I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 153

* * *

Why is he hesitating so much? Dana could see a certain fear in Ignis’s eyes. But there was no need for that. Truly, not at all.

 

Wanting to ease his burden, Dana decided to help.

 

“Lord Ignis.”

 

She could feel his heart pounding beneath his chest as if it were about to explode under her palm. Watching him shudder with a dizzying ecstasy from just the sensation of her touch, Dana slowly lowered her hand. Down, like a flowing wave, and then…

 

“…”

 

She could feel Ignis gasp as if he was holding his breath. Looking at his stiff jaw, she recalled how he had once pleasured himself in front of her. That hand movement, the way he moved, the scene had been so provocative that it was still vivid in her mind. Maybe even vivid enough to mimic.

 

“If you still think it’s wrong…”

 

Feeling his breath become entangled and erratic, Dana whispered. His grip was so hot it felt like it might burn.

 

“I’ll stop. So…. Just say the word. Anytime.” She kindly offered.

 

But Ignis was no longer listening. No, it seemed like he couldn’t hear her. Breathing heavily as if he were about to die, he desperately chased after her hand. As if he could no longer resist, his actions became more intense, almost like a wild race, and then… Finally, a boiling moan escaped.

 

Ignis’s neck trembled as he gasped for breath. His body, having just experienced intense pleasure, was slick with sweat.

 

Dana watched the scene with reddened eyes and suddenly pondered. Is it a curse or a blessing that the person she’s seducing is so sexually attractive?

 

At that moment, Ignis grabbed her wrist. He pulled her roughly. He was no longer speaking. It was as if he had crossed into a primal territory where words no longer existed. His eyes now burned like flames.

 

Dana allowed herself to be led away without resistance, closing her eyes. And she thought. I don’t really know. Maybe I’ll know once the night is over.

 

* * *

“Colonel Windsor.”

 

On the path to track down Dana, Rumie quickly pulled on the reins.

 

“Stop.”

 

The horse neighed, snorting roughly and stomping its hooves. It was startled. The person who had appeared before him had done so without a sound.

 

The man, who had appeared so quietly that even the animal didn’t notice, stood before Rumie.

 

“…” Rumie stared at the man without a word.

 

It was just one person. A man cloaked entirely in black, from head to toe, was standing in the pouring rain, accepting the downpour without moving. Despite this, he was not vulnerable but rather exuded an intimidating presence.

 

“The crown prince sent me.” The man spoke. His voice was harshly altered, yet it sounded familiar. “He has ordered your arrest for violating military law.”

 

“…”

 

Although his face was not visible, Rumie knew who the man was. One of the crown prince’s shadows, no doubt. They were the crown prince’s hunting dogs, said to be turned into human weapons. There were plenty of rumors, but no witnesses had ever survived to tell the tale. Because no one who had seen them had lived to tell the story. But to send this shadow…

 

Rumie found it absurd and almost laughed.

 

“He realized it so quickly. As expected, His Highness must have had someone watching me.”

 

“Please come with me, Colonel.”

 

“Convey my apologies to His Highness. There is someone I must meet today.”

 

“Are you defying an imperial command?”

 

“Yes, well, you could say that.” Rumie chuckled indifferently. He had already defied the command once, so what would be the harm in doing it again?

 

As Rumie attempted to pull on the reins once more,

 

“If you don’t come quietly…” The shadow spoke slowly as if issuing a warning. His low voice resonated clearly even through the downpour.

 

“What will you do?” Rumie, now slightly weary, spat out irritably.

 

Rumie never thought he would simply be allowed to leave. He was already prepared for a fight. But it wouldn’t be easy.

 

The crown prince’s shadows were the elite of the elite, painstakingly crafted in the sacred grounds. And Rumie was still not fully recovered from the injuries he had sustained in the battle with the barbarians. Who knows? Maybe if he’s really unlucky, he might die.

 

Whatever happens, Rumie has no intention of stopping. But then,

 

“The soldiers of the Macriro will be punished in your stead.”

 

Rumie stopped.

 

“They will be executed at dawn, one by one, for the crime of abetting or even aiding their superior’s deviation.”

 

“…”

 

“It will start by beheading the lowest-ranking soldiers, one by one. The first will be Riot Roiviche. The youngest and lowest-ranking new recruit. He got married young and recently had a young son.”

 

“…”

 

“What can be done? His family will be ruined, all because they had the misfortune of having the wrong superior. After Liot Roiviche, it will be Colton Pablos. Then Howard Phillips, Frederic Everin…”

 

The names of the soldiers drifted from the shadow’s mouth one by one. His chilling voice wasn’t particularly threatening. But Rumie understood. This wasn’t a threat but a plan. The crown prince would really carry it out.

 

Rumie smiled. As he had expected, Raios Geranze was out of his mind.

 

“You’re using dirty tactics. Spying on me in secret, threatening the lives of innocent soldiers.”

 

“Go and protest directly to him.”

 

“…”

 

Rumie sighed and looked up at the night sky. Was there a hole in the sky? The rain poured down like madness.

 

Tonight, Rumie had forsaken the honor of a soldier. Not in a formal naval battle, but like a thug—yes, like a barbarian chieftain had once called him—like an assassin, sneaking into the enemy’s camp and killing them secretly, like a rat. He didn’t even accept the surrender of the sailors. No witnesses could be left alive.

 

In a short time, Rumie had achieved brilliant success, but this was not a back-alley brawl. This was a national battle fought in the name of the empire, and if this brutality were to be revealed, victory would no longer be a victory. It would turn into a disgrace.

 

He had also disobeyed the crown prince’s orders. For a soldier whose principle was to obey orders, it was the same as giving up his life.

 

Rumie knew this. Tonight, he had lost so much. Not only that, but he would not be able to escape punishment in any way. He had done it all knowing this, and even now, he truly didn’t care. But it was supposed to end with him alone. Just him.

 

[I miss you.]

 

Was it because the cold raindrops were hitting his head? A question mark finally formed in his cold, rational mind.

 

[I feel like I’m going to die from missing you.]

 

That sweet phrase that had lured Rumie. He had been captivated by it, like a sailor seduced by a siren, and had come this far. But now, like a mirage, there was no one there.

 

Where did you, the one who called me, disappear to?

 

* * *

Morning came. Dana woke up feeling as if her whole body was being tightly squeezed.

 

I can’t breathe…

 

When she opened her eyes, sure enough, Ignis was holding her in a crushing embrace. Her face was buried in his firm chest, and she was wrapped so tightly in his arms, like a noose, that she couldn’t move an inch.

 

Dana carefully pushed against his chest. Was he in a deep sleep? Ignis slid away without much resistance. Crawling out of his embrace, she sat on the edge of the bed.

 

Dana thought she was going to die. Not just now but all through the night.

 

Why did he resist if he was going to be like that? She couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it.

 

Dana had achieved her goal, at last. Feeling refreshed inside, there wasn’t a single worry left in her heart.

 

Dana gazed blankly at the face of the man who had saved her. Even with his eyes closed, his face, bathed in the pale morning sunlight, exuded a sharpness like a blade that had been forged to a deadly edge. Perhaps that was why. It looked like it would cut if she touched it. Not just his face but his whole body, which seemed to embody the image of a war god. His entire being was so imposing that she felt intimidated just by looking at him.

 

Dana found it amazing that such a large man could fall apart so completely. Propping her chin on her hand, she gazed at him with calm eyes. Then, she carefully made a wish.

 

I hope he never regains his memory.

 

Dana hoped Ignis would never regain his memory. Not just the ill-fated connection between them. She wished he would forget all the things he had experienced in Windsor. It was for Ignis’s sake alone. Surely, some great spiritual wound had festered within him, causing him to suffer. She didn’t know what that wound was, but she hoped he would never know either.

 

I also… like him as he is now. Dana found herself liking the Ignis of last night, the Ignis of now. She liked him so much that she could admire his sleeping face…

 

But there was no time.

 

Let’s get cleaned up.

 

Dana got out of bed. Walking straight into the bathroom, she turned on the faucet, but no water came out. Was the water supply cut off?

 

Dana hesitated for a moment, then picked up her clothes and got dressed. Though her body still bore the marks of the previous night, leaving her feeling uneasy, there was nothing she could do. She put on her clothes and left the room. As she descended the stairs.

 

“…”

 

She made eye contact with a man who was sitting in the lobby, staring at her. It felt like a cold sweat was running down her back. Was it a mistake? Or someone who just looked similar?

 

When she was still unsure, the man raised a hand and waved. He smiled broadly.

 

“Dana!”

 

It wasn’t a mistake. And it wasn’t someone who looked similar.

 

That person was truly Carl Windsor.