In the dark, silent cellar, Shermane fumbled to secure the object before her, making her final preparations.
As a Witch, she naturally possessed the Dark Vision every assassin had, but her gaze was not on her work at all. Instead, she stared unfocused into the distance, lost in thought.
Based on her experience as an Assassin and an Instigator, she knew she already had one foot across the threshold of Sequence 6. All she needed was one final act that produced substantial feedback to fully digest the potion within her and lay all the groundwork for her advancement.
Only then will I be worthy of the title "Empress of Pentacles" that Irene... no, Miss Angelica bestowed on me... In the darkness, the corners of her lips rose into a barely discernible smile.
Ever since confirming that her superior was not one of the demonesses from the Demoness Sect who had caused the Great Smog, but someone far beyond her expectations—the Golden Queen, Angelica Zaki—Shermane had been prone to these occasional secret smiles.
Even Trissy had grown curious, repeatedly reminding her not to grin foolishly in front of Viscount Stratford, lest he suspect that the Innocent Girl he was so close to winning over had met another outstanding man.
Right, Viscount Stratford... As she thought of her mission target, the smile gradually vanished from Shermane's face, replaced by a serious expression.
According to Trissy's arrangements, she would soon advance to a Demoness of Pleasure, then make the viscount—who was already growing impatient and had repeatedly tried to invite her to his residence—fall in love with her, before drawing out all the secrets in his heart.
Afterward, she would be able to extricate herself from this months-long mission and, following Miss Angelica's arrangements, develop her own power base in the East Borough,