Chapter 8: The Letter

Angel raised her head, exhausted, as warm sunlight replaced the cold red moonlight. She tossed aside the fountain pen, its ink nearly depleted.

Before her lay two pages of notes, detailing "Angel Granger's" journey from Sivella County to Tingen in Ahowa County, along with future plans and contingencies.

After committing the night's work to memory, Angel tore out the pages, then ripped out a few extra for good measure. She burned them all to ashes in the stove and flushed the remains down the drain.

Noting it was nearly 8 AM, she freshened up in the bathroom to appear less tired.

As the clock struck eight, accompanied by church bells outside, there came a crisp knock at the door.

"Knock knock knock—"

Cole Granger, living alone, had hired a maid through a housekeeping agency to do laundry and cleaning on Monday and Friday mornings, and to collect dried laundry on Tuesday afternoons. He paid 1 soli per week for this service.

Angel calculated that even if the maid worked from dawn to dusk all week, she'd earn less than 10 soli—a decent job for the lower class that required no special skills or knowledge.

It was time for her arrival.

Practicing a natural smile in the mirror, Angel told herself: "From now on, you are Angel Granger, Cole Granger's distant cousin."

She repeated this three times before leaving the bathroom.

Opening the front door, street noise flooded in. A small woman stood there, her brown curls barely tamed by a headband, wearing a cheap linen dress. She carried a bucket of cleaning supplies in one hand, the other poised to knock again.

Seeing the door open, she greeted cheerfully: "Hello, Mr. Gran—" She stopped short, realizing it wasn't her employer but a strange young woman.

After glancing around to confirm she had the right house, she asked, "Beautiful lady, hello. Is Mr. Granger home?"

"You must be the maid my cousin hired? He's not home now, please come in and start cleaning," Angel replied with a smile, stepping aside.

"Oh, alright!" The maid entered briskly, closing the door behind her.

This was part of Angel's plan—to interact with as many people as possible, leaving an impression. Even if the police doubted her identity documents, their inquiries would yield the desired conclusion.

She also needed to spread word of Cole Granger's disappearance.

"I'm Angel Granger. I just arrived in Tingen this week and I'm staying here temporarily. Your name is... Tromi, right? Cole mentioned you," Angel said, feigning recollection. Seeing Tromi nod, she continued, "He left urgently two nights ago with a leather bag and hasn't returned since."

Angel displayed a worried expression, which successfully affected the kind-hearted Tromi. The maid expressed concern for Cole Granger's safety, and they discussed his whereabouts before Tromi began her work.

Perfect, Angel thought. This laid the groundwork for naturally bringing up filing a police report when Tromi returned on Monday morning.

Angel smiled slightly as she watched the busy maid.

...

Over the next two days, Angel visited nearly every place Cole frequented around Daffodil Street.

At restaurants, libraries, bakeries, markets, and even the weapons shop Cole had only visited twice, she spread the news of "Cole Granger's disappearance for several days" while dining or shopping, ensuring they remembered this concerned out-of-town relative.

Saturday evening, Angel returned home to find the laundry that had been hanging on the second-floor balcony at noon now collected by Tromi.

"Cole actually gave the maid a key? He must really trust Tromi," Angel mused. Before leaving, she had hidden valuables like the revolver and cash in a secret compartment of the study desk. In her memory, Cole often forgot to lock the study door—either he was careless or he truly trusted this Tromi.

Since Tromi had worked here for some time, Angel had no immediate plans to replace her, but she would keep valuables secure rather than test human nature.

As she was about to enter, a corner of an envelope peeking out of the mailbox caught her attention.

Could it be from Tromi? Or perhaps a gas bill?

Curious, Angel retrieved the letter. The envelope bore no sender or recipient name, nor a stamp, indicating it wasn't from the postal system.

She tore open the envelope and pulled out the thin paper inside. After one glance, she stuffed it back in, entered the house, and moments later slipped out the back door, lightly dressed, cloaked, carrying all her cash and weapons.

She was preparing to flee.

...

It wasn't until she boarded a public carriage that Angel calmed slightly.

She recalled the letter she had just received, its few words plunging her into the worst-case scenario she had imagined.

"Tomorrow night at 8, meet at the usual place."

Unsigned, but the graceful, confident handwriting was Sharon Hoey's.

To most in Tingen, Madam Sharon was an untouchable socialite who remained active in various circles after her husband Baron Hoey's death, maintaining the Baron's political and business networks. Rumors even suggested an intimate relationship with her stepson, the current Baron Hoey.

Cole, deeply enchanted by Madam Sharon, was undoubtedly one of her devoted admirers, obeying her every word like other suitors.

But to Angel, who could now view the memories objectively, this Madam Sharon was one of the most dangerous people in Tingen.

She possessed power far beyond a Sequence 7 "Witch," possibly reaching Sequence 6. The extraordinary abilities Cole had witnessed included attacks with externalized frost-black flames and invisible spider silk that could bind others.

While the "Assassin's" night vision and light steps could be considered "the peak of normal human capability," Madam Sharon's various abilities truly qualified as "extraordinary." Even in Angel's original world, such a person would be considered a top-tier combatant.

Of course, Madam Sharon probably hadn't yet realized this Cole was not the original. But Angel wasn't confident she could conceal her situation from a Sequence 7 or stronger Beyonder, even with most of Cole's memories. She couldn't portray another person flawlessly.

Moreover, what if Madam Sharon asked her to demonstrate her newly acquired extraordinary abilities?

Unable to fight and unwilling to join, fleeing was the only option.

In Angel's original plan, she had considered the important factor of Madam Sharon, but she had intended to face this former "mentor" after thorough preparation and groundwork. By then, she would have been more confident in either deceiving or breaking ties.

She just hadn't expected Madam Sharon's invitation to come so quickly.

After all, Cole was one of Madam Sharon's "bedfellows," so inviting him to the "usual place" after his promotion to Sequence 7 was normal. But for Angel, it was a death sentence.

Facing Madam Sharon without completing various preparations was almost certain death.

"Perhaps a full-force strike as an 'Assassin' could succeed?" Angel quickly suppressed this hopeful thought. The opponent was also from an 'Assassin' background; it wouldn't be that easy.

"Red Moon Street," the coachman announced.

Several passengers moved to exit. This was also Angel's first stop on her escape route. She followed the others off the carriage.

As the sound of hooves and wheels faded, Angel stood on the bustling Red Moon Street, gazing at her destination: Tingen City Police Headquarters.

It was a six-story building with a walled courtyard, rare in the cramped North District of Tingen. The main entrance was wide enough for four carriages to pass through. Though it was after hours and most interior lights were off, the guards at the entrance stood at attention.

She took out a thick envelope from under her cloak and walked towards the tip-off mailbox by the main entrance. This red, chest-high mailbox was set up for citizens to submit anonymous or named reports. Originally managed by the city hall, they found most anonymous tips involved criminal activities and handed the task over to the police department.

The envelope Angel held contained some of Cole Granger's notebooks, diaries, and letters communicating with Madam Sharon. With this evidence, the police would only need minimal investigation to confirm most of Cole's crimes. Although Madam Sharon never signed her letters, Cole's one-sided records would likely be enough to warrant an investigation of her. Even if she escaped legal punishment through her connections, she would have to lay low for a while.

For an opponent with such a solid network, the best approach would be to kill first and report later, but Angel was no longer capable of that.

She sighed, stuffing the envelope into the mailbox. A thud from inside suggested it already contained many letters.

"By the time Madam Sharon discovers 'Cole Granger' stood her up tomorrow night, I'll probably be in Backlund already. Even with her far-reaching influence in Tingen, she won't be able to do anything to me, right?"

Angel returned to the street, waiting for the next public carriage.

The next step was to leave Tingen. Due to lighting restrictions, no trains ran at night in Tingen. Angel planned to hire a boat at the dock to travel downstream to Backlund, the capital of the Loen Kingdom. There, she would first find Cole's sister, Lily Granger, to warn her to seek protection from official Beyonders to avoid Madam Sharon's potential retaliation. Then she would set sail from Port Pritz near Backlund.

As for whether to settle on the nearby islands of the Loen Kingdom or head to Bayam on the Southern Continent, that would depend on the specific circumstances.

Just then, the familiar hourly chimes rang out again, sounding very close. The ethereal bell seemed to strike directly at her heart, causing Angel to look towards its source.

In the fading sunset, the towering bell tower of the Church of Saint Selena reflected golden light.