My older sister is a villainous rich girl

"Never mind, I'll go for my morning exercise!"

After changing his clothes, Wayne ceremoniously took his sword and then went downstairs to the yard to pick up the little white dog that was still sleeping.

"A beautiful day starts early!" he shouted energetically. "Little White, today I'm going to introduce you to my new friend Little Black. I'm sure you'll like it too!"

"—Woof woof woof woof woof!" The peaceful and serene Duke Wencher's mansion was once again enveloped in furious barking.

……

At His Majesty's invitation, the Lornes Equestrian Club has decided to host a grand horse race.

As the Edgeworth family owns several horse teams, they certainly couldn't be absent from such an important occasion.

“My daughter, all you need to do is stay by my side.” Mr. Franz was dressed in an exceptionally smart riding outfit today, the pure black vest making his slightly plump belly look a little slimmer. “Let’s go cheer for the team that’s registered for the competition first, and then we can go back to the stands to rest.”

"Those princes and ministers will likely bring their families. We must remember not to disrespect the Edgeworth family's status and decorum!"

After listening to his father's routine admonition, Goethe Edgeworth nodded indifferently.

She knew that her father didn't mean for her to show how much she loved horseback riding, but rather that she should take this opportunity to impress and outshine the other noble ladies in terms of manners.

Just as His Excellency Franz often spends large sums of money to search for fine horses and excellent equestrian riders not because he personally loves equestrianism, but simply to show off his superior taste and wealth.

She used to think that it was only natural to strive for first place in these areas in order not to disgrace the Edgeworth family.

—If we could outdo our arch-rival Chris, that would be even more exciting.

But right now, she just feels bored.

The more I learned about how Chris and Wayne viewed all of this, the more boring and uninteresting it seemed.

Those two guys wouldn't care about such insignificant wins and losses at all.

They only invest in things they like, and if they lose interest, they simply ignore them.

In comparison, it only made me, who was secretly pleased with myself, look like a fool.

Ge Li hated this feeling.

This feeling... that only the two of them can understand each other, while you are the only outsider.

Perhaps, there was a time when I was captivated by the tenderness that belonged only to him.

So even if things don't go smoothly later on, you can still keep going because of the good memories.

This is probably why falling in love is so wonderful, and why it is so difficult to hope that the two people can stay together forever.

Chapter 575 Horse Racing Club

Lornes has hot and humid summers and autumns, but more sunny days in winter and spring.

Taking advantage of the first rays of sunlight, Wayne got up early again, took Little White out for a full lap of exercise, and then returned.

At that moment, Chris rubbed her eyes and pushed open the door, looking like she had just woken up and was still half asleep.

"Oh, Wayne, you're back."

Half-asleep, she leaned closer and hugged Wayne's neck, clinging to him like a koala.

Wayne casually put his arm around her waist and smiled unconsciously, softening his tone so as not to disturb her.

"How did you sleep last night? If you haven't had enough sleep, we can leave a little later. I'll come and wake you up when we're ready to go." He whispered in her ear, "Once we get to the horse farm, it won't be so easy to fall asleep."

This was, after all, a public event, and even someone as prominent as Duke Elliott had to consider the opinions of the King and other high-ranking nobles. Having chosen to attend, maintaining the proper image of a noble was the responsibility of a member of the Winchester family.

Perhaps it was the ticklish feeling from Wayne's warm breath as he spoke that made Chris snuggle her head against his chest.

"I don't care... At worst, you can take me and run away first."

While Wayne was still considering the feasibility of running away halfway, Chris's wavering thoughts suddenly shifted elsewhere.

"Wayne, since something like Marseille exists, isn't it theoretically possible for match-fixing to occur?"

Wayne was immediately brought back to reality by her suggestion.

"Well, if the benefits are tempting enough, I think that would happen," he guessed. "But the bigger the event, the more difficult it is to rig things in front of everyone."

This isn't some modern society that emphasizes basic human rights. If a contestant with a weak background offends a petty nobleman in the stands, they could be tormented to death after the competition.

Conversely, if one performs well enough, it is very likely that one can gain access to high society, obtain funding, and become a guest of honor among the great nobles.

Such bait is still tempting enough.

Therefore, he found it hard to believe that anyone at Qingxi Academy would take such a huge risk, putting their own and their family's future aside, and unwisely get involved in such a dangerous event.

“Anyway, we don’t own a horse team, so we’ll just go and see what’s going on, and maybe donate some money to show our love and care,” Wayne said.

For the many nobles who were invited to the meeting, the vast majority probably held this mindset.

"That's true."

Chris nodded. "Speaking of which, the Golly Edgeworth family seems to own several horse teams, have you heard of them?"

"I've heard of him, but I don't know him or have ever met him."

He would occasionally go to the horse farm, but only to accompany Lawrence or Richard, and he didn't really interact with the people or horses who were going to compete.

Hearing him say that, Chris seemed to feel quite sorry.

"Sigh, if we could buy her strongest horse team, raising them to compete and advertise wouldn't be a bad idea..."

Wayne's lips twitched.

If they really did that, the gains and losses would be secondary; Ge Li, who was being mocked so openly, would probably be furious.

"Let's go downstairs and get something to eat first. I'll take a shower and change my clothes, and then we can leave."

He changed the subject.

……

Although she had looked sleepy not long ago, by the time the Winchester family carriage set off, Chris had shaken off her fatigue and become expectant and excited.

"Dad, why don't we keep a horse team?" she asked chatteringly.

Inside the Duke's extremely luxurious carriage, Chris and Wayne sat on the same side, while Duke Elliott sat alone opposite them.

Perhaps due to special treatment, the noise from the outside was minimal, and the jolts from the rolling wheels were very slight. A silk cloth embroidered with dark gold family crests was laid on the inside of the carriage, with a simple small table placed in the center.

During the journey, the tabletop showed almost no noticeable shaking.

Elliott would not usually travel in such a grand manner unless it was a very formal occasion.

“That’s because your mother and I don’t really enjoy watching horse races,” he replied gently. “Spending extra money to force yourself to continue something you’re not passionate about will only bring you a lot of unnecessary trouble.”

Contrary to his seemingly dignified image, the Duke of Elliott was actually a very economical person.

—On the premise that there is no conflict with Mrs. Ashville's opinion.

Duchess Ashville, however, belongs to a completely different dimension, leading the trends in the capital. It's hard to imagine that the dignified Duke Elliott in public is almost completely submissive to his wife and daughter, readily accepting all their suggestions, even those that don't align with his own style.

"If you like, Chris, it wouldn't hurt to raise a few horse teams with Wayne and have them compete for fun in private."

As he spoke, his lighthearted tone turned slightly serious. "However, you are absolutely not allowed to go on stage without supervision! Otherwise, everyone involved will be punished because of your willfulness."

His serious expression clearly showed that he was not joking.

Elliott was always very careful when it came to matters concerning Chris's personal safety.

Chris pouted.

"understood."

"I wasn't interested in it to begin with."

The little flame that had finally risen in her heart was ruthlessly extinguished. Chris didn't want to talk anymore, so she leaned against Wayne and closed her eyes to rest.

In the silence, the Duke's carriage finally came to a stop in front of a huge racetrack in the suburbs.

The driver respectfully placed the small stool in front of him and rang a small bell hanging in front of the driver's seat.

The crisp "ding-ding-ding~" sound is a notification to the distinguished guests in the carriage that they have arrived at their destination.

Duke Elliott stepped down from the carriage first, gesturing for the coachman to rest and return to the door to greet them when it was time.

Chris, who was helped off the carriage by Wayne, was then drawn to the commotion of the crowds of tourists on the other side.

Wow, there are so many people!

She kept looking around.

“After all, it’s supposed to be a very big event.” Wayne looked around and quickly got a feel for the surrounding terrain. “The invited nobles will probably enter through one of our two entrances, and they’ll have better seats in the stands.”

Several staff members were already waiting with their hands at their sides in the area surrounded by colorful flags not far ahead.

The direction of the surging crowd on the other side is probably the ordinary entrance open to commoners... Normally, nobles would never sit in the same seats as commoners.

Chapter 576 Enemies Who Feel Like Old Friends at First Sight

As expected, after entering the stadium, Wayne and his group were in a more prominent central position in the stands. Because the seats were designed to be higher than the regular seats, their view was significantly better than the surrounding area.

The seats on both sides are of different sizes and cannot be directly passed through the aisle.

Duke Elliott strode ahead, exchanging pleasantries with his other old acquaintances.

Wayne and Chris followed closely behind him, occasionally flashing an awkward but polite smile to either side.

As his gaze shifted, Wayne inadvertently caught sight of a familiar figure from behind.

Wien recognized Gollie solely from her fair, slender neck, which seemed to be held high at all times. And the man beside her, with a protruding belly and wearing a top black hat, was none other than Minister Franz, whom Wien had only met a few times.

Minister Franz, who was talking to someone, noticed the commotion behind him, turned around, and quickly fixed his gaze on Duke Eliot.

He gave a cold laugh and walked straight over here.

Suddenly noticing Franz approaching, Wayne tensed up for a second.

However, when he realized that Franz was only focused on talking to Elliott and hadn't noticed him, this insignificant junior, his tense body relaxed slightly.

Thankfully, it seems he still hasn't discovered any signs of trouble.

"Duke Winchester seems to have such refined tastes today. I wonder if there's a fine horse that catches his eye?"

Ge Li followed closely behind, glancing expressionlessly at Wayne and Chris.

Upon hearing Franz's voice, Elliott raised an eyebrow and said, "My wife and I have never been very knowledgeable about this... Perhaps you could give me some recommendations, so I can earn a little money to buy snacks for the children."

In the first round of verbal sparring, Franz did not gain any advantage; instead, Eliot brought up past events he was reluctant to recall.

The pain of having his love stolen away was a lifelong humiliation for him.

"Oh."

Unable to defeat them head-on, Franz cleverly changed his strategy.

“Geli, come and meet Duke Elliot Winchester.” He decided to use his daughter to get back at him. “Our two families can be considered old friends. I studied at Clearstream Academy with the Duke, and you and Miss Chris have also been classmates for many years.”

"I'm sure you young people have a lot in common, so it's good to chat more."

He knew very well what level Elliott Wincher's only daughter was at; without external help, that hothouse flower could never be a match for his daughter.

However, despite Franz's prompting, Goethe seemed rather uninterested in self-expression.

After giving a proper greeting, she did not follow her father's instructions to argue with Chris, but simply said, "Miss Chris and I do not share the same interests and do not have much contact. I do not know much about what topics she likes."

Wien, standing to the side, really wanted to cover Franz's mouth to stop him from stirring things up.

"Well, I think the elders still have a lot to talk about. Perhaps we can find a place to sit for a while." He quickly stepped forward to control the situation and prevent it from spiraling out of control.

Although the upper-level stands are spacious, they actually occupy a relatively small area.

After all, there aren't many nobles who can be invited.

When Wayne suggested finding a place to sit for a while, he could only stand a little further away, but he couldn't escape their sight.

Perhaps not wanting Chris to be used as a pawn in the power struggles of outsiders, Elliott gave Wayne a barely perceptible nod, approving his suggestion.

Before Franz or Wien could say anything more, Gothic turned and left first.

Once Golly left, Chris naturally didn't want to stay and participate in the adults' boring struggles. Instead, she took the initiative to follow behind her and leave the battlefield of fame and fortune.

In this way, Wayne could only follow behind the two of them like a follower, neither too close nor too far.

Ignoring Minister Franz's still-unwilling voice, Goethe's thoughts seemed to linger here, yet also drifted to distant places.