My older sister is a villainous rich girl

She blinked. "So, what is Lord Wayne trying to say?"

"That depends on what Mrs. Cherry wants to know. Most noble ladies who have lived in the capital for a long time are fascinated by stories from other places that have a touch of mystery, as if they can experience another kind of dramatic life just by listening to them... However, Mrs. Cherry doesn't need to belittle herself by calling herself an old woman. Your beauty has not been sculpted by the years."

As if it were just casual conversation, Mrs. Cherry asked Wayne's questions with an innocent look.

"I heard that Lord Wayne discovered the rebel base, a massive underground castle?"

“Yes, it’s unimaginable how it was built in complete secrecy, hidden beneath what appears to be an ordinary village.” Wayne sighed. “It’s a pity that those magnificent buildings were severely damaged in the fierce battle and have now been sealed off as a forbidden area by the Vatican.”

"Lord Wayne has also entered the fortress? Is there anything interesting inside?"

"Well... actually, I only had time for a fleeting glimpse of the enemy during our brief exchange of blows."

He recalled the scene at the time, selectively describing the structure inside the fortress. Mrs. Cherry listened with great interest, occasionally exclaiming "Wow!" or "Ah!" in full support.

But Wayne still noticed that she was indeed listening carefully to him describe every detail of the castle's interior.

Is she very interested in that castle? Has she never been there before but really wants to? Is it because of a secret or an object?

"Discovering a magnificent, unknown castle underground is just like a legendary heroic adventure. I wish I could have the chance to see it," Mrs. Li said regretfully after a long while. "It might even bring more wonderful inspiration to my paintings."

"That's simple. Just have the Papacy draw a few more pictures and send them to the capital. Since we've handed over control to the Papacy, asking for this favor shouldn't be a problem."

However, Mrs. Cherry did not continue the conversation, but changed the subject: "Lord Wayne, that young lady from the Edgeworth family seems to have something to say to you, she keeps looking this way."

"..." Wayne froze for a second. "Is that so? Perhaps you're also looking for trouble with me."

Her increasingly angry gaze, which seemed to be piercing like a knife, certainly seemed to confirm this.

Mrs. Cherry smiled. "Since you've satisfied my curiosity, do you need me to distract her?"

“No need. It’s not a wise choice to get involved in the conflict between our two families.” Wayne casually raised his glass. “Excuse me, I have to go and deal with that young lady.”

Mrs. Cherry watched him leave.

Seeing that the other party had finally noticed him, Ge Li coldly turned around and walked out of the banquet hall.

Maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far, Wayne followed behind her until she stopped by the fountain in the garden.

There were still groups of people chatting here. They were slightly surprised to see Wayne and Geli, but they didn't seem to want to disturb them.

"You and that lady seemed to be having a pleasant conversation." Ge Li turned around, and his opening remarks were already quite provocative.

The sound "quack" was not added at the end of the sentence.

Of course, Wayne wasn't so oblivious as to bring up something he didn't want to hear, even though he was quite interested in hearing it, since Miss Ge Li's imitation of a frog's croak was so pleasant to the ear. "It was alright, she just asked me about my experience in the southwest out of curiosity."

Ge Li opened her mouth as if to say something, but after a moment she gave up.

“I’ve heard some things too.” At this moment, organizing her thoughts seemed a little difficult. “What happened to you along the way.”

"Are you actually trying to tell me that you've been keeping an eye on my news all along?"

Chapter 736 The real storm has only just begun

"Does making fun of me make you feel better?" After a moment of hesitation, Ge Li said quietly.

"..." Wayne didn't try to lighten the mood with his usual jokes. He sighed softly, "I just want to bring us closer together."

Ge Li remained silent for a moment.

"Perhaps you find someone like Mrs. Cherry more likable?" She recalled the pleasant conversation between the two of them, and then thought about the atmosphere when she usually talked with Wayne, which didn't always seem so relaxed and pleasant.

Actually, she didn't understand why she suddenly felt a little angry.

“No, I just think she’s hypocritical and pathetic for always keeping a smiling face.” Wayne turned and glanced at the banquet hall. “No one would willingly restrain their emotions all the time unless they have something else they want.”

The men and women at the banquet were laughing and joking loudly, enjoying drinks, food, and dance partners, as if their only goal was to have fun. But beneath the veil of happiness, wariness, probing, and intrigue were never absent.

"Don't get too close to her; the real storm has just begun."

He said calmly.

Now that the rebels have been defeated and the southwestern provinces have been pacified, the conflicts in the capital are bound to escalate further. Without the rebels as her backing, Lady Cherry has lost all her trump cards, and it will soon become clear whether she and the city guard commander, Bulwer, have any other support.

Whether the rebel leader Inofan was merely a puppet in name only, as Wayne suspected, may soon be answered.

Ge Li was taken aback.

So he wasn't going to get close to Mrs. Cherry? She thought this guy...

"As long as you know what you're doing."

"By the way, does the Edgeworth family merchant guild have any reliable fleets with which they have long-term cooperation overseas?" Wayne remembered the treasure map in his hand; he had to find a trustworthy fleet to investigate. If he started with the Winchester family, these small actions would be hard to hide from Duke Elliott, but if he could subtly use Gothel to mobilize an Edgeworth family merchant fleet at sea, then no one should connect this matter with the Ryder family's overseas treasure.

Ge Li gave him a strange look. "You're not planning to run away overseas one day after you've been disgraced, are you?"

"..." Wayne was speechless. "What kind of image do I have in your heart?"

“Hmph, a liar who’s full of lies.” Ge Li turned his face away. “I can try to contact him, but it will take some time to prepare. Tell me how long you need to call.”

"It will take about a month. Have them travel by sea to the trading ports in the northern part of the Kingdom of Stuart, deviating slightly from the route along the way, and then retracing that route on the return journey. Choose people who are tight-lipped and very obedient, and don't ask them any unnecessary questions."

He will then arrange for the Special Operations Department, composed of former citizens of the Principality of Milistan, to be placed within the fleet to ensure that he maintains control of it.

"You certainly know how to order people around." With that, Ge Li left.

Miss Ge Li, who has gained experience in handling family affairs over the years, has unknowingly become quite shrewd.

Watching her return to the banquet hall and skillfully greet all sorts of people from afar, Wayne felt a surge of emotion.

The silver moon hung high in the sky, and the magnificent banquet hall was brightly lit. Under the gentle night sky, the wedding ceremony officially began.

Witnessed by many relatives and friends, and listening to the priest read the vows, "For better or for worse...", Miss Beatrice was so overjoyed that she almost fainted, and without any restraint, she shouted, "I do!"

On the other side, the chairman also seemed to have become thirty years younger—well, it certainly wasn't because he was wearing a wig and makeup.

What a touching love story!

Wayne almost shed tears. He had put in three hundred percent of his enthusiasm all night to liven up the atmosphere for the chairman, take care of everyone, and arrange the guests. Just suppressing Lawrence's impulse to cause a scene at the wedding banquet took a lot of effort. Not to mention the chairman flattering him by saying that he was like his son, even if his father were still there, he wouldn't be more considerate than Wayne.

He felt empty, as if he had been burned out.

Chris, who was beside him, was extremely surprised by his reaction and tentatively asked, "Wayne... uh, so you really long for marriage?"

"No, actually I just envy the chairman for having someone like me, who is like a father to him, arranging his marriage."

Chris raised her hand and lightly elbowed his side. "Stop being so sarcastic. The chairman doesn't have any other close juniors. As his fellow disciple's prized student, it's only right that you stand up for him. After all, one day..."

At this point, she became unusually shy and didn't continue.

She looked at Miss Beatrice, who was surrounded by love and seemed to be glowing, dressed in a pure white wedding gown, as if that happiness could also shine upon her.

……

His Majesty the King has an illegitimate son unknown to outsiders.

This should have been a secret that would never have been easily revealed, but for some reason, such sensational rumors suddenly spread like wildfire one day, becoming the talk of the town.

"Good heavens, that's why His Majesty the King went to such lengths to make that woman Queen!"

"Is it time to change the crown prince?"

"But His Highness Prince Richard..."

When Wayne saw Richard again at the palace in the afternoon, even the Crown Prince, who was always accustomed to presenting a composed and capable image, looked extremely unpleasant.

Although a dark cloud seemed to hang over his brow, he, who had been standing guard in the palace corridor, soon noticed Wayne, who was dressed in a white suit and had stopped at a distance.

Richard made no attempt to hide his rage and walked straight up to her: "Wayne, did you see my father just now? Did he also ask the Winchester family to recognize the legitimacy of that illegitimate child?"

"Yes."

It was being implemented faster than expected, because the illegitimate child is only nine years old now.

For a nine-year-old child, who may not even have awakened the most basic magic, there are far too many uncertainties involved in rashly pushing them into the public eye.

Just now, when he was talking to himself and Duke Elliott, the king's expression and words were indeed very angry. Although he did not question whether they did it, Wayne and Elliott could feel his suspicion and probing.

Of course, Duke Elliott immediately declared that he had nothing to hide and that he was very dissatisfied. He accused the king of being completely unaware that he had a bastard son, and said that this absurd behavior not only violated the contract between the nobles and the king, but also the friendship between the two of them over the years.

This left His Majesty the King speechless.

Perhaps not wanting to lose face in front of the younger Wayne, the king then asked Wayne to go out and stroll in the garden while he continued his conversation with Duke Elliott.

Chapter 737 No Limit

Upon hearing Wayne's affirmative answer, Richard couldn't help but slam his fist on the marble pillars lining the corridor.

He rarely showed such uncontrollable emotions.

Was it because he still held a sliver of hope for his father? Richard was somewhat bewildered when he overheard this rumor. He wanted to confirm it with his father in person as soon as possible, but on the way, he received a report from his servants that the king had summoned several high-ranking nobles and asked them to attend the ceremony for recognizing the illegitimate child.

His Majesty the King still remembered to try his best to win the support of the nobles who were loyal to him, but Richard, as the first in line to the throne, had not received a single explanation from his father, as if he had completely forgotten that he had other sons, and therefore had no need to explain anything to him. Richard suddenly felt that his life was somewhat ridiculous.

He had already reached the outside of the palace, and was less than a hundred meters away from the White Hall, where his father often received guests. But standing in the long, winding, ornately decorated yet indifferent palace corridor, he hesitated.

Even if they did meet the king, what would happen next?

Then he happened to run into Wayne coming from the opposite direction.

Wayne understood that Richard was definitely not in a good mood right now. Even if he were allowed to go in and see the King, given His Majesty's attitude just now, he probably wouldn't think Richard was qualified to interfere with his decision, and it would only end in a bad mood.

After all, a king will always believe that the orders he issues are the truths that the whole world must follow.

The nobles who hold real power can make His Majesty the King more aware of things, but although Richard has a good reputation, he is not yet powerful enough to challenge His Majesty the King.

Richard was silent for a moment before saying, "Let's talk somewhere else."

He turned and left after he finished speaking, and even from his back, you could tell that he was trying his best to suppress his anger.

Wayne sighed inwardly and followed behind him.

They walked for a full twenty minutes after changing locations and still hadn't reached their destination. Along the way, patrolling guards saw them from afar and immediately looked away and changed their route, as if they were trying to avoid them at all costs, indicating that they had probably heard some rumors about them.

“At one time, this palace felt like the whole world to Lawrence and me.”

Perhaps feeling that rushing forward was too tedious, or perhaps not wanting Wayne to think that his halfway back was because he wanted to escape, Richard gradually slowed down after silently walking through several more corridors. He spoke softly, as if he were simply introducing his residence to a friendly guest: "Although it's so big that it seems like I'll never get out, this was truly my home back then, a paradise that holds all my beautiful childhood memories."

"Lawrence and I used to chase and play in every corridor of the palace. If the Queen Mother saw us, she would scold us, but the King would laugh and hug us both."

His voice trembled slightly, and Wayne, who was a step behind, couldn't see the expression on his face. One could imagine that his gaze, as if looking back over many years at the events that had unfolded here, was filled with reminiscence and longing.

"But those happy days didn't last long. Soon Lawrence was sent to a neighboring country because of the alliance between the two nations, and I was suddenly jolted out of my childhood, as if I had been awakened from a peaceful dream and suddenly saw the real world outside this palace."

Wien recalled the first time he met Richard; he was already a very capable young man. From then until now, Richard didn't seem to live permanently in the palace, but rather owned his own independent mansion in the noble district near the palace, where royal relatives lived next door.

However, Your Highness, if you think that this alone constitutes "seeing the real world," then you are still too naive.

The nobles living in the capital and the poor people living in the impoverished borderlands have different perceptions of the world.

"Back then, I also genuinely believed that there were things a king had to do and things we, as members of the royal family, had to accept. The king had to make decisions that were in the best interest of the country, and the members of the royal family had to support the king's decisions, even if they seemed inhumane."

He stared blankly out the window, and after a long silence, he suddenly burst into laughter, laughing so hard he couldn't straighten up, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Hey, don't do this, I'm a little scared.

"But what I'm seeing now?! I'm seeing His Majesty the King, who once spoke so eloquently of royal duties and so grandly declared that his responsibilities as a king were greater than his responsibilities as a father, shamelessly tearing down the glory of the royal family and trampling it underfoot in order to legitimize an illegitimate child!"

Richard suddenly looked up, his face full of anger and his eyes bloodshot.

……

That evening, Wayne returned to the Duke's mansion, exhausted.

"Where did you go with Prince Richard afterward?" Elliott had returned earlier than him and was sitting on the sofa reading the latest issue of the Lornes News, with a pot of black tea beside him, which had already gone cold.

It seems they've been waiting for me for a long time.

"Where else could we go? We just wandered around the palace for a bit and then went to find Lawrence."

Wayne took off his bow tie and casually hung it on a coat rack to the side, then unceremoniously picked up the teapot and gulped down the tea in one go.

"His Majesty the King looked very displeased when he learned that Richard had come back specifically to see him but then disappeared without a trace," Elliott said.

"Oh, it's alright. Richard didn't look too good when he left the palace either."

It wasn't just bad-looking; Wayne even suspected that Richard was about to turn evil on the spot, launch a coup, and go back to seize the old man's throne.

But when he came to his foolish brother Lawrence, he reverted to his calm, composed, and perfectly in control prince persona, even calmly smiling and reassuring Lawrence not to be too angry. Wayne was dumbfounded, as if the furious Prince Richard from before was just an illusion.

"I have granted His Majesty's request."

Wayne was taken aback; this was somewhat unexpected. He had assumed the Wincher family would definitely side with Prince Richard. "Why?"