As soon as he returned to the Aurora Order's base, the attendant hurried up to greet him. "That lady is still waiting for you in the sitting room."
"Lady?"
Edward asked, "When did she arrive? How long has she been waiting?"
"Almost five hours."
Edward washed his hands in the basin as usual, then took the dry towel the attendant offered and dried his hands as he walked toward the sitting room. At the doorway, he saw a woman in a dress and a veiled hat sitting on the sofa.
He quickly searched Mr. F's memories and confirmed that this was his first time seeing her.
"May I ask what brings you here, ma'am?"
As he spoke, he sat down opposite her. The moment he glimpsed her stunning face through the thin veil, Edward concluded that she was most likely another Demoness.
So, was she here because of that other Demoness?
"I'm Lina's older sister."
The woman's voice was enough to make one go weak.
"Who's Lina?"
Edward was not playing dumb. Mr. F genuinely did not know the name of the Demoness who had issued the commission.
"The girl who commissioned you to assassinate Earl Clear."
"Oh, her?"
Edward leaned back, crossing his index fingers. "Where is she? I've finished the job. Isn't it time to pay the balance?"
The woman placed a bag full of money on the table. "Something came up, so she couldn't come. Here's the balance. Where's the item?"
"What item?"
Edward looked puzzled. "You don't mean Earl Clear's head, do you? I don't have that. The agreement was only to kill him."
"..."
The woman looked at him quietly. "The item in the basement of the villa at 7 Rose Street."
"Oh."
Edward reached beneath the coffee table and "pulled out" a Brass Rod.