The morning sun streamed into Lilliana's bedchamber, a cheerful intrusion that did little to lift the heavy atmosphere that had lingered since the previous night's disastrous dinner. Lilliana sat at her vanity table while Viviana stood behind her, carefully brushing her long, golden hair.
"I couldn't wait to see the outcome,"Viviana thought, her expression quiet in the mirror's reflection despite the cold calculations racing through her mind. Her hands were steady, but her thoughts were on the potent neurotoxin she had personally prepared and delivered. " I just hope the poison actually works as intended. Talon's notes on Viper's Kiss were clear: fast-acting, brutally effective, with a near-zero survival rate for an unprepared target. Did I manage a delivery deep enough with the dart? Was the dosage sufficient to take him down? This uncertainty… it's excruciating. I need confirmation."
