My older sister is a villainous rich girl

"This..." she was somewhat taken aback.

The wounded guards of the city lord lay sprawled on the ground, some with bright red blood still gushing from beneath them.

She immediately stepped forward and used light magic.

The scattered rays of light gathered in her hands like dust particles.

Tasia walked past them without stopping, the light following behind her spreading out and landing on their wounds.

However, such rudimentary treatment can only alleviate the injuries, and they will not be able to regain their mobility for a while.

Seeing that their lives were not in danger, Tasia breathed a sigh of relief and continued to rush in the direction from which the magical fluctuations had last come from.

"Is...is it a messenger of the gods..." someone murmured in a daze.

No longer paying attention to those people, Tasia's focus was now entirely on the situation she was about to face.

It seems that a new force has entered the fray and is causing trouble.

The city lord is currently missing, and Horace has also disappeared without a trace.

Was the troublemaker also trying to rescue Horace?

She suddenly remembered the "doll assassin" who had come to her rescue last night.

Is there really someone manipulating things behind the scenes?

Is there an inherent connection between what happened last night and the changes that are happening now?

Tasia felt that everything before her was a mystery.

I can't even detect its magical fluctuations, so how exactly does that person control the doll...? This is simply against common sense.

She quickened her pace.

When she arrived at the center of the magical fluctuations, she indeed saw... a doll floating in mid-air.

And there was Count Alec standing on the ground, covered in blood.

Before she could decide which side to help, the doll in front of her suddenly cried out "Whoosh!", took off its top hat, put it on its finger, spun it around several times, and then threw it at Ali.

Shadowy tentacles extended from beneath the top hat, like an octopus with tentacles growing out from under the hat.

Alec's magical shield shattered upon contact with the tentacles' attacks, and he was whipped away by the whip-like tentacles, crashing heavily to the ground unconscious.

Having witnessed this scene firsthand, Tasia was stunned.

What kind of magic is this...?

Having dealt with Alec, the doll turned around, revealing its extremely abstract face.

It was watching Tasia.

The seams of the various colored scraps of cloth resembled hideous scars. Stared at by its dark eyes, Tasia felt it becoming difficult to breathe.

"Who...who are you?" she asked.

Wuhu?

The doll made a very lifelike gesture of confusion, and even reached out to touch its head, which wasn't wearing a top hat.

...Can't you speak?

It seemed to have no hostility towards her, and Tasia relaxed a little.

"Are you... being manipulated?" she asked, trying to keep her tone calm. "Please... please answer me. This question is very important to me."

But the ugly doll ignored her request and simply turned away.

The top hat with tentacles grabbed Horace, who was trying to escape, with two tentacles, and then used the other tentacles as legs to speed away in the direction away from the city lord's mansion.

"Aaaaaah... Let me go!"

Bound tightly by the tentacles, Horace screamed in terror.

Tasia instinctively tried to stop her: "Wait..."

Hearing her voice, the doll looked at her again.

However, it said nothing more or did nothing more, but instead placed a hand on its chest and bowed to her in a very elegant manner.

Then--

It fell down.

It seems that the connection has been cut off by the person behind the scenes, and what is lying on the ground now is just an ordinary doll.

No... at least it's much uglier than a regular doll.

Tasia stepped forward and carefully picked it up.

She brushed off the dust from its back and picked it up to examine it closely.

The doll looked exactly the same as the one before, but she could sense that something very important was missing from it.

Is this the difference between inanimate objects and living objects?

Tasia seemed lost in thought.

Chapter 287 Father-in-law! Aren't you setting your daughter and son-in-law up in trouble?

OK! Mission accomplished.

Wayne smiled with delight.

He immediately deactivated his transformation, glanced around again to make sure he wouldn't give himself away, and then turned to open the door.

What came into view was Chris's rather strange expression.

Seeing Wayne finally emerge, she asked hesitantly, "Are you... done?"

“Ah, all done,” Wayne replied casually.

He deliberately stepped aside, making way for the path behind him.

"Actually, I didn't do anything. If you don't believe me, go in and check for yourself!"

Wayne spoke these words with complete confidence and without a trace of guilt.

Almost instantly, Chris's face flushed red.

"I...I won't go in."

Her gaze darted around, "As long as you're alright..."

Why does this conversation sound so strange?

—Wait, could she be thinking something else?

Wayne solemnly declared: "I really didn't do anything, I just spaced out for a while."

Chris's expression became even more interesting.

She turned her face away, refusing to look at him, and gave a barely audible "hmm".

Seeing her reaction, Wayne suddenly became anxious.

Is this where my glorious image is going to end?!

"Didn't you just want to come in and take a look? Now you can!"

He reached out to take Chris's hand, wanting to pull her inside.

Chris shuddered when Wayne touched her, then strongly objected: "That was just now, I don't want to go in now!"

"There's nothing inside!" Wayne exclaimed in despair.

"Okay, okay, I know... there's nothing there."

That's what she said, but one look at her expression made it clear that she didn't mean it.

The situation had completely reversed, and the two were now locked in a stalemate at the doorway.

"Chris, Wayne, what are you doing?" Tasia's voice suddenly rang out from behind.

Both of their expressions froze at the same time.

"Ah...it's nothing."

Wayne released Chris and awkwardly pretended to look around at the scenery.

“Yes, yes, we’re just… having a chat.” Chris readily offered an out.

Tasia glanced at them both with a puzzled look, but didn't dwell on it too much. She simply told them, "An assassin appeared just now. Lord Alek is unconscious, and Horace... was kidnapped by a hat."

???

Chris looked bewildered, as if she thought there was something wrong with her hearing.

"Wearing a hat?"

She held up her hand and gestured above her head. "Is this the hat I think it is?"

Seeing Tasia nod very seriously, Chris immediately showed an expression that shocked the whole family for a whole year.

Wayne feigned surprise and asked with concern, "How is Lord Alek's injury?"

Tasia was taken aback, but seeing the wink Wayne gave her, she quickly realized that this was, after all, the city lord's mansion, and she couldn't expose herself.

“The injuries are quite serious,” Tasia said. “Although they are not life-threatening, even if she wakes up, she will need to rest in bed for a while.”

If Horace hadn't gone missing, this situation could have been much better.

only……

Could the person who kidnapped Horace be a good person?

Tasia subconsciously touched the doll in her pocket.

Even she herself didn't quite understand what her mindset was when she kept it.

“Oh…that’s terrible!” Wayne said, feigning regret. “It’s just a pity we have to go back to the academy on Monday morning and can’t stay in Costco for long.”

Chris joined in the performance: "Yes, yes, Earl Alec is so pitiful! We'll send someone to bring him some nourishing herbs when we get back."

“That’s right! In that case, let’s set off as soon as possible,” Wayne concluded.

In just a few words, they set the schedule.

Because the city lord had fallen into a coma and it was unknown when he would wake up, Wayne and the others had no choice but to bid farewell to the steward on his behalf.

Alec's butler was a tall, thin man in his thirties. He looked at Wayne and the others, who had finished packing, and seemed to want to say something but dared not, his expression gloomy.

Seeing this, Wayne deliberately patted him on the shoulder and whispered, "Sometimes, a small choice can determine a person's entire life. That's how strange life is. Butler, don't you agree?"

The butler was slightly taken aback by his meaningful hint.

“Opportunities come to everyone, but very few people are able to seize them.” Wayne released him. “I hope you’re a smart man.”

After saying that, Wayne boarded the carriage and drove away into the distance amidst the clatter of hooves.

The butler stood there for a long time, his hands clenching and unclenching repeatedly, his heart filled with intense struggle.

But in the end, he sighed and did nothing more.

Having saved up a considerable amount of money over the years, and with Count Alec unconscious, it was the perfect opportunity to escape and make a living. There was absolutely no need for him to drown on the same boat.

These men are, after all, the children of the Duke of Winchester, and in time they will be the next dukes. How could Earl Alec possibly have a good outcome if he went against them?

With that in mind, he returned to the city lord's mansion and hurried to finish up the last remaining tasks.

Wayne drove the carriage along the main road for a while before turning into a side alley.

"Wayne? Where are we going?" Chris poked her head out and asked him.

"Go and retrieve the evidence Horace mentioned."

Wayne said calmly, "No matter where he is, we still have to do what he asked us to do."

“That’s true…” Chris’s mood sombered.

"I hope he's safe and sound."

Of course, everything will be fine.

Wayne took a detour and deposited the carriage at a merchant's shop.