Chapter 11 Rose Festival 05
"Hey, why are there so many banquets in this instance? It's exhausting just dealing with them, how can I have time to advance the main storyline?"
Zhu Yu raised her wine glass with a proper smile on her face. While she was perfunctorily answering the nobles who were chatting with her, she was complaining about 996 in her mind.
She took a sip of wine, her eyes swept across the scene aimlessly, and fixed on Isabella Colin not far away.
At tonight's banquet, she is undoubtedly the most eye-catching person.
The "Rose God" who had almost been chosen was talking with Theodore, the eldest son of the Lord of Beleriand, with a smile on his face and a dignified manner.
The two of them had a very pleasant conversation and seemed to have a close relationship.
Not only Zhu Yu, but many guests also looked at her from time to time.
"The Colin sisters have always had a good relationship with Theodore, especially her sister Cecilia. Unfortunately, she is seriously ill and cannot attend tonight."
A wealthy businessman's wife next to Zhu Yu followed her line of sight and sighed softly.
"I heard her condition is very serious?"
Zhu Yu took over the conversation, his tone carrying just the right amount of concern.
"Yes, the rumor is that it is scarlet fever, but no one knows the details. After all, the Colin family is very tight-lipped about it. They only said that she needs to rest and no outsiders are allowed to visit her."
Seeing that Zhu Yu was interested in the affairs of the Colin sisters, the wealthy businessman's wife chatted a little more.
After hearing the exact time when Cecilia fell ill, Zhu Yu compared it in his mind and soon realized one thing - the time when Cecilia fell ill coincided with the accident of witchcraft fluctuation mentioned by Lady Lucia.
It seems that she didn't have scarlet fever at all, but her witchcraft power got out of control and she was discovered and secretly imprisoned.
Zhu Yu withdrew his gaze thoughtfully, stroking the wine glass lightly with his fingertips, and the image of the second young lady of the Colin family, whom he had never met, emerged in his mind.
That night, Lady Lucia revealed two important things to her - the exposure of the secret society and the prophecy at the Rose Ball.
A little thought will reveal that Cecilia Colin is inextricably linked to both events.
Thinking of this, Zhu Yu asked 996:
"Can you sense Cecilia's exact location?"
996: "Yes, she is currently being held in the Colin family's mansion, in the attic east of the banquet hall."
After confirming that Cecilia was nearby, Zhu Yu's eyes flashed slightly, and then he calmly took another glass of crimson wine from the servant's tray.
Just as she was about to "accidentally" spill the wine on herself and use it as an excuse to leave the banquet hall, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps at the entrance of the banquet hall.
"Mr. Drake has arrived."
The conversation in the banquet hall stopped abruptly, and then the atmosphere suddenly became noisy, and many guests looked in the direction of the sound.
Zhu Yu, who was already familiar with the guest list, raised his eyebrows.
This Sir Anthony Drake is the "mysterious guest" who is rumored to have always wanted to acquire Rocosa Rose and compete with her for the rose wine business.
And his identity is indeed noble - he is the younger brother of Earl Drake.
His sudden arrival forced Zhu Yu to put his original plan on hold and wait and see what would happen.
Anthony strode into the ballroom in a well-tailored dark blue waistcoat.
He had a short, neatly trimmed beard and a ruby-studded brooch on his chest, and looked to be in his thirties.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with several guests of higher status present, he walked towards Zhu Yu with a glass of wine in hand.
"Ms. Draka, I have long heard of your name."
Zhu Yu picked up the wine glass and gently touched the rim of the glass in response.
Anthony did not beat around the bush and said straight to the point:
"I heard that your tavern is doing very well in the town of Alsel, especially the Rocosa Rose Wine, which even the nobles of the Villanova Royal City praise. I happen to be quite interested in the wine industry recently, so why don't we discuss cooperation?"
Zhu Yu: "You want to cooperate with me? Then, I wonder how you think about profit distribution?"
Anthony: "That's easy. 70% to 30%. I'll take 70% and you'll take 30%. If you're not satisfied, you can give me the recipe for the rose wine and I'll manage it..."
Zhu Yu's face darkened.
Even if she didn't know much about doing business, she understood that the other party's exorbitant demands were blatant blackmail.
"Your appetite is stronger than the aroma of rose wine." Zhu Yu's eyes showed a bit of coldness. "Rocosa Rose Wine is the signature product of my tavern. The production is limited and the quality is precious. Logically, if you are willing to invest, I should welcome it. Unfortunately, your profit distribution is a bit too harsh."
"If you are really interested, why not choose another time to discuss it in detail? After all, tonight is a dance, not a good time to discuss business."
Anthony had no intention of giving up.
He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice:
"Miss Draka, I'm afraid you don't have that much time to think about it."
Zhu Yu didn't say anything and just looked at him quietly.
Anthony continued, "You should know the recent situation of the Draka family better than anyone else. The Earl of Tulip, your backer, has long fallen because of hiding wizards. The royal family and the Inquisition are clearing out all the nobles who have had dealings with them. And your family... can it still remain unscathed?"
He paused, and looked at Zhu Yu with a bit of malicious scrutiny:
"Right now, it's time for you to find a 'reliable' ally. Otherwise, I'm afraid you won't even be able to keep the tavern you own."
Zhu Yu was about to speak when he suddenly heard the long-lost system prompt sound:
[Main quest progress +10%, current unlock progress 20%]
[Witchcraft purification ability increased by 10%, current witchcraft level: wizard apprentice]
Zhu Yu blinked, and the prompt in her mind interrupted what she was about to say.
This means that the information Anthony just said is related to the main storyline.
Zhu Yu's mind raced as he quickly sorted out the clues, but he still maintained a calm and composed expression.
"Sir Anthony is really well-informed." She gently shook the wine glass in her hand. "Let's not talk about whether the Draka family will be implicated. But there is one thing you may have misunderstood - the core supply chain of Rocosa Rose Wine has always been in my hands, not the Draka family."
"If you want to use this to put pressure on me and force me to hand over the recipe of rose wine, I'm afraid you will be disappointed. Besides, the Draka family has always been cautious, and my tavern is a legitimate business. Do you think that you can accuse me of 'hiding a wizard' based on some unfounded speculation?"
Zhu Yu leaned forward slightly, with a smile on his lips:
"If we follow this logic, then should you also worry about being noticed by the Inquisition while you are standing here and chatting with me tonight?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Anthony's eyes changed slightly, and his fingers holding the wine glass clenched suddenly.
He originally just wanted to take the opportunity to test the eldest lady of Draka and see if she would reveal any flaws due to her family's difficulties, and then lower the price and force her to compromise in the negotiations.
But he didn't expect that this woman would not play by the rules at all.
Although the guests on the side were talking, many of them had already noticed the confrontation here and cast vague glances over here.
Anthony stopped smiling and regained his calm demeanor as a nobleman should:
"Miss Draka, you are right. Tonight is indeed not a good time to discuss business. In this case, we might as well leave this topic for later and discuss it slowly."
"Just enjoy the party tonight."
"Goodbye."
Zhu Yu nodded slightly and watched Anthony leave with a meaningful look in his eyes.
Seeing his unwilling look before he left, Zhu Yu sighed in his heart.
Although she had temporarily stabilized the situation just now, it was obvious that the other party would not give up.
But now she didn't have time to study the other party's next plan - she had to seize the opportunity to sneak out as soon as possible.
After waiting for a while, Zhu Yu found the right moment and deliberately "accidentally" spilled the deep red wine in the glass onto his dress. He looked annoyed and apologetic, apologized in a low voice to the guests next to him, and then left the table as expected.
The banquet was halfway through. Some guests, slightly tipsy, came out to get some fresh air. There were also a few like-minded couples who quietly hid deep in the courtyard, looking for a moment to meet in secret.
This kind of atmosphere provided convenience for Zhu Yu.
Zhu Yu lowered his hood, slowed down his pace, blended into the crowd, and walked silently towards the attic on the east side.
Maggie followed behind her, looking alert, and the two of them successfully bypassed several patrolling guards and prepared to take a shortcut through a rose bed.
However, just as they were about to cross the flower garden, Zhu Yu suddenly stopped.
She heard a very subtle sound of breaking wind -
The murderous intent suddenly came!
Zhu Yu almost instinctively turned sideways, and Maggie beside him exclaimed.
A ray of cold light broke through the air - the sword blade almost brushed past her sleeves, the sharp sword cut off a few strands of her clothes, and flashed a chilling light in the night.
There is an ambush!
Zhu Yu pushed Maggie out and then quickly ran towards the depths of the rose garden.
At the same time, she turned her wrist and the wooden bow in her hand was pulled open silently.
However, before she could draw her arrow, the ground beneath her feet suddenly shook slightly, and then the roses that had been blooming quietly suddenly seemed to be given life.
The sharp vines quickly wrapped around Zhu Yu's limbs!
It's natural magic!
Zhu Yu's heart sank, and he realized almost instantly that the other party was not just an ordinary assassin, but a knight.
Only knights can master this kind of unique magic skills!
In a flash, she pulled out an invisibility card from the space without hesitation.
A transparent halo flashed across her body, and her figure disappeared into the night out of thin air.
The next moment, the sharp vines suddenly pierced through the place where she had just stood, but touched nothing!
"The person disappeared..."
The knight in the dark noticed something strange and frowned slightly.
He raised his hand and waved, and more rose branches and leaves spread out in all directions, trying to find traces of the target.
But at this moment, Zhu Yu had already circled to his side and rear, and approached silently with the help of his stealth state.
The Knight Killer was experienced and noticed something slightly wrong with the wind. He swung his sword across, but unfortunately—
All he hit was a rose petal that was falling in the wind.
Just a few seconds later, Zhu Yu once again approached the killer and replaced the bow and arrow in his hand with a dagger that was more suitable for close combat.
As the blades crossed, tiny petals were picked up by the sword wind and scattered in the air currents of the battle.
Finally, the killer's movements froze, the sword tip trembled slightly in mid-air, his knees softened, and he fell to the ground with a thud.
Zhu Yu emerged from his invisible state, raised his hand to tidy up his hair that was messed up by the wind, and looked down at the man in black on the ground.
"A killer sent by the family?"
She crouched down and mercilessly pulled off the man's hood.
After seeing the other person's facial features clearly, Zhu Yu's pupils suddenly shrank——
[George Draka, Elena's half-brother, is a member of the royal Silver Rose Knights. He is good at natural magic and his fighting style is known for controlling the situation and ambushing.]
The memories provided by the system emerged in her mind.
Zhu Yu looked at the young man lying in the rose bush with an incredulous gaze.
This killer is actually Elena's brother?
What secrets does she have that make her family willing to go to such great lengths to deal with her?
Not far away, Maggie had quietly summoned several trusted guards who were accompanying her and asked them to wait outside.
Zhu Yu suppressed the doubts in his mind, stood up, and signaled them to take action:
"take away."
Several guards immediately stepped forward, lifted the unconscious knight, and quickly hid him in the carriage.
After everything was arranged, Zhu Yu patted the petals on her skirt, turned to Maggie and said:
"Come on, we should go see Cecilia."
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