My older sister is a villainous rich girl

"Let's make a deal then." He decided to stop wasting time on useless sweet talk.

"In addition to the reasonable financial subsidy, I will repay your favor again in the name of the Lily Society. Whatever you want to do, whether it is to have the Lily Society and the Orchestra get together, or to promote some plan with the support of the Lily Society, I will accompany you in everything."

Wayne looked intently into her eyes, trying to analyze her psychological state from the most subtle expressions.

"Wouldn't it have been better to just say it clearly sooner?" It seemed that Ge Li had been waiting for him to say that. "There is something I would like to trouble you with. Please lend me the name of the Lily Society in a couple of days."

Wayne was taken aback.

Before he could ask, a small commotion suddenly arose at the other end of the banquet hall.

As if receiving some special signal, the nobles seated nearby all rose and tidied their appearance.

"His Majesty the King has arrived."

Someone exclaimed in a low voice, not without excitement.

The larger the occasion, the more diverse the guests become. Especially recently, due to economic considerations, the king has even invited some well-connected local nobles who are willing to provide substantial financial assistance.

For these lower-ranking nobles who came purely for prestige, the royal family's influence remained strong. Just attending a banquet of this caliber once and having the privilege of exchanging a few words with those important figures was enough to serve as a source of pride for generations to come.

However, the powerful and wealthy families rooted in the capital often did not treat these lowly country nobles with much respect.

"Don't make a loud noise!" The person who had just exclaimed was reprimanded without any mercy.

A young man who also looked like a promising young talent glared unhappily at the silent fellow in front of him, then casually pushed aside the person blocking his way and walked towards Wayne.

As they drew closer, the young man's smile grew wider, and by the time he stood before Wayne, not a trace of his earlier displeasure could be found.

“Young Master Wayne, Miss Geli, Chairman Harold requests that you two join him.” He gave a slight bow and reminded them in a gentle voice.

It seemed to be a familiar face from the crowd they had just been talking to.

This chameleon-like talent is a skill that many noble children acquire without a teacher. Wayne felt a little disgusted, but didn't show it, only turning to look at Goethe.

Ge Li ignored him and walked away on his own.

Upon seeing this, the newcomer couldn't help but chuckle: "It seems that even Young Master Wayne's influence doesn't work in front of Miss Ge Li."

Wayne glanced at him, somewhat speechless.

Please, are we that close?

"you are?"

Chapter 616 The Schemes Behind Everyone

“Hyman Agnes,” the handsome young man introduced himself, his smile as precise as if it had been measured with a ruler.

Looking at him, Wayne suddenly thought of someone else.

Darcy, the former student council president, has long since disappeared.

Perhaps people in similar circumstances will have similar personalities, which is a kind of natural selection and catalyst.

I've heard of you.

The Agnes family was a well-known noble family in the capital, but they had never had much contact with their own family.

"I am not honored." His tone revealed it was just a polite remark.

"I wonder if Young Master Wayne will be free later? I have an important matter to discuss with him." As if afraid of being rejected by Wayne, Hyman paused, then emphasized meaningfully, "The news I bring will certainly not disappoint you."

Wayne glanced in the direction of the chairman, straightened his clothes with composure, and declined, saying, "My time is very precious..."

When it comes to the affected mannerisms of aristocratic children, Wayne believes he is no less capable than others.

Realizing that Wayne was not taking his words seriously, he immediately said solemnly, "Please forgive my rudeness, but I must tell you that its value is definitely worth your time."

Looking around at the guests, and seeing that everyone's attention was drawn to His Majesty the King who had entered the banquet hall, Hyman lowered his voice: "It has to do with the lady beside His Majesty the King... that woman has ill intentions towards your family."

Wayne's expression hardened.

He gave the young man a deep look, but said nothing more.

"See you on the terrace outside later."

In that brief moment, many possibilities flashed through Wayne's mind, only to be rejected one by one.

These people couldn't possibly know that he was in the know, so they wouldn't deliberately come to test him. Could it be that other families had also noticed Lady Cherry's questionable background and were preparing to use their own family's name to launch a counterattack? However, this wasn't entirely unthinkable. Anything that appeared around His Majesty the King would be scrutinized under a magnifying glass by those with ulterior motives.

This time, it's just another play that has been performed countless times before.

With speculation about the implications of this event, Wayne followed Harold to meet the king.

This is a traditional part of the royal banquet, but unlike in the past, the one accompanying His Majesty the King is no longer the gentle and benevolent Queen.

"I had met Young Master Wayne a few times before because of our shared interest in painting."

With a gentle touch on the King's arm, Lady Cherry smiled and exchanged a few words with Wayne quite casually.

Because of the sensitivity of her position, she had very little contact with the upper-class nobles of the capital. Even the Wenche family, with whom she had only had a few superficial collaborations, was considered one of the families she had interacted with more frequently.

Upon hearing Cherry's words, the King turned his gaze to Wayne and said gently, "Hmm, I've heard Cherry recommend it several times already... Speaking of which, I'm also a loyal reader of the Royal Capital Morning Post and comic magazines. To be able to run this emerging industry so successfully at such a young age is truly remarkable."

"Your Majesty flatters me. This is not solely due to my efforts." As soon as the conversation began, Wayne understood what he meant.

If the Wincher family were to endorse and acknowledge the favor bestowed upon Lady Cherry, Lady Cherry could thereby extricate herself from her awkward position within aristocratic circles. The King's attempt to win over supporters mirrored, yet contradicted, the actions of some families operating covertly.

Wayne was confident that if he made some reasonable demands regarding the publishing house, His Majesty would readily agree.

But those things were neither necessary nor appealing to him.

After several rounds of subtle hints that Wayne wouldn't accept the offer, the King frowned slightly in displeasure. Lady Cherry, however, seemed unconcerned, smiling gently as she changed the subject.

"How was it?" After Wayne finally found a chance to get away from the king, Harold leaned over and whispered something to him with a playful tone.

"Is the Wencher family prepared to respond to His Majesty's will?"

Wayne gave him a disapproving look and asked instead of answering, "Then what is your stance, Chairman?"

Harold chuckled like an old fox. "Me? I've never taken sides. Let them fight however they want; I'll only stand with the victor."

...To be able to say such a thing without batting an eye, you truly are worthy of the name.

However, due to the kingdom's traditions and some practical factors, the neutrality of Qingxi Academy is often a balance that all parties want to maintain. Harold's attitude of always staying out of things actually makes others feel more at ease with him.

Thinking about this, Wayne suddenly realized the problem.

Harold's recent actions of siding with the enemy don't seem like he wants to remain neutral in the escalating conflict. Or perhaps he's planning to band together with his own faction for mutual support to avoid being caught in the crossfire?

Wayne looked at him suspiciously, but Harold just smiled and remained silent.

"Oh, by the way, could you help me out of this mess later?" Wayne said in a low voice. "I have an appointment to meet someone on the terrace outside..."

Perhaps it's because he's been dealing with those old foxes so much lately, but Wayne has also learned some of the true essence of push-pull techniques.

Harold seemed to understand his current predicament and readily agreed.

With Harold as a safety net, Wayne said no more. After looking around, he quietly slipped out of the crowded royal banquet hall when no one was paying attention to him.

What he didn't notice was that Ge Li, standing on the other side of the crowd and seemingly oblivious to everyone around him, caught a glimpse of his departing figure and discreetly whispered something to a plain-looking girl beside him. The girl glanced in the direction Wayne had gone, nodded slightly to Ge Li, and then followed him out of the crowd.

The terrace outside the banquet hall.

This magnificent building, frequently chosen by the king for banquets, was designed with the kingdom's finest craftsmen and the most precious materials, boasting an exquisitely crafted interior. As guests journey from indoors to outdoors via winding terraces and corridors, a gentle breeze greets them, and the expansive night sky, with its bright moon and stars hanging high like a mirror, gradually fades away, bringing a sense of tranquility to any restless or agitated heart.

However, although it was much quieter than inside the banquet hall, the guests who met in twos and threes on the terrace would occasionally burst into hearty laughter as they talked.

"Young Master Wayne, please come this way." Without making Wayne search any further, Hyman stepped forward to assist him.

His slightly excited tone indicated that he had been eagerly waiting for this place for a long time.

Chapter 617 The walls have ears

You can't judge a person's character by their appearance.

Words can deceive, actions can be disguised, identities can be faked... but one's purpose cannot be hidden.

This was a piece of advice I received from my unreliable teacher a long, long time ago, after watching a classic play.

It must be admitted that even Professor Conley occasionally resembles a highly respected great magician—if he hadn't later taken the opportunity to flirt with the beautiful actress.

Tsk, is it a good thing or a bad thing to see through other people's intentions too clearly?

Along with Hyman, three other nobles who also appeared to be very young were also present.

“Young Master Wayne, we have already frankly stated our true intentions to you.”

After briefly explaining his group's plan, Hyman's eyes brightened and his expression became excited. Although he had lowered his voice, his powerful tone clearly demonstrated his determination.

"As nobles of the kingdom, and as pillars of the state that His Majesty will rely on in the future, we cannot allow that woman to wreak havoc on the royal family and disrupt the kingdom's order."

Another person chimed in indignation, "That's right! We will never allow that woman to tarnish the honor of the nobility."

Ah, aristocratic honor...

Wayne swallowed back the words he instinctively wanted to say, reached out and took the so-called "evidence" they provided, and remained silent for a while after scanning it.

It was unclear where these people had gotten this from; it turned out to be a report on Mrs. Cherry's daily whereabouts. Upon realizing this, Wayne knew their actions had likely been observed for some time.

Wayne didn't believe that someone of Mrs. Cherry's true identity who had risen to her current position would be so careless in her daily life.

"On the surface, she is close to the Winchester family, but in private she has many ties to the Edgeworth family's businesses. She even revealed your and Miss Chris's words and actions to the senior management of Dandelion Publishing, leaking your family's business secrets!"

Wayne: "..."

The others present did not notice the indescribable helplessness in his expression, and their condemnation of Mrs. Cherry continued.

“This woman is completely oblivious and lacks any sense of principle; His Majesty is simply being deceived by her. Once His Majesty knows that she is a shallow woman who would easily betray him for gold and silver, he will naturally wake up.” Although everything was still in the planning stages, Hyman seemed to have victory firmly in his grasp.

“No, what she’s after isn’t gold and silver.” Wayne folded up the information they had gathered from dubious sources and said softly, “His Majesty is not an ignorant ruler who would be blinded by a shallow woman.”

If Lady Cherry could really solve the problem with money, it might actually be a good thing for the king and everyone else.

Hyman didn't seem surprised by Wayne's words, which subtly defended the king.

"Then let His Majesty know that even for love... that woman is not someone worthy of entrusting one's heart to." His deliberately lowered voice was full of implications.

Without needing an explanation, Wayne fully grasped the unspoken meaning behind those words.

As long as the goal can be achieved, the dirty tricks used in the process can often be ignored. In dealing with certain matters, emotions are more lethal than reason.

Seeing that Wayne didn't speak for a moment, Hyman opened his mouth as if to say something more, but Harold's voice suddenly came from behind him. "Wayne—you little brat, you were hiding in this corner all day! I've been looking for you for ages."

Hyman's expression changed instantly, his gaze falling nervously on the evidence held in Wayne's hand.

Although he knew that Wayne, as the son of Duke Winchester, would not betray those who intended to uphold the "legitimacy" even for the sake of the family's reputation, he still felt slightly uneasy.

Wayne smiled and naturally handed the documents back to him, raising his voice as he replied, "Chairman, what's the rush?"

"Didn't I tell you before that I would introduce you to some of my old friends?"

Harold's tone was slightly dissatisfied, and his face was quite ruddy, as if he had drunk quite a bit.

Walking over to Wayne, he glanced at the other young men present, his gaze settling on Hyman's face. "Hmm, this one looks vaguely familiar..."

"Hello, Chairman Harold." Perhaps because the topic they had just discussed was too sensitive, Hyman's polite smile was a little stiff.

"Hyman Agnes, do you remember me? I was once awarded by you as the student of the year."

"Oh~" Harold's drawn-out tone sounded more like a perfunctory reply.

He quickly lost interest in everyone else and insisted that Wayne come back to the banquet hall with him.

Wayne outwardly appeared helpless against him, but ultimately, with Harold's help, he managed to escape "reluctantly."

A corner of the banquet hall.

"Well, I've really helped you out this time, haven't I?" Harold joked.

"Thank you very much, but it's not a big favor, and I don't owe you any great debt because of it," Wayne said frankly.

"Tsk, so in your heart I'm the kind of person who takes advantage of kindness? Alright, alright, don't think of me as someone who's only after profit. I won't cheat you for the sake of my junior brother."

Although he said it sincerely, the regret on Harold's face clearly revealed that he had originally wanted to earn Wayne's favor for free.

“Fame, wealth, power, they can always blind people…” Wayne sighed, taking a deep breath with his eyes closed. “No one can escape it once they reach that position.”

He never had high expectations of human nature. However, just as fixed values ​​can yield fixed solutions through fixed calculations, as long as one keeps oneself in a specific environment, one can feel what one hopes to obtain.

That was enough for the man named "Wayne".

……