"Is it a priesthood?" Bella continued. (ix)

"It's not." Elena replied.

If it's not a priesthood, then a priest, a bishop, and the like don't have to think about it. Isn't it something of a religious nature? That doesn't seem to be much narrower.

"Is it a nobleman?" (x)

"Yes."

The nobility in Europe now is mainly dukes, marquises, counts, viscounts, and barons. In addition, there are princes, grand dukes, slave barons, knights, and many more. Every country is different. In addition, even if you are a nobleman, you may hold important government positions such as governors and judges. Therefore, the nobility alone does not clearly distinguish between specific duties.

However, even if you are a nobleman, you don't necessarily have to take on any specific job. There are also some people who simply enjoy the title and do not undertake any specific work. The Palace of Versailles has quite a few.

The problem has progressed to a fair level, and in terms of progress, it should not be too bad to be able to narrow the scope to this extent. However, the next thing is the most troublesome part, because there are too many things like identity occupations, and it is difficult to divide them in two, and there is no way to determine them by asking questions. If you exclude them one by one, ten questions are definitely not enough.

Elena, this guy, is really cunning enough.

"Do you need a royal appointment?" Bella then asked. (xi)

"Yes."

Although some nobles have a longer history and existed even before the birth of the kingdom, those who stand in the minority after all, and most of the nobles now are obtained by dividing the feuds. After the Renaissance, many of the newly feuded nobles had no territory, so at least some of the great families could be excluded.

What needs to be considered, then, is to be able to further limit to a smaller range.

"Is it in Paris?" (xii)

"Yes."

Paris is the capital of France, and there are hundreds of nobles with titles in Versailles alone. Not only that, but many generals who fought abroad will also return to Paris to report on their duties, so should they also be counted?

"In this salon?" Bella asked. (xiii)

"Yes."

Bella looked around. There were quite a few people in Madame Roland's salon. There are at least a dozen identities, how should they be determined?

Wait, Bella feels a little wrong, why are so many questions answered in the affirmative in a row?

Isn't this going too well?

With what Bella knew about Elena, she couldn't have made it so easy for her.

If this continues, it should be possible to lock on to the target soon.

However, looking at Elena's sinister expression, there must be some small calculation, could it be that she has fallen into her trap.

There are seven remaining issues, and as long as we continue to rule them out and narrow them down, we should be able to get results soon.

After all, there were only a few people in Madame Roland's salon.

"What's wrong, Bella?" Elena said jokingly, "There are seven more questions. Do you want to guess one by one?"

That expression, appeared!

That smug expression, the embodiment of the little devil alive!

At this time, you must not be in a hurry, otherwise you will completely fall into the other party's full set.

First of all, let's sort it out - something "concrete", something that can be "seen", that is unique to "human society", that is "alive" and "moving" around us, that is not an animal, that it is an "identity or a profession", but that it is not a priesthood, it is an aristocracy, and it needs to be "appointed and dismissed by the royal family", not only in Paris, but also in this salon.

It's in this salon......

"Yes...... Is it hereditary?" Bella asked. (xiv)

"Hmm......" Elena hesitated for a moment, then replied, "No."

"Huh?"

Not hereditary? This is rare. Most of the titles of nobility can be hereditary, although the king often has to issue a decree, but in fact it is still obtained by inheritance, and the king cannot be appointed or dismissed at will. Some titles or honors awarded for meritorious service, such as knighthood, cannot be hereditary, and their glory lasts only a lifetime, and their children cannot continue to enjoy it. In addition, some nobles would serve in the court, and their official titles were also appointed and removed by the royal family, but they could not be hereditary.

Although it is clear that it is a noble status, it does not limit whether it is a specific title or a certain official position.

Wait, what is generally appointed and dismissed by the royal family, isn't it impossible to be hereditary? This actually excludes most of the options. But why did Elena hesitate just now?

Is there anything missing?

"Uh...... Is it gender-specific?" Bella asked. (xv)

"Limited."

The status of the royal appointment and dismissal is limited to gender, and it cannot be hereditary, so it is likely to be an honor awarded to someone.

She looked around again.

However, there is no nobleman in the salon who has been honored for his achievements, so what exactly is Elena writing about?

"Is it a specific person?" (xvi)

"It's not."

"......," Bella pondered.

Isn't it a specific person? That is, more than one person has this identity, or at least not both.

At this time, Bella noticed a sly smile on the corner of Elena's mouth.

This smile is the state that Elena showed when the trick was about to succeed.

Wait, did you start from where before, and there was a problem with the direction of thinking?

Elena must have written a word that was not easy to think of, or was confusing.

That is, she has been misleading herself.

However, the question was raised by Bella herself, why was she brought into a complete set?

"Is it someone we know?" Bella asked. (xvii)

"Acquaintance!" Elena mischievously closed her eyes.

Now let's look at it again, it is the identity of the person Bella and Elena knows, a kind of aristocratic identity that cannot be hereditary, which needs to be appointed and dismissed by the royal family, but it is not only enjoyed by a specific person, the key is that in this salon, will there be this status?

"Yes...... Is it unique?" Bella asked. (xviii)

Elena hesitated for a moment, a flash of surprise in her eyes, and then said faintly, "Yes."

At this time, Bella showed a relieved smile.

"I see." "The answer is the Queen."

It is a kind of aristocracy, not a priesthood, which requires the appointment and dismissal of the royal family, but in Paris, it cannot be hereditary, and it is also limited to gender. Although more than one person can become this status, it is unique, that is, only one person can enjoy it at a time.

The most important thing is that although the queen is not in the salon, there are "queen" chess pieces on the chessboard in front of them.

Elena was being careful.

"Excessive!" Elena fluffed and flipped the note over, and it was indeed the word "queen".