A giant chandelier adorned with chain links made of prismatic glass loomed over the audience hall, filling the room with iridescent rays that coiled and twisted as it swayed gently back and forth. The baron and baroness’s seats atop the raised part of the hall were empty, as both were busy working the crowd and attending to visiting dignitaries.

Helian entered the hall in the company of the baron’s son. She looked fantastic in the dress, and from her posture, it seemed she wasn’t under too much stress—at least not at the moment. It was difficult to stop myself from staring at her for too long, but eventually, I managed to tear my gaze away. If we made eye contact, this would all fall apart.

I tapped the countess on the shoulder and gestured in Helian’s direction. Lady Solana nodded, and I left through the kitchen door in the rear, striding confidently past a group of stressed waiters. The scent of boiling vegetable stock followed me outside and condensed into a cloud of fog as I pushed through the servants’ exit into the cold air outside.

My watch read 7:10—I had ten minutes until the next shift change.

I strolled casually to the large oak tree next to the west wall of the estate and picked up the burlap sack we’d thrown over the wall earlier. It contained everything I needed. I exchanged my dress uniform for a hooded cloak, gloves, and boots, then removed the tool case. The inside of the cloak had cloth loops sized appropriately for my throwing knives and rapier. This just left my main gauche, which I’d successfully smuggled past the baron’s guards on the way in after leaving Pretense in the countess’s possession. Once I strapped the dagger to my wrist, I was ready to go.

I returned the now-empty case to the bag, and after stowing it away in the tree branches, I threw the grappling hook up over the wall to create the appearance that I’d entered from outside. If the baron’s guards were on schedule, I had a minute or so left to prepare, which was more than enough time. I concealed myself in the shadow of the oak and dipped two daggers into my hip flask that was filled with anesthetic.

The two guards arrived right on time, walking slowly as they casually discussed the outcome of the previous day’s horse races. Once they passed underneath the tree and were fully concealed within its shadow, I whipped both wrists forward. My daggers grazed their necks, leaving thin, precise cuts.

The anesthetic worked quickly, bringing them to the ground before their confusion could turn into audible shock and alert the rest of the estate. I quickly dragged them behind the tree and propped their bodies against the trunk before placing a bottle of whiskey in one of their hands. With luck, the next guard rotation wouldn’t spot them, and once they were eventually discovered, the cause for their unconscious state would be obvious from the evidence I’d just planted.

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And now, my path to the balcony was clear.

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I grabbed Arsen Rydberg firmly by the neck and wrenched, forcing all 85 kilograms of his frame backward over the railing. He flailed in panic, forcing words through his constricted and bruised windpipe.

“Let go!”

I did not. As his body hurtled over the railing, I wrapped my cloak tight around my body and dropped down to follow him two stories down. I landed effortlessly on his chest with my full weight, driving the last traces of air from his lungs.

The young lord gasped for breath and clawed at my boots with his fingers, his nails scraping against the steel tip of my boot. Blood flowed from the back of his head and soaked into the dirt. His skull had probably cracked from his fall. I could tell by how he struggled under my heel that the force of my weight had broken multiple ribs. And still, I desperately wanted to break the rest of them one by one. Sadly, there just wasn’t enough time for that.

I drew my face close to his and whispered, “give the devil my regards, you piece of shit.”

And with that, I drove my main gauche deep into his chest. Blood flowed freely from his lips as he choked. His clouded eyes grew bright momentarily, then went glassy and dull as the rest of his body stopped moving.

Helian screamed above me. At the same time, a strange black smoke fled from Arsen’s body, dissipating into the evening chill.

It was time to go. I cast the blood from my weapon with a flick of my wrist, then dusted off my cloak and sprinted towards the oak tree, using the shadows cast by the passing clouds overhead for cover. I climbed up into the canopy of the tree to return the rest of my items to the concealed tool case to take back with me to the audience hall.

As expected, all the guards on shift promptly made their way to the area below the balcony I’d just fled, allowing me to escape through the servants’ exit and return to the hall unnoticed. Along the way, I’d switched back into my uniform and discarded the main gauche and daggers. It was a shame to part with such a fine weapon, but only a fool would hold on to evidence.

As planned, the countess had already left the audience chamber and made her way to the second floor. I’d done my job, now she could handle the rest. I waited, leaning against the wall hidden in the shadows.

I told myself that everything would be fine. After all, things had gone according to plan thus far, hadn’t they?