My older sister is a villainous rich girl

This feeling that he was still connected to the past version of himself made him feel uneasy.

“I suppose you don’t want me to stay here and spoil the atmosphere, so I’ll go and talk to that lady.” Ge Li glanced at him. “However, I won’t do anything unnecessary just because I’m feeling kind. If you want to know anything else, come and ask me later.”

With a cold expression, he left those words behind and turned to walk away in the direction Mrs. O'Neill had gone.

"What? Isn't this just blatantly trying to make us owe her a favor?" Chris complained.

"...So you're not going to go?"

Wien was actually somewhat grateful for Goethe's understanding.

He did want to find out more about the two siblings. However, he had just had a falling out with Mrs. O'Neill, and it was too embarrassing for him to go over and make conversation.

“Yes, of course I’ll go!” Chris readily agreed.

"I was also thinking of advising Mrs. O'Neill to pay more attention to her children..."

Then, with a complicated expression, she asked, "Are there really mothers who hate their own children?"

“There are all kinds of people in this world, and who can guarantee that every parent loves their child?” Wayne said noncommittally.

Perhaps it was simply because the risk avoidance measures were not done well, or perhaps it was just because she thought she needed to have a child in her life and gave birth to one. Haven't there been cases in history where mothers hated a child because of difficult childbirth, or who took out their hatred for their spouse on their children?

"Well, then I must be a very, very good mother in the future, just like Mom." Chris nodded as if she understood.

"One child would be ideal, preferably a daughter." She was lost in her beautiful imagination.

"At that time, I will accompany her shopping and play with her every day, dress her up beautifully... Moreover, I will never force her to do homework after school, nor will I arrange any boring and tedious tutoring for her!"

Goodness, they've definitely smuggled in their own agenda.

"Are you discussing future parenting strategies with me?" Wayne couldn't help but tease.

Chris suddenly realized that she was still young and marriage was nowhere in sight, so how did she suddenly veer into having children?

Beneath Wayne's rather mischievous smile, she angrily punched him with her little fist: "It's all your fault! You deliberately steered the conversation away from here!"

"Okay, okay, it's my fault, it's my fault."

The two were chatting casually when suddenly a louder commotion came from outside the entrance to the upper-level stands.

Many people who were originally seated stood up and stared at the steps behind them, eagerly anticipating what was to come.

Amidst a loud announcement, His Majesty the King's still quite agile figure emerged from the passageway.

However, Wayne's gaze did not linger on the king, but instead focused on the face of the graceful, mature woman to the side and behind the king.

"—Mrs. Cherry?"

He was somewhat taken aback.

The scandalous affair between the King and Lady Cherry was no secret in the capital, with all sorts of rumors flying around. But rumors are just rumors; once this special status was publicly acknowledged, many things could no longer be dismissed with a laugh.

Wayne wasn't the only one shocked; many nobles present also had their expressions change.

But the king was clearly in a very good mood, in high spirits, with bright and piercing eyes.

Although there was no direct physical contact between him and Mrs. Cherry, he would occasionally turn around and whisper a few words to the beauty with her eyes lowered, creating a rather sweet and passionate atmosphere.

"Ugh~" Chris looked away with a hint of disgust.

“Even if the King doesn’t like the Queen and prefers Lady Cherry, he shouldn’t be behaving intimately with Lady Cherry in this kind of setting…” she muttered under her breath. “With so many people watching, what will the other nobles think? Where will they put Richard and Lawrence?”

“Ahem, watch your words,” Wayne cautioned.

It's fine to say these things at home with your own family. But if you say them outside, someone with ulterior motives might find fault with them at any time.

Chapter 579 Caught Red-Handed

Speaking of Richard and Lawrence, I've been here for so long, how come I haven't seen them at all?

While Wayne was wondering about this, the king had already taken his seat steadily.

As the most important person present, his arrival undoubtedly signals that Marseille will soon officially begin.

“Chris, did you see Richard and Lawrence on your way here?” Wayne asked in a low voice.

"Hmm? I don't think so."

After he pointed it out, Chris realized that something seemed amiss.

As the inviter, even if Richard didn't have much free time to receive guests, he shouldn't have stayed hidden away from everyone.

“Go back and sit next to Father for a while. I’ll go find them and be right back,” Wayne said to Chris.

Before anyone else could notice, he ducked and slipped over the edge of the stands.

Marseille's main track is a separately fenced-off circular circuit, its fresh, verdant grass seeming to herald the approaching spring. Wayne walked along the passageway behind the stands, quickly attracting the attention of the staff.

"Sir, how can I help you?" A man in a racetrack uniform approached.

Wayne simply identified himself: "Have you seen Prince Richard and Prince Lawrence? I am Wayne Winch, and I have been invited by them to say hello."

"Ah! So it's Young Master Wayne." The staff member looked like he had just realized it, as if he had heard of him before.

"Prince Lawrence is resting with his horse in another off-track area, and as for Prince Richard... I'm sorry, I didn't see him go anywhere."

Wayne thought for a moment and said, "Then take me to see Lawrence first."

Could it be that these two have had another fight? He couldn't help but wonder.

But when he met Lawrence, he realized that the two brothers probably hadn't been arguing recently.

Beside the wooden fence, Lawrence wasn't galloping on his horse; instead, he was leaning against the crossbar talking to it.

"...General, do you think I should go and comfort that bastard brother of mine?" His voice was low, but it still did not escape Wayne's exceptionally keen ears.

Yes, that's right, Lawrence named his horse "The General".

"Your Highness Prince Lawrence."

The staff member respectfully offered a reminder.

Lawrence was startled, looked up and saw Wayne, and a hint of joy appeared in his eyes.

"Wayne, you've come at the perfect time!"

He ripped off his gloves and threw them aside, then turned to the staff member and said, "I have something to say to Wayne. Take my 'General' back first."

Before the staff could even say goodbye, Lawrence quickly pulled Wayne toward the other side of the lounge.

"Has Richard gone to the front stands yet?" he asked immediately.

Wayne was taken aback by his sudden concern. "Uh, not before I came over."

Lawrence seemed at a loss for what to do.

He glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping before speaking softly, "Richard and my father have had a major disagreement."

This wasn't the first time Wayne had heard such words.

Bulwer had previously told him that the king had even secretly ordered him to monitor Richard's movements.

However, judging from Lawrence's distressed expression, it seems that he has only just realized these things.

Wayne feigned surprise, "How could that be?!"

“I thought it was impossible at first, but that’s how it is.” Lawrence sighed. “Yesterday Richard defied the King in front of many servants, and he didn’t come to the palace to pay his respects this morning.”

"Where is he now?" Wayne couldn't help but ask.

"He's probably warming up before the game." Although he didn't go to find him, Lawrence had obviously already found out his brother's whereabouts.

"Huh? He's going to go on stage himself!" Wayne was genuinely surprised.

He thought Richard's casual remark, "I trained a horse," meant he just wanted that horse to compete alone.

“Yes,” Lawrence said with certainty. “And he has been preparing for this for some time.”

Wayne listened with a thoughtful expression.

Could this be the "better time" Richard was referring to?

Wien glanced at Lawrence furtively and realized that Richard was indeed on the right track in a sense—there was no doubt that Lawrence was now concerned about him.

"Or, should I go check on Richard again?" he tactfully uttered the line Lawrence wanted to hear.

"Then hurry up and go," Lawrence urged without thinking.

"Oh right! It's not that I'm worried he has any problems, it's just that I don't want to see all the money I bet on him to win go down the drain," he offered this unnecessary and forced explanation.

“Understood, I won’t mention you to him.” Wayne said knowingly. “You should also head to the stands soon; His Majesty the King has arrived, and the show should be starting soon.”

However, Lawrence simply scoffed at this.

"They might prefer me to stay out of the way. Forget it, I won't get in their way." Even though he was already at the racetrack, he seemed determined not to go over.

...Actually, it's better not to go over there, so as not to feel uncomfortable seeing the King and Lady Cherry being all lovey-dovey.

With that in mind, he didn't try to persuade him any further.

But just as Wayne was about to leave to find Richard, the staff member who had just led Lawrence's horse away rushed back in a panic.

“Your Highness Lawrence, Young Master Wayne!” He caught his breath and briefly recounted what he had just witnessed: “There seems to be some trouble at the front desk. I heard that Prince Richard caught a thief trying to tamper with the stables and is now escorting him back to His Majesty the King…”

Wayne and Lawrence exchanged a glance.

……

In the high stands where nobles gathered, the king's expression was difficult to discern.

"You mean, this person is planning to drug the horses in the race?" he asked slowly.

“Yes!” Richard, completely unfazed by the stares coming from all directions, answered loudly from below the stands: “I just happened to be passing by and caught them red-handed!”

As he spoke, he held up a transparent glass bottle, inside which some unknown liquid shimmered in the sunlight.

"These are the things we found on him. If you want to test the effects of the drug, you can use ordinary, non-race horses to drink it instead." Richard's tone was very firm.

The prisoner next to him, who had been captured, was escorted by several guards to kneel on the ground, his head bowed the entire time, not daring to lift it even once.

The king sat in the very center of the front row of the stands, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest, as if he were deep in thought.

Chapter 580 The King and the Prince

The king was silent for a moment, then turned his head slightly and ordered in a low voice, "Bulwer, take this man into custody and interrogate him thoroughly after the competition."

However, unlike the king's desire to handle the situation calmly, Richard loudly proclaimed, "The horse this man is planning to tamper with is number 8, which will be going on the track soon! As far as I know, it's a new contender that has never appeared on this track before."

"On the file card, the horse's owner's name is Jonia, and the person who paid the race fee for this horse is His Excellency Marquis Franz Edgeworth."

Richard provided the relevant information in great detail, seemingly not intending to let the matter rest.

"Enough!" The king's face darkened. He reprimanded, "This matter has been handed over to Bulwer; you don't need to worry about it anymore. Now go back to the waiting area and don't interfere with the normal proceedings of the event!"

Minister Franz, whose name was called, looked puzzled; he couldn't recall ever sponsoring such a horse.

It wasn't until he saw the figure being led into the arena by the royal guards that Franz suddenly remembered that he had once encountered a skilled equestrian shepherd during a business trip.

He greatly admired the young man's horsemanship, sponsored his living expenses, and told him, "If you are interested, you can come to the capital to develop your career."

However, several months passed, and he had long forgotten about it, and no one around him brought it up again.

But I ended up paying his entry fee... How did that happen?

He couldn't help but glance at his daughter, who had just returned to her seat.

Noticing his father's questioning gaze, Ge Li understood and explained calmly, "The steward once reported that a young man I had dealt with before came to seek refuge, but you were busy with official duties at the time, so I asked the steward to handle it on your behalf."

Participating in a competition of this caliber requires competing for a very limited number of spots.

If a contestant doesn't have a powerful guarantor behind them, even if the contestant and their horse are very capable, it will be difficult for them to get a chance to showcase their skills.

For the powerful Edgeworth family, this was a trivial matter, and even Ge Li didn't pay much attention to it.

"I see."

Franz nodded, but inwardly wondered, "Has Geli become so adept at handling affairs in his own name?"

The young man looked excited, his gaze towards Richard filled with respect and gratitude.

“Your Highness Richard, I am Jonia!” He knelt on one knee, bowed his head, and performed a standard commoner’s salute. “I will forever remember your noble character and kindness.”

On the stands, the king frowned involuntarily when he saw this commoner dare to bow to the prince before him.