The three of them followed the forest path to the place described by Duke James.

There are no special man-made facilities along the way, except for trees and flowers.

"The air in the forest is so fresh." Bella couldn't help but sigh.

As the sun rose, the morning mist in the forest had lifted, and the scent of plants filled the air.

Holder found a footprint, presumably from Duke James. So he crouched down and carefully studied the dirt on the ground.

Elena was inspecting the grass nearby.

"It's—" The two exclaimed almost simultaneously.

"What's wrong?" Bella was still enjoying the scenery in the woods when she was pulled back to reality by the voices of the two, "What did you find?"

"There are remnants of tulips on the blades of grass." Elena said seriously, "This extract diffuses in the air and can produce hallucinogenic effects, making it one of the many illusion casting items."

Elena nodded confidently.

"There are sweat stains and mandala pollen in the soil." Holder carefully analyzed it and said, "The mandala has a paralyzing effect, and the Duke may have been lying here for a while after being attacked by someone."

Holder wripped a pinch of dust and nodded solemnly.

"No, the Duke was disoriented when he fell for an illusion." Miss Elena emphasized.

"No, no, no, he must have been anesthetized, and he will sweat so much when he falls here." Not to be outdone, Mr. Holder was not to be outdone.

"I said it was an illusion!"

"It should be anesthetic!"

"In the honor of the Medici family, I can't be wrong when it comes to potions and illusions!"

"With the dignity of the Habsburgs, I am absolutely sure of the analysis of the soil!"

"It's an illusion!"

"It's anesthesia!"

"Illusion!"

"Anesthesia!"

……

The two quarreled.

"Ahh Bella's head was about to explode, "The Duke was first anesthetized and fell to the ground, and then fell into illusion!"

These two are two goods.

Bella was truly speechless.

"Humph!" Elena and James were angry like little children.

"Since the two of them found the clue at the same time," Bella mediated, "then it's a draw, okay?"

"Not good!" The two said in unison.

"Obviously, my discovery is more valuable. If it weren't for the illusion, how could the Duke not have found his way?" Elena spoke firmly.

"If he hadn't been anesthetized first, how could a little illusion trap him? I guess my findings are more valuable!" Holder showed no signs of weakness.

The two quarreled again.

Bella didn't want to deal with them right now.

Now that the duke's puzzle has been solved, all that's left is—

Wait, as if something was missing.

Bella couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Who attacked Duke James? What is the motivation?

He was not injured, which meant that the other party did not need to do anything, but it made him lose his way in the forest.

What exactly is the purpose?

Bella pondered, and before she knew it, she walked to the place where the Duke had fallen.

She looked back, and could indeed see Valdraz Fort not far away.

Moreover, through the gaps in the leaves of the trees, not only the castle but also several windmills can be faintly glimpsed.

Even at night, with the help of the moon and stars, it should be easy to determine the direction of the sea.

If after being attacked by a sneak attack, the illusion was applied again, then there was only one purpose, which was to make it impossible for the Duke to go back before dawn.

If that's the case—

"Not good." Bella suddenly realized something, "Hurry back!"

Elena and Holder also stopped arguing when they saw Bella's serious expression.

The three of them quickly returned the way they came, and rushed to the castle.

The hall was empty.

Just when the three of them were at a loss, there was a loud noise upstairs.

Bella, Alina, and Holder quickly rushed to the second floor.

The crowd gathered at the door of Lady Isabel's room.

"Sure enough, it's you." Isabel said coldly.

Bella and the others stepped forward to take a look.

Inside, Professor Anthony holds a wand in his right hand and holds Miss Angela's neck with his left hand.

"How did you find me?" The professor asked sharply.

"Huh." Isabel sneered, "Remember the conversation you had with the butler on the first day you were here?"

"Huh? What conversation?"

"You asked, 'When will the lord of the Venerable family come out?'"

"What's wrong with that?" The professor was puzzled.

"If you're really here for the first time, why are you so sure that the lord of the castle is a 'lord' and not a 'lady' or 'miss'?" Isabel said unhurriedly.

"What an old fox." The professor was even more vigilant.

"If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who wrote to Yuli to come here for a banquet, right? The purpose is to bring us here so that we can help you find out the secret of Valdraz."

"Yes, I am the owner of this castle today, the current lord of the castle, Anthony Filina. My great-grandfather bought the castle, which had been abandoned for many years, at auction in order to unlock the secrets of the Valdraz family. It's a pity that it took three generations in vain before it finally reached me. I racked my brains to come up with such a method. I know that once the invitation is issued, the major families will definitely not turn a blind eye." The professor finally smiled treacherously, "As expected, you didn't disappoint me."

"That's an honor." Isabel remained flat and expressionless.

"Why, aren't you afraid, I'll take your daughter—" Anthony said, his left hand tighter.

Miss Angela looked pained.

Elena tried to rush up, but was stopped by Lady Isabel.

"Don't move!" The professor threatened.

Neither did the people dare to act rashly.

"What do you want?" Madame asked calmly.

"I want you to help me get the Stone of Kronos." The professor replied.

"That's what you're for?"

"What, don't want to? Don't forget, your daughter is in my hands."

"But how do we know where that stone is?" Elena said eagerly, "You let Miss Angela go first."

"Hahaha-" Professor Anthony laughed out loud, "Ask her."

As he spoke, the professor pointed his wand at Isabel in a wheelchair.

"I've investigated, and you're probably the descendant of the Valdraz family five hundred years ago."

"What?" Everyone looked at Isabel in amazement.

"You know," the professor continued, "as long as I open the seal—"

"Are you crazy?" Madame Isabel suddenly became nervous, and her mood fluctuated significantly, "No one can stop ......"

"I don't care!" The professor growled, "That's why you got it! You're all among the best in the family."

Not only Bella, Elena, and Holder, but also Duke James and Reverend Paul were struggling.

Although they didn't get along for a long time, as a nobleman and a clergyman, it was definitely a shameful act to not save them when they saw death.

Perhaps, he calculated everyone's reaction before he hijacked Miss Angela.

"Tell me, what do you want us to do?" The Duke asked.

"It's kind of acquaintance." The professor said, "Wait until I open the seal—"

"Don't listen to him!" Isabel interrupted again, "If the seal is broken, we will all die here."

"But, Miss Angela......" Elena did not understand why Madame was so determined.

"You've got it figured, old woman!" The professor shouted, "If only I pushed a little harder—"

"I think you're getting two things wrong." Isabel regained her calm tone.

"What's that?"

"First of all, I'm not a descendant of the Valdraz family." Isabel said, "My ancestors only worked as servants in this castle, similar to Yuri's job. I don't have the blood of the Valdraz family in me."

"It doesn't matter." The professor replied, "The problem is solved anyway."

"Secondly, you can't hurt Angela."