Valdo, an ambitious young apprentice working for Da Vinci's disciple Francesco Melzi, is extremely disappointed when the scholar suddenly dismisses him. However, shortly afterwards, he receives a letter from a mysterious patron, asking him to locate one of the great master's missing codices. To access Da Vinci's last residence, the Manoir du Cloux near Ambroise, Valdo tells its new occupant, a courtesan by the name of Babou de la Bourdaisiere, that he is Francesco Melzi's apprentice and that he wishes to examine the inventions that still remain on the estate. Under this cover, he starts to scour the estate: Babou's bedroom, Leonardo's workshop, the grounds, and dovecot, leaving no stone unturned. In the course of his investigations, he encounters a wide array of intriguing characters: Babou herself, Saturnin, a suspicious looking guardian, and the King of France himself. To accomplish his mission, he has to solve a series of enigmas devised by the great master himself if Da Vinci's inventions are to function again. On the trail of the genius, Valdo is no more aware of the secrets he is about to unveil as of the danger lurking in the dark.