My older sister is a villainous rich girl

"The Dark Mage Norman Laird has been confirmed dead by the Papal Inquisition, bringing his sinful life to an end..."

When Cardinal Elfman appeared before Wayne with the members of the Papal Inquisition, Wayne simply made them a cup of black tea.

"Sit down." Wayne greeted him like an old friend, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere around him. "It's been a while since we last met."

Elfman glanced at the people behind him and gestured for them to leave.

"It seems you were prepared all along." He picked up the white porcelain teacup, took a small sip, and exclaimed, "Stuart truly lives up to its reputation as a nation with advanced maritime trade. This tea tastes quite good. Can I have some?"

"So you brought the jury here to give me a shock? Well, you're quite disappointed."

"How did you do that?" Elfman simply asked.

Logically speaking, at this moment, Wayne Laird should have inevitably transformed into a dark mage.

“It’s a secret.” Wayne smiled. “Just like you wouldn’t tell me everything you’ve done, our cooperation can still continue. And I don’t have to hide as a dark mage, which avoids a lot of trouble for you, doesn’t it?”

"You'd better really be able to avoid some trouble for me." Elfman wasn't a pedantic person, otherwise he wouldn't have been so bold as to study dark magic himself.

"Help is always mutual. You've come at the perfect time. I would like to invite you to Sorik Cathedral so that you can witness my donation to the church cause of the Kingdom of Stuart."

“You are very passionate about the church’s work, and the Lord sees it,” Elfman said, as was his habit. “If you would like, I can take you back to the Vatican; perhaps that’s a better place for you.”

Wayne suddenly thought of Tasia, wondering if she had managed to maintain control of the situation under the pressure of these old foxes.

But in the end, he shook his head. "I can't give up everything worldly, nor do I want to be like those fallen priests who pretend to be pious on the surface but indulge in drinking and pleasure-seeking in private..."

"Wait, wait, you don't have to tell me so much detail, unless you are willing to report specific individuals by name, then I will agree to immediately send the jury to investigate."

Wayne curled his lip, "Hypocritical old man."

"I heard you also helped Stuart build a magic weapons factory?"

"Your information network is quite good."

“The Papacy is more concerned about the changes in this world than you think.” Elfman pondered for a moment and said, “Sometimes I can’t help but doubt myself, wondering if I’ve gone in the wrong direction. Even if I discover the secret of dark magic, so what? Can I build a secret army of dark mages within the Papacy? Can I find hundreds or thousands of dark mages to fight against the kingdom’s army, which wields all sorts of bizarre magical artifacts? In the long run, the overall strength of the mortal kingdoms will only grow stronger, while the Papacy will inevitably become weaker.”

"I thought you were studying dark magic just to become a god. If you can become a god in this world, what do the strength or weakness of mortals have to do with you? Perhaps in the eyes of a god, they are just ants that are slightly larger or slightly smaller, which can be manipulated at will, like pouring water into an ant hole out of curiosity, or accidentally stepping on a few ants while passing by."

So-called "gods" can easily destroy the lives of mortals. Do they have any psychological burden?

Wayne would never admit that his prejudice concealed his resentment towards Little White.

He knew his resentment was unfounded; after all, he had no right to demand that the other party unconditionally favor his own desires. But that didn't stop him from being full of complaints. It wasn't illegal to secretly curse the other person from so far away, right?

“God…” Elfman fell silent. “In the process of studying dark magic, the deeper I delved into areas I didn’t understand before, the more fear I felt. The more I thought I was gradually seeing the truth, the more shocked I became by how fragile and absurd this world was. All the beauty and ingenuity in the world seemed to be maintained by a lie. Perhaps I am ultimately just a mortal and should not covet a world that does not belong to me.”

Have you experienced a higher dimension?

So, will you give up?

“Of course…no.” He took a deep breath and downed the tea in his cup in one gulp. “The greater the fear, the greater the greed. We need power, power as great as a god, for all that we desire.”

“Therefore, while I research the secrets of the gods, the Holy See cannot lag behind the world in magical tools. This is where you come in.” Elfman put down his teacup and patted Wayne on the shoulder. “We still have time, lots and lots of time. I will instruct the Stuart Kingdom Church branch to support you when necessary.”

Wayne remained silent for a moment.

After a long while, he finally heard his slightly hoarse voice: "Didn't the Vatican seek cooperation with Lornes?"

“I did approach them, but my proposal was rejected.” Elfman gave a cryptic chuckle when he mentioned this. “That little girl from the Wincher family is shockingly stupid and arrogant. Perhaps she really thinks she controls the next era.”

Chapter 765 Some Changes

Seeing that Wayne's expression wasn't good, Elfman patted him on the shoulder, said nothing more, and got up to leave.

"I'll go ahead to Sorik Cathedral and wait for you."

Sorik Cathedral is the largest and most luxurious religious building in the entire Kingdom of Stuart. It is also located in the northeast corner of the royal city, not far from the arsenal that Wayne recently built. Its area is not much smaller than that of the royal palace.

This is largely thanks to the devout faith of the Stuart kings throughout history. The Stuart royal family has always been a staunch supporter of the Papacy, and the influence of the Church here is even more significant than in Lornes.

With Elfman and the Cardinals he represents standing up for him, Prince William, who still had some reservations about himself, could probably put aside some of his doubts.

This is what I have to do if I want to step into the limelight.

Wayne glanced at the small box neatly arranged on his desk, which contained twenty gold bars. He felt a pang of regret—damn feudal superstition, damn money transactions.

On an excessively hot afternoon, even the cicadas' chirping sounded weak and listless.

Inside the church, Patriarch Cromo, the highest-ranking official of the Stuart Kingdom's church, nearly fifty years old, dressed in red robes, gazed at Wayne with a benevolent smile, naturally accepting the gold bricks that Wayne offered with both hands. "May the Lord be with you."

He took two steps closer, stroked Wayne's head with his hand, and murmured a prayer.

Wayne also wore a fake but polite smile, complying with the church's somewhat tedious etiquette throughout. After becoming close to the Stuart Kingdom's church, he could subtly expand his social circle by frequently participating in church activities.

Although Wayne did not inform Prince William in advance, he quickly received the news and rushed to Sorick Cathedral, where he had a pleasant conversation with Elfman.

"May the Lord protect you." As Prince William saw Wayne approaching him, whether out of habit or as a suggestion, he ended his conversation with Elfman with a prayer, and then turned the topic to Wayne.

"Perhaps we need more banquets to introduce you to the other Stuart nobles?" he asked tentatively.

Now that Wayne has the approval of the Chief Cardinal of the Papacy, the Dark Mage title no longer seems to be a problem, so bringing him to the forefront seems like a logical step. However, Prince William doesn't want Wayne to reveal his identity so quickly. It's not because the promise to grant him a noble title was a lie, but because before ascending the throne, he prefers Wayne to remain behind the scenes as a trump card. However, this intention might be seen as suppressing Wayne by those eager for recognition, so he chose to take the initiative to suggest it to show his honesty.

“No, that’s not necessary. It’s fine as it is now,” Wayne refused. “Too much attention is not good for our plans. We will have Elfman’s support, but of course, this will require allocating a small portion of the factory’s capacity to the Papacy.”

Prince William secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But at the same time, a faint sense of wariness rose within him uncontrollably.

While a mature and sensible ally is certainly desirable, an overly calm, intelligent, and capable subordinate is like a thorn in one's side.

But now is not the time to think about these things. William suppressed his complicated emotions and gave a satisfied smile.

"May the Lord protect you," he said again.

……

The Kingdom of Lornes.

Perhaps it was after someone mentioned that unmentionable person to Miss Chris once again and was dismissed and sent out of the manor without explanation that everyone in Duke Winchester's manor finally realized that, from that day on, when it seemed to outsiders that everyone was just living an ordinary life, laughter and joy seemed to have disappeared from the manor.

The maids were cautious, and the servants were silent as if trembling with fear.

Chris put down the quarterly financial report handed to her by the publisher, her voice so cold it was almost devoid of warmth.

"too slow."

Stephanie adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses. She did this unconsciously whenever she felt stressed.

"Miss Chris, I... I have collected and analyzed the data as quickly as possible, and I have completed it before the deadline you set..." Her voice grew softer and softer, and she became more and more guilty, even though she knew that she had not made any mistakes in the procedure.

“I’m not saying you’re too slow, but—” Chris paused, realizing her tone was impatient and making the other person uneasy, so she softened her tone slightly. “I mean, the publishing house is still too slow at making money.”

Stephanie was somewhat surprised. Based on her experience working in the family business for several years, such terrifying profits far surpassed any other project in the business and were even faster than robbing people on the street.

However, perhaps in the eyes of someone like Miss Chris, who is beyond mortals, her goals and pursuits are always higher than those of ordinary people.

She quickly convinced herself.

Just thinking about how Miss Chris had been so carefree not long ago, only thinking about eating, drinking and having fun every day, Stephanie felt a pang of sadness.

Has this princess, who seemed to have never experienced any hardship and had grown up in a sweet environment since birth, finally been changed by life? It's as if she has become a completely different person.

Chris, on the other side, had no idea how she was perceived by others, nor did she care.

Regardless of who they are, and regardless of how they perceive her in their hearts while outwardly respecting her, all she needs is their obedience. Because anyone can betray her, she no longer believes in loyalty.

"Unfortunately, although the magic wands have been mass-produced and deployed in the army, the profits will not be settled until the following year."

In the study, Karen, the maid who had been by Chris's side, spoke.

In truth, she didn't quite understand why Miss Chris was so unusually eager for her career and money, things she hadn't been so attached to before, and why she was doing so many things with such decisiveness that Karen had never imagined could be accomplished so easily. The Chris who used to only think about slacking off seemed to have completely disappeared; she began to face all sorts of unexpected and never-ending official duties every day, just like her father.

No, even more so than her father, Duke Elliott. It was as if some mission, or some unspeakable fear, compelled her to seize every single second, not allowing her even the slightest leisure or relaxation.

However, if immersing herself in these complicated matters could help her forget some unpleasant things, then Karen was still willing to make the greatest effort to achieve Miss Chris's goal.

Chapter 766 You're My Friend Too

After assigning the new tasks, Stephanie seemed relieved and hurriedly left.

"Too slow, too slow, everything is still too slow!" Chris didn't know what she was chasing, but she couldn't control her anxiety.

She had intended to use Norman Laird's identity as a dark mage to assassinate the king, creating chaos and leveraging the Winchester family's influence among the military nobility to more directly seize power. However, before she could put her plan into action, Norman Laird was approached by members of the Papal Inquisition, causing her plan to fail.

The only thing to be thankful for is that no one has suspected him of being the Dark Mage's mysterious accomplice yet.

But this also means she must find other ways to expand her influence.

While the promotion of the magic wand did win over some people, those people ultimately recognized their father, Duke Elliot, and their family, not themselves, who had always been known for their arrogance. Getting them to surpass their father and become loyal followers remained difficult. Moreover…

Many of them knew that the magic wand was originally Wayne's invention, but she only saw herself as a powerless girl who had taken over Wayne's plan by luck and lost her fiancé to the dark mage by misfortune. Chris could occasionally feel the pity in their eyes, but this only made her feel more and more surging anger, like a silent volcano waiting to erupt.

The Papal Inquisition did not provide Lornes with any further information about Wayne, and so the man simply disappeared from the noble circles of the capital.

The ladies and young women concluded with regret: if their fate was unknown, then they were dead.

She clenched her fists tightly.

However, such a scourge probably only lives to be a hundred years old, and is now hiding in the shadows, waiting to see me make a fool of myself and enjoy the pleasure of toying with me. I will not let him have his way.

I, Chris, will climb to the top, live better than anyone else, make everyone look at me with new respect, and make that damn bastard live with the fear of getting revenge on me from now on.

……

The climate in Stuart is more humid than in Lorne. The royal city, not far from the southern coastline, seems to be soaked in moisture brought by the sea breeze, making the air in one's nostrils sticky.

The people here have a fondness for all things larger, so both statues and houses are built to be exceptionally grand. Wayne wanders through the streets of the royal city, casually observing the unfamiliar local customs and culture.

Perhaps due to its more developed commerce, the Stuart capital city has many foreign travelers, each with their own unique style of dress. Occasionally, they would argue and fight in the streets without any regard for others, and people around them would just cast a few surprised glances and walk away without caring, as if they were already used to it.

“The Stuarts may seem very serious and formal on the surface, but their social atmosphere is surprisingly open and tolerant,” Wayne, dressed in an inconspicuous gray robe, remarked.

In Lornes, the people of the capital city look down on all outsiders from the countryside equally. When something like this happens, there are already people on the sidelines mocking them and telling them to go back to their hometowns.

“After all, we have business dealings with all the known countries in the world,” Raphael said with some pride. “All who come are guests, and as long as they are willing to spend money here, our people can profit from it. Why should we be limited by narrow-mindedness?”

Wayne remained noncommittal.

After a while, before a victor could be determined, a group of guards arrived and separated the two who were locked in a fierce fight. The final result was that each of them had one swollen eye.

"Brawling in the street, according to the law, you will be punished with five days in jail or pay a ransom."

The two men followed the guards to register, looking dejected.

Raphael didn't understand why Wayne was so engrossed in such trivial street matters, but he didn't forget his brother's instructions.

Although he and his third brother were never close, at least at this moment their interests aligned.

“Wayne, I asked you out before but you always said you were too busy. Today I finally managed to squeeze in some time to go out and have some fun. I’m going to take you to a great place.”

He gave Wayne a knowing look that said, "Those who know, know."

"If it's a place of debauchery, then forget it." Wayne's tone was indifferent, his calm gaze seemingly having seen through all his plans.

Raphael's expression froze. He had been preparing for this day for a long time before finding a suitable candidate... No, that's not the point. The point is that he hasn't even started saying anything yet!

However, when he was in Lornes, Raphael had never heard of any gossip about Wayne. Could it be that he was really so devoted to Chris that he was unwilling to give up his feelings even after deciding to leave for another place?

Raphael also had girls he liked, but he could never understand those who gave up the whole forest for a single tree.

“Wayne…” He paused for a moment before continuing.

“I’m telling you this because I truly consider you a friend, and I hope you don’t mind that I’m being too direct—do you still intend to return to Lornes one day? You should understand that your third brother wants you to stay in Stuart.”

“If he is willing to give me a fief, I will certainly fulfill my duties as a vassal, but my private life is none of my business.” Wayne looked at Raphael. “Perhaps he has hinted at something to you, but you can convey my response: as long as he does not betray me, I will not betray him either.”

"And what about Lornes? Why did you betray Lornes?" Raphael blurted out, but he regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth.

Raphael's memories of his close association with Princes Richard and Lawrence at Clearstream Academy were simply too vivid. To anyone else, betraying Lornes's friends and family to side with the complete stranger, Prince Stuart, would not seem like a good choice, even with the involvement of the Dark Mage.

Didn't William tell you?

"Tell me what."

The two had reached a secluded street corner where no one was around.

“My biological father is the dark mage Norman Laird, who was recently executed by the Holy See’s inquisition.” Wayne stopped in his tracks. “So my real name should be Wayne Laird.”

Raphael could hardly hide his shock.

"This...this..."

This is absurd! Duke Wincher, the military commander who personally destroyed the Duchy of Milristan, has his family adopting the descendant of the fallen king and raising him as their heir. What is their intention?!