Chapter 197 Case File 3: The Mysterious Dinner Party at Rose Villa (1)
Winston was still sitting on the sofa in the corner of the living room, sipping his long-cold black tea with a cold and handsome face. He glanced at the nobles present, judging them one by one.
Ever since Madame Butterfly vanished in a cloud of smoke, a strange atmosphere had enveloped the mansion. The invited nobles gathered in groups of three or five, some acting furtively and sweating, others brimming with determination and determination... In short, with the exception of him, Vivian, and Is, virtually all the guests had already decided to participate in Madame Butterfly's "game."
- Using the intelligence, resources and skills in your hands to exchange for the power, connections and wealth you need, rather than solving artificial puzzles, this is the "Game of Thrones" that the nobles are truly familiar with from childhood to adulthood.
There are many legends about Madame Butterfly's background, but the only thing that is certain is that this woman... or the power behind her is indeed powerful and of extraordinary origin. The fact that she was able to find Rose Villa and openly declare that she would take it for herself is enough to demonstrate her great power.
Winston lowered his eyes slightly and recalled the guest list in his mind.
Madame Butterfly's invitation letters are divided into two types: the main letter and the supplementary letter. The main letter is for the guests invited by Madame Butterfly herself, and the supplementary letter is for the guests invited by the guests themselves. That is to say, among the thirteen guests, only about seven were actually invited by Madame Butterfly.
As for why it was the odd number thirteen, Winston speculated that perhaps one of the guests did not bring anyone in.
So, apart from Vivian, himself, Is, and Victor van Neumann brought in by Vivian, which of the remaining nine guests are the ones that Madame Butterfly really wants to invite and who are related to Rose Hill?
Winston's mind suddenly appeared the crazy woman from last night.
"Peter H. Kasmanda and Samantha H. Lal, one is a former court jester and the other is a former court maid. If they once served the Delman royal family, they naturally have some connection with Rose Hill."
The so-called court jester is actually a high-sounding title for the clowns favored by the king.
Entertainment in this era was lackluster, so kings and nobles often kept a group of entertainers for their own amusement. These entertainers held no real official positions and were like pets to the kings and nobles. One day they might be a star, but the next day they could be convicted of a crime for a single misspoken word, die a silent death, and be casually rolled up on a straw mat and thrown into a mass grave for wild beasts to gnaw on.
In order to live longer, these clowns will work hard to learn more skills, whether it is dressing up as an ugly person, a beautiful person, or a woman, singing, dancing, performing acrobatics, telling jokes, or rehearsing plays... these people have to know it all.
——Having a few more skills that others don't have can make the boss hesitate for a moment before letting them 'lay off'. Maybe a big thing can be turned into a small thing, and you can save your job and your life?
The status of these jesters depended entirely on their master's favor. Throughout the history of the German Kingdom, there were many jesters who were favored by the king and held high positions and real power.
Each jester has a very different style. Some rely on their beauty to make the king addicted to their tenderness, while others are loyal and patriotic and act as the king's spies. There was once a clown jester who pretended to be crazy and stupid all year round, and made all kinds of unfair things in the market into sarcastic jokes to advise the king. He danced on a tightrope every day, but he also assisted a wise monarch and lived to a good end.
During the reign of King Rudolf Delman, this king who loved to spend his days in luxury naturally had many jesters, and Peter H. Casmanda was one of them.
He was short and stout, with a perpetual smile, adorned with gold and silver. He would make exaggerated expressions as he spoke, as was his wont. He must have been a regular clown, telling jokes and entertaining the King. There were no secrets in the palace; any slightest movement would become gossip, and clowns were masters at making up stories, having heard and shared countless pieces of gossip.
If there was a princess living in Rose Hill, the jester would definitely know something about it, but he didn't know what benefits Madame Butterfly had promised him... Perhaps the two of them had not yet agreed on a price that both of them were satisfied with?
As for the former palace maid… She looked much more normal today than she did last night, but she was still wrapped in her cloak, shivering and huddled in the corner farthest from Winston, quietly drinking her noodle soup. Her eyes flickered and drifted, as if she had done something wrong and was afraid of the revenge of an evil spirit.
Then there were the three scholars: a historian, a magician, and a botanist. If the historian had a connection to the hidden history of the Delman royal family, and the botanist might have some research on the Oster rose, then what was the purpose of inviting the magician? Or, was this magician accompanied by another scholar?
As for Baron Camus van Chand and his wife Eleanor van Chand, Winston was almost certain that the two of them came together with a set of main and auxiliary letters.
Baron Chandler was chubby, with a beer belly. His clothes looked respectable, but they were actually outdated. His title had been passed down from the days of the German Kingdom, but Baron Chandler had remained out of politics for years. Coupled with his poor business performance, there were rumors that he had been borrowing money from foreign governments to survive, struggling to maintain his former glory. In reality, he was on the verge of bankruptcy.
If the couple could obtain a large sum of gold and silver from Madame Butterfly, it would surely help them resolve the debt that had plagued them for so long. Regardless of whether they already possessed the information Madame Butterfly needed, Winston believed that these two would be the most active participants in the game, searching for clues and exploring the puzzle.
Winston's gaze turned to the tall and thin Countess Durand de Canberra.
The long-widowed countess was over sixty, but she was very strong, with a straight back and her gray hair tied up high and neatly into a round bun at the back of her head. She was wearing a black dress and a black lace veil. Her thin face was full of majesty and she was not an easy person to get along with.
Winston had heard of the Countess of Canberra. She was one of the leading figures of the old German royal family and a close friend of the last queen of the German royal family. If the queen had given birth to twins and raised the daughters secretly at Rose Hill, Winston would probably have heard something from the queen.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
