Chapter 12 Two-in-one Rose Festival 06
"Wait a moment."
Zhu Yu looked down at the invisibility card in his hand.
This skill card is not a one-time consumable.
However, the skill still has a time limit and can only be used for 15 minutes at a time.
She had already spent four or five minutes in the previous battle, and now she only had less than ten minutes left.
The card will then enter a long cooldown period.
In that case, Zhu Yu simply let Maggie leave first to prepare the clothes she would need to change into later, and he took action alone.
After passing through the rose garden, she could clearly see the outline of the attic on the east side.
Zhu Yu did not waste time and used the invisibility card again. Wrapped in the invisible force, he disappeared instantly.
She passed the guards quietly, avoiding the patrol's sight, and quickly walked up the stairs, approaching the top floor of the attic.
However, when she approached the door, her steps paused.
——The door is open.
The chain was untied and hung crookedly on the side of the door frame.
Zhu Yu frowned slightly, and a sense of vigilance arose in his heart.
Did Cecilia untie it herself, or did someone let her out?
She subconsciously slowed down her breathing, moved closer to the door, and peeked inside through the crack.
The scene in the room made her freeze in place.
Her hand unconsciously rose to cover her lips to prevent her from making a sound of surprise.
In the room, Cecilia was sitting in front of the window, and the person standing opposite her was Theodore Berlant.
Zhu Yu estimated the time in her mind and it seemed that Theodore should arrive only a few minutes earlier than her.
She couldn't help but secretly feel lucky that she was delayed on the road, otherwise if she was bumped into, the scene would probably be quite embarrassing.
The atmosphere in the room was silent for a moment, and Cecilia spoke softly, looking at Theodore with a hint of grievance in her eyes.
"I miss you so much."
She reached out and gently grasped Theodore's sleeve:
"Theodore, you know, I'm not sick at all..."
"Why did they lock me up here? Just because I was accused of being a 'witch'? But I don't know why I became like this..."
"Isabella, my father and my mother, they never really cared about me."
"If my eldest sister were still alive, she would never allow them to do this to me."
Theodore held her hand distressedly, and said solemnly:
"Of course I know you are innocent, Sissi. I believe you."
He squatted down and looked at the girl in front of him at eye level, his eyes full of tenderness:
"Just be patient for a while. When the Rose Festival is over, I will find a way to clear your suspicion."
"When all this is over, we can go back to the way things were before..."
Cecilia bit her lip and said, "Do we have to wait until after the Rose Festival? You know I've always wanted to dance with you at the ball... If Isabella takes the opportunity to get close to you, what if you——"
"Don't let your imagination run wild." Theodore gently stroked her pale cheek with his fingertips. "In my heart, there is only you."
“…”
Zhu Yu, who was standing outside the door, listened silently to the two people's sweet words to each other and waited patiently for it to end.
The time limit for using invisibility was almost up. Just when she was about to get impatient and go home so as not to be trapped in this bloody drama any longer, a strange fluctuation was heard in the air in the house.
Her eyes moved slightly downward, landing on Cecilia's hand.
The hand behind Theodore's back was slowly clenching into a fist.
Zhu Yu's nerves tensed instantly.
Oh no, Cecilia is using her magic power!
Zhu Yu realized that something was wrong and wanted to turn around and leave.
However, just as she took half a step back, her movement suddenly stopped.
Behind me, close at hand, I could feel a slight warmth.
That was the temperature of the human body, and the shallow breathing sound that was almost close to the ear.
Zhu Yu turned his head slowly, slowly.
It was Anthony Drake.
Why is this person here?
He was so close to her, so close that there were barely inches between them.
Fortunately, she was still invisible at the moment, and Earl Drake's brother did not notice her presence.
He stood in the shadow of the corridor, looking past her at the scene in the room, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a strange smile.
This expression... He seems to be very satisfied with the scene before him?
Zhu Yu had more and more doubts in his mind, but now was not the time to delve into these issues.
She held her breath and dared not move.
The time left for invisibility is running out, and we can't delay any longer.
Zhu Yu slowly squatted down and moved out carefully, then quickened his pace and quickly evacuated the attic.
On the way back to the banquet hall, she quickly changed into a clean dress and put on her makeup with the help of Maggie.
When she re-entered the banquet hall, the banquet was almost over. The guests gathered in twos and threes to chat, and the atmosphere was more relaxed and casual than before.
Zhu Yu looked around and noticed that not only Theodore and Anthony were gone, but Isabella had also disappeared.
She stopped a guest at random and asked:
"Why don't I see Miss Isabella and Sir Theodore?"
The other party winked at her and said in an ambiguous tone:
"They both said they had drunk too much and wanted to go out for some fresh air."
After saying that, he gave Zhu Yu a look that said "you know what I mean".
Zhu Yu's mouth twitched slightly, he nodded politely, and then found an inconspicuous corner to stay.
About half a quarter of an hour later, Theodore and Isabella returned to the banquet hall one after another, and Anthony appeared last.
In contrast, the expressions of the two men were very natural, but Isabella seemed a little absent-minded, as if she was worried about something.
However, this emotion only lasted for a moment, and she quickly adjusted her expression and started chatting with the guests around her with a smile.
After the banquet, Zhu Yu accidentally glanced at his panel and was surprised to find that his reputation value had inexplicably increased by 5%.
It turns out that just by staying at the banquet and showing your face, your reputation can be increased?
She silently made note of this in her heart and secretly resolved to never complain about banquets being tedious and time-consuming again.
On the return carriage, Zhu Yu asked 996 in his mind:
"How's it going on your end?"
996: "Everything went well."
Zhu Yu breathed a sigh of relief and was about to close his eyes to rest, but he heard a faint whimper coming from his feet.
She looked down and saw that her brother, who was tied up tightly, was moving slowly, as if he was waking up.
It wouldn't be good to wake up in the carriage.
Zhu Yu frowned and decisively struck him on the back of the neck with his palm.
"Bang."
The knight's brother, who was tied up like a dumpling, fell into coma again.
Zhu Yu nodded with satisfaction, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and waited to arrive at the manor.
After returning to the manor, she immediately sent away the butler and Mrs. Lucia's servants, and ordered the guards to quietly take her brother George to her room for interrogation.
It was a dark night, with only an oil lamp lit in the room. The dim light was cast on George, who was tied up and thrown on the ground.
There were some scratches on the corners of his mouth, obviously left by the bumps and bruises on the carriage.
After a moment, he came to his senses, and after seeing clearly the environment he was in, he looked at Zhu Yu coldly, with no concealment of hostility in his eyes.
"Okay, stop looking at me like that." Zhu Yu casually pulled over a chair and sat down, crossing his legs. "Tell me, why is the family so determined to kill me? Even you came here to die in person?"
George snorted coldly and did not answer immediately.
Zhu Yu: "You should know that my patience is limited."
George finally raised his head and looked at her with complicated eyes, his tone was a little sarcastic:
"Sister, are you playing dumb with me?"
Zhu Yu did not respond and waited for his next words.
"Don't tell me you don't know. Your dear Aunt Helena from Earl Tulip's Palace is a wizard with profound attainments in witchcraft."
Helena... Earl's House of Tulip...
George's words triggered new memories in Zhu Yu's mind.
Helena is the youngest sister of Elena's mother, and they are both from the Tulip Earl's Mansion far away in the royal city.
Previously, the Draka family was able to have more advantages and say among nobles of the same level, largely due to the influence of the Tulip Earl's Palace.
But... wizards?
Zhu Yu: "So?"
George: "You have such a close relationship with her... Although I don't know what exactly is going on between the two of you, the royal family and the court will find out about you sooner or later."
His eyes were filled with fear. "By then, do you think the family will be able to protect you? All they can do is sever all ties between you and the family and completely distance themselves from you. Otherwise, the entire Draka family will be implicated again because of you!"
I see.
I wish I understood it.
The reason why the family was determined to get rid of her at all costs was not out of personal grudges, but because she was the most dangerous link between Viscount Draka's house and the wizarding forces.
The eyes of the royal family and the Inquisition will soon fall on the Draka family. They must cut off this chain that may implicate the entire family in advance, and she is the core of this chain.
"The family can't delay much longer." George whispered, with a rare hint of fatigue in his tone, "In at most half a month, the Privy Council and the Tribunal will investigate you..."
George continued, "Sister, ask yourself, can you withstand a thorough investigation by the Privy Council and the Inquisition? Did the method you used against me tonight really have nothing to do with wizards?"
"Also, do you think your parents want to give up on you like this? But if you want the family to get out of this unscathed, there are only two ways. The first is to completely clear your suspicion."
George looked her in the eye and said:
"You must prove that you have nothing to do with wizards. However, in this world, there is no such thing as true innocence. Therefore, the only thing the family can do is to get rid of you and save the lives of the entire family."
There was a brief silence in the room.
Zhu Yu ignored the system prompt sound in his ear: "Plot advancement value +1%, +2%...", and his brain quickly digested all the clues he had just heard.
From this point of view, it seems that the Draka family had no choice but to kill her just to protect themselves.
If there was a key turning point, there might still be room for maneuver.
She lowered her eyes and looked at George on the ground.
He looked extremely painful, and there was a hint of regret in his eyes when he looked at her, which showed that he was indeed forced by his family to take action.
But this trace of sympathy was quickly extinguished by Zhu Yu.
She pinched her eyebrows and her mind moved.
If he could completely control Elena's brother, not only would he be able to temporarily intimidate the Draca family, but he would also be able to have an extra knight-level combat capability by his side.
Thinking of this, Zhu Yu turned and walked to the desk beside him, took out a contract from the system space, and spread it out on the table.
George frowned: "What is this?"
"A contract that guarantees you will never betray me again."
Zhu Yu picked up the feather pen and tapped the paper a few times:
"Since we have talked so much, let's discuss the deal a little bit."
She smiled gently, "George Draka, sign this contract and swear that you will not betray me."
George snorted coldly: "Do you think I will sign?"
Zhu Yu looked at George quietly, the smile in his eyes gradually fading.
She walked over to the guard at the side of the room and without hesitation drew the sword from his waist.
"I don't like wasting time."
She looked down at the blade in her hand, which cast an icy sheen in the candlelight.
The next second, she swiftly placed the sword across George's neck.
George's whole body stiffened, and he felt the sharp blade against his throat, and the chill instantly spread to his limbs.
"I still have a lot of things to do, and I don't have the patience to waste time with you."
"Sign or die, your choice."
George glared at her fiercely and gritted his teeth and said, “You dare to kill me?!”
"Why not?" Zhu Yu leaned forward slightly, she looked into George's eyes and said word by word:
"Your life only has value when it is in my hands."
George's breathing was rapid and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
He knew that Zhu Yu was not joking.
This woman would really kill him.
He stared at Zhu Yu for a few seconds, his Adam's apple moved, and he gritted his teeth and said:
"What do you want?"
"It's very simple." Zhu Yu said calmly, "Sign this contract. From now on, you are no longer the family's dog, but my person. You must obey my orders in the future."
George clenched his fists, his face extremely gloomy.
The blade pressed gently, and the cold touch made him gasp.
He knew that Zhu Yu would not give him any room for bargaining.
After a moment, he closed his eyes and finally slowly stretched out his hand:
“…Give me a pen.”
"Wouldn't it be better if you did this earlier?"
Zhu Yu did not move his sword, but motioned for Maggie to hand the quill to him.
George held the quill, his fingers trembling slightly, and finally wrote his name on the parchment.
There was a slight flash of light, and the contract was established.
Zhu Yu put away the contract, turned around and left the room.
Before leaving, she paused and chuckled:
"Also, please have more confidence in your sister. Who said I can't clear myself of suspicion?"
Zhu Yu said the last sentence and walked hurriedly towards Mrs. Lucia's room.
Sister Colin, they are definitely the key clue!
She had to dig out more information about Colin's family, the more detailed the better.
After arriving at Lady Lucia's room, Zhu Yu got straight to the point:
"I snuck out to see Cecilia at the ball today."
She briefly relayed to Mrs. Lucia what she had seen in the attic, and then asked:
"What type of witch is Cecilia? I feel that the fluctuations of her magical power are completely different from what you felt during the last divination."
Mrs. Lucia was first shocked by Zhu Yu's bold behavior, and then she replied: "She is a curse wizard."
Cursed wizard?
She had now met three different types of wizards besides herself.
I just don’t know what kind of wizard Elena’s Aunt Helena is.
Zhu Yu looked at the dancing flames in the fireplace thoughtfully.
Madam Lucia continued, "You know, most of our wizards are fortune-tellers or natural wizards who manipulate natural elements. In comparison, the number of necromancers and curse wizards is extremely small, but their witchcraft is more aggressive. Therefore, Dinah wanted to protect Cecilia at all costs - she has great potential. If she grows successfully, she will become one of the most powerful forces of the Secret Society."
Zhu Yu nodded and asked again: "In Cecilia's conversation with Theodore, I heard her mention 'eldest sister'. Is there another eldest daughter in the Colin family? But how come I have never heard of it?"
Hearing this question, Mrs. Lucia's expression became serious. She was silent for a while before she spoke:
"The Colin family did have an eldest daughter named Victoria Colin."
Zhu Yu: "Where is she now?"
"Victoria was once one of the most outstanding wizards in the Secret Society of Beleriand. She showed a strong talent for curses at a young age and was highly regarded."
Madam Lucia sighed, "However, during an operation several years ago, she had to expose herself in order to protect her other sisters... and was eventually arrested and taken away by the Inquisition."
"This incident dealt a heavy blow to the Colin family. Although the official statement was 'death due to sudden illness', only members of the secret society and the direct relatives of the Colin family knew the truth. Because this incident was not widely publicized in the aristocratic circle, the outside world gradually forgot about Victoria's existence... and at that time, the Colin sisters were still young."
Zhu Yu: "Does the city lord know about this?"
Mrs. Lucia: “Of course I know.”
Zhu Yu frowned upon hearing this, "That's strange. Logically speaking, the Colin family once hid wizards. Given the aversion of today's nobles to wizards, they should have been liquidated long ago. Why can they continue to sit firmly as a prominent family in Belran City? Moreover, why is the city lord's eldest son, Theodore, still so close to the Colin sisters?"
Mrs. Lucia was speechless for a moment.
"Unless..." Zhu Yu said slowly, "The Colin family took out some kind of bargaining chip and exchanged it with Belran City, in exchange for the current favor and protection."
Her fingers tapped the table unconsciously: "There must be some secrets here that we haven't discovered... Victoria is a curse wizard, Cecilia is also a curse wizard..."
The fire in the fireplace flickered, and the orange glow reflected on Zhu Yu's profile. In the interweaving of light and shadow, she suddenly raised her eyes and looked at Madam Lucia:
"I want to ask, what kind of wizard is your dear friend, the imprisoned white-robed wizard, Dinah?"
Mrs. Lucia was a little confused by her series of questions, and vaguely sensed some hidden connections. She was stunned for a moment, then hesitated and said:
"...Dina is also a cursed wizard."
Zhu Yu’s eyes narrowed.
Another cursed wizard!
Victoria, Cecilia, Dina... three wizards, all of them are curse-type.
Is all this just a coincidence?
And what was the reason for Anthony Drake's appearance in the attic?
Did he really travel all the way from the Royal City to Beleriand City just to buy the Rokosa Rose?
What kind of secrets are hidden in it?
What is the relationship between these people?
She exhaled slowly and her expression gradually calmed down.
Zhu Yu: "On the eve of the Rose Festival, it's my turn to go to the prison of the Tribunal."
"What?" Mrs. Lucia opened her eyes wide, "You want to go to the court? This is too dangerous-"
"You don't need to worry about this." Zhu Yu took out a folded note from his pocket and handed it to her:
"I'll be alone at the prison. Don't worry, I have a way to get Dina out."
"This will free up your manpower. I have another matter that I need your help with and will require your manpower."
Madam Lucia took the note, unfolded it, and found that it contained the address of a village not far from the city of Belran.
The note of help that Mrs. Janet gave to Zhu Yu did not include the name of the specific person she wanted to help.
After first arriving in Beleriand City, Zhu Yu suspected that the person he wanted to rescue was Cecilia.
But after seeing her in person tonight, she found that Cecilia did not match the target described in the note.
Although the description on the note was simple, it was enough for her to judge that the girl in need of rescue was a few years younger than Cecilia.
"Help me rescue someone here." Zhu Yu said, "The sooner the better."
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