My older sister is a villainous rich girl

Wayne sneered and placed the letter on the candle flame to burn it to ashes.

There will never be a shortage of ambitious people in this world.

Including myself right now.

"—Arrange a carriage. I'm going to see my current patron, the Third Prince William Stuart."

In a detached manor in the northeastern part of the Upper City of Stuart, Raphael, dressed in his finest attire, was fidgeting with anxiety.

"Third Brother, what brings you here in such a special way?"

Raphael had been back in Stuart from the capital of Lornes for some time now. With the competition for the throne between the eldest and third princes becoming increasingly fierce, he, the fifth prince who had returned from studying abroad, had no foundation whatsoever. He was practically invisible, and no matter what he wanted to do, he was excluded by the forces under his two elder brothers, which made him very frustrated.

Moreover, the incident in which the eldest prince sent Simon to assassinate him had also seriously injured Raphael, and he was almost detained in Lornes and could not return. Raphael harbored resentment towards the eldest prince and it was almost impossible for the prince to truly trust him. Therefore, he could only choose to curry favor with the third prince.

But Prince William had been keeping him at arm's length until yesterday when the other party took the initiative to contact him to attend a dinner party.

This flattered Raphael, but also made his hair stand on end.

Raphael found it hard to believe that his elder brother, the king, had been the most favored by their parents since childhood and did not take the other brothers seriously. He was also very intelligent and quick-witted, and it seemed that no one had any secrets from him. Raphael found it hard to believe that the king had come to him for the first time just to build a relationship.

William simply stood quietly by the window, observing all of Raphael's subtle, unnatural reactions.

"Raphael, how's your relationship with Wayne Wincher in Lornes?"

Chapter 762 Intrigue and Ambition

"Wayne Winch?!"

Raphael was extremely surprised to hear this name from William.

After returning to Stuart, he still intentionally maintained contact with his old friends Lornes, much of which was due to his connections at Qingxi Academy. Of course, he would not ignore Wayne, who had taken over his position as president of the Lily Society.

Now, he has also received news from Lornes that Wayne has gotten involved with the Dark Mage, which puzzles him and makes him feel sorry for him.

But that's all he can do. He can't possibly go to Lornes to speak up for Wayne. Rather, it's commendable that he didn't clearly distance himself from the other party when he learned that the other party was involved with the Dark Mage.

But at that moment, he had a premonition, as if a sudden inspiration struck him, and he said, "Wayne used to be a very good friend of mine, but we have now lost contact."

This statement is certainly exaggerated. Raphael's interactions with the other party in Lornes were mostly due to the activities of the Lily Society. After all, they were two years apart and couldn't hang out together, and their social circles were also different.

William neither confirmed nor denied it.

Before long, a steward of the third prince strode in. Before he could speak, William said, "He's already here? Bring him in."

Under Raphael's questioning gaze, a gentleman wearing a top hat followed closely behind and entered the side hall.

Raphael stood up in shock: "Wayne?"

Wayne removed his top hat, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed slightly. "It is a pleasure to reach this agreement, Prince William, Prince Raphael."

"What... what's going on? What kind of cooperation?" Raphael turned to look at Prince William. "Didn't you invite me tonight for a banquet, Your Highness?"

“Yes and no.” William stood up and looked at Wayne. “Right now, there is indeed a banquet being held at the manor, and Raphael and I will be attending together. I will arrange a private room for you upstairs, where you can observe the people you need and then have Raphael negotiate the terms for you.”

Raphael looked completely bewildered.

"Good plan, I will do my best to play my part."

“Hmm. Mr. Wayne, you’re a smart man too. Since I chose to invite you, you should know how much risk I’ve taken. Don’t disappoint me.” William Stuart patted Wayne’s shoulder lightly and walked out of the room first.

Wayne looked at Raphael: "Senior Raphael, it's been a long time."

"I feel like I'm dreaming."

Raphael rubbed his face and found that he had not woken up from the bed, while Vayne, who was said to have defected with the Dark Mage, was still standing in front of him.

Wayne could only laugh self-deprecatingly upon hearing this; he felt the same way.

Back then, they could still dream about the future together at the Lily Club, but in the blink of an eye, they were both forced to drop out of Seiki Academy. In a sense, he and Raphael were in the same boat.

“I specifically suggested to Prince William that we invite you. After all, not many people in Stuart recognize my face, so it’s not convenient for me to appear in public. With Raphael’s help, things will be much easier. You wouldn’t betray me right away, would you?” Wayne said casually, as if making a joke.

Raphael hesitated for a second, but still shook his head.

“To be honest, I do have some doubts, but you don’t need to worry about me telling on you. I don’t want to have nowhere to go in Stuart.” He tentatively asked, “May I know what reasons you used to convince the Third Prince? He’s not an easy person to get along with.”

“That’s because—it’s to prevent Stuart from falling behind in the arms race with the Kingdom of Lornes.” Wayne looked at him. “You still have contact with Lornes, right?”

Raphael remembered the news he had received from his old classmates.

"You mean Chris and Professor Conley's collaboration with the Lornes military to mass-produce magic wands?!" He was still as shocked as when he first heard about it. "I heard that Chris, with her originally inferior magical abilities, was able to unleash magic of equal strength to a high-level mage with the help of the magic wand. Is that true?"

It's probably far more than just high-level mages...

Hearing Chris's name again still caused Wayne a dull ache, as if a piece of his heart had been cut away.

Rather than love, perhaps he himself didn't understand whether that feeling was attachment or some kind of illusion that he was too attached to.

What does being with her mean to me? A loving family, a stable and reliable partner, a peaceful and warm life—it all seems so natural to me when I'm with her. I have no reason not to choose to walk the same path with her.

Whenever he saw her hesitate to reveal the secrets of the transmigrators, and whenever he saw her feeling good about being a "native of another world," Wayne felt as if he were seeing another version of himself living happily, and he felt very happy as well.

But, just as if it were all an illusion, all the happiness vanished.

Now, when Chris thinks about how she was such a despicable fraudster, she probably just wants to be dead and far away from her.

He was only in a daze for a moment before forcibly pulling his thoughts back, because he didn't want others to think that he still cared, even though probably no one would believe that he really didn't care anymore.

“It’s true,” he said. “At this rate, in less than a generation, the Kingdom of Lornes will have absolute overwhelming power over Stuart.”

Although Lornes and Stuart had a marriage pact, the assassination attempt by Simon completely severed their relationship, leading to a cooling of relations and rendering the pact ineffective. Back then, the Duchy of Milstein and the Kingdom of Lornes maintained a respectable relationship on the surface, but Lornes was eventually annexed by Lornes. Stuart's sensitive reaction to this situation is therefore understandable.

Therefore, Wayne deliberately leaked some information to William, the third prince of Stuart, and sure enough, the prince soon came knocking, offering generous terms. The first condition was that he was willing to protect Wayne, and that once William ascended the throne and Wayne was cleared of suspicion of being a dark mage, he would be publicly granted a legitimate noble position in the Kingdom of Stuart.

“For the first time, I feel fortunate that we will have such a visionary king in the future.” Raphael took a deep breath.

To say that he had no ambition for the throne would be self-deception, but he was keenly aware that he was not as capable as his brother.

“So I suggested he invite you to be my partner, to tie us both to the same boat, otherwise you’ll be the first one out.” Wayne spoke as casually as if he were discussing what to have for dinner. “Because Prince William won’t allow someone who could potentially seize his throne with Lornes’s support to continue swaggering around. Unfortunately, your secret agreement with King Lornes isn’t a secret.”

"Now, he can temporarily use you to contact me, avoiding some risks. If things change, he can immediately pin the blame for colluding with the dark mage on you, and at the same time, send both of us dangerous individuals away."

Raphael smiled wryly. "It sounds like I don't have a choice."

It seems to imply that they will turn their backs on someone at any time after the matter is over.

“So you have to cooperate with me. Only when my ship sails further and more steadily can it take you to farther places.” Wayne patted Raphael on the shoulder, just like the third prince William, and then walked out.

Chapter 763 Because We Are Equally Greedy

Noble banquets were always very similar.

People pretend to be intimate and open in conversation, displaying their status and flaunting their wealth, trying their best to hide their superior pride but inadvertently revealing a hint of clumsy hypocrisy so that others can flatter them in the way they expect.

However, the Stuarts were not as romantic, free-spirited, and passionate as Lornes. Just like their monarchs, their portraits always depicted them with a serious face, so much so that even at relaxed banquets, a deep solemnity permeated the atmosphere, as if everyone was waiting for the pebble to break the calm surface.

Prince William Stuart entered the banquet hall in this atmosphere, and all the passing glances in the hall turned to him, and the conversations fell silent.

Those invited to such a private dinner were naturally not complete enemies. At this moment, everyone in Stuart understood that if William wanted to compete with the eldest prince for the throne, he would have to seek the support of important figures in the kingdom like himself. Therefore, rather than flattery and ingratiation, their gazes conveyed more restraint and scrutiny.

William paid no attention to what these people were thinking. He glanced almost imperceptibly at the second floor of the banquet hall, which was not open to the public, and then walked up to the main stage to give his speech.

Upstairs, Wayne, who had received his signal, remained silent and matched the faces of the key figures below with the information he had gathered.

A short while later, Raphael walked in.

"So, have you decided who to target?" His smile was forced, barely concealing the worry and unease in his eyes. After a pause, he lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard by a non-existent third person in the room. "Wayne, are you really sure?"

“Relax, don’t be so sneaky, it’ll make us look like we’re doing something bad,” Wayne said. “Why don’t we start by getting in touch with Countess Mapel, who’s wearing a long black dress? As the wife of the Stuart Minister of the Interior, she’ll be very helpful.”

A year ago, the Kingdom of Stuart passed a law allowing women to inherit titles and lands from their direct relatives in the absence of a male heir, putting it ahead of the Kingdom of Lornes. The countess was the first beneficiary of this law.

"So, what should I do to invite her up?"

"First, what are our advantages?"

Raphael was taken aback, not understanding why the topic had suddenly changed, but he thought about it carefully and then replied, "We have the technology, the channels, and the secrecy."

“That’s right, and we also have money, people, and backing,” Wayne added. “So we really have no chance of failure. Our plan will proceed no matter what and will bring about the expected results. So we are choosing our partners, not being chosen by others. Tell her that if she doesn’t join our plan now, it will be too late to get on board once everything is on track. Show her the arrogance you had back in Qingxi Academy, and don’t let anyone see through your hand.”

“Countess Mapel certainly likes to invest in promising young people,” Raphael said thoughtfully. “But now that we already have such an advantage, what else can she bring?”

"Of course, it's her husband as Home Secretary."

Wayne watched him go downstairs and then struck up a conversation with the still-attractive woman who looked to be around forty.

Then he shifted his gaze to a middle-aged man at the back of the banquet hall who was constantly wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. This middle-aged man was slightly overweight, wearing a pink bow tie, holding a wine glass in his right hand, and wearing a pebble-sized gem on each of his index and ring fingers, making him look quite flamboyant.

A short while later, the middle-aged man put down his wine glass, turned, and left the banquet hall. Wayne also took the opportunity to detour and descend the steps from another exit, following closely behind him.

"Jazz".

In the back garden, a noblewoman who had been waiting for a long time saw the man approaching from afar and immediately flew into his arms like a swallow returning to its nest.

Wayne's expression was strange.

……

"Wayne, where did you go?" Raphael, who had been waiting in the private room for ages, finally breathed a sigh of relief when Wayne returned.

"I went to the restroom," Wayne lied without any qualms.

Raphael didn't pay much attention to such details, but said with a hint of excitement, "Countess Mapel is very interested in our plan and has agreed to help us. But her condition is that she wants the support of the Third Prince for her husband's re-election."

“Agree to her request. We sought cooperation precisely because we wanted her husband’s position. If her husband fails to be re-elected, wouldn’t we have wasted our efforts to win her over?”

"What about my third brother..."

“He will agree.” William Stuart has staked everything on the throne, and he won’t be stingy with a mere position as Minister of the Interior, especially since that position isn’t currently in his hands.

Raphael hesitated for a moment, "Because of their simultaneous presence tonight, they seem to think that I have completely gained the trust of the Third Prince, and tacitly agree that I have a good relationship with the Third Prince."

"From now on, even if you're faking it, you have to treat this as a fact. The more people who believe you, the safer you will be."

After all, even a king cannot kill his own brother without cause; he must always show his subjects a sense of imperial benevolence. "Next, you need to use Countess Mapel's connections to acquire a piece of land northeast of the Stuart capital. We will build an armory there. You understand, to avoid too many inspections, we need some favors."

Raphael let out a long sigh of relief.

“Wayne, when did you become so cunning? It makes me feel a little…uncomfortable. Back in the academy, I thought you were a very simple-minded young man.”

Wayne glanced at him. "People always change. Maybe you can take this as part of growing up."

Upon hearing this, Raphael shook his head helplessly. "I just hope we can still be friends."

“As long as we share the same interests and see the same greed in our eyes, I believe we will. Just like how I am very good friends with the Third Prince William now. You see, he even dared to promise to grant a public noble title to a suspected dark mage.”

"It sounds like you're being sarcastic."

“No, I am truly grateful, as long as he is willing to honor his promise.” Wayne tapped the mahogany table with his finger. “Integrity is the foundation of all our cooperation, and I will keep that in mind. I hope you will not forget it either.”

“Of course.” Raphael had barely finished speaking when Prince William, the third prince, pushed open the door and walked in.

"Well, can you tell that our Stuart banquet is different from the style of the Kingdom of Lornes? It's a pity you can't make a public appearance yet, otherwise I would definitely introduce you to some beautiful ladies," William said casually and amicably.

Wayne wanted to join in the laughter, but he couldn't manage it.

“Thank you for your kind offer, but I’m currently focused on more important matters and don’t have the time for that right now.” Wayne thought to himself, these nobles’ private dealings are pretty much the same everywhere. “You’d better keep an eye on Sir Satch; he’s a key pawn in our game, don’t let him get ruined by seducing women.”

Chapter 764 Pride, Foolishness, and Prejudice

Do you think he's forgotten about Lornes?

After the banquet, having seen everyone else off, Prince William made a point of inviting Raphael to stay the night.

On the same bed, the two brothers, who shared the same blood, had a long talk that perhaps hadn't happened since they were ten years old.

“I think probably not. He couldn’t possibly abandon Chris. In fact, I don’t understand what happened between them that made him choose to come to Stuart and seek refuge with you rather than seek the protection of the Winchester family.”

Raphael stared blankly at the ceiling, feeling as if he were being pricked by needles, and his whole body was very uncomfortable.

However, he knew that Prince William had this habit; he often slept side-by-side with his trusted confidants as a sign of closeness and affection, a treatment he had never received before. Sitting shoulder to shoulder, chatting casually in a half-awake, half-asleep state, it was as if the two had truly returned to their childhood, a time of unspoken understanding, a time when their hearts were always connected—a time they had never truly achieved.

"Grievances and grudges, truth and falsehood, who can say for sure? But since he has already chosen Stuart, I don't want him to have any way out."

Raphael was startled and couldn't help but turn his head to look at William.

“I will arrange for some people to create more opportunities for him, and it would be best if he could keep his child.” After a long pause, William said earnestly, “Raphael, we are brothers. If we support each other, we might be able to leave a good name in Stuart history.”

In his daze, Raphael couldn't even tell whether what weighed heavier than a boulder on his heart was genuine sincerity or just a dream.

……