Chapter 269 Gwyneth
It was getting late. After leaving the auction, Isabella and William decided to stay at a hotel for the night and return to Lumaria the next day.
Rosalind had the driver drop them off at the hotel entrance. After saying their goodbyes, Rosalind headed straight back to the Waverly family castle.
In the main hall, Seraphina sat on the sofa elegantly drinking coffee. Seeing Rosalind come in, she narrowed her eyes slightly and asked, "How much do you know about that girl from Lumaria?"
Rosalind paused mid-step. "Why are you suddenly asking about this?"
Seraphina pressed her fingers to her temples. "I just want to know if she can do hypnosis."
Rosalind frowned slightly. "Hypnosis? Isabella can't do that."
She didn't understand why Seraphina was asking this.
But she had a guess. "Rose is gone. Are you trying to hire a new hypnotist to help you sleep?"
Even in Novaria, hypnotists weren't easy to find. Because of their special abilities, hypnotists didn't like being hired. It had taken Seraphina a lot of time and effort to find Rose back then.
Seraphina shook her head. "No, I'm just asking."
"I've never heard William mention that Isabella can do hypnosis, and there's no way Isabella could do it," Rosalind said. "Besides, I only just found out that Isabella is an ancient martial arts professional."
At this point, Rosalind's eyes darkened.
This discovery had really surprised her.
Seraphina was also a bit shocked. "She's an ancient martial arts professional?"
"You couldn't tell either, could you?"
Seraphina shook her head. "She doesn't look like one."
Or rather, their impression of Lumaria people had always been like this—Lumaria people didn't know ancient martial arts, and their physical abilities were average. This impression had always existed, so whenever someone was from Lumaria, they never thought about ancient martial arts professionals.
Rosalind walked over and sat down on the opposite sofa, poured herself a cup of coffee, took a sip, and said, "This afternoon we ran into people from the Whitley family. There was a conflict over an auction item. You know what the Whitley family is like—no different from bandits."
"He blocked our way and wouldn't let us leave. Naturally, I was no match for Damon, but Isabella stepped in and seriously injured him."
When they left, Damon was still lying on the ground unable to get up. He was probably badly hurt.
To be able to beat Damon like that, Isabella's Inner Energy was clearly far above Damon's.
Hearing this, Seraphina raised her eyebrows slightly. "She actually managed to hurt Damon?"
After all, even if she faced Damon herself, she wouldn't necessarily have the upper hand.
Rosalind drank her coffee and said nothing more.
Seraphina couldn't help but think of the palm strike she had aimed at Isabella earlier. At the time, she thought Isabella hadn't reacted because she couldn't respond in time. Now it seemed that Isabella simply didn't think she could hurt her.
She was that confident? What level was her strength actually at?
Seraphina continued, "Isabella probably isn't purely from Lumaria. Half her bloodline should come from an ancient martial arts family in the Northern Ice Empire."
Rosalind agreed completely. "I think so too."
Because when she was looking into Isabella's background, she discovered that Isabella was a child the Taylor family had lost, with a somewhat complicated past.
Now she was almost certain that Isabella was mixed blood from the Northern Ice Empire and Lumaria.
Seraphina's expression became more serious. "Since she's an ancient martial arts professional, then she definitely can't be a hypnotist."
Whether it was ancient martial arts or hypnotic abilities, both came from genetic inheritance. Current research in the Northern Ice Empire on these two types of genes had determined that these two special genes were mutually exclusive. Even if one parent was a hypnotist and the other an ancient martial arts professional, the child would only inherit one trait from either the father or mother, never possessing both special genes simultaneously.
So it was impossible to practice both ancient martial arts and hypnosis. This was why throughout the Northern Ice Empire's history, there had never been anyone who practiced both.
"But there are exceptions."
Elijah suddenly walked in from outside.
He had heard Seraphina and Rosalind's conversation and said thoughtfully, "The Powell family has someone who practices both ancient martial arts and hypnosis."
Seraphina and Rosalind both looked at him in unison. "Who?"
"Gwyneth Powell."
Hearing this name, both Seraphina and Rosalind were shocked.
The name "Gwyneth" was already legendary.
Four years ago, after the Powell family patriarch died of illness, the one who took over as head of the Powell family was Gwyneth.
And Gwyneth was a woman.
Why the Powell family would let a woman inherit the position of family head was puzzling, but regardless, the current head of the Powell family was indeed Gwyneth.
At some important noble and royal events, Seraphina and Rosalind had occasionally had the chance to meet Gwyneth.
Gwyneth had a very strong presence, with a natural queenly aura that was quite intimidating. Just standing there, she made people want to submit. Even Efrain could only speak to her respectfully.
Moreover, Gwyneth was already in her forties, but she didn't look it at all. She was extremely beautiful, with well-maintained skin and a perfect, tall figure. No matter how you looked at her, she seemed only twenty-seven or twenty-eight.
Seraphina was very surprised. "Gwyneth practices both hypnosis and ancient martial arts?"
Elijah stroked his chin. "Seems like it, though I can't be completely sure."
Everyone knew what it meant to practice both ancient martial arts and hypnosis.
Normally, ancient martial arts professionals had physical abilities beyond ordinary people, but their mental strength was weaker than average—meaning ancient martial arts professionals were more susceptible to mental attacks than ordinary people.
Hypnotists were the opposite. Hypnotists had stronger mental strength than most people, but their physical abilities were inferior to ordinary people. Many hypnotists specifically went to the gym and practiced taekwondo or boxing, but still couldn't match ordinary people in a fight. Their immune systems were also very weak, making them prone to illness.
So whether ancient martial arts professionals or hypnotists, they all had their own weaknesses.
But practicing both ancient martial arts and hypnosis meant this person had no weaknesses—both their physical abilities and mental strength were excellent.
An ancient martial arts professional who could hypnotize could face any other ancient martial arts professional and, by using hypnosis to confuse their opponent's mind, instantly defeat them.
And a hypnotist who knew ancient martial arts could ignore any form of mental attack and easily kill a hypnotist whose physical condition was worse than an ordinary person's.
Elijah thought for a moment, stroking his chin. "If Gwyneth really is the first person in history to practice both ancient martial arts and hypnosis, then it makes perfect sense for the Powell family to have her inherit the position of family head."
After all, above the thirty-six clans were the seven great families.
Because the power and resources of the Northern Ice Empire weren't controlled by the royal family but by the seven great families, the struggles among the seven great families had never stopped, and their conflicts were often more brutal.
Just a few days ago, the bodies of three elders from one of the families had been pulled from the river one after another, their deaths quite gruesome.
To be able to kill three elders from one of the seven great families at once must have been the work of someone from another of the seven great families, and one with a deep grudge at that.
So every family hoped that the strongest young member would become the family head, because this person would directly determine the family's rise or fall.
And someone talented in both hypnosis and ancient martial arts would naturally be favored by the elders. Choosing such a person to inherit the family's great responsibility was not surprising at all.