My older sister is a villainous rich girl

"Miss Ge Li, if you're not busy, could you join me to look at this comic book again?"

Wayne, being very perceptive, asked, "There are several very interesting stories in it, and I've been wanting to share my thoughts with my friends."

Hearing him say that, Ge Li gave him a suspicious look.

"With so many fair-weather friends, how could you possibly not find someone to talk to?"

...Tsk.

I just wanted to find an excuse so you could continue watching happily.

“Because I only want to read it with you, Ge Li.” Wayne stared at the comic book in his hand, not looking at Ge Li’s expression.

Chapter 511 Female Benefactor, You Can't

After a moment of silence, the girl's soft reply rang out.

"Ah."

What difference does it make whether it's summer or winter, as long as there's bright sunshine and a gentle breeze?

At least with Ge Li by his side, Wayne felt at this moment that he didn't.

As it turned out, Ge Li was indeed a little girl who was used to saying one thing and meaning another. Once she was immersed in the story, she quickly could no longer hide her true nature.

"Ah...this story is amazing! I can't wait to see the next episode!"

Completely forgetting that he had just said "it's not good-looking at all," Goli excitedly patted Wayne's leg and shouted.

“I’m extremely satisfied with both the art style and the storyline… No, I have to poach this artist to our Dandelion Publishing House!” She suddenly revealed her true intentions.

Wayne stared in astonishment at Goli, whose ambition had been exposed. "Uh..."

Putting aside whether it's reasonable for you to say you want to poach someone in front of me, the second boss, the problem is... the person you're interested in happens to be someone who absolutely has no chance of leaving.

"That probably won't work," he said in a low voice, his expression hesitant.

Even if she really likes it, if she knew that it was drawn by Chris, she would probably go berserk on the spot.

It's also thanks to the fact that Ge Li obviously doesn't pay much attention to Chris's paintings, and Chris rarely reveals her true skill level to others. Otherwise, with this more modern style, it would be too unique, and even a layman who doesn't know much about it could recognize it at a glance.

Ge Li thought he was being considerate of Chris, and was initially unhappy for a while, but then his attitude completely changed.

“Wayne~” She hugged his arm and moved closer.

"You just 'accidentally' told me this teacher's identity and address~ It's not like you have to do anything difficult..."

Please, this alone is already quite a challenge.

The so-called "Little Deer" was the pen name that Chris gave herself.

“Lady, you mustn’t.” Wayne resolutely closed his eyes, refusing to look at the sweet words she was trying to use.

"What is a female benefactor?"

"I ask you this in surprise," Ge Li asked.

"In short, this really won't work." Wayne was embarrassed for a second. "Also, can you please stop trying to poach people from Leaf Publishing House? It's not easy for us to cultivate talent here. Wouldn't it be better for everyone to compete fairly?"

Seeing that he remained unmoved, Ge Li pouted and shook off his hand.

"Fine, I won't tell you then. I don't care." She turned her face away, smoothed her hair, and stood up. "I'm busy, I don't have time to keep you company anymore. Do as you please."

"Huh?!?!"

In the end, Wayne was still ruthlessly abandoned by her.

So Wayne could only silently suppress his resentment towards Song Li and return to the Lily Society.

"Wayne, did you have a good holiday?"

As soon as I entered the activity room, I saw Prince Richard, whose appearance no longer showed any signs of illness.

There were quite a few people in the activity room. Most of the friends who got along well were gathered in twos and threes, chatting about where they went for the holidays. The atmosphere was just right, lively but not noisy.

Richard still wore his warm and friendly smile, as if nothing bad had happened to him.

However, there are significantly fewer people around him than before.

Even the girls who used to swarm around him and gushed over him would mostly just glance at him from afar with longing and fear in their eyes, their expressions quite complicated.

Wayne sighed inwardly, and as always, relaxed, he walked over and sat down.

"Isn't Chris here? She said she was going to recommend 'Comic Magazine' to you guys." He casually remarked.

Richard laughed, "Isn't your comic book magazine in those people's hands? Chris was just here a moment ago, but it seems she was called away by her other friends."

“I ordered a copy before and have already finished reading it. The content is really interesting; I never imagined that comics could be so expressive,” he commented honestly.

"It's just that most people hadn't thought of using comics to tell a complete story before."

Wayne responded with a certain degree of reserve.

Before this magazine, artists could only gradually build their reputation by participating in various art exhibitions or submitting their work to other aristocratic enthusiasts. But once the "comic book" format appeared, the situation immediately changed.

Therefore, while his family gained praise, they also incurred the dissatisfaction of many people, a fact that Wayne was well aware of.

Some artists, however, jumped around like they'd been poked in the back, claiming that so-called "cartoons" were inferior works that only common people would like, and had no artistic merit whatsoever.

However, these people's voices can only occupy a small part of the ground.

After all, the noble faction led by the Winchester family had already betrayed them, and they didn't dare to accuse the Duke and his family of being unworthy of being nobles.

“My father saw it too,” Richard suddenly said.

Wayne paused for a moment.

But he quickly recovered, "Really? Chris and I are honored."

“He loves painting, knows many painters in the capital, and has sponsored many painters in dire straits,” Richard said softly. “So, of course he would pay attention to you.”

Wayne wasn't sure if he knew the king had privately received him and Chris, and his feelings couldn't be discerned from that calm statement alone.

"It seems we'll have to pay more attention to the quality of our publications from now on," Wayne chuckled.

With the Duke of Elliott's backing, the Winchester family and Prince Richard have become de facto political allies, and many things don't need to be said explicitly; everyone understands each other perfectly well.

Richard paused for a moment before sighing with deep emotion: "Sometimes I can't help but wonder if it's truly impossible to balance one's will with one's responsibilities."

The surrounding chatter seemed distant; only Richard's words were exceptionally clear in this space.

"Just like my father, who loves to paint but can't paint freely; who doesn't want to get married but has to marry my mother..."

He was confused.

Sometimes, stepping outside of one's role as a son in the family and observing from an outsider's perspective can provide a more comprehensive understanding of that person.

The man who was called Father, but was actually just King.

One day in the future, I will sit in that position, wearing the crown he once wore, and become a king just like him.

But do I really want to become that kind of king?

Although Richard didn't want to admit it, he could no longer deceive himself.

—The king did not love his wife, nor did he love his children.

Ruthless...and cruel.

Chapter 512 The Story of Mr. Mask

Wayne listened to his sigh in silence.

Some things, once they happen, can never be undone.

He knew that Richard might not really want him to give a correct answer, but simply had some things on his mind that he just had to say.

But Wayne also had something to say to him.

“Richard…a man isn’t necessarily a machine that can do everything well,” Wayne whispered.

“We are biased towards ourselves, we make mistakes, and we feel resentful even after we have made a decision. But it is precisely because of these base instincts that those who can maintain noble character are all the more precious.”

He wanted to say more words of comfort to Richard to prevent this fine young man from being led astray by the king, but finding the right words was more difficult than he had imagined.

Richard smiled. "Are you trying to comfort me?"

“Of course,” Wayne said seriously. “After all, it’s not easy to have a friend you can talk to.”

Making new friends is something that sounds very easy, but is actually very difficult to do.

Regardless of whether Richard initially approached him due to family background or other reasons, he has successfully gained Wayne's approval over the years.

Therefore, Wayne didn't want Richard to get stuck on this issue.

“To be honest, Lawrence has always been quite worried about you,” Wayne suddenly said.

"Even though he might be embarrassed to tell you."

Listening to the students chatting in the classroom, I learned that apart from going out once at my invitation, Lawrence had refused all other invitations and kept himself locked up at home every day.

Even on the days when he went out with her, Lawrence mostly looked worried.

Richard was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then said self-deprecatingly, "He used to think that I always hid behind others and watched coldly, waiting for everyone to resolve things before jumping out to gain a good reputation."

“I also think he’s right.”

“This was not only at my parents’ request, but I also unconsciously tended to… avoid getting involved in anything that might be controversial.”

Richard lowered his eyelids, unwilling to let others see the expression in his eyes.

“But, no matter what, I am still the older brother, and the first heir to this country.” His voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.

“If it’s just that I’m incapable or it’s not my problem, then it’s understandable. But if it’s something I can clearly handle myself, I can’t let Lawrence look down on me, can I?”

Hmm, that resolute spirit of going it alone is quite remarkable.

Seeing that he had made up his mind, Wayne said no more.

"Speaking of which, the formal election for the president of the Lily Society is about to begin."

The next major event at the academy is naturally the election campaigns for the new leadership of various clubs and organizations.

After the election is over, the graduating seniors will begin their countdown to leaving school, and they will rarely have the opportunity to return to the academy in the future.

Meanwhile, thanks to Wayne's kind reminder, Raphael finally found an opportunity to visit His Majesty the King at the palace.

For those who only care about their own interests, the outcome is obvious once they are given a clear choice with clear gains and losses. Thus, after some behind-the-scenes deals unknown to outsiders, the king has agreed to release him at a later date.

"Senior Raphael said he would also make time to attend."

Richard glanced at Wayne warily. "I only failed in the last acting president election because I didn't take it seriously enough, but this time I'll go all out. You'd better watch out."

"Ha, I've heard similar words far too many times."

No matter how much he values ​​this opponent, he won't show weakness verbally.

……

After a relaxed holiday, most people are in a state of chaos on the first day of school.

In short, it means having no interest in studying.

The teachers at the school were well aware of this, so as usual, no actual classes were scheduled on the first day back to school. Everyone simply sat together chatting and laughing, and time easily slipped away in a relaxed atmosphere.

After finally getting through the evening, Chris bid a reluctant farewell. Having dealt with a whole bunch of her girlfriends, she was finally able to escape their clutches and return home with Wayne.

As soon as she got back to her room, Chris pounced on the sofa and kicked off her new indoor shoes with lightning speed, rubbing against it like a cat stretching.

"Ah~ When the holiday is too long, I want to go back to school, and once school starts, I want to go back to the holiday as soon as possible."

She hugged the cushion next to her to her chest and sighed with great melancholy.

Wayne closed the door behind him. "I guess this is what they mean by 'the unattainable is always more alluring'?"

For students, the joy of holidays is often only truly appreciated during school days, and the joy of school days is only cherished during holidays. Is being able to relive this unique experience a blessing or a curse?

Chris was unaware that Wayne was contemplating philosophical questions about life, and was still speaking in a languid, coquettish tone.

"Wayne, could you please pour me a glass of water?"

—They have degenerated into pathetic, useless people who cannot act on their own.

Wayne didn't even twitch an eyebrow.