My older sister is a villainous rich girl

“Giving him this necklace will prove my identity.” She regained her normal voice. “Besides, I am not an accomplice of the rebels. I just accidentally discovered this secret passage while tracking down the rebels, and you happened to find me when I led a search.”

She didn't want to reveal her identity, but if she didn't, she might really die.

She knew this claim was problematic, but she was gambling that her status as Countess of Sivers would be of use to Lord Wayne Wincher.

When the situation is beyond repair, the only option left is to continue down the wrong path.

Chapter 706 Suspicion

"Countess Sivers?"

Looking at the woman in front of him, Wayne, who was casually leaning against the table, had a strange expression.

“Yes, or you can just call me Nelfa,” she said softly.

After receiving Bernie's report, he still decided to meet the woman, only to find that she was the one he had personally watched the live broadcast with.

Count Severus's head is a bit green.

"I don't believe the reasons you just gave. You must prove your sincerity."

The claim that they accidentally entered the tunnel while tracking down the rebels and were caught red-handed as rebels is hard for even a three-year-old to believe.

“If you can clear yourself of suspicion, Count Sivers probably wouldn’t mind executing you first and then marrying someone else,” he reminded the other of the current situation.

“He won’t do that,” the Countess said with certainty.

"Oh? Why?"

"Because he still needs the support of my father and family." She seemed to genuinely believe this.

Was it naivety or stupidity? Wayne's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Do you know what the consequences of treason are? Once convicted, you, your husband, even your father and mother, everyone will be hanged on the city gate."

"If you want to live, offer a price that can buy so many lives, otherwise I regret to say goodbye."

He made a gesture as if to order someone to take her away.

"Wait! That's not how it is!" Nelfa's breathing quickened, her chest heaving. "I can help you with even more!"

“Madam, you still don’t understand. In the face of absolute power, all your schemes and tricks are in vain. The reason I’m patiently listening to you here is not because I can’t get things done without you, but simply because I want to know whether Earl Sivers has committed treason.”

Speak of the devil, and he appears. "Lord Wayne, Earl Sivers requests an audience."

General Kent came in from outside.

He had just led his men to remove the armor from all the guards, gathering them at the garrison for investigation, and had taken over all of Bufania's defense duties. Now, the entire country of Bufania was under Wayne's control. As for those local nobles who were dissatisfied, they should first clear themselves of any suspicion of treason before discussing anything else.

"Let him come over."

Clearly, Count Sivers had left in a hurry; his collar was askew, and his usually meticulously styled hair was in a disheveled state.

He moved his lips, staring at the woman in the room as if he couldn't believe it.

"Nelfa—you, what have you done?!"

Wayne's gaze, however, fell on the two people behind Count Sivers, and he raised an eyebrow with interest.

Seeing the special envoy looking at him, the garrison commander of Bufania, Holoferner, excitedly forced a broad smile, leaned forward, and held up his right hand, which was wrapped up like a dumpling. He bowed with tears of gratitude and said, "Lord Wayne! You are truly a genius, a master strategist! If it weren't for your timely dispatch of magicians to patrol and suppress the rebellion, saving my life during the assassination attempt, I'm afraid I would have been beheaded by the traitors."

He felt no resentment at being forcibly deprived of control over the city's defenses; on the contrary, he felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders.

He was just struggling with which side to side with, but now he doesn't have to worry about that anymore.

Wayne ignored him and looked at the man next to him. The man had a very noticeable scar on his face that ran from the corner of his right eye to his chin.

Upon seeing this, Holoferner immediately introduced himself and Brutus.

"Brutus is an outstanding young man in our garrison. Tonight, he fought bravely on the front line and killed several traitors!"

Holoferner patted Brutus on the shoulder with his uninjured hand.

Brutus's gaze swept over the Countess only briefly before he lowered his eyes and gave Wayne a military salute.

"Oh, are you a nobleman?"

Brutus pursed his lips and said, "No, I am just the son of a tailor in the city, but I will earn my noble status through my military achievements."

He appears to be a very brave and resolute person.

On the other side, Count Siefus was still deeply grieved. "I trusted you so much, Nelfa. You wanted the stars, I gave you the stars; you wanted the moon, I gave you the moon. I never said a harsh word to you, but why did you secretly collude with the rebels and implicate me in the injustice of betraying His Majesty the King!"

“I…I did not collude with the rebels,” Nerfa still refused to budge.

"Still denying it!" Count Sivers slapped the Countess across the face, leaving several bright red marks on her snow-white cheek.

After slapping him, he turned around with red eyes and apologized to Wayne, saying, "Your Excellency, it is a misfortune for my family to have such a wife, but she is still my wife. I cannot stand by and watch her die. If there is an opportunity to atone for my sins, I will do so without hesitation."

Wayne carefully examined his expression and found it didn't seem fake.

Or perhaps it's just that their acting skills are too superb.

"You and your wife seem to be quite far apart in age."

Siphus paused for a moment before saying, "Yes, I married my current wife after my previous wife passed away. She is nearly thirty years younger than me, so I have always doted on her. Now it seems that I spoiled her, which led to a terrible mistake."

“However, I am His Majesty’s cousin and the highest governor of the Southwest Province. If the rebels retake Bufania, not to mention what will happen to others, I will have absolutely no chance of surviving. Lord Wayne must know this better than I do.”

What he said makes some sense.

"General Kent, how did the traitors get into the city?" Wayne asked, leaving behind this family drama.

“Several intricate tunnels crisscross the city, connecting the inside and outside. These rebels, disguised in the armor of the Buffalo guards, infiltrated the patrols in batches under cover of darkness, then launched their attack simultaneously at the appointed time. Based on the rebels' past assassination attempts, they would immediately scatter and disappear without a trace once successful, like a stone sinking into the sea. It seems highly likely they escaped through the tunnels,” General Kent concluded from his investigation. “Therefore, there must be a mole within the Buffalo guards. This person usually helps the rebels evade searches, cover up secrets, and assists them in moving people or goods when needed.”

Holoferner cried out, "Lord Wayne, you must find out who the mole is! The traitor almost killed me tonight!"

"Were they there specifically to assassinate Holoferner?"

According to Wayne, although this person nominally controlled the entire Buffalo garrison, he was actually just a good-for-nothing who only knew how to flatter and fawn over his superiors.

Chapter 707 I'm not sure.

Therefore, Holoferner is theoretically a perfect scapegoat.

If he dies this time, the rebels can both pin some things on him and conveniently install their own people in power.

“It should be,” General Kent pondered. “These traitors had a very clear objective after entering the city. They didn’t waste time on other matters and assassinated officials in key positions. When things didn’t go their way, they immediately scattered and fled in all directions. Among them were mages. Also, when I led my troops into the city through the Radiant Gate, the guard officer refused to cooperate and tried his best to obstruct me. The situation was urgent at the time, so I had no choice but to kill him.”

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

"What?" Wayne noticed his reaction.

"That officer is Countess Sivers' nephew—"

"You scoundrel!" Count Sivers was furious and interrupted his wife, demanding, "Nelfa, tell me, did your father and brother force you to do this?"

The Countess's eyes widened suddenly as she stared at Sivers, speechless, as if she were seeing him for the first time.

Count Sivers looked at her quietly for a moment, then said slowly, "It must have been something your father said to you. Isn't it, Nelfa?"

"...No...No! You can't do this..." She finally realized her predicament. Her gaze swept over everyone in the room, and their indifferent or pitying looks pierced her chest like the sharpest blades, making it hard for her to breathe.

“No need to say more, I have already found the relevant evidence.” Sivers turned around, his expression seemingly aging considerably in an instant. “It’s just that I hesitated for only two days, and such a large-scale rebellion broke out in the city. This is my mistake. I have already sent people to search your father’s mansion, and I should have results soon.”

"Lord Wayne!" another person came in to report, "Count Shipp committed suicide out of fear of punishment, and left behind a suicide note."

Wayne took it and glanced at it. The handwritten letter was neatly written, logically clear, and admitted to colluding with traitors and sending his youngest daughter and several family mages.

interesting.

"Is this your father's handwriting?" Wayne handed it to the Countess for inspection.

Holding the letter, the Countess was completely stunned. "Impossible...this is impossible..."

“It seems he knows he can’t escape,” Count Sivers sighed. “Nelfa, I know you are saddened, but there is no way to let a traitor go unpunished. I am also guilty of negligence, and I will write to His Majesty the King to confess and plead for you, but the rest of your family… they must be punished.”

“Alright, Earl Sivers, you may return now. I cannot release the Countess until His Majesty the King's decree arrives. I hope you understand.” Wayne’s tone remained impassive.

"I see."

Count Sivers gazed at the Countess one last time before turning to leave, though his steps finally revealed a hint of faltering old age.

Wayne had someone take her away before resuming the questioning.

"Speaking of which, since these people have chosen officials in key positions, they must have some grudges or be trying to profit from it. Holoferne, if you die, who will be the next garrison commander of Buffalo?"

“Well… I can’t say for sure.” Holoferner gave an awkward yet ingratiating smile. “If that’s the case, Lord Sievers will convey the new appointment.”

He finally understood. What would happen to this envoy after he returned to the capital was another matter entirely, but at least for now, Count Sivers was no match for the young man before him. Whether Count Sivers was a rebel or not, he had to at least save his own life.

“Oh, you’ve been the garrison commander of Buffalo for so many years. In your opinion, is Sivers suspected of colluding with the rebels?” Wayne didn’t mince words and asked him directly.

Holoferner was sweating profusely, regretting that he hadn't fainted during the assassination attempt and had instead insisted on getting close to the other person.

"I...I can't say."

"Hard to say? That means it exists."

"No!" Holoferner exclaimed in surprise, almost kneeling down before him: "Lord Wayne! You can't wrong an innocent person! You can't easily execute a minister of the kingdom without evidence."

"I was just asking, why are you so nervous?" Wayne smiled innocently, showing no sign of his fierceness.

“Holovna, look, you’re injured and quite shaken. Just stay home and recover for now. General Kent will take care of things at the garrison.” Wayne’s gaze shifted to the young man in the guard officer’s uniform standing to the side. “And this is Brutus, is that his name?”

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"Since Holoferner is unable to come forward, you will show General Kent around the area. All the guards who killed the traitors tonight will be rewarded according to their merits, and the wounded will be counted and paid out."

Having said all that he wanted to say, Holoferner naturally couldn't refuse, so he had no choice but to accept the arrangement with a bitter expression.

After dismissing all these people with their own agendas, Senior Sister Olive finally stepped forward.

“It’s quite different from what it looks like at the academy, Your Excellency Wayne,” she said with a hint of teasing.

Wayne sighed, sat back in the chair behind his desk, and relaxed by putting his feet up on the edge of the table.

“If these people had put even half the energy they used for scheming and infighting into improving people’s lives, Buffalo would certainly not be what it is today.”

"Your Excellency, you've worked hard—"

Olive couldn't hide her curiosity any longer and asked, "But how did you manage to create that six-pointed star array just now, Wayne? Such precise elemental manipulation, restraining the enemy mage's magic output and greatly reducing their combat power, seems to be a magic that the academy has never recorded before."

For her, these tedious practical matters were ultimately less fascinating than the wonders of magic.

Wayne didn't mind explaining the principle to her.

"This spell is called Dance of the Elements. I created it myself by combining several complementary spells. However, it consumes too much mana, so it's generally not recommended. It requires setting up an array in advance and the cooperation of at least six mages, so the conditions are very demanding." He shook his head, somewhat dissatisfied with the actual combat results. "It's only impressive when used for the first time. If someone is on guard, it's actually difficult to achieve much effect."

Olive, at a loss for words, retorted, "Are you deliberately feigning modesty while actually showing off? I've been researching creating my own magic lately, but I keep failing. I've searched through all the related books in the academy library and still can't find a direction. I was even thinking that some practical experience might give me some insight."

“I didn’t say that.” Wayne thought for a moment and said, “Actually, there should have been quite a collection of magic books in the Palace of Radiance.”

Olive was delighted by his suggestion and exclaimed, "That's right! Why don't we take this opportunity to visit the library!"

Chapter 708 Belle Casino

Despite clinging to a one in ten thousand chance, the scene inside the Radiant Palace Library still left Wayne speechless.

The bookshelves were collapsed, and the papers were torn and scattered everywhere; there wasn't a single intact book left.

“This is so disrespectful to the book!” Olive went over and picked up the pieces, trying to piece it back together, but she quickly gave up. “The writing was already blurry before it was torn, probably because it was soaked in water.”

Wayne examined the mold stains on the wall and confirmed they showed signs of water damage. He opened a closed cabinet in the corner and found several journals left by an unknown person, containing records of some of the original book collections.

“This is all that’s left.” Wayne casually flipped through a few pages and tossed it to Olive.

"The Laird family was wiped out because of their research into dark magic. The library must have been searched many times to see if any related content was still there. Destroying all the books directly is the best way to prevent future troubles." He pondered for a moment and then said, "However, perhaps the valuable books have already been moved. This mess is just a facade so that there is no way to prove anything."

Given the precedent of the underground tunnels, he had little faith in the integrity of the Buffalo officials.

"You can look around here at your leisure. I'm going back to sleep."

……

The next day, Wayne changed into plain clothes, pretended to be an ordinary civilian, and wandered alone on the streets of Buffalo.

The kingdom's guards were still everywhere in the city, but basic life had been restored and the shops along the street were open for business as usual. In Vidia Square, an officer stood on a high platform and loudly read out what had happened the night before.

"...Those who harbor rebel troops will be punished for treason..."

A crowd of people watched as the prisoner was hung up for execution, and they discussed the incident.