My older sister is a villainous rich girl

"This revenge must be taken." Bulwer clenched his fist.

He felt that this incident was a complete misfortune that had come out of nowhere.

If you're going to pick on the easy targets, then you should be prepared to accidentally pick on a hedgehog and get pricked.

"—But it can be later."

Actually, Norman was right.

I must not forget my original aspirations just because I have been an official of the Kingdom of Lornes for a long time. Only by maintaining His Majesty the King's trust can I accomplish more.

Wayne looked at them coldly.

It seems that differences in ideology can indeed affect all aspects of a person's choices.

Bulwer clearly already knew that the mastermind behind it all was the Kingdom of Stuart... or more precisely, that the person most likely behind it was Simon.

However, judging from his appearance, he did not seem to intend to immediately break ties with Simon.

“It can be said that… I was able to rise to my current position entirely because of His Majesty the King’s trust.” Bulwer spoke with great difficulty in his defense.

"It's like the issue that my experience illustrates," he said in a slightly somber tone.

“Once I lose the king’s trust, I am nothing.”

"If it weren't for Lady Aikos finding a way to locate me, I might not have been able to assess the situation outside. One wrong step and I would have been utterly destroyed."

He was still shaken by his days of imprisonment.

"So, it's not enough yet."

He shook his head, as if trying to shake off all those shadows.

“I must gain His Majesty’s trust even more. This incident is actually an opportunity for me.”

“As long as he realizes that I am innocent in this matter, he will inevitably feel some guilt towards me. And with Earl Chapman destined to lose power, he will inevitably rely on me even more… and can only rely on me.”

Bulwer looked at the other two people present, his eyes filled with ambition.

They made no attempt to hide it.

Wayne, standing nearby, also stared at him for a long time.

"So, you'll obey His Majesty's orders to stay home and stay home obediently?" he asked casually.

“Yes,” Bulwer said firmly.

"But at the same time, I will also look for suitable opportunities to make a move."

He said, "When Stuart really makes his move, I will choose a suitable time to enter the game and I will definitely be able to turn the tide."

……really.

If things had developed as Bulwer envisioned, he would no longer be in his current pitiful prisoner state.

For him, this was undoubtedly the way to maximize his profits.

The question is, does this meet my desired outcome?

—That does not apply.

What I want is a relatively stable capital city.

It was not caused by rebels stirring up trouble, nor by powerful figures doing whatever they wanted.

“I understand what you mean.” He stood up.

"I hope that in the future, you can achieve your original aspirations and not be misled by fame and fortune."

After leaving those words, Aikos turned and walked out.

“Wait a minute,” Norman called out to him.

Norman glanced at Bulwer, then at Echo, and couldn't help but ask, "Are you dissatisfied with our plan? If you bring it up, we can discuss it together."

He knew that there was a clear disagreement about Aikos's attitude, but he couldn't just let her leave.

Having already learned too many secrets, Echo is a thoroughly destructive figure to their own side.

At the very least, we should try to make her understand our side's approach, instead of just watching her betray us.

Chapter 458 An Unexpected Discovery

These people and the stance they take are not aligned with their own.

To put it bluntly, it's just a relationship of mutual exploitation.

Wayne doesn't expect to force them to handle things his way, but he's not willing to act as their henchman either.

The only reason he was here tonight was to have Bulwer take the lead and bite Simon.

Although he is nominally the next in line to the dukedom, at present, the resources he can use may not even be as much as the control that Gothley has over House Edgeworth.

The limitations imposed by objective conditions made him feel constrained, and he needed someone to act on his behalf.

He had thought that Bulwer might be a suitable candidate, but now it seems that this is not the case.

Bulwer is too deeply involved with various forces and is too ambitious.

Although he appears to be idealistic and passionate on the surface, his stance is actually not firm enough.

In order to gain greater power, he can sacrifice or ignore many things.

So even though Norman tried to persuade him to stay, Wayne didn't say anything more about their plans and simply took his leave in a calm manner.

He wasn't worried that these people would turn against him like that.

Because the difference in strength between the two sides is obviously too great, even if the talks do not go well, the person who should be worried is not themselves.

And indeed, things turned out exactly as he had predicted.

Norman looked uneasy, but he never dared to ask him to make a statement.

After leaving the Bulwer family mansion, Wayne sat alone on a rooftop where no one noticed him.

The silvery moonlight was serene and gentle, just like the countless nights I had spent in this place before.

He felt a pang of nostalgia for his busy yet carefree life in his previous life.

In this world, it seems that I can accomplish anything, and even if I can't accomplish something, I can forcefully turn it into a result that I am more satisfied with.

But all of that is based on the premise that one has not touched upon the essential issues that would have a significant impact.

However, as he interacted more with those around him, the clearer he became about the problems in all aspects of the feudal system of the kingdom, the more difficult it seemed to break through the limitations of the society as a whole.

Many problems exist even though many people know they exist, but they accept that they are unsolvable, and so things continue as they are.

How much can one person change on their own? They are neither prime minister nor king.

With a soft sigh, Wayne felt a little tired.

Why does it seem like I'm the only one thinking about this kind of question?

Chris doesn't dwell on these things at all, so she lives happily every day.

Even Richard and Lawrence, who were princes, didn't seem to offer any useful advice on the kingdom's affairs.

If one were to truly choose from among all the people one knows who is genuinely concerned about the kingdom's development, it seems that only Franz Edgeworth, the finance minister, could be considered somewhat diligent. But even he is not entirely without personal motives when handling official business.

Wayne was getting tired of thinking about the other fat, bloated hereditary nobles.

Such a country may appear prosperous and thriving, but once it begins to decline, it will likely do so very quickly.

As he pondered what choices he, and even his family, should make in this situation, a dull thud suddenly came from below.

Wayne paused for a moment, snapping out of his reverie.

……

"Is it okay to just leave it here?" someone asked.

"This place is fine. As long as no one sees it right now, you can throw it anywhere." After saying that, the man waved his hand. "Alright, alright. If you're late, go back and report your work. Someone else will take care of the rest."

The gray cloth bag seemed to contain something heavy, and Wayne smelled a faint odor of blood.

The first man to speak bowed somewhat timidly to the cloth bag, muttering, "Madam... every grievance has its source, every debt its debtor. We're just doing this for money... If you harbor resentment, go find your spouse, don't come to me..."

Hearing him muttering to himself, the person next to him gave him a hard tap on the head in annoyance. "Shut up, stop talking nonsense!"

He glanced around and urged in a low voice, "Let's go!"

The two of them simply left the cloth bag behind and sneaked away.

The night was a bit chilly.

Wayne glanced at the discarded bag on the street, memorized the location, and then followed the two suspicious-looking people from a distance.

After winding through the alleys for quite some time, the two finally returned to their private residence in a corner of the capital.

To Wayne's surprise, the place looked small, but it was surprisingly crowded with people.

Based on my perception, at least twenty young men lived in this unassuming two-story building.

After thinking for a moment, Wayne sneaked inside.

It was already late at night, but not everyone inside had gone to sleep.

The lights on the first floor were still on, and the two people who had just sneaked into the house seemed much more relaxed.

Upon seeing the figure sitting in the center of the living room, one of them exclaimed joyfully, "Boss! Our mission is complete!"

The man looked up, revealing a long scar across his face.

"Didn't run into anyone, did you?" the man called "boss" asked.

"No!" the two answered with absolute certainty.

“Okay, that’s good.” He nodded and turned to the other person, saying, “Porter, write down their performance for this month.”

Upon hearing this, their joy was palpable.

"Alright, you can go upstairs and rest now."

At the scarred man's signal, the two men, who had just finished their mission, left happily.

Only after the two figures disappeared into the shadows and the sound of them going upstairs gradually faded into the distance did the scarred man let out a deep sigh and bend down wearily.

He rested his elbows on his knees, supporting his forehead, looking very tired.

A man named Potter brought over a pot of freshly brewed tea and poured him a cup on the coffee table.

“…This kind of side job isn’t a long-term solution,” the scarred man said in a low voice.

Potter sighed upon hearing this, "I never agreed to it from the beginning. We're already in a sensitive period, and if it gets found out again, we won't even be able to protect this last bit of our business."

“But if we don’t do this, we won’t have any money!” The scarred man clutched his hair in anguish. “Damn Chapman!”

“We did so much for him, and the advance payment was so small! Now that something has happened, not only are they defaulting on all the subsequent payments, but they also have to give back all the money they earned before… The Stone Gang is finished!” The scarred man’s face was full of regret.

Chapter 459 Did something unpleasant happen?

Potter poured himself a cup of tea.

"Try to think positively; at least you're alive."

Potter's words of comfort sounded like sarcastic remarks: "Those of us in the same business, think of Bernard and his gang in the Wood Gang... to keep the big man's secret forever, they'll never be able to speak out again."

The scarred man paused, then let out a heavy sigh. "...That's true."

"I thought the loss of the Wood Gang would be an opportunity for our Stone Gang, but now it seems like it's a bottomless abyss."

Chapman's downfall was indeed a major setback for the Stones, but it wasn't entirely without the possibility of a comeback.

Porter said, "If we take these brothers and go into hiding, go far away and start over, there might still be a chance."

The scarred man shook his head. "These brothers are still loyal now, but how many of them are willing to come with me to a place where I know no one and start all over again?"

He knew those guys well; if he told them that next month's pay couldn't be made, half of the current twenty-odd people would leave.

If they don't pay for three consecutive months, I guess only a few people with brain damage will stay.

Not only would those people not accept such treatment, but I myself do not want to resort to such methods.

Potter picked up his teacup and took a sip.