My older sister is a villainous rich girl

If it were me, I might not be so patient with the son of my enemy. What could be easier than killing him to silence him? All the trouble could be nipped in the bud.

“Don’t fall into depravity.” Elliott patted his shoulder firmly and forcefully. “Never choose depravity. It may seem easier, but if you lose your true self because of it, you will eventually lose everything you originally wanted.”

Chapter 752 Father and Son

Thanks to the magic circle, the underground cells were not as dark and damp as the upper level appeared. Magic lamps that filled every corner drove away all the slightest shadows.

Norman Laird had been there for quite some time, with food, drink, and shelter, and he had almost forgotten how much time had passed in the outside world, as if life could be this peaceful. Until he was awakened by yet another nightmare, he began to carve marks on the ground to estimate the date.

Waste...all of them are waste...

He didn't know what his men were doing, nor did he know if the rebels were planning to rescue him. He only knew that if he didn't find a way to escape, he would not have a good ending.

He tried to win over Elliott Winchester to work together, but the guy would always stand silently outside the cell, listening to him until his throat was dry without saying a word, just staring at him with a chilling gaze that made him feel cold inside, as if he was figuring out how to make him disappear without a trace, or how to maximize his profits by using the secrets of dark magic.

Damn it, before I was imprisoned, things should have been going very well. The rebels had successfully infiltrated the capital and infiltrated many key figures. On this basis, if the Wenche family were willing to defect, even the ambition to restore the kingdom, which I had previously hardly believed, seemed not so far away. But no matter what price I offered, the other side did not show the slightest sign of considering it.

“Aikos—” he chewed on the name with resentment. If this person hadn’t suddenly appeared that night, he might have killed that little girl who was a light mage, and wouldn’t have ended up in this passive situation.

Just as he was marking the date again, footsteps sounded outside the cell.

Norman Laird looked up and saw the aloof and indifferent boy scrutinizing him through the magic circle with a gaze remarkably similar to Elliott's.

"You are... Wayne?"

He wasn't familiar with his son. At the time, he was preparing to dedicate himself to the cause of restoring his country and intended to bid farewell to his mediocre life as an ordinary person. He used the excuse of dying of illness to avoid going back. He even felt that this might be one of the few remaining acts of conscience he had, and that he wouldn't involve this child before he died.

One day, he suddenly learned that the Wincher family had adopted a child, and he included this child in his revenge plan. However, when he carefully investigated the child's origins, Norman discovered something was amiss.

At first, he could hardly believe it, then he was overjoyed.

He had already planned when to appear before the other party in an extremely powerful manner and reveal all the truth. The child would definitely cooperate with his father's plan, because apart from himself, no one would sincerely accept him, a stray dog ​​who had lost his family's honor and was destined to become a dark mage.

Just like I was back then, no matter how much I want to escape, I will eventually realize that bloodline is a curse that no one can defy.

However, the scene of father and son recognizing each other that he had envisioned was definitely not like this!

……

The man before me looked somewhat listless, but he was relatively clean-cut, unlike the long-term prisoners in the city guard's jail who were covered in filth and reeked of dirt. However, just sitting in the corner in his coarse linen clothes and with his hair disheveled, he could be considered quite wretched.

Elliott did not come down with him, but continued to sit in the conference room upstairs waiting for him, seemingly not at all worried that Wayne would let Norman Laird go.

This relieved Wayne somewhat.

He really didn't know how to force a father-son reunion scene in front of Elliot...

“Norman Laird.” Wayne sized up the man’s unshaven face, finding no resemblance whatsoever to himself, and found it hard to believe this man was his father. “I am Wayne Wincher.”

After a moment of surprise, Norman immediately guessed why he had suddenly appeared; it was most likely that Elliott had told him the truth.

Judging from his tone, he was still emphasizing his surname as a member of the Winchester family.

Norman was a little worried about whether his adopted son was in a bad situation, but he was more worried that if Elliot chose to stay and support him, he might just kill him.

After all, whether it's the dark magicians or the rebel forces seeking to restore their kingdoms, they only need one leader.

So he forced a sad smile. "You... you look a bit like your grandfather, my father, Archduke Laird. I miss you, son."

"..." Wayne got goosebumps all over his body, his fingers twitched unconsciously, and he barely managed to resist the urge to hit him.

Even without Elliot's warning, he wouldn't be fooled by the other's clumsy performance. The city guard had a ton of files on this dark mage, and Wayne had read them all. As the most opposed to the rule of the Kingdom of Lornes, Norman Laird was also the one who left himself the least room for retreat. Norman's name was behind many of the public atrocities committed by the rebels, as if he wanted everyone to know that he was seeking revenge.

He is a cold, mean, and vindictive person who often takes advantage of others' kindness to use vicious tricks to torment anyone involved in the Battle of Fog Moon. Perhaps for him, simply killing his enemies cannot erase his hatred; only by ruthlessly manipulating others a thousandfold can he slightly alleviate his pain.

While he was stirring up trouble, he never once thought about his child, forgotten and bullied in a rural town. If it weren't for the Wincher family's adoption, which gave that orphan child a value to be exploited, probably no one would have paid any attention to him even now.

However, Wayne no longer harbors resentment towards him for abandoning him; those emotions are too distant for him. Norman Laird in front of him is hardly better than a stranger.

"You said that if you die, I will become the new Dark Mage?"

Elliott's intention was to have Wayne test whether Norman Laird was still holding back. Perhaps the situation wasn't so bad; he just didn't want to tell the Winchester family's enemies. Maybe when facing his own son, he could awaken a little bit of paternal love within him, thus teaching Wayne how to avoid becoming a dark mage.

However, just as Elliott hadn't held out much hope and was only trying as a last resort, Wayne had no expectations for Norman's answer either. He simply didn't know how to explain why dark magic was ineffective against him, so he was trying to extract some information to make it easier for him to convince others later.

Chapter 753 The Instigator

Perhaps it was the impatience in Wayne's tone that made him realize that the atmosphere was far from warm, and Norman suddenly burst into laughter.

"Yes, it's my son. Surprised? Unexpected?"

Wien did not show anger or impatience as he had hoped. He simply waited for him to finish laughing before continuing to ask, "If you had originally planned to make me a dark mage, why did you later choose Darcy Collins, the student council president of Qingxi Academy?"

"Who says there can only be one Dark Mage?" Norman said nonchalantly. "Darcy was a complete waste. He died a quick death, all that time I spent training him was for nothing."

“Training? Do you know what code name the city guard gave you?”

"When did the city guards start doing these kinds of tricks?" He had never heard Bulwer mention it before he was locked up. But at least he had someone to talk to, so he didn't mind chatting for a while and letting him know some news from the outside world.

“Instigator,” Wayne said.

Norman was taken aback at first, then showed a dissatisfied expression: "I thought you would take a code name like Bloody Duke. Instigator sounds too unimpressive!"

"[Instigator] Norman Laird, is it simply your nature to enjoy excavating and amplifying the malice in human nature, or does dark magic truly change a person's character without them even realizing it?"

"Why don't you try it and see?" His voice was like a whisper from hell. "You'll find out eventually. People in this world love to call themselves righteous, but only the magic of darkness can tear off their hypocritical masks and allow you to break the rules and get everything you want."

Although it sounds reasonable, given his own situation of being imprisoned and lacking personal freedom, it's unconvincing for him to make empty promises about getting everything he wants.

Norman sensed a hint of disdain within Wayne's eyes.

He shook his head with deep emotion. "It seems you've been successfully brainwashed by Elliot Winchester. How pathetic! Father and son turned against each other, blood relatives became enemies. The Winchester family, with their wealth and power alone, has made you grovel before your enemy. If they hadn't destroyed our family fortune, you would rightfully be the heir to the Grand Duke, with your own duchy. You wouldn't need them to give you any favors and expect you to be grateful—they stole your life, they stole everything that was yours!"

He had done everything he could to incite him, but Wayne remained unmoved. Seeing that this level of provocation had no effect, Norman suddenly changed the subject.

"Don't you feel any regret at all? Or is it because you think the Winchester family can really give you equal compensation? Just because of their little girl?"

"Shut up!"

Wayne's gaze suddenly sharpened, even through the magic circle, giving Norman Laird the illusion of being pricked by needles on his back. This was an instinctive reaction he only had when facing extremely dangerous situations, which had allowed him to successfully avoid several crises.

At that moment, Norman clearly realized that the young man in front of him really wanted to kill him.

But he wasn't angry at all; instead, he became incredibly excited, almost applauding and cheering for the natural outpouring of emotion and shedding tears of excitement.

"Yes, yes! It's that kind of predatory look in your eyes, that kind of urge to tear the other person to pieces. You have to remember it well. I knew it! How could my son look like Eliot's bastard child instead of me? Isn't he just like me?"

His tone was flippant and smug, and his gaze toward Wayne was full of admiration for his masterpiece.

Wayne could only try to calm himself down with deep breaths. This guy was indeed called an "instigator" for a reason; he had his own set of tricks. On the contrary, he was always worried about how Chris would see him and didn't want his relationship with Chris to be questioned or provoked by any outsiders. So when Wayne mentioned Chris's name, he unconsciously felt aggression towards him.

“You wouldn’t understand,” Wayne scoffed. “Before I knew about my own background, I thought Grand Duke Laird was someone important, but how could he have a son like you? You’ve completely disgraced the family.”

It's just about manipulating the other person's mentality; you can do that yourself.

Upon hearing Wayne's extremely rude comment, Norman's smile faltered and became somewhat stiff. No one outside had ever dared to speak to him like that to his face.

“If it weren’t for his insistence on studying dark magic, how could our family be where we are today?” He said with a gloomy face. “Boy, you need to understand that only the two of us are naturally on the same side, and no matter what Elliott Winchester has said to you, he will never support you unconditionally.”

"Ha, what a joke. It's as if you've ever supported me in anything. Oh, maybe planning to ruin my life with dark magic counts as your 'support'?"

“Foolish! What do you think dark magic is? Without the power of dark magic, what do we have left after losing everything? What can we take everything back?!” He stared into Wayne’s eyes. “Many people, many people want to master the secrets of dark magic, and some even beg me to let them become dark magicians at any cost.”

Wayne believed this to be true; even the Chief Cardinal of the Papacy was secretly coveting the power of dark magic, a fact that would be astonishing to anyone who knew. But he wasn't going to follow Norman's lead.

"No way, no way, you don't really think that I, an outstanding student of Qingxi Academy, the president of the Lily Society, and the heir to Duke Wenche, really need to become a dark mage to get ahead, do you?" Wayne narrowed his eyes. "Actually, I don't care about the title of duke at all. My goal in this life is just to have a happy family."

"Then I will be your father..."

“Duke Elliot, as a father, has nurtured and cared for me deeply. He has never scolded or beaten me; instead, he often encourages me. I think I am very lucky to live in such a family.” Wayne interrupted him. “I have the best father, the best mother, the best friends, and the best lover. I have everything I want. If you were me, would you choose that inhuman, ghostly dark magic that puts you at odds with all your relatives and friends?”

Norman fell silent.

In fact, he never imagined that Wayne's life goal was so narrow, so narrow that all the lines he had prepared were like bizarre bubbles floating on the surface of the water, which would burst at the slightest touch, while what the other party wanted was just the ordinary puddle of water beneath the bubbles.

He himself has never experienced what it's like to interact normally with his father, mother, friends, or lovers, so he can't imagine what it would take to feel satisfied with such mundane things.

All he wants to do now is kill.

Chapter 754 A Terrifying Experience at Sea

"So you don't want to see your descendants live normal lives, right?" Wayne was no longer willing to engage in meaningless mutual probing with him.

Norman sneered, "Isn't this just handing the Winchester family a piece of fat meat for free? Elliott really made a good deal, getting such a good son like you."

“Compared to the so-called restoration of family glory, you are nothing more than indulging in a self-realization fantasy. You have never been a true heir to the duke since birth, yet you subconsciously identify yourself with the title of duke. How pathetic.” Wayne shook his head. “You might as well disappear and stop opposing me, because I can make what you want possible sooner or later.”

"Ha, it's only at times like this that I realize you really are like my son, just as shameless as I am." Norman shut his mouth, turned his head away, and refused to speak to him.

"If you're hoping the rebels will come to your rescue, you might as well give up on that idea. The rebels have been wiped out, and even the dark magic sealed beneath their headquarters is now under the control of the Holy See."

This news clearly shocked Norman more than any of the previous words, and he jumped up from the cold, smooth ground in surprise.

"What did you say?!"

Wayne gave him one last look before leaving the cell.

Elliott was not surprised to see Wayne return empty-handed.

“It seems we still need to find another way to suppress, and even eliminate, the seed of shadow within you,” Elliott said. “I won’t listen to your conversation, but if you have a better plan, I hope you can ask me for help without any reservations. You can do it—even if you have truly awakened dark magic, you can begin to control yourself and end the family line of dark magic. It brings no salvation, only endless desire and depravity.”

Wayne nodded slightly. "I understand."

Time passed by both slowly and swiftly.

In the gentle breeze that brushes past each person, in the fleeting glances that part ways, in the gaps between each person's hands that try to grasp it, time's escape never ceases. Regardless of status, high or low, time bestows upon them all the same relinquishment.

Far from the capital of Lornes, a huge sailing ship sailed across the calm sea, pushing aside two gentle waves.

Captain Reynolds put down his monocular telescope and breathed a long sigh of relief.

At least up to this point, the plan is working fine.

The next step is to bring those strange and mysterious individuals back to Port Dapros, and then I can receive a hefty reward from the Edgeworth family business guild.

Just before the fleet set sail, he thought these people were only sneaking around to smuggle contraband, but halfway there, they suddenly asked him to lend them the spare lifeboats so they could temporarily leave the fleet, and his heart jumped.

Unexpected situations beyond his control are what he hates most, but they are also an unavoidable part of the challenging sea voyage.

After failing to persuade the leader, a man in black whom others addressed as "sir," he gave up. After all, the commission only required him to sail along a fixed route, and he would leave everything else to the other party's arrangements.

He had no intention of inquiring about the other party's identity, nor did he want to know what these people were doing after temporarily leaving the group. As far as he knew, there was nothing in this sea area except for a few barren islands and reefs that yielded nothing but fish and shrimp. Ronos only hoped that there would be no more unexpected changes on this journey.

Fortunately, they did return safely. But he noticed that when they came back, they brought back a strange, large box from somewhere.

Lower deck cabins.

Aikos was examining the long trunk in front of her, which could probably fit two adult men. Although it was mainly made of wood, it had not rotted even after being buried on that island that was frequently eroded by the waves for who knows how long.

Is this the treasure of Archduke Laird?

Just as Lornes has never been a maritime power, and the Duchy of Milstein has no coastline at all, it is highly unusual for them to go to such lengths to hide something overseas. This may mean that the Laird family does not want this item to have any public connection with them, even if it could be unearthed from their own territory.

Wayne did not reveal the origin of the box to anyone else, nor did he care whether the former citizens of the principality who participated in the operation had any guesses. His only requirement was that whatever was found be brought back exactly as it was, and that it not be opened or used without permission.

From what we can see now, these people are fairly loyal to their orders, even though they are unaware that there is another pair of eyes watching them from the shadows on this ship.

Ekos could sense a strange magical fluctuation emanating from the box, as if it were calling to him. However, when Ross and the others were present, they hadn't noticed anything unusual, which made him hesitate for a moment, wondering if opening the box in response to this strange call might lead to some unexpected changes.

Just as he was still hesitating, he suddenly heard the voices of several people talking outside the cabin.

Ross only briefly went out to confirm the voyage with Reynolds before quickly returning to the heavily guarded lower deck. He pushed open the hatch; everything inside was as it had been, except for his own shadow, which flickered in and out of length under the magical lamp that swayed gently with the waves.

Ross glanced subconsciously under the bed and saw the box was safely placed, which slightly eased his tense nerves.

He didn't want to have finally gained his young master's trust only to fail at the very first task he was sent out to complete.

“Mr. Ross,” a subordinate whispered in his ear as he returned to the lower deck, “our men have inspected the cargo on board. All the previously loaded ore has been transferred out, and a new batch of alcohol has been purchased, but not in large quantities.”

"Hmm," Ross simply replied.

This is to be expected, so as not to arouse suspicion by returning empty-handed.

Logically, the night should have passed peacefully on the tranquil water.

However, as night fell, a darkness more intense than the deepest ink in the world enveloped the boat from all directions, making the flimsy vessel feel as if it were sailing through a bottomless cave.

It's unclear when it started, but the distant sounds of torrential rain and thunder, along with the roar of the waves, accompanied by the boisterous boat songs shouted almost at the top of their lungs by the boatmen, seemed to be coming from the other end of the cave.

"A few nights ago, I had a dream—" (Away from the lowlands, away from the lowlands, my love)

"My beloved came to me in my dream, dressed in white—" (far from the lowlands)