Kessel stood on the steps in the courtyard of the castle and watched the people gathered below.

He knew every one of them, and many of them could be called by name.

Every time he used to stand on this step, he felt proud because he was a member of the Cosenza family and the heir to the Kosenza domain, which made him believe that one day everything here would be his.

But now Keisel looked depressed, and even felt that it was an unspeakable humiliation to stand here.

Beside him, a man in a black robe was walking slowly, and although the man did not seem to be cruel and well-buried, Kaisel knew very well how terrible this man was.

"I notice that your people don't seem to welcome us," the man in black whispered in Kaiser's ear, "I think it's because you're not a lord of Kosenza after all, so maybe I should have the Earl come out." ”

"Don't disturb my father," Kesel roared angrily, and when he saw the man's expressionless eyes, Keisel paused and finally said weakly in a pleading tone, "Please, let him go, he's old." ”

"But he's still the Count of Cosenza," said the man in black, in a low voice, "if you don't want me to disturb your father, let them hand over your sister, I know she must still be in the castle." ”

"I don't know where Jossa is," Keisel gasped as he looked at the people watching him below and shook his head, "My sister is smart, you can't catch her, and you have me now." ”

"It's not enough for my young master," the man in black smiled, "probably you haven't understood your current situation, your castle is under siege by the Bohemians, and we are here to help you, but what if the lord of Kosenza and his heir are found dead, do you think the king or anyone else will bother to find the murderer because of your death?" ”

"You're crazy, you don't have many people, if you dare to do this, you won't be able to escape from Cosenza, and once the guards of Kosenza come back, you won't be able to escape." Keisel looked at the man in disbelief, he didn't believe that Frederick's men really dared to kill their father and son, but considering that they had even done it to send Bohemians, he was not sure.

"The Bohemians will deal with your guards," the man smiled, "As for you and your father, if you can't meet my demands, I don't mind using the most drastic methods." ”

Keisel held his breath and stared at the face of the man in black, trying to tell from his face if the man was bluffing, because he really didn't believe Frederick would dare to do such a thing.

But he was disappointed, the man in black always had a smile on his face, so he couldn't tell whether what he said was true or false, but because of this, Kessel had no bottom in his heart.

"I forgot to tell you that your grain storage in the plains of the Agri River must have been occupied by the Bohemians by now," said the man in black, as if he remembered, "and even the Count of Mordillo could not save you at this time, and do you think that without the grain reserves, who will help you again?" Count of Taranto? Do you think he will offend the Duke by settling you? ”

Kessel felt a little heavy in his chest, and he gasped to calm himself, but it didn't work, the heaviness made him feel more and more uncomfortable.

He knew that what the man in black said was not wrong, although it was one of the oldest families in Naples, the glory of the Cosenza family had been quietly lost in the turmoil of many years, and now all that was left of the Kosencha family was the memories of those glorious years ago.

If he loses control of the grain reserves of the Agri River at this time, then even if something terrible really happens to his family, no one will really care.

After all, in this era, there are too many terrible things happening in this land, and the demise of a Cosenza family will not attract much attention at all.

"Why are you looking for Shosa, you've already caught me," Kaisel tried one last time to make some effort for Tsusha, "What more do you want." ”

"I only want your sister," the man in black said with a strange look on his face, "haven't you really considered marrying the duke?" ”

"You mean to let Jossa marry Alfred?" Keisel asked.

"Maybe there's a more suitable candidate," the man in black patted Kaesel's shoulder with his hand, and then turned to look at the crowd below, "Kosencha people, I want you to hand over Kosencha at once, this is not my order, but your lord, the heir of the Count of Kosenza." ”

With that, he nudged Keisel forward gently.

Looking at the people below, Kaisel licked his dry lips, he knew that once he spoke, it would really become an order to everyone, and under the search of so many people, it was impossible for Jisha to escape.

"Think of your father, think of your territory." The man in black whispered behind him.

Kesel's heart jumped, and the man's words made him determined.

"Find Josha," Keisel said, and there was an immediate commotion in the crowd, "all listen to find my sister, but don't hurt her, and bring her back to me." ”

"What if Miss Tsusha resists," someone in the crowd asked aloud, "what if Miss goes hunting a lot, and she even wears some armor?" ”

"Don't hurt my sister!" Kessel roared angrily, "If any of you dare to hurt her, I swear I'll look for him wherever he flees." ”

With that, Kessel turned his head and stared fiercely at the man in black, as if to tell him that these words were meant to him.

"I don't want to see Miss Jisha hurt either," the man in black took two steps forward and looked at the people below, "but you can't find her, and I promise that none of you will have a good time in the future." ”

Looking at the crowd that had dispersed, the man in black waved his hand to Kaisel and made a "please" gesture: "My lord, I think we should go and visit your father now, Lord Earl." ”

Keisel's face showed bitterness, he knew that he was just a puppet in the hands of this man now, and when they found Josha again, maybe the fate of the Kosencha family would be truly decided.

She walked sideways along a stone flute jutting out of the mountain wall, and within half a step of her feet was a steep slope, from which the best thing to do would be to lie in bed for the rest of her life and die.

"It's hard to think that there are places like this in Cosenza," said Odongne, who followed him cautiously along the mountain wall, "and there is a secret passage leading to the outside, but why don't we go in through the castle?" ”

Josa looked back at Ordonne: "Because not only are hundreds of people looking for us now, but the secret passage has been sealed by me, so we need to climb up this side of the hill and go back in." ”

With that, Jossa looked at Ordonne with a slightly playful look.

"I know what you're thinking, I think maybe the Kosencha family didn't really trust you from the beginning, otherwise I wouldn't have told you that there is this secret path, but this is the secret of the Kosencha family for many years, and it is also because of this Kosencha family that it has escaped several disasters."

Odonne pursed his chin: "Don't worry, miss, I only care if you will keep your promise and give me the territory promised to me, as for this secret passage now seems to be worthless." ”

"But you'll have to be glad it can help you get a piece of territory, especially if it's not underground."

Odonne was about to say something more, but Massimo, who was a little further behind, suddenly said, "Mademoiselle, that bohemian! ”

"What, what's wrong with the bohemians?"

"They're going to find the Bohemian, and then they're going to get through the secret passage, and then we'll be stuck in the secret passage."

Massimo's words made Tsusha's footsteps pause, and her body shook slightly, if it weren't for Odonne's quick hand next to her, it would even be a little dangerous.

"If that's the case, I'm just out of luck." Josha muttered to herself in a low voice.

As Josa said, the secret passages of Kosenza are formed naturally by the mountains behind the castle, and this is indeed a good thing to do.

This is because, although extremely steep, the crevice hidden between the two cliffs is not completely enclosed in the upper crevice.

In the early years, the ancestors of the Cosencha family also thought that the exits on both sides of the secret passage might be closed due to accidents, so they quietly built an unknown shortcut to the nearest mountain crack on the cliff in the eaves of the fort wall connected to the mountain.

The shortcut might have been a few inconspicuous bricks jutting out of the city walls, or perhaps a shaky but sturdy roof of the gallery, but it was so dangerous that when he walked on it, Massimo swore more than once that he would be a true religious monk if he could get out of the place alive.

Nor was she sure that the road would actually connect to the exit in the mountain crevice, and she had not even found the entrance to the road, and she was a little worried about the existence of this shortcut, which was only used in the most critical moments, according to the ancestors of the Kosenza family.

Now she was at the front, and she could only grope her way forward, and the crowd passing through the corridors above or under their feet would force them to stop until they were far away.

"Perhaps the one who should hand you over to the Duke," Ordonne suddenly reached out and grabbed the arm of Josha, who was about to step forward on a long purlin, "The Duke will not be stingy, after all, even Kaisel has betrayed you." ”

Jossa looked at the narrow purlin under her toes, which could fall if she deviated slightly, and then she slowly turned her head to look at Odouene: "But the Duke won't give you a piece of territory, and do you think that as long as I live, I will spare the person who betrayed me?" ”

Odonne looked at Josha's serious expression and slowly let go of his hand, he looked at the back of Josha who was carefully walking along the purlin, and smiled playfully: "Then I want to see how you don't let go of the person who betrayed you." ”

With the mountain wall in front of her and her feet getting easier to walk underneath, she knew that the hardest part of the road was over, and she let out a sigh of relief as her hand touched the uneven gravel in the crack of the mountain.

"Right here, get the stones out of the way." Josha instructed the men behind him, and then while Odonne beckoned his men, Josha quickly shoved one of the rings he was wearing into Mashimo's hand.

Massimo's lips moved slightly and quickly closed, and he quietly glanced at Masha as he pretended to be busy.

Jossa didn't say anything, she knew that just as she didn't trust Odonne, the former knight captain didn't feel at ease with her.

"Go in from here, and go up to the top of the hill as soon as possible," Jisha told the few men in front of him who were clearing the rubble, "and we'd better get out before the people below catch up." ”

"But if the top of the hill has been sealed by the Bohemians, as this man says, it will be all over," said Odonne to Tsuisa in a serious manner, "Mademoiselle, I want to make it clear that I have no obligation to protect you from the moment you have a musket pointed at me, so if the exit on the other side is really occupied by the Bohemians, I will hand you over to them." ”

"That's it." Without hesitation, Jisha nodded in agreement, "If that's the case, I won't have any complaints against you." ”

"I hope so." Odonne muttered, then ordered his men to go ahead, "But at least for now I will protect you, my men will go ahead, and if there is any danger, they will notify us in time." ”

Jossa nodded slightly as a token of gratitude, but as soon as O'Donne had gone a little far ahead, she whispered to Massimo, who was to follow her, "Don't get too close, if they do hand me over to the Bohemians, go back the way you came, find a way to hide, and then take the ring I gave you to my uncle, Count Mordillo." ”

After saying this, she thought for a moment, and then continued as if impulsively: "And tell him that your master is the illegitimate son of my mother, and that Giore Mordillo has also fallen into the hands of those Bohemians or Duke Frederick. ”

Looking at the look on her face that seemed to be a little cloudy, Massimo swallowed and nodded, he vaguely guessed the purpose of Zhisa's order, but he was not sure that Count Mordilo would come to save them after hearing the news.

"Whether your name is Alexandre Giulient Cambrai or George Mordillo, whether you are an important person as you say you are, it depends on whether Uncle Modillo will come to your rescue."

Whispering to herself, she followed Odonne into the dark crevices of the mountain.

Looking at her fading back, Massimo suddenly felt an indescribable palpitation in his heart.

Alexander walked forward with a torch, and several gypsies behind him stared warily at his back.

To this day, they don't know why Nashan not only let the Gaja man go, but even told themselves to obey his orders.

Now he had led them into the eerie-looking crevice, the cramped space around them uneasy for gypsies, who were not accustomed to such an environment.

There was still time for hope, and Alexander prayed to himself, for though he did not know that Frederick's men had gone to Cosenza, he knew that things must be bad.

There was a noise in the darkness ahead, and Alexander instinctively drew his sword, and then he heard an unusually familiar voice among the people on the other side shouting, "God, we are surrounded!" ”