The Villain Saint is my secondary account

“Excellent, Miss Ella.”

"I have seen too many examples of inferior goods driving out superior goods in the market, but this is the first time I have seen this example reversed by using human nature. It has really opened my eyes."

“If such a proposal can be implemented, the adjustment of trade tax rates is indeed not that important. For the coastal province, it can also attract more domestic and foreign investment and chamber of commerce cooperation, thus boosting the economy.”

"I'm very curious, Miss Ella, did you come up with the theory of the Prisoner's Dilemma? It's truly amazing."

"Your Grace is too kind. This is... a theory a friend of mine once mentioned to me. I'm just picking up on what he said." Ella almost blurted out that it was game theory from Earth, but then she remembered her current status as a native saintess and quickly changed the subject.

"Hahaha, I've heard many people say that the eldest daughter of the Duke of Haville is arrogant and conceited, but now it seems that Miss Ella has become quite humble in a truly formal setting." Duke Seychelle looked at the girl's lovely face. "Miss Ella, my eldest son Simon is about your age. Although he cannot compare to your extraordinary talent, if you are interested, I may arrange for the two of them to meet..."

"Ahem, that's a long story, Your Grace."

“Hahaha, mine, mine,” Duke Seychelles laughed, then looked at Prince Raymond. “Your Highness, it seems you have found a very capable advisor. I think that with Miss Ella’s assistance, Your Highness’s empire will surely have a prosperous future.”

“Thank you for your praise, Your Grace, but this proposal was actually put forward by His Highness Raymond during our discussion the other day. I was merely outlining it for him.” Ella said, smiling at Prince Raymond. “Right, Your Highness?”

what?

Prince Raymond, who had been listening in a daze, was stunned. Was this his proposal?

He didn't understand what the two were talking about, so how did it suddenly become his proposal?

"I see. As expected of His Highness the Prince, your foresight and wisdom are truly extraordinary," Duke Seychelles praised.

Upon hearing Duke Seychelles' praise, Prince Raymond immediately realized that Ella was giving him credit to solidify his authority as king.

By the God of Light, you even considered this, Miss Ella, you are truly an angel.

Prince Raymond looked at the girl's blinking eyes and said with a forced smile, "Hahahaha, even so, I still have to thank Miss Ella for this supplement."

However, upon hearing Prince Raymond's words, a meaningful glint flashed in Duke Seychelles' eyes.

Compared to Ella's keen sense of governance and exceptional talent, Prince Raymond's performance was truly mediocre.

The Duke of Seychelles wasn't stupid; how could he not see who the real conceiveder of this proposal was?

Chapter 105 The Passing of the Throne

The Duke wore a smile on his face, but inwardly he was astonished.

That's terrifying, this Ella Hayville.

The Holy Maiden of Light, daughter of a duke, is said to possess unparalleled swordsmanship talent that surpasses even that of the eldest princess.

If it were just military strength, that would be fine, but now, we've also witnessed this guy's extraordinary political talent. He even knows how to use his looks to manipulate people's hearts, keeping Prince Raymond completely under his thumb like a puppet.

Among the younger generation of the Loren Empire, probably no one can compare to this guy.

In the future, the empire will become this guy's playground for manipulating events.

He could only pray that this guy's heart... was truly benevolent.

Without a doubt, the Duke of Seychelles will choose to support Prince Raymond.

While he saw the benefits, more importantly, he believed that with this silver-haired girl involved, the outcome of the royal selection was practically a foregone conclusion.

If that's the case, Duke Seychelles doesn't want his family to stand against Ella, after all, it's rumored that he's quite petty.

……

Having secured the Duke of Seychelles's support, Prince Raymond and Ella used the remaining time to visit many other nobles.

With her modern knowledge and the combined efforts of her advisor Lilia, Ella garnered a large following for Prince Raymond's faction.

As Prince Raymond's advisor, the Holy Maiden of Light's extraordinary talent in governing the country began to spread widely among the nobility.

In comparison, Skadi, who had spent an afternoon negotiating with Duke Albert, paled in comparison.

The shrewdness and skill of the upper-class nobles left the inexperienced Skadi quite overwhelmed.

As a member of the royal family and a top student in the academy, she was not bad in terms of knowledge related to politics, but compared with these nobles who had been immersed in officialdom for many years, there was naturally still a considerable gap between them.

As evening approached and the sun set, a thin mist gradually began to permeate the streets.

In the college's lounge.

Skadi lay exhausted on the sofa, pouring out her troubles to Ye Xiao.

"What's going on with that duke? We talked all afternoon but he still wouldn't give me a straight answer. I don't even know if he supports me or not."

"They should still be inclined to your side, Your Highness, but the proposal to win him over may need some polishing," Ye Xiao comforted him.

“Ah… how much more polishing is needed?” The princess pressed her face against the back of the sofa. “The Duke of Heville, whom I arranged to meet this morning, was intercepted, and the Duke of Albert this afternoon was like a shrewd old fox, watching from the sidelines. It feels like I haven’t accomplished anything all day.”

"It's alright, take your time, Your Highness."

“But I feel so anxious… A servant just told me that Ella Heville seems to have lured away a large number of nobles’ support along with Duke Seychelles.”

“Her strategic brilliance is all over the aristocratic circles now. Even I’ve heard some of her ingenious proposals from young noblemen who are discussing matters with their elders.” Skadi said with a worried expression, “Why is that annoying woman better than me even in this area…”

Ye Xiao picked up the teapot and added more black tea to Skadi's small porcelain cup. "Your Highness doesn't need to worry about her. Just do it at your own pace."

“I’ve been fiddling around all afternoon, and I still haven’t figured out what Duke Albert is thinking…” Skadi lay sprawled out. “Although I hate her, that woman’s radiance is just too dazzling… Ye Xiao, won’t you be disappointed in me?”

"What are you saying, Your Highness? You have already done very well. Don't be discouraged; you are destined to be king."

Ye Xiao was well aware that Ella was cheating, while Skadi was truly relying solely on her own efforts. The young girl's performance at Duke Albert's mansion that afternoon was actually quite good.

"Hmm... okay, I shouldn't have said such discouraging things." Skadi propped herself up and picked up the teacup on the table. "But that woman is too difficult to deal with. I feel like there's no hope at all."

“There’s no need to worry about the distant future, Your Highness. Nobody knows what the future holds.” Ye Xiao waved his hand. “Our opponents will follow their own path, and we’ll follow ours. We just need to focus on doing our best in the present. All we need to think about now is how to take down Duke Albert at the lowest possible cost.”

“Sigh, you’re right, Ye Xiao, I need to calm down.” Skadi rubbed her face, put on a small monocle, and opened the heavy book lying on the table. “Let me think about how to solve the military financial problems raised by Duke Albert.”

“I knew it. You are the future of the empire, Your Highness.”

"Oh dear, you keep saying these things and it's making me uneasy."

Ye Xiao smiled, leaned back quietly on the sofa, and watched the girl with a slightly flushed face carefully review the materials and make corrections to the draft she wrote on the parchment next to her.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window, like a beautiful golden veil draped over a young girl's body.

For some reason, I felt a sense of joy watching my daughter grow up.

Ye Xiao certainly understood how much pressure Ella was putting on Skadi.

But everything they were doing was actually paving the way for Skadi.

Now, most nobles have gradually shifted their focus from Prince Raymond to Ella.

Although Ella did not participate in the royal selection, the nobles and upper class all witnessed the enormous impact she would have on the palace and the future of the empire.

Prince Raymond, constantly subjected to the devilish whispers in the little vixen's ear, would gradually lower his guard from his original restraint and rationality, subconsciously ignoring the risks involved.

Who wouldn't want such an almost omnipotent and considerate assistant?

Isn't it a wonderful thing to have subordinates pave the way to the throne without you having to lift a finger?

These are all good things, of course, provided that the subordinate is truly loyal.

But if he's not loyal... well, it's safe to say that as Ella's influence continues to grow, Prince Raymond will basically be out of reach.

But Ye Xiao naturally couldn't tell Skadi these truths, even though the other party would feel bad about it.

After all, it was just some false pressure, the kind of test and tempering Skadi was supposed to go through to become king.

However, these are just the things Skadi has to face. There are some things that she shouldn't have to face, and Ye Xiao has to handle them for her.

[Saintess's Dog 2: Brother Ye, we've found out the origins of the player guild that attacked us the other day. It involves several large guilds. We arrested a few people involved and interrogated them; they were very honest. They even revealed that those guilds seem to have a plan to attack your eldest princess.]

[Late-night snack: Thanks for your hard work, please send me the list and locations.]

Skadi, who was diligently revising her proposal, suddenly noticed out of the corner of her eye that Ye Xiao was getting up from the sofa with his sword in hand. She looked up and asked, "Ah, Ye Xiao, are you leaving?"

"I've arranged to have drinks with some friends." Ye Xiao patted the girl's head. "Mr. Isaac will be here soon, Your Highness. You're busy, see you tomorrow."

"Hmph, all you do is drink. I can't control you when it comes to finding women, but you'd better take care of your health. I don't want my servant to be called the 'Knight with Kidney Deficiency' all the time."

"Oh dear, that's quite a misunderstanding, Your Highness!"

Chapter 106 Autumn Island Fox

It was evening, dark and windy.

On the streets of the imperial city, the fog was appearing earlier and earlier.

Shortly after sunset, the streetlights were blurred into hazy halos in the thin mist.

The residence of the Adventurers' Guild "Autumn Fox" in the West District.

In the guild leader's office on the second floor, Yu Tong, the guild leader of "Autumn Fox," was huddled in a chair behind his desk, trembling as he looked at the man in front of him wearing a heavy coat and a black eye patch over one eye, and the tall, thin young man beside him with an expressionless face.

At the man's feet, several of Yu Tong's close associates lay motionless in a pool of blood, seemingly lifeless.

"Brother Wei, I really had no choice..." Yu Tong, her face smeared with blood, clasped her hands together and pleaded with the man before her, "Please let us go this time, I promise I'll keep my mouth shut from now on..."

"You still want a future?" The blindfolded man sneered, grabbing the other's messy hair and revealing his fist, clad in a brass knuckle duster, from under his sleeve.

With one punch, blood splattered, and shattered teeth bounced on the floor.

Yu Tong cried out in pain, frantically grabbing the other man's thick arm with both hands, but dared not resist. He just cried and begged for mercy through his slurred mouth.

"Now you know how to beg for mercy?" The man called Brother Wei sneered. Just as he was about to strike again with his right fist, the tall, thin young man next to him suddenly patted his shoulder and pointed to the window.

"Brother Wei, it seems someone is coming."

"Huh?" The blindfolded man peered out the window through the gap in the curtains with his only remaining left eye and saw a man in a black trench coat standing outside the gate of the courtyard on the first floor. He looked somewhat sickly, with one hand in his pocket and the other pulling the rope attached to the doorbell.

Wei grabbed Yu Tong by the hair and lifted him up from his seat, then slammed his head against the glass. "Hey, who is this?"

“I…I don’t know him…I’ve never seen him before…” Yu Tong answered tremblingly.

Wei Ge was clearly not satisfied with Tong's answer. He clicked his tongue and then noticed that the man downstairs at the main entrance was glancing in their direction.

The two men's eyes met. Wei spat and then drew the curtains. "I'll take this guy surnamed Yu back. Wen Dao, have Wild Fox and his gang go check what that guy downstairs is up to."

"Understood," the tall, thin young man beside him replied.

……

At this moment, Ye Xiao, who was standing at the entrance of the "Autumn Fox" base, pulled the doorbell tied to the gate again in confusion.

Ding-ling-ding-ling

What's going on? All the lights upstairs are on, so why isn't anyone opening the door?

Ye Xiao curled his lips, and just as he was considering whether to simply kick the door open, the tightly closed door suddenly opened a crack.

"who?"

"I am Ye Xiao from the Seven Stars Guild. I would like to speak with your guild leader, Mr. Yu Tong, about something."

"The president is not here. Please come back another day."

"But I saw someone in the chairman's office, so why is he gone now?"

"I said I'm not here, and I mean I'm not here!"

Without saying a word, the person inside was about to close the door.

But when he pushed the door panel, he found that it wouldn't close.

"Don't rush, this is a big deal for me." Ye Xiao wedged the knife handle in the crack of the door.

"Are you out of your mind?!" A musket emerged from the crack in the door and was pressed against Ye Xiao's forehead. "Get out!"

"Wow, don't get so worked up." Ye Xiao laughed as she retracted the knife handle that was wedged in the door crack. "If you don't want to see me, you don't want to see me. Why be so rough..."

Before Ye Xiao could finish speaking, the person inside pushed the door shut.

Several companions emerged from the gate of the mansion behind him and, seeing this, asked in confusion, "Who were those people just now?"

"Ignore him, he's just an idiot..."

Before he could finish speaking, a loud "boom" rang out, and the door panel flew horizontally, carrying the gatekeeper as he tumbled into the lawn in the courtyard.

The bewildered players followed the marks left by the door panel on the grass to the empty doorway.

There, Ye Xiao put his hands in his pockets and put down the foot he had just used to kick the door. "Good evening, everyone. Does anyone know Chairman Yu Tong?"

"court death!!!"

This is intolerable! Their guild's gate was kicked open like that; it's like slapping them in the face.