My older sister is a villainous rich girl

"A truly perfect person does not exist."

He said, "Unless you just want to watch from afar and fall in love with that perfect image you've created in your mind."

Ge Li paused for a moment, then glanced at Wayne with a slightly strange expression.

The orchestra room was quiet for a while.

"Whatever the reason, I want to be with His Highness."

Ge Li's tone remained stubborn.

Although she had to admit that she actually thought Wayne made a good point.

"I will never lose to Chris!"

Rather than making threats, she seemed more like trying to convince herself.

“Chris doesn’t like Prince Richard,” Wayne said. “You want to use the prince as leverage against Chris, but that’s a flawed premise from the start.”

This is the second time he has stated this fact.

Ge Li was somewhat shaken.

Actually, she also sensed that Chris seemed to have changed. She was no longer enthusiastic towards the prince, and she no longer talked about becoming a princess like before.

However, His Highness still harbors the hope of a marriage alliance with the Winchester family.

This is something that cannot be ignored in any way.

"What I said at the beginning still holds true, right?"

Seeing her frowning, Wayne chuckled and said, "I can be your strategist, as long as your reward is sufficient."

Yes, he did say that.

But Geli did not trust him.

At his suggestion, the only attempt to "change his image" also completely failed.

"Are you short of money?"

She was a little puzzled.

The Wincher family's wealth is absolutely no less than that of the Edgeworth family, and may even be more profound.

After all, the Winchester family has had powerful magicians in every generation, and over the years, their strength has become unfathomable.

"It's lacking."

"Moreover, I desperately need a secret stash of money that can't be traced back to its purpose."

"Besides money, connections or important information are also acceptable."

While it's convenient to cling to Chris's coattails, it's inconvenient to do anything else underhanded.

In the eyes of everyone in the Duke of Winchester's mansion, Chris was definitely a higher priority than themselves.

If we don't find another way, to establish a route of action that doesn't overlap with Chris's, we might be betrayed without even realizing it.

Hearing him say this, Ge Li fell into thought.

"I always feel like I can't tell whether you're telling the truth or lying."

She tried hard to think it over and over, but she couldn't figure out why Wayne did it.

“Then just treat it all as a lie,” Wayne said nonchalantly. “As long as you treat the truth as a lie, no one can deceive you.”

That makes a lot of sense.

Let's listen to his opinion for now, and then decide whether to adopt it based on the situation.

"So what do you think I should do next?"

She calmly returned to her seat, wiped the flute, and put it back in its case.

“If it’s still that lousy idea of ​​‘changing your image,’ I think you’d earn more by begging on the street.”

Wayne scoffed.

"The reason it didn't work that time was because you didn't find the right direction."

Then he added, "And you don't have enough self-control either."

Wayne went into the orchestra department's office and sat in the empty seat next to her.

"Let me tell you a wise saying: In love, the one who falls in love first is the loser."

He's about to start using his refined theories of love to... no, no, to save lost girls again.

"When you meet Prince Richard, will your heart be pounding?" he asked.

Ge Li thought for a moment.

"will not."

"Don't lie, it's pointless to hide basic information from me because you're shy."

"When I met Prince Richard, all I could think was, what would it take for him to marry me?"

Marriage... You're thinking way too far ahead.

Wayne was somewhat taken aback by the nonchalant tone with which she brought it up.

When I was in my twenties, I still felt like a baby, but this person was already thinking about marriage at such a young age. Look at their awareness!

If all modern women learned from you, how could the country's marriage rate not increase?

What does marriage mean to you?

"It is a marriage alliance between two families, in which both parties enter into a contract to share certain disposable resources."

Ge Li answered without hesitation.

“No, marriage is a promise to be with the other person for life,” Wayne retorted, frowning.

Goethe said seriously, "If a marriage is to be made, it must be a choice that benefits both families. Just as the Edgeworth family needs the support of the royal family, the royal family also needs the assistance of the Edgeworth family."

Yes, that's a very mature idea.

The issue is.

"This...this isn't out of love at all!"

Chapter 61 Royal Palace Celebration

That was merely a rational choice made after weighing the pros and cons, and had absolutely nothing to do with so-called love.

But she spoke so confidently that even Wayne didn't know how to explain the difference to her.

"Is this your own reflection on marriage, or did Minister Franz tell you?"

Is there a difference?

"Of course! Whether you marry a prince or someone else in the future, I hope it's a choice made from your own heart, rather than using yourself as a bargaining chip in a family transaction."

Wayne said, "Otherwise, you'll regret it."

You might even resent those who instilled these ideas in you.

In fact, everyone is more and more deeply influenced by their family environment than they imagine, and this influence is often difficult for those directly involved to perceive.

As a person grows up and develops self-awareness, they may even come to dislike parents who seem ignorant, foolish, and short-sighted.

But as I grew older, I always found that "I" had become someone else—just like the people I used to hate, like my parents.

When you realize this, it's hard not to feel a little disillusioned with life.

Hopefully, Miss Ge Li's decisions are based on her own heart, and even if they don't yield good results, she can still live a good life without any regrets.

"You seem to be thinking about something very rude."

Ge Li felt uncomfortable under his loving gaze.

“Go back and think it over carefully before deciding whether to take my advice.” Wayne withdrew his gaze. “I’m a highly ethical professional consultant, dedicated to providing the most considerate service to lovers everywhere.”

Ge Li asked in confusion, "A professional? Who else have you given advice to?"

"..."

"The first rule to gain someone's favor is to give them some privacy."

Wayne said without changing his expression.

"If he doesn't want to talk, don't keep asking him questions, otherwise it's easy for him to feel that you are offending him."

Ge Li rolled his eyes at him speechlessly, "If you don't want to say it, then don't make up other excuses."

She picked up the instrument case that had already been tidied up on the table and unceremoniously kicked Wayne out of the activity room.

"Aren't you leaving yet? I'm going to lock the door."

Seeing that she was starting to dismantle the bridge before even crossing the river, Wayne could only shake his head and sigh.

Sure enough, girls in the real world aren't cute at all.

……

A few days later.

It was said to be a performance at the royal palace, but in reality, it was just a chance for those important figures to see it.

The ministers who came to the palace to attend the meeting all looked at the giant Bobbi plush toy placed in the square outside the palace with strange eyes.

Duke Elliott looked around Bobby with great admiration, and seeing that he was standing right next to Bobby, all the other ministers who passed by couldn't help but add a few words of praise.

"This must be a group project by Miss Chris and Young Master Wayne, right? The Duke's children are truly... not to be underestimated."

"I heard that Miss Chris only joined the craft club this semester, but she led the club members to defeat the powerful orchestra club in one fell swoop. She is truly a force to be reckoned with!"

Finance Minister Franz gave a disdainful snort and walked past Bobby into the inner hall.

Elliott laughed even more heartily: "Oh dear, these are all just kids messing around with. You're all too kind."

"Father, you've really gone too far..." Not far away, Wayne looked at the Duke and muttered to himself in silence.

As members of the winning handicraft club, he and Chris were specially invited to participate in the festival held at the royal palace, along with outstanding clubs from the elementary school and the main campus of Seiki Academy.

At the same time, the royal family also specially invited some teachers and students from other noble schools, as well as foreign dignitaries, to visit the school, so that the world could learn about the country's outstanding young talents. This was also a good opportunity to enhance the image of the school and even the country.

"There's nothing I can do." Chris didn't know what to say to the Duke.

"In the past, both my parents misunderstood each other, thinking that they only married each other because of the need for a family alliance."

She lowered her voice and whispered to Wayne, "Especially since back then, Mr. Franz was my mother's staunch admirer. My father had long disliked him, but because he didn't understand my mother's feelings, he could only bury his dissatisfaction in his heart and try to ignore him as much as possible."

So, is Duke Elliott now able to turn his life around and finally get his revenge?

Wayne nodded in understanding.

Because this celebration was specifically organized for young people, the atmosphere was very relaxed.

After the formal celebrations conclude, the banquet will begin.

Stepping into the banquet hall, one is greeted by a view of exquisite pastries and fruits laid out before one's eyes. Groups of ministers chat idly, while others raise long-stemmed glass cups to toast each other, creating a joyful atmosphere.

Perhaps this kind of banquet is not uncommon for Chris and Wayne, but it is a rare opportunity for Minister Mei, Molly and Eve.

"Wow, that cake! It's so tall!" Eve exclaimed.

The enormous twelve-tiered cake occupied the center of the hall, adorned with the finest decorations, making it a real head-turner. Many of the young girls present looked on with longing.

"That's mainly for looking at, please don't eat it," Sofia reminded her.

"Huh? Why!"

Minister Mei Mei's aspirations were shattered.

"Because... it's just a prop here to demonstrate the lavish scale of the banquet, not actual food. If you were to eat it, you'd be ridiculed by the other nobles."

As the daughter of a marquis and the president of the Lily Society, Sophia had participated in many of these types of gatherings.

The more important the occasion, the more attention to detail is required.

It's unclear when this trend started, but by the time people realized it, it had already become an unspoken rule among the nobles.

In this way, they can identify a person's social class from their every move, and then skillfully determine the other person's family background and whether they are suitable to associate with them.