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The one woman in the four kingdoms who could have helped her tonight had decided to ditch the banquet tomorrow night with her good-for-nothing husband and leave Sungmin to do this all on her own.

BriLLIANT, absolutely brilliant.

It wasn't that Sungmin didn't want to do this- oh no, this was the perfect way to win. Finally, FINALLY, she would be out of the shadows; finally, she would complete her late mother's goal. Sungmin gritted her teeth as she concentrated, weaving the spell tighter around the cauldron she was hastily stirring (though her arm was feeling more laden by the moment). She had always been a talented witch, but never had she attempted magic that didn't use the strings of magic- it was impossible to ignore the coils of black shadow that somehow materialized around the rapidly-darkening liquid.  It would surely be ready by tomorrow- it had to be.

The spell was turning darker instead of lighter- it was strange, but what was she supposed to do? Back out of the great, wonderful master plan she had dedicated her entire life to, just because of a little difference in her spells?

"Sungmin, the spell will be more powerful, remember?" she murmured to herself, trying to ignore the tightness in her skull as she continued to pull at the shadows, pouring them into the liquid as she wove them to serve their purpose. The tightness turned to a light pounding, but Sungmin tried to ignore it.

CURSE that b*tchy Leoris who decided to leave me alone TONIGHT, OF ALL NIGHTS.

Sungmin was powerful, yes. Adaptable, yes. But she had never quite grasped Shadow-Magic, and a certain gold-eyed noblewoman who was MUCH better at this sort of thing should have been here to help her. But noooo, Sungmin HAD to do this all on her own.

"Minnie, think of it this way," she tried to reassure herself, narrowing her gray eyes as she growled in the empty room, "if it fails, she'll be the one who the Master disembowels, not you."

At those words, Sungmin glanced around the room involuntarily. Even speaking of him was a taboo, even mentioning him was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine. His name used to scare only children- but Sungmin knew better. Everyone in the Society knew better.

Even our old, senile king, Sungmin thought with a hint of bitter mockery, knows better.

It hadn't been HER that poisoned the old bat, but she knew who had. The old, grumpy cook- who had recently been banished- was always weak-minded, bitter. It hadn't taken much of Master's power to control him. It was a shame that even in his possessed form, he still had enough strength to rip the poison bottle away from the sup before lethality could set in.

But it didn't matter now, because he was going to die tomorrow night, and no one would be any the wiser.

Looking out the small, round window that showed the large banquet hall, Sungmin watched the people mill about, trying frantically to get the place ready for the banquet, not aware of Sungmin's eyes tracking them apathetically. This was her job. It had to be done.

Everyone who is there is going to die tomorrow night.

As Sungmin fought off the wracking pain that had seized her body after she drew away from the cauldron (the aftereffects of using Shadow-Magic), her spell completed, she felt a cold, oozing, and all-too-familiar presence enter her mind. Oh, she KNEW she was supposed to be grateful for the opportunity bestowed on her, but she couldn't help but feel disgusting whenever this happened. Hey eyes went blank, her limbs fell limp.

Is it ready?

Sungmin couldn't move, nor speak, but her thoughts were enough.

Yes, Master.