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Walkthrough

For this quest, you'll need to attend a party -- which of course also means you'll need to find some fancy clothes. Your elegant clothing from previous parties (Elegant Courtier's Doublet, Nilfgaardian Trousers, Elegant Nilfgaardian Shoes) will still work, or you can go to the tailor's shop (#1) and buy some new clothing there. If you fail to have party-worthy clothes on you when you meet the duchess (#2), then she'll give you a set (Elegant Beauclair Doublet, Elegant Beauclair Trousers, Elegant Beauclair Boots) plus a Mandragora Mask. You'll get the mask no matter what. You won't earn any xp for making the duchess happy, so you might as well accept her generosity.

Note: While you're wandering around in Beauclair, you'll run into a band of hunters trying to collect on a bounty that has been placed on you. This is evidence that you're making headway in your invesigation.

At the entrance to the party, you and the duchess will decide to seek out Cecilia Bellante rather than the Cintrian so you generate less suspicion. The doorman will help you out by informing you that Cecilia wears a Koviri orchid in her hair. The duchess will also point out Orianna, the owner of the estate where the party is taking place.

Inside the party grounds, you'll have several things that you can do. You can examine paintings (#3), drink absinthe (#4), play with mimes (by carefully facing the interactive point in between them) (#5), throw some paint balls (#6), watch the illusions of the Great Kalesti (#7), light a lantern (#8), and make off with a lot of food and alcohol. You won't gain anything for participating in the events, so you can either do so or not as you see fit.

Eventually, you'll find the woman with a Koviri orchid in her hair. She'll be posing for the artist Dorian Vilesse (#9). Unfortunately, you'll quickly discover that the woman isn't Cecilia. Instead, you'll learn that Cecilia threw her orchid into the audience after singing earlier, and that this woman came away with it. But the woman will mention that she saw the Cecilia's escort give her a heart-shaped box near the refreshment tables.

You'll find the gift box right where the woman described (#10), and you'll detect the scent of perfume coming from it. You'll then be able to follow the scent through the party grounds and to a room blocked by a bodyguard (#11). But the bodyguard will recognize the duchess' voice, and he'll let you in -- where you'll discover Cecilia dead. The duchess will go back to the party to alert Orianna about the murder, and she'll leave you behind to find the Cintrian.

When you turn on your witcher senses, you'll spot a bloody handprint on the doorframe leading to the balcony, and from there you'll be able to follow the Cintrian's route over a door and up a ladder to Orianna's bedroom. Inside the bedroom, if you keep your witcher senses on, then you'll detect signs of a struggle -- including blood on a window frame -- and you'll discover that the Cintrian was after a Valuable Jewel but for some reason wasn't able to steal it. You'll also find a Decorative Hunting Knife on the floor.

Once you've examined enough things, the duchess and Orianna will enter the room, and you'll learn that Orianna surprised the Cintrian while he was trying to steal from her, and that during the struggle she pushed him through the window. Later, you'll discover that the jewel you found is actually the Heart of Toussaint, which once belonged to the duchess' family, and that the Cintrian had a picture of it on him, meaning he was taking orders from somebody, too. Finally, when you show the hunting knife to the duchess, she'll recognize it as belonging to the lords of Dun Tynne, which will give you your next place to investigate. But the duchess will suddenly suspect that her estranged sister Syanna might be involved in the murders and thefts, and she'll order you to keep her unharmed.

Awkwardly, at this point Regis and Dettlaff will show up. You'll worry that if Dettlaff were to learn what's going on, then he'd travel to Dun Tynne Castle and kill anyone he suspects of being one of his blackmailers, so you'll tell Regis to distract Dettlaff while you head out on your own. These conversations and revelations will end the quest and earn you 1500 xp.


1 - Tailor


2 - Alley


3 - Paintings


4 - Absinthe


5 - Mimes


6 - Paint Balls


7 - The Great Kalesti


8 - Lanterns


9 - Dorian Vilesse


10 - Gift Box


11 - Cecilia's Dressing Room