My older sister is a villainous rich girl

But perhaps due to some kind of premonition, Wayne did not agree for the time being. He felt that things would not end so easily and that he needed to observe for a while longer.

Simon probably didn't know that Bulwer had another identity in private, otherwise he wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to find Diff as a pawn to bring Bulwer down.

However, Bulwer eventually escaped from such a perilous situation.

In this way, even if Simon doesn't think Bulwer will suspect him, he will inevitably speed up the process of his plan.

His personnel reshuffling within the city guard was probably to facilitate his future actions.

So, what exactly does he want to do? Are these recent changes also part of his goal?

Wayne closed his eyes and pondered for a while, then got up and left the classroom.

That night, Wayne returned to the palace.

However, this time it wasn't to deliver a message to some of the imprisoned men, but rather to spy on His Majesty the King's actions.

In the current chaotic and complex situation, there is a crucial point that I have not yet figured out.

This answer must be revealed by His Majesty the King.

That is, why did he so easily trust Simon, this foreign envoy?

……

The Royal Palace of Lornes has been continuously repaired and expanded since the founding of the kingdom.

Even the main building where the king usually spent his time looked like a colossal beast when viewed from afar at night.

However, even such a luxurious palace could not bring much joy to its master. In fact, unless there were major problems with political coordination, George II preferred to stay in a separate palace or private estate.

But for now, such thoughts are just that—thoughts.

He cannot relinquish power, because only power can guarantee him the life he desires.

Many forces in the capital were gradually becoming restless, and even King George II, sitting in the palace, felt a sense of danger.

'Let's make a scene... let's just keep making a scene like this.'

He glanced at the report on the table that was praising Simon, and gave a barely perceptible sneer.

Just then, a cautious voice came from the doorway to announce something.

"Your Majesty, Prince Richard has arrived."

With the king's permission, Richard, still handsome, entered.

The king subtly observed his exceptionally talented son.

He was dressed in an expensive and appropriate formal suit, and every move he made was perfectly befitting of a prince.

Throughout the entire Kingdom of Lornes, everyone speaks highly of this crown prince... Even his own father, the previous king, only gradually put aside his worries about him after Richard was born.

How ridiculous! They firmly believed that this child was born to be king—

No one asked for my opinion before arranging my life on their own.

Even his father's dying words were admonishing him to govern the country well and hand over a strong and prosperous Lornes to Richard...

It's like you're just holding someone else's things for them; you'll have to return them sooner or later.

After staring at Richard for a moment in a daze, the king suddenly realized that he had something to say to him.

After thinking for a moment, he chose a beginning that wouldn't make the relationship seem too distant.

"At your age, it's about time you got engaged," the king asked gently. "I haven't heard much about it lately. Have you met any other women you like?"

Richard was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then shook his head with a slightly sad expression.

The king was silent for a few seconds, then sighed softly, "Don't feel like I'm always forcing you."

Whether it was a genuine expression of emotion or not, the king, in the absence of outsiders, had a rare moment of heartfelt conversation.

"Royal children cannot do whatever they want in everything."

He used to resent this, but now he has accepted his fate.

“For the sake of the kingdom and the family, it is necessary to sacrifice personal feelings when necessary.” George II stared solemnly at Richard. “Otherwise, it is impossible to maintain glory and authority from generation to generation.”

He paused at this point.

“This is what your grandfather told me, and now I’m telling you it too.”

"—To inherit the crown, one must establish checks and balances."

"Just as many years ago, what I needed was a wife who could provide strong external support to quell those ambitious and restless individuals. But times have changed, the royal position is now secure, and with your prestige and talent, you are more than capable of ruling this country well. In that case, an overly powerful wife's family would be a hidden danger."

His words were harsh, but in a way they were true.

Richard opened his mouth to refute, but couldn't find a strong enough argument.

"All you need is a vase with powerful magic and a good appearance, but one that won't affect your handling of politics," the king said coldly. "Tasia Louis is the best choice."

"Given her humble origins, she was naturally ineligible for acceptance by those established aristocratic powers, and could only rely on you..."

It seems that His Majesty has been weighing these conditions in his mind for a long time.

"Furthermore, she was favored by the Pope because of her light magic. If Bishop Willard hadn't recommended her to Qingxi Academy out of personal reasons, she might not have stayed in the Kingdom of Lornes."

George II revealed a secret unknown to outsiders: "Willard seems to want to use Tasia's influence to groom her for four years before bringing her back to the Papacy, at which point he will have a very high chance of entering the Cardinals."

“But if things continue like that, it means the kingdom will lose a top-tier mage for nothing; but if you keep her by your side, she will become a trump card for the royal family.”

"Which is more important, a high-ranking church official who only has a superficial relationship with the kingdom but spends most of his time abroad, or a queen who is not controlled by the church but can still influence it?" the king said meaningfully. "Richard... I think you should understand."

Richard, who had never thought about those questions, frowned deeply, feeling that many things in the world were not as he had previously believed.

Is it really possible to spend one's life with another person under the control of such greedy thoughts?

"...So in your eyes, the reason you married your mother was just a sacrifice after weighing the pros and cons?" Richard asked softly.

No wonder their relationship was so cold to outsiders.

"good."

The king did not shy away from the truth.

"For us, marriage is such an important bargaining chip, so we should naturally exchange it for the greatest benefit."

Chapter 469 How did you two get together?

"—As a monarch, one's own survival is always the first priority."

This was already George II's personal experience.

All feelings must yield to this supreme authority.

He did it before, and Richard must do it again in the future.

“Richard, as the Crown Prince of Lornes, you should be even more aware of things.” The King’s tone returned to its condescending manner. “I shouldn’t have revealed these plans so early, but you seem to have no understanding of them at all, which is truly disappointing.”

No matter how much others think highly of him, he's ultimately just a naive fool.

Across the table, Richard lowered his gaze slightly, making it impossible to discern the expression on his face.

The king, however, seemed to find a rare sense of paternal joy in this reprimand of his son. "Alright, go back and think carefully about what I said. I don't want to see you two-faced anymore, trying to fool me with those pointless platitudes that lead nowhere!"

He's not stupid; he'll eventually realize it.

Watching Richard retreat and leave the room dejectedly, the king sighed inwardly.

Unexpectedly, so many years have passed, and even my sons have grown up.

...We must do what we want to do as soon as possible before they become too powerful.

His hand gently stroked a painting placed under the table.

She has sacrificed so much for the entire royal family, and it's time to give back to her true self.

……

Wayne sat outside the window, silently watching the scenes playing inside.

It's unexpected that Tasia has such a secret behind her.

However, he was not particularly surprised by this.

It's fair to say that with Tasia's unparalleled talent, it's normal that people everywhere are trying to win her over.

It's abnormal for someone to be constantly bullied by nobles at the academy.

It seems that His Majesty the King also has his own plans.

It's less about trusting Simon and more about wanting to take advantage of him.

But what is it about Simon that would make a king value him?

—What was the identity of the Stuart Kingdom's envoy?

Wayne was momentarily startled by this sudden thought.

Is it not only Stuart who is plotting against Lornes, but Lornes who is also plotting against him?

No, no, no… According to the information I’ve gathered, Simon isn’t a particularly important nobleman in Stuart; he’s just close to the first prince there. If he causes too much trouble, he could very well be sacrificed.

Judging from the current situation of the kingdom, it is clear that internal troubles outweigh external threats.

So the king also wanted to take this opportunity to purge those he didn't like but couldn't do anything about—like his own family.

Thinking about this, Wayne suddenly felt the treacherous nature of life.

Perhaps it was because he felt like he had a hammer and everyone else looked like a nail, but he was puzzled as to why everyone seemed to be making things difficult for him.

Of course, even if the king were to take action now, it wouldn't be good to drag the Winchester family into it.

With a strong sense of crisis, Duke Elliott had prepared several contingency plans and had even consulted with Wayne several times.

With this preparation in place, Wayne was confident that his family would not be greatly affected.

Seeing that the king had simply continued to attend to official business for a while before returning to his own palace to rest alone, Wayne also quietly returned without leaving any trace.

……

The next day, Wayne found Richard at the Lily Club.

He still maintained his composed and confident demeanor, seemingly unaffected by anything that happened.

But based on his understanding of him, Wayne realized that he was probably just used to presenting this image.

Last night, the King seemed to be urging Richard to get closer to Tasia again. Richard's attitude had already wavered considerably, so now he's probably really going to launch his offensive on Tasia...

Unlike his usual perfunctory approach to this matter, Richard's personality suggests that once he makes up his mind to act, he can be quite formidable.

Thinking about the Mary Sue plots he had seen in the animation, Wayne felt complicated.

However, she certainly wouldn't mention her own little schemes in front of Richard.

“Richard, finals are coming up,” Wayne said casually, as if it were a casual conversation.

"...Yes, that's right."

In fact, Richard has rarely had time to sit down and talk with everyone lately; he often just makes a brief appearance and then leaves in a hurry.

"I feel like you've become much busier. Are you keeping up with your studies? I won't let you off easy," Wayne asked awkwardly.

Upon hearing this, Richard couldn't help but smile wryly.

"I won't fall behind; I'll be in top form!"

—This sounds like he's trying too hard to cheer himself up, which makes it seem a bit hollow.

"By the way, are you going on vacation out of town this holiday?" Wayne asked.

Generally speaking, nobles do not stay at home obediently during long holidays.

Richard pondered for a moment upon hearing the question.

"It seems there are no plans in that regard at the moment."

He then added, "Of course, I will attend any events the Lily Society holds."

Wayne laughed and said, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Even if you do, it's just a social gathering at most."

The activities of the Lily Society are entirely up to the president. Once the activity plan is submitted to the school council, it has almost never been rejected.

But given what happened with Raphael, it's best not to go out and cause trouble for safety's sake. After all, the situation in the capital has not only not calmed down, but has become much more complicated than before.