Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

Thinking of this, Ernest couldn't help but sigh.

When Wayne's father vigorously promoted the Lateran religion, he did so in order to consolidate his unstable rule after the Wars of the Roses by using the Lateran religion's teachings on encouraging people to do good and suffer in this world. However, he never expected that he would end up shooting himself in the foot. Not only did he not sit on the throne for more than a few years, but he also lost his life in the Lateran people's conspiracy, which is truly regrettable.

Fortunately, his son was not as useless as rumored. Otherwise, if the Laterans had used this opportunity to support a foolish king and started playing the role of a behind-the-scenes manipulator, Victoria's future would have been in grave danger!

Having thought this through, Ernest finally understood (or rather, filled in the blanks in his mind) everything. He looked at Wayne with a hint of appreciation in his eyes and then asked:

"So, His Highness Wayne's next goal is to seize the throne with Laterano's support, consolidate his rule, and then turn around and bite back?"

This was undeniably a brilliant plan. Wayne's decade-long life of debauchery had firmly etched the impression of him as an incompetent fool into everyone's minds. Even Ernest, a trusted old advisor of the maternal uncles, would never have imagined, without today's heart-to-heart talk, that Wayne was actually a wolf in sheep's clothing, secretly plotting and preparing to play the fool to ambush the strong. If even his trusted advisor hadn't anticipated this, the Laterans, who hadn't yet fully extended their reach into Victoria, were even less likely to be caught off guard.

In this way, he could deceive the Laterans while simultaneously consolidating his position through their influence—killing two birds with one stone, a perfect solution. Ernest nodded in complete agreement.

But Wayne did something that shocked him: he firmly shook his head and said:

“I have no intention of ascending the throne. I have brought Vina back, and I intend for her to sit in this position.”

"Why!?"

Ernest slammed his hand on the table, unable to contain himself, and stood up to question him. Wayne gestured for him to calm down and explained:

"Marshal Ernest, the throne is merely a formality; our true weapon is power. There are two kinds of power: political power and military power. I ask you, who holds military power in all of Victoria right now?"

Ernest was taken aback, then replied with a hint of pride, "Of course it's me. After the Wars of the Roses, all of Victoria's steam-armored troops are now under my command. In five years, I've basically placed my trusted confidants in positions of power. Combined with the Norfolk family's original military strength, even if all of Victoria were to rebel, they wouldn't be able to stir up any trouble!"

Wayne nodded, then asked:

"And what about the regime?"

Ernest hesitated for a moment, then replied:

"In your father's hands... now, it should be in the hands of those nobles in the council, and the power will be returned when the new monarch ascends the throne."

"What if the entire parliament is made up of our people?"

"Then the regime will naturally be in our hands... Wait!"

Ernest suddenly looked up at the boy with a bright smile, and the question he was about to ask was instantly silenced.

He didn't need to ask anymore; the answer was self-evident.

Military power was in Ernest's hands. Ernest was a staunch supporter of his brother and uncle, making him virtually unshakeable. If political power also fell into Wayne's hands, wouldn't the so-called King of Victoria be nothing more than a figurehead?

Moreover, this is far superior to stepping into the limelight himself. Not only does he not have to deal with a large group of troublesome noble social interactions every day, but he is also much freer, and the safety factor is much higher.

Given Wayne's consistently feigned playboy persona, even if the Laterans realize that Victoria's decrees originate from the princes rather than the court, Wayne will not be a suspect—who would suspect a good-for-nothing prince, especially a foolish prince who remains indifferent even when his throne is usurped?

When the time comes, with Vina standing in the spotlight to handle the dangers and troubles, Wayne can remain behind the scenes, analyze the situation, and make judgments. This is the real mastermind, ruling from behind the scenes. The Lateran people's methods are simply pathetic!

The thought of that scene made Ernest tremble, partly because of the terrifying cunning and talent Wayne displayed, and partly out of awe!

Wayne's reputation as a good-for-nothing has been around for years, dating back to when his father was still the Lord of the North, not the Lord of Victoria. If Wayne had started plotting back then, how terrifying must his cunning, patience, and ability to judge situations have been?

He even suspected that the reason why the King of the North, who was always obsessed with military affairs, launched the War of the Roses to seize power might have been because of this prince's shadow. He even suspected that Vina's ability to escape from the palace amidst the chaos and not be found for many years was also due to Wayne's behind-the-scenes intervention!

He had been scheming for over a decade, all for this day, to achieve this earth-shattering conspiracy: feigning a change of heart, having the royal party restore order and welcome back Vina, while secretly plotting to allow Wayne to control the court and dominate the government!

It was terrifying, nothing more than terrifying. It could no longer be called talent. Ernest felt, without exaggeration, that even those so-called immortals who had lived for thousands of years could only manage such a feat when it came to scheming.

Ernest's previous disdain and suspicion of Wayne had vanished completely. He bowed respectfully to Wayne, his expression one of heartfelt admiration:

"Then Your Highness, how do you intend to control those nobles in the council? You know, many of them are staunch royalists who have always been at odds with us. Winning them over will not be easy!"

"There are actually many ways, such as expanding the parliament, having us select good representatives from the so-called lower classes to join the parliament to divide power or carry out parliamentary reforms, forming a lower house, and forming a political party that we secretly control, turning the current parliament into an upper house, specifically to discuss those trivial matters of aristocratic etiquette, and letting the lower house be in charge of real state affairs, nominally to maintain the elegance of the upper class and separate them from the lower class."

Ernest's eyes lit up. After careful consideration, he discovered that both plans were feasible and had a very high chance of success. However, Wayne shook his head again.

"But that's too slow. The coronation is approaching, and it's a bit late to start making preparations now, so it's better to use a simpler method."

"An easier way?"

Wayne once again revealed a wicked smile, glanced at Ernest, and deliberately spoke in a serious announcer's voice:

"With the new emperor's ascension to the throne and the restoration of order, in order to prevent remnants of the previous dynasty from infiltrating Parliament and plotting rebellion, Parliament is hereby dissolved and a new election will be held at a later date!"

Ernest was startled: "Will they agree to this?"

"First of all, this is a very normal situation. The new king has been living in obscurity for many years. When he returns to power, it is only natural for him to purge the court and the people. Those royalists feel that they are about to gain power, so they certainly won't raise any objections. Our supporters only need to give a heads-up to the smart and useful ones in the court, and then they can put up a token resistance and that's it. In any case, it's still up to us to decide who gets elected in the end. As for the rest of the useless ones, we can take this opportunity to get rid of the risk of them becoming too powerful. Secondly, in order to prevent any accidents from happening and to establish my sister's authority, we definitely need to use force!"

"You want me to take action? But my identity..."

“Of course we can’t let you take action. That would cause dissatisfaction among the nobles and arouse suspicion among the Laterans. My sister wouldn’t feel at ease either. We need to choose from among those who are safe, not suspected, useful, and can take the blame.”

Ernest looked puzzled. Not being suspected, yet able to take the blame? Did Victoria really have someone like that? "Then who should we choose?"

Wayne glanced at Ernest with disdain and reminded him, "A Sarkaz mercenary, who else could it be?"

Ernest suddenly realized that the Sarkaz mercenaries were indeed a very good choice. They had no principles and would do any illegal or disorderly thing as long as they were paid. Secondly, they were also Lateran's mortal enemies and often robbed Lateran's action teams. Hiring them as insurance meant that even if something happened and they took action, Lateran would not suspect Wayne, their unexpected "die-hard ally".

But aren't they afraid that Kazdel will interfere in this power struggle involving the Sarkaz?

Seeing through Ernest's concerns, Wayne sighed softly and offered words of comfort:

"Don't worry, not only did Vina pay to hire this mercenary squad, it has nothing to do with me, but also..."

He looked south, towards Kazdel, his eyes filled with helplessness and regret.

"Kazdel, peace won't last much longer."

Chapter Five: Rebuilding the Glory of Victoria

"How about this one? It suits you perfectly."

Wayne stood excitedly in front of Vina, holding up an exquisite yet elegant gold gown. He held it up to Vina's chest and began to speak.

However, Vina looked rather uninterested, staring speechlessly at the grinning Wayne in front of her, her gaze lingering on his face far longer than on his clothes.

Seeing this, Wayne nodded knowingly, casually tossed aside the expensive lady's dress in his hand, and with a wave of his hand, the waiter beside him immediately handed over a new dress—a fitted women's suit in blue and white, with a vest and a split hem, looking elegant and sophisticated.

“It’s alright if you don’t like it. I knew it all along. My sister is different from those vulgar aristocratic women. How can something as inconvenient as a skirt compare to a smart, tailored suit? Why don’t you try this one, Vina?”

"I......"

Vina opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Wayne had already made a gesture of throwing the red suit aside, so she quickly stopped talking and nodded stiffly.

"No need to change it, this one is fine, keep this one."

"This one... okay then..."

Wayne nodded slightly with a hint of regret, waved away the waiters still in line, and looked at Vina.

"Take it and try it on. This is the outfit you'll wear to your coronation ceremony. It has to meet your exact requirements in terms of length, width, and comfort. Don't worry about the money. When it comes to money, just come to your brother!"

Vina hesitated for a moment, then nodded and turned to walk into the changing room.

The spacious dressing room was carefully covered with pink wallpaper full of girlish charm by Wayne. A large floor-length mirror was embedded in the door of the dressing room. Vina took a breath in front of herself in the mirror and took off her cheap avant-garde vest.

The mirror reflected Vina's delicate skin, a stark contrast between her sun-tanned tan and the skin hidden beneath her clothes. This didn't diminish her charm; instead, it added a touch of wildness and allure. The faint outline of her abdominal muscles further imbued this seemingly delicate young woman, who should have resided deep within the palace, with a hint of masculinity that mirrored her resolute character.

But Vina had no time to appreciate her own body; her mind was filled with thoughts of her "brother"—Wayne—who had brought her into this new world.

What was he really thinking?

While Wayne was away in Norfolk and away from Londinhem, Vina wandered alone through the palace’s walkways and corridors, naturally overhearing quite a few interesting tidbits.

Among them are many related to Wayne.

In Vina's memory, the information about this brother was actually very vague. She only knew that he was the son of her taciturn uncle who had been stationed in the North for many years. On her tenth birthday, her father hosted a banquet for the entire Aslan royal family, and she had seen this brother at the banquet.

At the time, Wayne was cheerful and got along well with his friends. He was punished by being made to stand facing the wall for an hour for injuring his uncle's child. After that, he just stayed by his uncle's side, quickly greeted Vina, politely wished her a happy birthday, and then disappeared from the party.

Vina had no idea what kind of person he was.

But he is definitely not the ignorant fool that those gossipy maids claim he is!

Although it seems foolish and naive of him to take her back as his uncle's child and to give her the throne as the crown prince, Vina has a feeling that he is not as simple as he appears. This feeling comes from years of hard work in the slums, and she is as sensitive as a mouse that has smelled cheese. Even if one day Uncle Sam's boots no longer hurt when he kicks people, and Grandma Messi's apple pie is no longer a biological weapon, this feeling can never be wrong!

But why is that?

Vina thought and thought, but still couldn't come up with a solution. She smiled helplessly at herself in the mirror, dressed in a smart suit, pushed open the door, and walked out.

Wayne had already dismissed the scouts beside him and stood alone in the empty dressing room. When he saw Vina come out, his eyes lit up.

As the saying goes, clothes make the man. Once, Ms. Vina, wearing a futuristic vest, a short leather jacket, and a lollipop, looked like a cynical street gang leader. But now, after changing into a well-fitting suit meticulously tailored by a tailor, Vina's temperament has changed dramatically. She is both handsome and delicate, exuding a captivating charm of a woman dressed as a man.

He hurriedly shook his head, came to his senses, and glanced at the dozen or so discarded items lying on the ground to the side, feeling extremely gratified.

Ah, now I know why so many tough guys love playing Miracle Nikki. Seeing the beautiful girl you've carefully styled and decorated standing in front of you makes you feel as refreshed as wearing new underwear to greet the first rays of the new year's sunshine!

But it feels weird to look at my sister like this, so I'd better not.

Wayne steadied himself, telling himself to stay calm, and forced himself to slowly turn his head away, avoiding looking at Vina...

No, even if it's strange, take another look!

Feeling a little uncomfortable under Wayne's gaze, Vina glanced at her attire and asked curiously:

"What's wrong, cousin?"

"Can you call me brother?"

"The watch!"

"Blood is thicker than water!"

Vina lowered her head and remained silent for a moment. Then, she raised her head, her face slightly flushed, and called out softly, somewhat shyly:

"elder brother?"

Ah, my heart has been stolen by Vina, and I may never experience joy or sorrow again in this life.

Can you tell me why?

Suddenly, Vina spoke up.

Immediately afterward, her expression turned serious, and she asked firmly:

Can you tell me why you did this?

Her tone was firm and sincere, carrying the inherent oppressive aura of the Aslan royal family. If it weren't for the lingering blush on her face, Wayne would have thought that the person who called her "brother" was someone else entirely.

"If you don't tell me, I won't give in to you!"

Vina's tone was resolute. Rather than sitting in this position as a puppet without knowing why, she would rather continue living her life on the streets, even though she knew that the moment she stepped into the walls of the Iron Palace, that life would be gone forever.

Wayne, unusually, stopped smiling.