Chapter 299 (1): Prince Douglas

After receiving the document, Wayne flipped through it briefly and was surprised by the foundation the Princess had built over the years. No wonder she needed to wipe her traces. If the Queen found out about this, the Princess would face far worse punishment than simple house arrest.

“Tsk, tsk. Your Highness is truly ambitious. Anyone would assume that Her Majesty was near death.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Juno said without the slightest guilt. “I’m only able to accomplish this much because of Mother’s delegation of authority and implicit permission.”

“Since Your Highness trusts me so much, I certainly can’t disappoint you. But please remember that the Lando family is loyal to the Queen and will continue to be so in the future.”

Wayne rose to his feet and signaled for his secretary to put the document in the briefcase. “It’s late, so I’ll leave the three of you to your rest. Give me a few days to take care of these incriminating traces.”

“Thank you for your help.”

After Wayne left, Alistair sat down beside Juno and accepted the black tea that Elizabeth handed her, asking in confusion, “You haven’t known Sir Wayne for long. Why do you trust him so much already?”

Alistair didn’t understand. Juno’s upbringing had made her cautious and conscientious about everything, never trusting anyone easily. Yet Wayne seemed to be an exception.

The document she had just handed Wayne could be used to destroy her. If Wayne just handed it to the Queen, Juno would be ruined. She would never recover unless the Church of Heavenly Father conquered the Chosen Land once more.

“He’s a reincarnated angel and represents the faith of Heavenly Father. If I can’t trust him, who can I trust? Besides, I also know the Lando family’s secrets. I’m not worried that he’ll come after me.”

Juno lifted Alistair’s chin and gave her a lingering kiss. Only after Alistair’s breathing quickened did she tease, “What’s wrong, my dear fiancee? You seem hostile to Wayne!”

Are you jealous?

Alistair didn’t hide her feelings. “Your trust in him developed so suddenly and inexplicably. It’s like falling in love.”

“Silly girl, I only have feelings for you two.”

“What about your future succession? Once you take the crown, I can’t help you continue your bloodline. Have you found a suitable candidate?”

“Not yet. You know me. I’m a superficial woman who only likes beautiful girls.” Juno frowned, hesitant. “If I still haven’t found someone suitable by then, Wayne would be a good choice. His status, position, and power make him an excellent choice.”

“See, you clearly feel something for him,” Alistair said with dissatisfaction.

Juno laughed silently. “Even if I feel something for him, it’ll be because of his beautiful lovers, not him.”

“You'd better be careful. Given your current relationship, you have no leverage against him. Instead, he has leverage against you.”

“I know, but things will change in the future.” Juno looked at her palm. “Both of us have divine blood. The fog in Londan can awaken our potential, so in the future, I’ll become stronger than him.”

***

A black car drove slowly across the Western District. Sitting in the passenger seat, Wayne flipped through the document in the briefcase, getting more and more interested as he read.

“It would be a waste to dispose of all these resources. It’s better to move them home for my own use. When Juno asks, I’ll just say that the warehouses caught fire.”

“Do I need to work overtime tonight, Boss?” Mona asked.

“Well, yes.” Wayne closed the briefcase and tossed it into his personal storage. “Turn right. I know a clothing store that designs beautiful evening gowns.”

He started counting on his fingers. “Veronica, Kristen, Vera, Filomina... as well as Master and Vera’s mother, Carter. I need to pick gifts for all of them.”

Mona didn’t say anything. She knew that Wayne was an expert in balancing his relationships and keeping everyone happy, never leaving anyone out. Even Silvia and Carter were getting gifts, so he certainly hadn’t forgotten about Mona. He deliberately didn’t mention her to make her sulk so that he could tease her about it.

She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction!

Two hours later, they found themselves in a private room at a high-end restaurant. Mona wore a red evening gown with her wavy hair pinned up, an expensive gem pendant adorning her chest. There were no gifts for the others—Wayne had bought all the gifts just for her.

Given the occasion and the atmosphere, it would be a waste of the flowers and candlelight if something didn’t happen.

Mona’s heart raced treacherously. She was curious why Wayne had suddenly become so proactive today. Previously, he had always said that their feelings hadn’t developed enough and required further cultivation, that he couldn’t bear to take advantage of her obedience.

“Why are you so flushed, Mona?” Wayne raised his wine glass to toast her.

Veryl’s training was incredibly effective. Under his persistent teaching, Wayne had learned to behave and hold himself with grace like a proper gentleman, with an appearance to match. He could easily capture a lady’s heart.

Mona looked at him. Whether it was because of the wine or something else, her eyes gradually became hazy. Realizing that she was losing composure, she raised her glass and took a sip to hide her embarrassment, swallowing the saliva that had flooded her mouth from her cravings for his body.

Wayne moved to stand behind her with his wine glass, looking down at her valley and commenting, “Compared to gems, the cross pendant suits you better.”

“I’ll change it.”

“No, drink first. This is imported wine from Franc.”

Wayne took a sip, lifted Mona’s chin, and passed the wine to her. He had practiced his techniques with his generous fiancée, crush, girlfriend, and lover, allowing him to refine his strategy for candlelight dinners. The effect was outstanding.

The smooth combo left Mona dazed and disoriented. She couldn’t even remember the name of the cathedral she belonged to, Saint Paul’s Cathedral.

When the kiss ended, her heart was intoxicated. She looked at Wayne with soft eyes misty with desire, biting her bottom lip.

That night, in the bedroom of Mona’s place, holy light flickered, along with the sound of wings beating...

***

The next morning, Mona opened her eyes groggily, still finding last night’s experience unbelievable. Just then, the door opened, and Wayne entered with a tray, feeding her personally with extreme consideration.

Again, these were techniques he had learned elsewhere.

“Am I not crossing a line like this, Boss?”

“Do you like it?”

“I do.”

“Then keep crossing the line. Because I also like you, Mona.” Wayne leaned down to kiss her deeply, whispering, “A while ago, a teacher of mine reminded me that I was being too selfish, only thinking about myself and neglecting your feelings. I apologize. I’ll change my ways from now on.”

Tears brimmed in Mona’s eyes as she held him tightly. “Master, I’m your servant in the human world. You’ve given me so much. I only ask that you remember me once you return to Heaven.”

“Don’t be silly. I won’t return to heaven, for nothing if not for your sake.” Wayne grasped her hand and intertwined their fingers, activating the Golden Law to trigger her golden stigma. “This is my promise to you, and I’ll keep my word. If I break it, let me go to hell.”

This wasn’t something he had learned elsewhere, but words he had only said to Mona.

Deeply moved, Mona clutched her cross pendant and said, “Master, there’s something wrong with the Pope’s gift. It amplifies my desire for you and makes me long to sire your bloodline.”

“No wonder you were so enthusiastic last night.”

Mona blushed. From a pure clergywoman’s perspective, she hadn’t been pure at all. She had sinned.

“I’m a fan of the gift, very much so. If I get the chance, I’ll ask him for more. As for your desire...” Wayne held her. “You may have it. Whatever you want, I’ll give you.”

As soon as he said that, the world spun around him. All he could see was holy light and wings.

It was the express train to Heaven!

***

At noon, conductor Mona stopped the train, put on glasses and stockings—Wayne’s favorite—to resume her role as his secretary.

“Boss, where’s the Princess’s document? I should get to work.”

“No need. Your job is to keep me company. I’ll have Regina and the others handle that.”

Regina, one of the vengeful spirits residing in the library, was a typical workaholic. She was disciplined, conscientious, and devoted herself fully to whatever job she did, fitting Wayne’s stereotypical impression of Prussians perfectly.

Mona frowned slightly. She didn’t like Ottilia and Regina. Beyond her distaste for succubi from Hell, she also didn’t like that the two called themselves secretaries, taking away one of her few exclusive titles for Wayne.

She adjusted her glasses. “Boss, they’re new after all. There are many things they can’t handle well. It’s better to leave things to me.”

“They have an advantage in operating at night...” Wayne stopped himself. Since Mona insisted on working overtime, he shrugged and said, “Alright, you’ll lead them to complete the task, but that’ll leave your boss without company at night. Are you really going to do that to me?”

Having just tasted the forbidden fruit, Mona was unable to resist the temptation. She really didn’t have the heart to turn Wayne away.

From the perspective of a clergywoman, it would seem like the behavior of the fallen, but from the perspective of her faith, this was an act of service—even the Pope would approve.

She felt no shame for that. What wrong could a clergywoman do? She was simply completing the mission that the Pope had assigned her.

She leaned in and whispered in Wayne’s ear. His eyes lit up with realization.

“You’re right. Let’s head to the library tonight. You’ll be completing your mission while keeping me company.”