My older sister is a villainous rich girl

Before the brain can reach a flawless conclusion, utterly pale and weak excuses are uttered first.

"Actually, I'm just here to slack off, please don't report me to the Vatican!" He clasped his hands together and bowed deeply.

"..." Tasia looked at him as if he were an idiot.

After a suffocating silence, she finally said, "Wayne Wincher, I hope you understand that a lie can't fool everyone forever."

He understood this, of course, but... if the only way to get what he wanted was through lies, then he would choose lies. No matter how many times he had to do it again. So he knew very well that although he despised the actions of those ambitious people from the bottom of his heart, he was essentially the same kind of person as them.

Use any means to achieve an end.

"When did you find out?" He finally stopped pretending to be stupid.

“When His Holiness the Pope told me personally that the hero was very young, no more than twenty years old,” she said. “A young genius who, before the age of twenty, could surpass all the great mages of the Holy See—the Holy See has never encountered such a terrifying figure since its founding. Apart from the possibility of a legendary miracle, probably no one would believe that it could be done by a mortal.”

"I think that although I have always been known as a genius in the capital, I am far from being able to reach the level you mentioned. Why did you immediately suspect me?" He was still not giving up.

"Lady Aikos, how long are you going to keep lying to me?!"

Like a bolt from the blue, Wayne's expression could no longer be described simply as "cracked".

Apart from the splashing water from the fountain, the surroundings were so quiet that you could clearly hear a feather falling to the ground.

His lips twitched a few times, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged out.

"You can deny it, because I've never been able to tell whether what you're saying is true or false. Even if you still choose to lie to me now, it probably won't make any difference to you whether I continue to believe you or just pretend to believe you."

Tasia's tone and expression finally changed, and Wayne clearly understood her feelings at that moment—disappointment.

Chapter 676 I'm sorry I lied to you

"I thought we were very good friends."

"That's true."

"Then why did you lie to me?"

Perhaps it was the moisture, but her watery eyes made Wayne afraid to look at her for long. Naturally, he couldn't answer her question either.

Tasia has hardly had a good night's sleep in a long time.

Night after night, she asked herself if she had decided to face it all, and then she sat facing the "Sword of the Warrior," a symbol of fearlessness and courage, until dawn.

When she first suspected Wayne, she simulated several suspicious locations along the way back to Wayne's dormitory from the mountaintop and checked them one by one.

Perhaps it was good luck, or perhaps the person simply didn't feel the need to carefully disguise herself in such an inconspicuous place, but she easily found the rusty longsword in no time. If it weren't for her status granting her access to numerous secret documents and thus knowing its appearance, anyone else would probably walk right over it without realizing that it was the only token that could prove her identity as a "Hero."

So, taking advantage of the opportunity to inherit the papal scepter, she used the pretext of wanting to take inventory of the treasures currently sealed in the temple to successfully mix this inconspicuous longsword into another pile of dazzling treasures.

The Vatican does indeed possess a secret method to track the Hero's Sword, but the Pope's scepter happens to retain another secret method that can erase the magical imprint on it.

Even Tasia herself was surprised that she could do these things so calmly and without changing her expression.

Is it true that like teacher, like student...? I've even become good at deceiving and lying myself.

When he learned that he had secretly accepted the papacy and could no longer return to the capital with him as he had hoped, he must have been disappointed, or even angry.

That's exactly what I wanted to see.

She wanted to see the expression on his face when he was betrayed by someone he trusted. Only in this way could she slightly soothe the unspeakable bitterness and pain in her heart. So she finally appeared in front of him.

In order to serve God wholeheartedly, Her Majesty the Pope must break free from the shackles of mortals and no longer be bound by human emotions and desires. Her only worry was her mother, who was far away in the capital. Fortunately, the Cardinals were willing to make concessions and secretly ordered Papal Willard, who was in the capital, to personally escort her to the small town at the foot of the mountain. They also promised to do everything in the power of the Papacy to treat her and let her spend her old age in peace under the protection of the Papacy.

Although Tasia did not have high expectations for the cardinals, in terms of magical ability alone, even a powerful figure as invincible as Echo was helpless against birth, aging, sickness and death, let alone them.

In comparison, it would be better to do it myself. If I could use the magic of light to study and improve the various healing techniques that the Church has always kept secret, there might still be a glimmer of hope.

Perhaps this is the last time I will see him... From now on, I will never see him again.

Tasia thought to herself.

“I…I didn’t mean to hurt you…” Wayne fully experienced what it meant to be speechless.

"So, when did you start lying to me?" she asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

Then, as if answering his own question, he guessed, "From when you, using the identity of Echoes, analyzed for me not to reveal Wayne and Miss Gothic's secret?"

"Was it when Aikos appeared before me, disguised on top of another disguise, using the cute appearance of a teddy bear?"

"Or perhaps, it was this person named Wayne who, from the moment he said he wanted to be friends with me?"

"Wait, that teddy bear isn't cute at all..." It's an ugly little thing made of scraps of fabric in different colors, and it looks like the kind of suggestive prop that often appears in horror movies.

"Is this place important?!" Tasia finally shouted, unable to contain herself any longer.

Her expression now is terrifying, completely different from how she usually is.

Wayne stared at her blankly, somewhat taken aback by her sudden outburst of emotion.

"So you admit it, right?"

You've clearly already made up your mind, how can I possibly deny it...?

Stubbornness is ultimately too unsightly, and with no way to retreat, he can only adhere to his personal motto, "When you're about to be hit, stand at attention."

"Yes, I admit it. I'm sorry for lying to you, I'm so sorry."

"Why?" Her eyes gradually reddened, and she looked like she was about to cry. "Why did you lie to me? Why did you treat me like a fool? Why did you keep saying you trusted me but completely disregard my feelings?"

“Because I’m a lousy person,” Wayne said in despair. “I always have been. I can’t live like a normal person unless I pretend to be a well-behaved, model student.”

"So, when I said I didn't want to hurt you, I really meant it. No matter the situation, no matter how many times you ask me, I would still give an absolutely affirmative answer. But I don't know if it's because I'm used to lying, so I even believe some nonsense I say." He gave a forlorn smile, which was more painful than crying. "It's ridiculous, isn't it?"

His deceptive appearance has indeed brought him great advantages. People tend to have a subconscious liking for good-looking young men and women, and he has made full use of this advantage to be quite adept at handling interpersonal relationships.

The premise is that the other party cannot truly delve into one's heart and see through one's true nature.

Otherwise, one will realize that all of this is nothing more than a lie created by oneself for the purpose of disguise and deception.

"So that's why you need the identity of Exos, right?" Tasia looked at him with a mixture of anger and pity.

"—Because this way you can temporarily stop playing the role of Wayne, and you don't have to pretend to be the person you usually feel you should be. You can do things you usually wouldn't dare to do without any restraint."

Wayne opened his mouth in vain, like a fish surfacing for air, but couldn't utter a single word.

Is that right?

He never imagined that these escapist thoughts, which he himself didn't want to think about deeply, would one day be exposed by others. What terrifying insight, Tasia.

“Actually, I think I’ve lived quite freely as Wayne, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve been blessed by fate for everything I have so far.” He murmured, “Whether it’s Wayne or Exos, as long as you establish new connections with others, you will inevitably encounter countless constraints. As long as you exist in this world, no one can truly be free.”

While Wayne may find joy in indulging in romantic relationships every day, when has Echo, who hides her true self and even engages in cross-dressing to save the world, ever truly lived a carefree life?

Chapter 677 Encounters and Partings

"Therefore, I have no other reason to defend myself. It's not because I'm so unfortunate, nor because I crave another kind of freedom, but simply because I want too much and am morally despicable."

He knows very well what kind of person he is.

Tasia was surprised that he had said what she wanted to say first, and for a moment she didn't know what else to say to him.

She recalled every detail of her life with Wayne, and the teacher she would never have associated the two with, and felt that her life was ridiculously absurd.

She closed her eyes.

“I trust you completely, Wayne Wincher.”

“Even though everything you’ve done has disappointed me,” she said, “you showed me a different world, even if it was a beautiful one that only existed in lies or pretense, I still want to believe… that everything I went through with you wasn’t meaningless.”

The lie was exposed, and perhaps he should have felt sad, but at this moment Wayne only felt numb.

Perhaps he would struggle with all his might before being exposed, but now no matter how much he struggles, it will only drive the thorn in his heart deeper.

"So, you already had a solution to the problem of dark magic, right?"

"Correct."

"So, you're just going to sit here and watch me worry and fret because of the secret of your background, while I carefully make excuses for you in front of another version of yourself?" She bit her lower lip.

"……Correct."

"So, you're not worried at all that I'll reveal your secret to the public, are you?"

"..."

Before Wayne could answer, she suddenly chuckled, a hint of sarcasm in her voice: "Yes, these things are so insignificant in Lady Aikos's eyes. Someone like Lady Aikos, even if things are exposed, can simply pack up and leave. She can become someone else's honored guest in any other place, right?"

Although he had indeed thought about it that way, but...

“I care about all of this, and I care about you too,” he said frankly. “Even if I have to leave one day, I will be grateful for everything you have done for me. Remember what I told you: there will always be times when we meet and part, but it is enough to remember the friendship we shared.”

Tasia paused.

"So, back then, you had already planned that you would leave me one day, which is why you told me you were only staying temporarily in the Kingdom of Lornes, deliberately making me anxious about your departure, right?"

"Don't portray me as such a scumbag."

"I'm just repeating it."

Wayne was truly defeated by her. "—Okay, I admit it."

“However, I think I’ve been responsible as a teacher overall, and I haven’t misled any students,” he said earnestly. “Even if I’m not by your side in the future, you must still do your homework every day. Don’t relax your standards for yourself, because that’s the only thing that won’t deceive you, and there are far more cunning liars in this world than just me.”

Now that Tasia has decided to stay at the Vatican, she naturally cannot look after her every moment. When dealing with Vatican affairs, she always has to face those elaborate or clumsy embellishments independently, and see through the intricate details behind countless people to uncover the undeniable truth.

Thinking about this, he even felt a little relieved.

With talent, diligence, and intelligence, Tasia is indeed an outstanding disciple. It's like he personally planted a sapling full of vitality, and he is proud of every step of her growth.

Even if she no longer acknowledges herself as her teacher.

Wayne looked at her gently. "Tasia, you may not want to see me again, but please don't lose faith in your friends because of my despicable deception."

"Besides me, you have many, many friends in Lornes. In the Vatican, you may meet even more like-minded new friends. Even if I am forgotten, even if I am just a habitual liar, please believe me, I will always cherish our friendship and memories."

"Whenever you call upon me, I will do everything in my power to help you through this difficult time." He stopped Tasia before she could even voice her refusal. "I hope you'll never need my help, but who knows what the future holds, right?"

Tasia finally said nothing more.

In the end, she did not accept his apology and remained silent. Ultimately, the two parted ways, each with their own thoughts.

……

"Wayne, are you... alright?"

After a day of magic theory lessons, everyone else in the classroom left in small groups, but Wayne remained sitting there in a daze for a while.

The sudden question interrupted his reverie, bringing him back to reality from his blank emptiness.

He could hear the worry in her voice, so he perked up and smiled. "Oh, it's Camille. I'm fine. What's wrong?"

To avoid further questioning, he quickly changed the subject.

"By the way, I'll be going back to Lornes soon. I'm so grateful for your care these past few days. I'll send you a gift when I get back."

Although he didn't say it explicitly, his evasive attitude was obvious. Camille hesitated for a while, but finally stopped asking and switched to more relaxed small talk.

"Actually... I've never said this before, but I originally came from the royal capital of Lornes."

Wayne asked in surprise, "Really?"

No wonder she was so friendly to me; it turns out we're from the same hometown! Living far from home for so long, it's inevitable to feel a pang of homesickness when you see someone from your hometown. Why didn't you say something so important sooner?

She nodded. "Of course it's true."

Wayne laughed and said, "I always felt that Camille looked very approachable. If you are ever sent to the Royal Cathedral in the future, you must contact me so I can give you a welcome dinner."

"Then I'll have to work hard for that day."

"Is there anything else you'd like to bring back for your family, Lornes? I can pass it on for you," he said enthusiastically.

Compared to Camille's care for him, this little thing was just a small favor.

Camille's expression froze for a moment.

"……there is none left."

Wayne assumed she didn't want to bother him and didn't think much of it.

"The Papacy is located high in the mountains, where the winds are cold and the climate is bleak all year round. The climate in the capital is much more pleasant. I imagine you were not used to it when you first came to the Papacy?"

It's more than just being unaccustomed to it; I wake up from nightmares every day and night, and that figure is the only ray of light in my otherwise bleak memory, lingering there for a long time...

She gazed at the boy before her, whose childishness had faded, never imagining that she would meet him at the Vatican. But time was fleeting, and she didn't know when they would meet again.