My older sister is a villainous rich girl

Please, someone take this pervert away...

He groaned inwardly.

For some reason, I've been dreaming about Miss Ge Li every night lately.

In his dream, she held a wood-chopping knife in her hand and asked him fiercely: Do you want to die or live?

Thinking of that terrifying dream, Wayne couldn't help but shiver in the bright summer sun.

However, apart from him, all the other girls here were very happy.

"Today!" Chris said, extending her hand, "our destination is—the circus!"

"Yay!" Molly pumped her fist in agreement.

Chris pulled several flyers out of her pocket, seemingly having come prepared.

"This circus is quite famous throughout the Western Continent. It's said that their performance skills are outstanding, and I've wanted to see it for a long time," she introduced.

"They just returned home three days ago after completing a tour of the Kingdom of Stuart. They will stay in the capital for two weeks before visiting the surrounding provinces."

Wayne took one of the cards and glanced at the promotional information on it.

His gaze lingered for a moment when he saw the words "from the Southwest region".

……

Wayne had seen quite a few different types of circus performances when he was a child in his previous life.

Acrobatic performances like monkeys riding unicycles, lions jumping through hoops of fire, and dolphins and sea lions balancing balloons or spraying water brought him a lot of joy back then.

However, as they grew up, they gradually gave up due to busy studies and work, and because society no longer encouraged animal performances.

Although the types of animals are slightly different, the circus in this world is not more diverse than in the previous life.

However, for locals who haven't had much exposure to these things, this performance should be a cherished memory for a long time to come.

"Ohhhhhh!" The audience roared excitedly, and there were also various whistles.

"Wow~ That's really amazing, to be able to train those large, ferocious beasts to be so obedient." Eve raised her hands to her chest and clapped her hands repeatedly. "It's like they can really talk to the animals."

“Besides the show in the center of the venue, there will be other attractions around. Let’s try them one by one!” Chris suggested.

Chris seemed more interested in the "playing" itself than the performance itself.

Wayne glanced around at the noisy audience, moved closer to Chris, and whispered in her ear, "Don't stray too far from me later."

However, his face was quickly pushed away.

"I know, Wayne, when did you become even more nagging than Mom?" Klee said, completely unconcerned.

“I’m just concerned about you,” he said, his expression displeased.

"Thank you for your concern! I'll treat you to ice cream later~"

Seeing that her attention was completely focused on looking forward to other projects, Wayne's heart softened.

Chris is still just a little girl.

Let her have some fun.

This circus seems perfectly normal.

However, a strange feeling lingered around him, making him uneasy.

Wayne, who was sitting in the second row in front, suddenly turned around.

They made eye contact with a man who looked to be about forty years old standing by the exit.

When the man saw that Wayne had noticed his gaze, he smiled at him, turned around, lifted the curtain, and went out.

Wayne frowned deeply, staring blankly at the empty curtain swaying back and forth.

"Wayne! Snap out of it, the show's over!" Chris put her hands on his shoulders, gesturing for him to get up and leave.

He realized what was happening, and his right hand slid down from Chris's soft, white forearm to take her hand.

"Hey!" Chris glared at him, embarrassed and annoyed, and tried to pull her hand away.

Wayne, however, gripped the reins even tighter.

“Something’s not right here,” he said seriously.

Chris was slightly taken aback, but she didn't struggle any further, though her expression was a little unnatural.

Wayne led her out of the performance tent; the outside was still noisy.

It was the weekend, and many children came out to play with their parents. The crowds were bustling and peaceful.

"Now, should we go to other projects?" Chris looked at Wayne, seeking his opinion.

"Hey? Didn't we just agree to go?!" Molly said, unwilling to give up.

Looking at their expectant eyes, Wayne didn't know how to express his feelings.

Every minute he stayed here filled him with a sense of dread.

It was as if the invisible monster lurking in this place had opened its blood-red maw, and he and Chris were standing on the edge of those sharp teeth.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he decisively shook his head.

"Let's leave now, we can come out and play again next time."

Molly wanted to say something more, but Eve tugged at her and said, "Listen to Wayne."

The group reached a consensus and decided not to follow the crowd to other attractions, but instead headed towards the main exit.

At the entrance, Wayne saw the man who had been staring at him from the last row during the circus performance.

The man was wearing a name tag on his chest, so he looked like a staff member here.

He glanced at Wayne, then at Chris, whom he was holding hands with.

"Dear guests, wouldn't you like to stay and enjoy yourself a little longer? There's an even more exciting show to come!"

There was an eerie incongruity to his smile.

A sinister smile curled at the corner of Wayne's lips. "If this circus ever has the chance to return to the capital, I will come again."

The man's expression froze for a moment, then he laughed even more heartily, his emotions seeming much more genuine than before.

Chapter 119 The Edgeworth Family's Discussion

During a rare break, Ge Li was tidying up some messy items in her room.

She didn't like the maids touching her personal belongings, so she always did these things herself.

She carefully packed the scattered notes into a file folder and placed it in the bedside table, her hand hesitating for a moment.

Then, as if she had made up her mind, she knelt on the carpet and dragged a locked box out from under the bed.

This was a birthday gift her mother gave her when she turned ten.

This is what my mother said at that time:

—Our daughter, Ge Li, will gradually grow up, so she will inevitably have some secrets that are unique to girls. When that time comes, let's hide those secrets that we can't tell others in this little box.

She gently stroked the precious velvet of the box and smiled with a touch of loneliness.

It turns out that as I've grown up, I've really developed many secrets that I can't tell anyone else...

Ge Li opened the box, revealing stacks of neatly arranged slips of paper inside.

The small stationery has a beautiful color and a faint, pleasant fragrance.

At first, I just thought his guide made a lot of sense, and saved it thinking, "Maybe I'll need it someday," but—

Unbeknownst to him, all these secrets had become connected to him.

She took out the letters and flipped through them one by one; they were all written in her own handwriting and his.

You can't say you like someone first.

Start with a common topic.

[You must leave an extremely deep impression on the other person.]

【…】

There were even several love letters he had written at her request, each word filled with tender affection.

As she looked, Ge Li's vision began to blur again.

"And you're still saying you don't quite understand... You clearly understand it all too well..."

She clearly wanted to follow her father's instructions and approach Prince Richard.

Why...?

Why do I need to get to know him first...?

"Although I feel sorry, I will not admit that it was a kiss."

His words echoed in her mind again, causing a dull ache in her heart.

—Yes, I never expected any particular outcome.

Why did I foolishly kiss him back then?

The moment this question arose, another answer echoed in my mind.

—Because even if we can't be together in the future, I hope he will remember me...

Ge Li's tears overflowed, each drop wetting the paper in his hand.

It's so unfair that it occupies such an important part of my memory without my consent, yet it doesn't care about me at all!

Such natural pretense and deception, never revealing the true self to oneself, and facing any topic related to oneself with ease.

They only come over and pat my head when they find it amusing and have nothing else to do...

Is that all I am in his heart?

If he meets a more interesting girl in the future, will he forget all the memories of spending time with her?

No... I'm afraid they've already forgotten about it.

after all--

Whenever that person sees Chris, he turns into a dog that only wags its tail.

She stared blankly at the letters that held memories of the past.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.

Ge Li immediately wiped away the remaining tears, locked the box again, and pushed it back under the bed.

Soon, there was a knock on the door.

"Miss Ge Li! The head of the family has summoned us for an important meeting!"

……

Finance Minister Franz is currently facing a lot of trouble.

As His Majesty grew older, he became increasingly suspicious, and even I, who had always been steadfast in my stance, would occasionally be reprimanded by him.

If that were all, it wouldn't be a big deal. But his political enemies from all sides wouldn't let any mistake go unpunished. As soon as they saw his position in front of His Majesty the King wavering, they pounced on him like wild beasts that smelled blood.

In the past week, there have been more than ten times more impeachment cases against him than in the past.

From minor accusations of his own dog barking disturbing nearby residents to serious accusations of embezzling funds intended for the renovation of the royal palace.

This time, things went terribly wrong, and he could already foresee that some people would be stirring up trouble again at the next royal council meeting.

"Father." His daughter was the last to enter the study.

At this time, several of his most trusted confidants had gathered here, and Franz was preparing to have his daughter formally involved in the handling of family affairs in the future.

“Ge Li, you stand aside and listen.”

He turned to his men and said, "Recount what just happened again."

The subordinate's face was still showing signs of shock as he said, "The Cirque du Soleil, which recently came to the capital to perform, just now experienced an extremely shocking and heinous incident!"

"At least twenty innocent civilians lost their lives, the highest-ranking among them being the family of the city guard commander."