My older sister is a villainous rich girl

In that instant, Raphael considered many, many possibilities, and the various conspiracies that were vaguely visible behind them made Raphael feel a chill run down his spine.

“You wouldn’t believe this was just an accident, would you? Just as the people of Lornes wouldn’t believe it either.” Wayne chuckled self-deprecatingly. “So I had no choice but to leave, even if it was for the sake of my former friends.”

"You want to know why, so I'm telling you. It's also because I now acknowledge that you are my friend."

Chapter 767 Sir Sachs

Although we're friends, these words are only nine parts true and one part false, so there's no need to say anything more.

Raphael's expression grew even more bitter.

"I thought you only had some dealings with dark mages, but I never expected you to tell me such things. Does my third brother know about this too? How are you going to deal with the Holy See's investigation?"

"Of course I know. As for the Vatican... as long as I stop using dark magic, it will no longer be a problem. We are now cooperating more fully."

Seeing that Wayne was unwilling to explain his approach to the Vatican in detail, Raphael seemed to understand. He remembered that Wayne and Tasia were very close back at Qingxi Academy. Could it be—

“Actually, after coming out today, I’d like to visit someone later.” Wayne was completely unaware of where Raphael’s thoughts had strayed, and simply changed the subject to his plans. “Are you familiar with Sir Saatchi? He also attended Prince William’s banquet the other day.”

Raphael's attention was drawn back to him, remembering that Wayne had specifically warned him to keep an eye on this person that day.

"I'm not very familiar with him, but I've heard some rumors about him. What's wrong with him?"

Although Sir Sachs inherited a relatively low title, his mother was a princess of Stuart. Her insistence on defying the king's will to marry a low-ranking nobleman who was also a playboy had already caused quite a stir. This gossip spread throughout the kingdom as Sir Sachs continued to frequent brothels for decades after he grew up.

After his princess mother's death, if it weren't for His Majesty the King's protection and favor, Sir Sachs might have been hanged outside the city by his vengeful husbands long ago.

Thinking of this, Raphael's expression became somewhat subtle.

“I need to get closer to this man,” Wayne said thoughtfully. “This could be an opportunity to reach the King through a different route than Prince William.”

"Why not let William make the arrangements directly?"

"Would you not be wary and suspicious of the people your son, who is vying for the heirship, has arranged for you to come?"

Raphael shook his head.

“That’s it. Sir Sachs may seem useless to others, but his uselessness is his greatest strength. Besides, the king is quite protective of him, so he is naturally less wary of him than he is of his ambitious and energetic sons.”

"And then what happens after you see your father?"

Wayne glanced at him. "Then I need to find out what kind of person His Majesty the King is in my own way. Although there is a lot of information gathered from various sources, seeing is believing."

The King of Stuart was old and ailing, and had recently received few guests, entrusting most of the kingdom's affairs to his sons and trusted ministers. Even when his sons were secretly fighting, he would always let it slide without comment, making it difficult to discern whose side he truly favored.

To outsiders, this elderly man seemed to be just waiting for death to retire completely, which only made the princes eager to take over even more anxious and restless.

Raphael recalled his father from his memories, and all that remained was a very tall but also very blurry figure. He never understood his father's thoughts, just as the other party never bothered to show his unfavored son anything other than official business.

He clicked his tongue meaningfully, finding it somewhat ridiculous that he was still dwelling on such things at this point. In today's rapidly changing situation, the only thing he could pursue was to preserve his life, and ideally, cling to a powerful figure to continue enjoying wealth and luxury.

“I know where he lives, I’ll take you there.”

……

Sir Sachs has a small, independent courtyard in the royal city. Although it is not as luxurious as the manors of other nobles, it is just right for him, a man who can freely enter and leave the palace and only needs to indulge in pleasure every day. Sir Sachs is already very content.

Sir Sachs looked at himself in the full-length mirror, which was more than half a head taller than him, again and again, his belly protruding as he compared a pink bow tie with a green one.

"Butler, which one do you think looks better?"

The butler, with a stern and serious expression, said in a solemn tone, "You look good in any color."

"Oh dear, I really want a definite answer." Sir Sachi's slightly chubby face even showed a hint of shyness. "Let's choose the green one. I have way too many pink bow ties and clothes. I need to change things up."

Compared to his looks and age, Sir Thacker never relied on material things to attract ladies. He simply had a sweet tongue and a thoughtful, considerate, and understanding personality. He always paid attention to what ladies needed most, which made those lonely and bored ladies fall for him.

Sir Sachs believed that his charm was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. He believed that the women who were willing to fall into his arms did so because they appreciated his golden heart, not because they coveted his lavish spending of money, as others might have imagined.

Just as Sir Sachs finished dressing and was preparing to go to his next appointment, he received a report of an uninvited guest.

"Raphael brought his friends to see me?"

Sir Sachs was quite puzzled. "I've never known that kid before. I don't think he'll come here for anything good."

The butler asked at the opportune moment, "Should we find an excuse to politely decline?"

"No, let them come to the living room."

When Wayne followed Raphael into the house, the first thing he saw was Sir Sachs, dressed in a pink formal suit with a green bow tie.

“Uh… Cousin Sachi, are you going on a date? Looks like we’ve come at the wrong time.”

"Not really. Since you're here, you can help me decide whether this outfit goes better with a pink bow tie or a green one." Sachi wasn't shy at all and directly showed them the options.

Raphael and Wayne exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Pink."

The portly man's face showed a hint of disappointment that clearly did not meet his expectations, but he still complied and put on a pink bow tie before sitting down on the sofa.

"Please sit down as well. I'm going to see my sweetheart soon, so I don't have much time. If you need anything, please keep it brief."

Sir Satchel's easygoing nature surprised Wayne a little. He had thought that seasoned womanizers often gave the impression of being cunning and dishonest, but although Sir Satchel's behavior and attire were somewhat eccentric, his attitude when talking to others was very friendly and frank.

"It's like this, Cousin Satchel, this is my friend Mr. Laird, we'd like to ask you for a favor..."

Laird is not an uncommon surname, and with Raphael's introduction, Wayne timely revealed a very deceptive, seemingly innocent smile.

Chapter 768 Human Crimes

"Outsiders always have one misunderstanding or another about me, but I don't care."

After a brief conversation, Sir Sachs said this to Wayne.

“I don’t have any grand ambitions in this life. I just want to spend more time with the ladies I love and bring more joy to their lives.” After saying that, he paused for a moment. “What you’re saying does sound promising, but I still need some time to think about it. I’ll give you an answer next week.”

"No problem, then I won't bother you any longer. I'll go back and wait for your good news. I'll leave my address with your housekeeper."

Sir Sachs nodded slightly, then got up and hurriedly left.

Wayne and Raphael boarded the carriage that Sir Sachs had arranged for them and headed home.

"He doesn't seem to be short of money."

Ordinary lower-ranking nobles might be even more destitute than merchants, unable to afford even a horse. They were called wandering knights, but in reality, they were just bandits who robbed people on the road. Sir Sachs, of course, was not one of those destitute sons. His family always kept several horses and spare carriages.

"It was just some savings that my aunt had left behind, but living off savings is not a long-term solution, and he must be short of money."

"That means he's very cautious and wants to investigate my background more thoroughly before deciding whether to continue contacting me." Although the conversation just now was short, Wayne still had a pretty good impression of this womanizing fat man.

It was definitely not because the other party boasted about his superb flirting skills, that he could handle many women and keep them getting along harmoniously, and that he didn't mind having multiple relationships at the same time.

Well, this only shows that this person is very smart, good at understanding people's hearts, and has unique strengths in interpersonal relationships.

"What if he finds out you're on Prince William's side?"

"Then he should think carefully about whether he should curry favor with the next king so that he can continue his current dissolute lifestyle."

Raphael glanced sideways at Wayne.

"Wayne, aren't you envious of his life?"

"Do not."

Everyone has their own life and their own unique problems.

"Actually, I have a younger sister named Winnie. I can introduce her to you."

Raphael now felt that ordinary candidates probably wouldn't be able to shake Wayne's feelings for Chris. And since Wayne was so devoted to his love, if he could be paired with his sister, it would both keep him in Stuart forever and find a reliable partner for his sister—wouldn't that be a win-win situation?

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that his plan was simply ingenious.

Wayne glanced at him speechlessly. "You'd better not worry about this kind of thing. I don't want to get your sister involved. There are some things you wouldn't understand."

He certainly didn't intend to return to Lornes, at least not as a stray dog, but he also could never simply sever ties with the past.

Perhaps there won't be any good outcome in the foreseeable future, but he only chose to accept this world's way of life in order to find what he wanted.

If his past failures were ultimately due to his desires exceeding their limits, in a sense, this gave him a kind of comfort deep down, which proved to some extent that he had indeed found what he wanted.

I only lost because I was too greedy.

But isn't Chris greedy too? She, like herself, has desires that transcend this world, and she too can swell to the point of wanting to control the lives of others according to her own will.

Wayne was very clear about one thing: he and Chris were the same kind of people deep down—wanting everything.

Therefore, he understood better than anyone else that this round was not over yet, and she was still waiting for the next confrontation.

I am one of them.

……

The Edgeworth family's carriage stopped at the foot of Papal Hill, and Miss Gothic, dressed in a neat and simple dress, stepped down from the carriage with the help of her maids.

She looked up at the magnificent sacred mountain, her gaze filled with both curiosity and a lingering melancholy.

Occasionally, ordinary people would come here on pilgrimage out of their loyalty and steadfastness to their faith. No one asked Geli to do so, but she still came.

After going through complicated procedures and receiving approvals, she climbed the steps one by one until she reached the temple built of solid ice at the top of the mountain, where she met His Holiness the Pope, who had sworn at his coronation to dedicate his life to the gods and never leave the holy mountain again.

"Lamb of God, have you come on a pilgrimage?"

Under the Pope's triple crown, Tasia's voice was still clear and crisp, but it was no longer the timid and soft one she once was; instead, it was firm and calm.

It was as calm as a deep pool that would never again be disturbed by any personal feelings.

This version of Tasia felt very unfamiliar to Geli, but since she hadn't known Tasia much before, she only paused for a moment before quickly regaining her composure.

"Yes, but besides that, I have some questions that I would like to ask the Holy See for guidance on."

Silence fell over the temple.

But Geli didn't feel flustered or uneasy. After all, the fact that she was able to appear here despite the Vatican's restrictions and that she was able to be received by the Pope personally, which already spoke volumes.

After a long while, His Holiness the Pope finally gave his permission.

"It is also my mission to guide the Lamb of God."

"Does every sin committed by our ancestors require our descendants to atone for it?"

"Yes, according to God's will."

This is a truth universally acknowledged by all theologians. The fall of humankind's ancestors resulted in all people being born with sin. It is precisely because everyone needs God's redemption that humanity has been permitted to redeem its sins from God with money.

If people are free from original sin, where will the Vatican collect indulgences from?

"How can I obtain a pardon?" Goethe asked again.

"Only God can forgive."

Is dark magic also a sin?

In this hall of pure light, even mentioning the magic of darkness seemed like a sin. Gore felt a piercing gaze fixed on her back, a reminder and a warning.

But the Pope's expression did not change in the slightest, and he seemed unconcerned that others were interfering with her meeting.

On the contrary, Ge Li frowned deeply, feeling somewhat annoyed that he was being monitored even though it was a private meeting.

Tasia answered without hesitation: "According to the doctrine, of course."

Can I be pardoned?

"Only God can forgive." The answer remained impeccable.

"Then, how can we ask God for forgiveness?" Goethe asked without flinching, looking directly into Tasia's eyes.

"The will of God is unfathomable; we can only wait, we must simply wait." The Pope, dressed in white, stood up and walked down the steps to stand before Geli. Only then did Geli notice that the other was holding a beam of bright light.

Tasia held up the light in her hands, forming a gentle yet firm barrier that enveloped the two of them, shielding them from external detection.

Chapter 769 Walking into a Trap and an Ambush

In a truly face-to-face, one-on-one meeting, Ge Li was initially taken aback, but then his attitude relaxed considerably.

"It seems you don't have much freedom in the Vatican."

Even as the Pope, Tasia was still constantly monitored by someone.

“There’s never a truly unrestrained place in this world, but if enduring limited constraints can be exchanged for something more important, then perhaps that’s another kind of freedom.” Tasia sighed softly. “I know why you’ve come, but this isn’t a problem you can solve. Or rather, it shouldn’t be your problem, because—”

She paused for a moment.

"Because you cannot make any promises on his behalf, nor can you offer any benefits that would allow the Holy See to concede. What you should do is exactly the opposite; he needs you to distance yourself from him and not get involved in anything related to dark magic."