My older sister is a villainous rich girl

To be honest, if this dog hadn't been so problematic, Wayne wouldn't have lived and eaten with it every day, and even slept with it in his arms at night.

He suspected that the dog was willing to come out with him because it also wanted to find an opportunity to steal chickens and dogs along the way.

Hmm? Why did I say "also"?

Shaking off the vague thoughts that had crossed his mind, Wayne asked directly, "What's wrong? Camille, did you come to see me about something?"

Camille seemed to want to say something, but then paused.

"No, I just wanted to ask if there's anything else you need help with, or if you'd like to explore the town later? I'm quite familiar with this place..."

"No, I've traveled a long way these past few days, and I'd like to get some rest," Wayne politely declined.

……

After another round of instructions, everyone dispersed.

Wayne went straight back to his room, took a long shower, and was about to crawl back into bed to rest and recharge, knowing he would have a tough battle to fight at the Vatican the next day.

But just as sleepiness began to creep in, someone gently knocked on the door: "Knock knock..."

"Wayne, are you there?"

Tasia's voice came through.

"Yes, just a moment, right away!" Wayne immediately jumped out of bed, all sleepiness gone.

He was only wearing a thin nightgown, but not wanting Tasia to wait outside for too long, he didn't think too much about it and just casually took a large robe from his suitcase and put it on, buttoning it up and covering himself with the hem.

The door opened inwards, and Tasia appeared gracefully outside.

Tasia glanced blankly at Wayne, whose hair was disheveled and who looked somewhat rushed in his robe, before realizing that she might have arrived at the wrong time.

"Oh, I'm sorry to bother you, I didn't know you were already resting," Tasia apologized, a little flustered.

It's still quite early; it's not even dark outside yet.

"It's okay, I'm not asleep yet. What's wrong?" Wayne said, glancing at the papal uniform she was wearing.

The papal robes are very simple in design, with only the emblem on the collar indicating that they are of papal style. The size appears slightly large, but it does not completely conceal the graceful figure that is faintly visible beneath.

To emphasize the purity of faith among those who serve the divine, most members of the Papacy favor white clothing. And against this backdrop of attire that perfectly embodies the Papacy's aesthetic, Tasia's ethereal beauty is even more striking, almost too captivating to look away from.

Before his sanity completely vanished, Wayne turned his head away, avoiding eye contact.

“The students in the exchange group just suggested going out together, but I didn’t see you in the crowd…” Tasia said weakly.

In truth, Tasia was surrounded by a crowd, and in that moment of great excitement and merriment, she suddenly felt a sense of detachment from the scene before her. She felt as if she had overlooked something.

She instinctively turned around, but didn't see Wayne, and worry began to rise within her.

He probably wasn't used to the environment at the Vatican.

Based on Tasia's understanding and observation of Wayne, she intuitively felt that he was not a devout believer, and in addition, he possessed a secret that absolutely could not be discovered by the Vatican...

Thinking of this, Tasia said very seriously, "Wayne, would it be convenient for me to come in? I have something I want to tell you."

Wayne hesitated for a moment, then stepped aside.

Tasia walked in without any hesitation.

He glanced at the corridor with a slightly guilty look, saw no one else, hesitated for two seconds, and finally closed the door.

Although some chaotic thoughts were growing wildly in his mind, he knew very well that Tasia must have something very important to discuss with him alone.

Then he thought about it again and felt a little resentful. Why was this young girl so unguarded with him, a man and a woman alone in a room together...

Before he could speak, Tasia, seeing that he had already closed the door, asked directly, "Wayne, have you been having strange dreams lately?"

In that instant, Wayne's hair stood on end.

The room wasn't just occupied by the two of them; a lazy white dog lay motionless on a chair, its dark eyes silently watching Tasia, its thoughts unreadable.

--Ruined.

The room fell into an eerie silence for a moment.

"Wayne?"

Tasia asked again, puzzled.

"Ah, it's nothing." Wayne forced a smile and walked towards her.

As he passed by Tasia, he tried to sit down naturally next to the chair that Xiaobai had taken over, blocking Xiaobai's gaze from staring directly at Tasia.

"Didn't I say before that there's really nothing to say about those dreams? You forget them as soon as you wake up?"

He said it casually.

Now that we know that those strange dreams were mostly caused by this heartless dog, and Tasia has exposed him on the spot, what if he gets desperate and tries something drastic?

Hearing his reply, Tasia frowned: "Sometimes it's carelessness that brings trouble, and even the smallest signs shouldn't be ignored. You—"

As Wayne sat down, the white pajamas that had been hidden by his outer robe were now partially revealed, their intricate dark gold patterns highlighting their exorbitant cost. Even such unassuming everyday clothing on him was a luxury few could afford.

Tasia's words suddenly stopped.

Noticing her frowning and staring at his pajamas, Wayne assumed she was a shy young girl who minded him standing in front of her in just pajamas. Although long sleeves and pants weren't revealing, it was still somewhat impolite, so he stood up again, which was unnecessary.

"Sorry, I'm really tired." He felt uneasy and wanted to get rid of the other person. "If it's not urgent, how about we talk about it tomorrow?"

Tasia looked dazed for a moment, then looked into Wayne's eyes, as if trying to confirm something.

But his seemingly pure eyes were full of innocence.

'That shouldn't be the case...'

she thinks.

At this moment, the emotions in Tasia's eyes were so complex that Wayne couldn't understand them.

He wondered if it was because Xiaobai, whose view was blocked, was glaring at him with a fierce look, but Wayne felt a chill down his spine.

It seemed like a long time had passed, yet it also felt like only a moment had elapsed.

"I see," Tasia said. "Then let's talk about it tomorrow."

She smiled, just like always.

It seemed he had managed to fool them, and Wayne secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Chapter 659 Pretty Boy?

As if walking in a dream, Tasia vaguely returned to her room.

Is there a mistake?

No, she would never forget how her teacher rushed to rescue her that night.

The corner of the white nightgown hidden under the cloak, with its understated yet luxurious dark gold pattern, was so dazzling under the moonlight that it was deeply imprinted in Tasia's heart.

Perhaps it was just a coincidence? Wayne's appearance is clearly different from the teacher's.

Tasia carefully recalled her teacher's words and actions, but she couldn't reconcile the mysterious and powerful man with the Wayne she knew.

But Tasia couldn't ignore that premonition that was so clear it even frightened her.

If the truth is really as he imagines, what were his thoughts as he watched as he unilaterally regarded Wayne as a friend and pleaded for him, while pretending to know nothing?

Tasia's expression shifted rapidly.

……

Day two.

The group regrouped, led by Bishop Smith, and under the careful escort of the Papal Knights, they safely arrived at the holy site in the hearts of all church believers.

"Ah, I'm finally back!"

For the exchange students sent to the Kingdom of Lornes, although the rules of the Holy See were not necessarily easier than those outside, returning to their own territory was always much more pleasant.

Wayne, on the other hand, looked around with great curiosity as he went.

The main road was paved with stone slabs, and tall trees lined both sides. Under the shade of the trees, priests dressed in robes of various ranks came and went. Their expressions were either busy or leisurely, but they did not reveal the decadence and confusion that Wayne had seen so often in the pleasure-seeking nobles of the capital.

The halls built of massive stones, the tall and solemn statues, and the magnificent murals all proclaim the sacredness of this place.

To better integrate into papal life, Wayne, at Bishop Smith's request, changed into the uniform white attire. The only difference between him and Tasia was that his collar lacked the papal insignia, signifying that he was ultimately an outsider.

But aside from that, over the next month, Wayne will join the basic apprenticeship class like everyone else, receiving instruction on how to become a novice pastor.

“Your Grace, since Wayne and Tasia are new here, they must be having a lot to learn. Perhaps we could select two students from the apprenticeship class to act as guides and help them better integrate into papal life?” Camille suggested.

Upon hearing this request, Smith glanced at her with some surprise.

“You have a point. In that case, you’ll be in charge of liaising with Tasia, and Alex will be in charge of entertaining Wayne.” He assigned the personnel without much thought.

Camille hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Alex, who had long harbored resentment towards Wayne, also looked rather displeased, but ultimately refrained from uttering any rebuttal.

Tasia looked at Camille, then at Alex.

"Do we need to live in the same dormitory?" she asked Camille softly.

"No, no need. You'll stay in the reception area; rooms have already been arranged there." Bishop Smith hurriedly left these words before departing to report to the Cardinals.

The task of settling Wayne and Tasia was thus handed over to Camille and Alex.

Camille sighed softly. "Well then, let's go."

She then said earnestly to Alex, "Alex, I think you should understand—in order to officially become a novice priest, you need more of the extra performance points given by the bishops than anyone else."

"Heh, I don't need you to remind me." The young man named Alex sneered, "I didn't expect you to be so concerned about this pretty boy. What, are you afraid he'll be wronged?"

pretty boy?

I?

Wayne was speechless.

Well, this nickname is quite unusual. He's never been called that to his face before.

Noticing the argument between them, the others who hadn't yet dispersed also began to glance over in their direction.

“In any case, Wayne and Tasia are very important guests of the Holy See.” Camille remained unmoved, seemingly completely unconcerned about the gazes of others.

Upon hearing this, Alex couldn't help but glance at Wayne, who was still holding a dog in his arms and looked completely innocent, like an outsider. Suddenly, he also felt a little bored.

"Let's go then, don't waste my time."

He walked ahead alone, head down. Wayne and Tasia exchanged glances for a moment, then followed at a distance. If someone unaware of the situation saw them, they would certainly not have thought they were traveling together.

Fortunately, at least Camille was enthusiastic and competent, actively introducing the local customs and culture of the Vatican to the two of them along the way.

"This main road is the only way to the College of Cardinals and the Great Hall. Turn right at the next intersection and follow the side road straight to reach the reception area. There are signs at all the forks in the road. If you get lost, you can ask passersby for directions. They usually won't refuse as long as you state your identity."

"That's the restaurant. We pray together before every meal, so please make sure to go at the designated time, otherwise you'll have to wait for the next meal."

"..."

Tasia would occasionally chime in with a word or two, preventing the conversation from becoming awkward.

Wien silently memorized the route and, combined with his observation of the surrounding environment, gradually constructed in his mind the locations of the major functional areas and iconic buildings within the Vatican.

The Vatican has a very strict schedule. Curfew is set at 9 p.m., and a guard patrol led by several cardinals on a rotating duty basis is responsible for this. Anyone caught lingering outside after curfew without special permission will be severely punished by the Vatican, with the minimum penalty being seven days of confinement.

It seems quite difficult for me to investigate secretly, unless—I become Aikos.

However, unless absolutely necessary, Wayne did not want to reveal Aikos's whereabouts. If Aikos, who claimed beforehand that she had other important business, appeared at the Vatican at the same time as him, it would inevitably arouse suspicion from some people with ulterior motives.

Let's treat this plan as a last resort and see if we can meet with the Pope through legitimate channels.

Wayne quietly finalized the plan.

"We've arrived at the reception area. This is where we receive distinguished guests. Occasionally, nobles or other groups come to visit and study."

The first thing you see is a tall, six-pointed star-shaped building, with a complex network of covered walkways connecting the main structures. If you were inside, it would be difficult to tell which way was which for a while.

As soon as the group entered the hall, a pastor who had been standing at the front desk greeted them.

"You two are distinguished guests from the Kingdom of Saint Loens, aren't you? Wayne Wincher and Tasia Louis." His gaze remained fixed on Tasia, paying little attention to Wayne. "Perhaps you are unaware that the Holy See has been eagerly awaiting your arrival for a long time."

...If you hadn't been speaking only to Tasia the whole time, perhaps this opening line would have been more convincing.