Schönbrunn Palace was the royal residence of the Habsburgs and the administrative center of the Duchy of Austria, and in general security was absolutely tight.

Especially during such celebrations.

Before entering the palace gates, men and women are subjected to separate and strict searches. In addition to the necessary items and wands for personal defense, all lethal weapons and any dangerous magic items must be collected to ensure the smooth running of the party.

Overall, the level of security is quite high.

The entire hall is lit with the latest electricity. The cooking method of food retains the necessary steps of traditional cooking.

The combination of old and new technology allows the banquet to combine the convenience brought by modern scientific progress while preserving the habits and style of classical customs.

The meat was delivered from a ranch on the outskirts of Vienna that afternoon, where it was prepared by the royal chef. And all the red wine was taken out of the ice cellar half an hour before the banquet began.

The entourage of all the people attending the banquet was also properly arranged.

At this time, Bella realized that there were not many people like the three of them who were directly invited to live in Schönbrunn Palace.

It seems that it is mostly because of Mr. Holder's relationship that he has such an honor.

However, the Habsburg royal family also wanted to have a good relationship with these two families.

After all, the Medici of the South had a strong economic strength that brought them a lot of trade income. The Carlos family in the north has an extraordinary influence in the wizarding world.

Thinking of this, Bella was curious if Lady Isabel would also attend such an occasion.

But after looking for a long time, I didn't see a person in a wheelchair.

The representatives of Iberia were just a few young people.

"I don't know how Lady Isabel is doing after Miss Angela leaves." Bella muttered to herself.

Elena didn't think much about it, and actually ate it with Anna.

The banquet was opened by Prince Kaunitz.

Dressed in a well-cut suit and white wig, he stood on the stage to greet everyone.

After a brief speech, Empress Maria Theresa, Grand Duke and Mother of Austria, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia, took the stage to deliver a speech.

The Empress, dressed in a splendid gown and wearing a golden laurel wreath, opened the manuscript in her hand and began to read out the speech that had taken months for the secretarial team to write.

She thanked all the guests and paid tribute to the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, then expressed her wish to be a mother, and concluded with a wish for the eternal survival of the Franco-Austrian Alliance.

Later, the Duke of Tourfo took the stage as a special envoy sent by the Dauphin of France to announce the establishment of the deep friendship between the two countries.

Bella just listened quietly in the crowd, and she didn't have any particular feelings about politics. Anna ate by herself. Only Elena, who couldn't stand such a serious occasion, was bored and tired of cutting the ham on the table into small pieces.

The crowd listened attentively or casually, occasionally whispering to each other.

Just when the Duke of Durfo finished speaking, picked up the red wine brought by the waiter, and invited everyone to raise a glass to celebrate—

Suddenly, it was dark all around, and suddenly he couldn't see his five fingers.

All the lights go out at the same time, it must be a problem with the power supply system.

I heard a "bang" and the sound of glass breaking.

The crowd began to stir.

Prince Kaunitz appealed not to be nervous, but his voice in the darkness did not make much difference.

Soon, though, within a minute, the lighting was restored.

"Don't be nervous, it's just a short circuit." Prince Kautz comforted everyone.

The people present didn't pay much attention to it.

It seems that this kind of power outage accident is still relatively common.

But just as everyone moved their eyes back to the stage, an amazing scene appeared in front of them.

The Duke of Durfo, who had just been full of enthusiasm, was lying quietly on the floor at the moment, his goblet shattered to the ground, and the rest of the red wine was spilled on the ground.

As a result, the banquet was forced to be suspended.

Prince Kanitz hurriedly summoned the palace infirmary.

After a simple diagnosis, the Duke of Durfo was explained to be in temporary shock due to overwork, and it was enough to recuperate in peace.

Everyone looked at each other and was skeptical.

Prince Kautz instructed the attendants to take good care of the envoy, and immediately had the stains on the stage cleaned.

The banquet continued.

Amadeus served as the chief conductor of the court orchestra and was in charge of all the repertoire tonight. At this time, he was leading the team on the stage to start playing.

Noble men and women from all over Europe started today's dinner with melodious music.

Bella, a little concerned about what had just happened, explained her concerns to Elena.

"I always feel a sense of foreboding." Bella said.

"It seems a little ridiculous," replied Alina, "but I also think your hunch always works."

"Huh? Is there one?"

"Whether there is one or not, we'll find out if we ask." Elena said, stood up, and beckoned to Mr. Holder, who was not far away.

Holder was chatting with Empress Teresa, and when he saw Elena's greeting, he said goodbye to his mother and walked towards him.

"Is there anything I can do for you, this beautiful young lady?" Holder walked over and bowed courteously.

"Alright, alright, don't be so polite." Elena said, "Tell me, what just happened?"

"Just now?"

"Don't be sloppy with me, is that messenger named Durfo really tired and fainted?"

"Ah, this ...... That's what the medic said." Holder scratched the back of his head.

"Ahh

"Uh......" Holder lowered his voice, "To be honest, I don't believe it either."

"That's fine." Elena said.

"But just now the Queen Mother said, let me not ask."

"You're ...... How obedient is this?" Elena deliberately accentuated her tone, squinting at Holder out of the corner of her eye.

"Uh......" Holder frowned, "Not really. But even if we want to investigate, we don't know where to start."

"There are two clues." Elena said, "First of all, the man named Durfo fell down after drinking red wine, right?"

"Well, it should be." Holder nodded.

"So, could it be that someone has tampered with the red wine?"

"Quite possibly."

"Again." Elena took a bite of the ham, swallowed it, and continued, "The sudden power outage just now is always very unpleasant."

"You mean, did someone deliberately cut off the power?" Holder asked.

"Maybe?" Elena asked rhetorically.