My older sister is a villainous rich girl

"You mean, some young nobles are secretly conspiring to have Wayne Wincher lead the charge in damaging Mrs. Cherry's reputation?"

Ge Li confirmed the report from his trusted confidant once again.

"Yes, I vouch for it with my family name," the unremarkable-looking girl replied calmly.

In the Edgeworth family's council chamber, Goethe paced back and forth slowly on the expensive carpet, lost in thought.

“That guy is always good at reading the winds, so it probably won’t be easy to persuade him to participate in this,” Goece speculated based on his personal understanding of Wayne.

"Go on."

"...Finally, Chairman Harold suddenly arrived and interrupted their conversation. Although Hyman Agnes was somewhat unwilling, he ultimately did not dare to force Young Master Wayne to stay in front of Chairman Harold."

Upon hearing this, Ge Li sneered, "Heh, I'm afraid the chairman and Wayne Wincher have been in cahoots for a long time."

The girl who came to report acted as if she hadn't heard a word he said.

"After Young Master Wayne left, the atmosphere among those people was somewhat low, but they ultimately decided to try to persuade him again another time."

Ge Li nodded. "Alright, I understand. You've worked hard today too, go home and get some rest."

As he watched his newly promoted and trusted confidant leave, Ge Li seemed lost in thought.

Chapter 618 Intent

Wayne is reading a recently published bestseller.

This is a love story that mainly tells the tale of a noble young man and a commoner girl who, after enduring countless hardships, finally achieve their happy ending. Although it is very popular outside the academy, such a simple and unadorned fantasy story is often regarded as delusion in a place like Seiki Academy. If it were discovered by those gossipy girls, it would only be met with scornful ridicule.

Of course, this doesn't preclude them from being secretly avid fans of the book.

“Oh, Master Lazi! How could someone of my status possibly spend my life with someone as distinguished as you?”

"No, beautiful Miss Treig. I have never cared about your background. In my eyes, you are more precious than the most dazzling pearl under the moonlight. Those vulgar people are like fireflies compared to the bright moon in the face of your noble character!"

Wayne gritted his back teeth with a sour feeling.

Yes, this old-fashioned romance style is just right.

Just as Wayne was engrossed in watching, he heard a soft knocking on the doorframe.

Wayne looked up and saw that Beatrice, the assistant to the school's chairman, was already standing at the door.

Her expression was slightly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, Wayne. The chairman was held up by school affairs and is unable to return to his office for the time being. If you're not in a hurry, you can come to see him tomorrow, or I can relay the message to you."

"Well, it's nothing really." Wayne closed the book in his hand.

To lighten the mood, he casually remarked, "I didn't expect the chairman to be... well, quite girlish. He actually puts this kind of popular work on the table."

He found it rather amusing; if Harold himself were there, he would definitely make fun of him about it.

But Beatrice's expression only grew more embarrassed.

"That was actually my book..."

"..."

The office fell silent for a moment.

"Hahaha, I see." Wayne was speechless for a moment.

After some mental preparation, whether she successfully adjusted her state or simply gave up struggling, Beatrice sighed and stopped being coy.

She walked over and slowly traced the title of the book Wayne had put down with her fingertips.

"The chairman's gaze is always fixed on those lofty things, but he fails to notice the ordinary things right beside him."

I always felt that the chairman in the eyes of this assistant was very different from Harold in my eyes.

Wayne did not respond.

"Perhaps I've made you laugh, but when I see such shallow stories, I always wonder what the chairman thinks of them? Does he think—" She paused for a moment, then gave Wayne a very faint smile. "No, it's nothing."

"you……"

Just as she was about to change the subject, Wayne suddenly asked, "I heard that the chairman's wife passed away many years ago."

Beatrice was taken aback. "Huh?"

Without looking at her, Wayne said in a meaningful low voice, "People who gaze into the distance and ignore what is near often don't realize what they are losing. Miss Beatrice, don't let standing under the lamp blind you to your own shadow."

Before Beatrice could react, Wayne chuckled and casually pulled two invitation tickets from his pocket.

"Since the chairman is not here, I will have to trouble Miss Beatrice to pass on this message for me. Please come with the chairman to watch the Teacher's Day performance tomorrow."

This was a schedule that Harold had already agreed to, so there was no worry that he would find an excuse to break the promise. Now it was a good opportunity to create a chance for his assistant.

Generally speaking, Wayne doesn't mind helping others achieve their goals.

Finally understanding what he meant, Beatrice felt as if her head was on fire.

"I...I will pass on the message for you!"

He decided not to linger, lest the atmosphere become awkward. Grabbing a piece of scrap paper from the chairman's desk, he hastily scribbled a few words and then wisely left.

It's unbelievable that someone with the chairman's lazy and passive personality could be appreciated, showing such foresight...

Is it that I don't know Harold well enough, or is Miss Beatrice's filter too strong?

As he walked back to the classroom, Wayne couldn't help but feel a little doubtful.

"Wayne!"

Someone was shouting in the distance.

Looking in the direction from which the sound came, they saw it was the second prince, Lawrence.

To my shame, Lawrence actually put in more effort than I did in preparing for the performance, and even actively contacted a professional team from the royal family for advice.

However, Wayne doesn't actually feel guilty about slacking off more than others.

"I just happened to need to talk to you." Lawrence's chest heaved slightly, as if he had rushed over from elsewhere specifically to see me, his expression somewhat hurried.

Wayne was slightly surprised. "What happened?"

He glanced around and, seeing no one else, stopped worrying about the conversation: "You've met Hyman Agnes, haven't you?"

Upon hearing the name, Wayne raised an eyebrow.

"What, he's come to you too?"

“No matter what he said to you, you absolutely must not get involved with him.” Lawrence frowned, his expression very serious. “If you’ve agreed to any conditions he’s given you, I can step in and take them back.”

Seeing that he looked very worried, Wayne shook his head. "I didn't promise him anything, we just met briefly at the banquet last time."

It seems that even Lawrence has heard some rumors.

The news of the operation had already spread far and wide before it even began. Those guys who wanted to do something big were far too careless.

"Although they want to bring me on board, I will not have a stance different from my father's regarding...that lady."

To reassure Lawrence, Wayne offered another explanation.

"Phew, that's good." Lawrence finally breathed a sigh of relief after receiving confirmation.

He made no attempt to hide his disgust for Mrs. Cherry: "I don't like that woman, but those guys are definitely not going to get anywhere."

Lawrence has grown a lot during this time; he's become much more mature in handling problems.

"How to say?"

Appropriately satisfying the other person's desire for self-expression is a good way to build closer relationships.

"Hmph, they're nothing but a bunch of self-proclaimed charlatans trying to build their own reputation by using someone else's name," Lawrence said disdainfully. "Let them fight like dogs with Father."

...Hey, that's your own father.

"By the way, where did you get this information? And why did you think of coming to me?" Wayne suddenly realized the key point.

Lawrence didn't hide anything. "I received an anonymous letter that detailed their entire plan and said that you were quite interested in their proposal."

Chapter 619 Of course it's me

Wayne was startled.

Who is digging their own grave behind the scenes?

But then he thought that if it was just to give him a handicap, telling Lawrence about it wouldn't do any good. On the contrary, it would seem like someone was deliberately trying to remind him through Lawrence.

Lawrence, completely oblivious to the fact that he was acting as a messenger, casually revealed some more information about Mrs. Cherry to Wayne.

“My father and that woman have been secretly seeing each other for years. He enjoys the arts, such as theater and painting, and Lady Cherry knew how to cater to his tastes. Before long, she became his confidante.” As he spoke, a slightly sarcastic smile played on his lips. “My mother was never to his liking, and now that she’s lost power…”

Although Lawrence was raised in a neighboring country from a young age and his feelings for these blood relatives didn't seem particularly close, he still conveyed extremely complex emotions when he mentioned the word "mother."

"Have you met with the Queen recently?" Wayne asked.

Lawrence shook his head.

“Even if they met, they wouldn’t know what to say… For her, it was enough that her good son Richard visited her.”

After a moment of contemplation, Wayne said softly, "It may be presumptuous of me to say these words, but for the Queen, perhaps avoiding the limelight for now would be a better choice."

He didn't want to give Richard these suggestions to his face. Because, in any case, this was both a matter of state and, more importantly, a family matter.

Not wanting to interfere in the private affairs of the royal family, Wayne did not want to give Richard, the crown prince, the impression that he would directly meddle in the private affairs of the royal family.

But for Lawrence, who is surprisingly simple-minded, it's enough to be honest with him; there's no need to worry about so many complicated details.

“Regardless of the attitudes of the various forces, the most crucial element in this game has always been His Majesty the King’s will.” Wayne sighed. “It was His Majesty the King’s desire for the Queen to retire that allowed Lady Cherry to step into the limelight without proper justification.”

Ultimately, all the king loved was his power.

Lawrence frowned. "You mean..."

“A storm is brewing, and this is just the beginning.” Wayne did not shy away from his serious expression. “Perhaps even the biggest storm will eventually subside, but what is torn apart by the storm can never be the same again.”

"For the Queen's own sake, it would be better to retreat in order to advance. Because time will eventually be on your side, and on Prince Richard's side as well."

Lawrence understood what he meant and fell silent.

After a long pause, he whispered in a voice almost inaudible to Wayne, "I'll go back and talk to him."

Watching Lawrence's worried figure hurriedly leave, Wayne couldn't help but sigh, indeed, the more powerful a person is, the more they are bound by that power.

In comparison, her and Chris's daily life seemed almost carefree. They had no family troubles, no falling out with relatives or friends; even among the countless transmigrator scenarios, they were among the best off, their treatment almost abnormally good…

Pshaw! What's wrong with that? Those authors always write stories that are full of bitterness and hatred because they've never actually traveled through time!

Wayne forcefully stopped his increasingly sloppy thoughts.

……

“Wayne, look at this.”

In the night, the lights of the Duke of Winchester were bright and warm.

"Ok?"

The academy's upcoming performance was in its final stages, and Wayne was doing a final check on some materials. Hearing Chris's voice, he looked up from the complex documents and his gaze fell on the girl across the long mahogany table in the study.

He didn't intentionally notice Chris's overly loose neckline.

In fact, just a second before, he had been completely focused on his work. However, when the soft indoor light fell on her dress, it was as if she were draped in an unreal feathery veil.

For a moment, he even had the illusion that this scene should have appeared in his memories.

Chris, unaware of his thoughts, leaned even closer to Wayne.

"There's a new art exhibition in the capital. Come with me to attend."

Wayne focused his gaze on the newspaper she was holding up.

[A once-in-a-decade event, featuring a collaborative exhibition by artists specially invited by the royal family!]

The large title makes it easy to spot at a glance.

Wayne wasn't good at drawing and wasn't very interested in learning, but he never refused to accompany Chris, a drawing enthusiast, to various events.

"it is good."

Chris smiled with satisfaction.