept any other explanation, Wayne didn't want to force him to admit it.

The visit quickly stalled due to the Viscount Simpson's lack of cooperation, and the three returned empty-handed.

After seeing Wayne and the others out the door, Simpson slammed the door shut as if avoiding a plague, leaving the three of them outside.

Outside the Viscount's mansion, the three men looked at each other in bewilderment.

"This is... way too exaggerated," Chris retorted.

Tasia sighed softly, silently picked up her pen, and drew a small [×] on the list.

After packing up, they headed to the next place.

This one is almost identical to the previous one.

However, because the person being investigated was merely a lord, not even a baron, he was very reserved in front of Wayne and his group.

The group had barely sat down and hadn't even exchanged a few words when the lord became terrified, broke out in a cold sweat, and could barely speak clearly.

Judging from their trembling and unsteady posture, it seemed as if they were abusing their power to bully others.

Wayne felt somewhat helpless.

As a result, the second visit yielded little result, only providing some very superficial information.

By the time they came out, it was already getting late.

The setting sun cast a veil of orange-red light on the streets, making people feel a greater urgency to go home at sunset.

"Hmm—" Chris stretched. "Let's go get something to eat."

Chris had been relegated to the background, her role being to sit quietly to the side. Yet now, she looked far more tired than Wayne and Tasia.

"What to eat?"

Wayne reached out and supported her waist, making it look like he was hugging her.

"Emmm... just find any street vendor and ask which restaurant is the busiest!" She grabbed Wayne's arm and leaned all her weight on him.

When it comes to food, Chris is absolutely unwilling to skimp on herself.

After some inquiries, the three finally sat down at a restaurant that wasn't particularly luxurious but was clearly very popular.

However, before the dishes were even served, they heard a few rather rough voices from the next table.

"Hahaha! This is absolutely hilarious! Do you guys even know that Horace has been stripped of his noble status?"

His tone was very smug.

It's as if he has some irreconcilable deep-seated hatred for the man he mentioned named Horace.

"I just found out too," another person chuckled mockingly. "Sure enough, commoners are just commoners. Even if they hook up with a big shot and rise to the top temporarily, they'll eventually fall back to where they were before."

As soon as those words were spoken, the table erupted in a burst of unrestrained laughter.

Several tall men were drinking and chatting as if no one else was around.

Judging from their attire, they must be knights trained by nobles, even if they are not nobles.

Upon hearing the man's extremely loud voice, Tasia paused involuntarily as she was setting out the dishes for Wayne and the others.

Wayne keenly sensed Tasia's emotional fluctuations.

“…Tasia, don’t pay attention to what those people are saying.” He frowned. “Your life is not defined by them.”

Chris realized what was happening and comforted her, saying, "Yes, yes, those people are just noisy sparrows, while Tasia is a swan soaring high! How could sparrows know the ambitions of a swan?"

Wayne's lips twitched.

Should I reply with "If I become rich and powerful, let us not forget each other"?

Upon hearing this, Tasia couldn't help but show a deeply moved expression.

“I am just a commoner of low status, yet you two have treated me so kindly…” She looked at Chris and Wayne with teary eyes.

Hey! Tasia, don't be fooled by Chris's sweet talk!

Oh, so I was in cahoots with them too.

That's fine.

“Tasia, didn’t I tell you? You can’t choose your birth.” Chris shook her head slightly and said, “Truly outstanding people should be outstanding in character, not in money or power.”

People with money and power certainly have more confidence when they say these things.

However, Wayne nodded in agreement.

With their encouragement, Tasia's expression hardened: "Yes! I will try my best."

Before long, local specialties that were virtually indistinguishable from the popular dishes in the capital were served, and the three of them enjoyed a delicious meal.

As they quietly paid their bill and left, the other group at the table continued their drunken, boisterous conversation.

After they finished eating, it was almost completely dark when they came out.

"Shall we go?" Wayne rubbed his belly.

"What?" Chris asked, puzzled.

“Go and meet with the ‘commoners who have been stripped of their noble status’ that those people just mentioned.”

Wien said.

Tasia was taken aback. "But we don't know who he is, or where he lives..."

“Isn’t that simple?” Wayne smiled.

He stood on the street, first looking to the left and right, then—

He took a 1-granary coin out of his pocket.

Then, he held it up and waved to a passerby.

Chapter 274 Come to my side

Using money to pave the way, success was indeed guaranteed.

Lured by the Grand Pound, passersby displayed boundless enthusiasm.

They even led them a long way, and only left reluctantly after they confirmed the location.

"That guy must have thought you were a fool with too much money," Chris teased after the passerby left.

“Unfortunately, I’m neither stupid nor rich.” Saying this casually, Wayne glanced at the house at the end of the street.

This is said to be the residence of the commoner who had the stroke of luck to be granted the title of baron.

Of course, he is no longer like that now.

This residential area is far from the bustling streets, almost bordering the city wall, and even within the working-class neighborhood, land prices are considered very cheap. There are only a few dilapidated buildings around, their walls cracked, and many messy wooden shelves haphazardly placed to one side.

In short, it was a place that ordinary nobles would never accept having any connection with.

It's unclear whether the former baron had always lived here, or whether he had no choice but to compromise due to his misfortunes.

The gate was tightly shut, and only a few faint rays of light shone through the cracks in the window, indicating that people did indeed live here.

Wayne stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Chris and Tasia stood behind him, waiting together.

However, after a long time, there was still no movement inside.

Wayne and Chris exchanged a glance, then activated their magical perception.

There were no signs of life fluctuations.

He paused for a moment, then burst through the door.

The lights were still on, and the still-warm dinner was on the table.

However, the person had vanished without a trace.

Wayne's gaze lingered for a moment on the soup bowl in the center of the table.

It was called soup, but the only ingredients seemed to be a few leaves of unidentifiable vegetables. Only a small bowl had been ladled out, and it seemed like it hadn't even been eaten yet.

Tasia followed in, puzzled, and asked Wayne, "Has Wayne discovered something?"

But when she saw the dinner that was already laid out on the table but hadn't been eaten yet, she paused slightly.

"This is……"

Wayne frowned and said, "I can't sense his presence. He probably encountered some very urgent problems and hasn't been gone for long."

"So... this is your excuse for trespassing?" Chris withdrew her gaze from looking around and tilted her head to look at him.

“I’m doing this out of concern!” Wayne said matter-of-factly.

"There are clearly people home from the outside, but no one answers. What if something unexpected has happened?"

For example, being murdered in revenge.

—Sorry, I've been reading too many suspense stories.

Tasia pondered for a moment and asked, "Should we come back again tomorrow?"

This person was not on Tasia's investigation list.

According to the passerby, Baron Horace had been granted a title for his military achievements and enjoyed a period of great prestige and glory.

He was unaware that Horace's title had been stripped, and spoke of the baron with a sense of pride and honor.

“I think it’s necessary,” Wayne said.

"...If he were stripped of his noble title, he would likely not be as secretive about his commoner origins as the previous ones."

Even if it's just used as a control group for reference, it's still quite valuable.

Tasia nodded.

But just as the three of them were about to leave Horace's house, a series of chaotic hoofbeats approached from afar.

A group of men in guard uniforms dismounted and surrounded them.

The leader was wearing a hat with colorful feathers.

He looked at the three men in front of him and ordered, "Arrest these rebel spies!"

The other five responded loudly and attacked without further ado.

Wayne felt a question mark slowly appearing above his head.