I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 176

What nonsense is this! Dana, furious, rushed out after the customer. But the person had already disappeared without a trace. Boiling with anger, she could only clench her fist for no reason. Who would do something like this?

 

Carl was her protector. He was the one who had given everything to her, who had nothing. How could she possibly doubt someone like him? Yet someone was doing something bad, trying to disrupt her relationship with Carl. Right, Lord Carl is such a good person.

 

Dana looked across the street. Right next door was the bakery where Carl worked…

 

Ah. Through the glass window, she saw Carl. She also saw the baker’s daughter. What was her name again? Right, Anna. She was a woman with a cute impression and brown hair hanging down.

 

Anna and Carl were talking seriously. Dana thought they were standing too close—too close for comfort.

 

“…!”

 

Then, in that already close distance, they suddenly got even closer. As if Anna had just said something funny, she burst out laughing and began playfully hitting Carl’s arm with her fist.

 

At that moment, Dana felt a burning sensation inside. What could they possibly be talking about that’s so enjoyable?

 

“Hello, Miss Dana.”

 

Just then, someone greeted her from behind. It was the village’s only priest, Priest Nelt.

 

“Miss Dana, you’ll be attending tonight’s Soul Wedding Festival, right?”

 

Soul Wedding Festival? What’s that?

 

“Miss Dana! You must come to the Soul Wedding Festival!” At that moment, Madam Olivia, the general store owner who was arranging goods at her stall, joined in.

 

“Miss Dana, you’ve never seen Mirror Lake during the Soul Wedding Festival, have you? It’s so much fun!” Then Hans, the butcher, also laughed heartily and made a suggestion. “It’s a truly magical time. You really must come, Miss Dana.”

 

Dana couldn’t understand what they were talking about. All the knowledge she had came from Carl, and he’d never taught her about this.

 

Perhaps noticing her puzzled expression, Madam Olivia kindly explained, “If you look into the Mirror Lake during the Soul Wedding Festival, you can see anything you wish to see.”

 

“Aah, is there such a legend?” Surely it was just a legend or a superstition. Thinking that, Dana nodded.

 

“It’s not a legend, it’s real!” Miss Rita, from the clothing shop nearby, chimed in with a laugh. “When I was young, I asked Mirror Lake to show me my future husband. The man I saw then is my husband now!”

 

Seeing your future husband? Dana’s ears perked up. Could it really be true?

 

“My younger sister saw the way to make a medicine to cure an incurable disease! She followed the method and really got better!”

 

“I found out where my lost necklace was. Mirror Lake told me!”

 

Now Dana’s interest was fully piqued.

 

“Alright, I’ll come.”

 

Maybe it was because she had heard such interesting stories. Dana managed to calm her anger. And now, she truly wanted to attend. After all, there was something she wanted to see at Mirror Lake.

 

* * *

However, Dana was unable to attend the Soul Wedding Festival. It was because that night, Carl fell ill.

 

“Lord Carl, are you alright?”

 

As Carl groaned in pain, Dana busied herself looking after him. She brewed him warm tea and placed a wet cloth on his forehead.

 

“Wouldn’t it be better to call a doctor?”

 

“I’m fine. It’s not that serious.” Carl, poking his face out from the covers, held her hand.

 

“Then I’ll stay by your side and take care of you tonight.”

 

“But it’ll be hard for you…”

 

“It’s not hard at all.”

 

How could she leave Carl alone when he was sick? Dana gazed quietly into his green eyes and spoke sincerely. “I’ll stay by your side.”

 

It was at that moment, for a brief instant, Carl gripped her hand so tightly it hurt, then quickly let go.

 

“Ah, sorry. That hurt, didn’t it?”

 

“It’s alright.” Dana smiled gently and squeezed his hand again. “You can hold it tighter. I don’t mind.”

 

But Carl didn’t reply. Was it that he was too weak to speak? Carl simply buried his face in the pillow in silence. Only the quiet sound of his breathing could be heard.

 

How long did they remain in that silence? Dana gathered her courage and spoke. “Lord Carl.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Madam Liz wants to introduce me to her younger brother. What do you think?”

 

“If you want, you should meet him,” Carl murmured, his voice growing softer as he drifted toward sleep. “I hope he’s a good man…”

 

How much time passed after that? Carl seemed to have fallen asleep. Looking at his delicate eyelashes, Dana calmly acknowledged the truth. As I thought, Lord Carl doesn’t see me as a woman. He saw her only as a child he needed to care for.

 

Dana wanted to feel that way too—to see Carl just as her guardian. But it wasn’t so easy. Maybe if Lord Carl weren’t so handsome, I wouldn’t feel like this.

 

Dana bent over at Carl’s bedside, gazing at his profile as he slept. His sleeping face looked so boyish. His lips looked soft as flower petals. Aah, it smells so nice. Is that Lord Carl’s scent? No, it couldn’t be. Of course, Carl’s scent was nice too, but this was something else.

 

What kind of scent is this? It was sweet, but at the same time somewhat stifling. Dana had been catching whiffs of it for a while now. But she was starting to feel drowsy, her mind growing foggy…

 

All at once, a wave of sleepiness washed over her. Dana slumped at the bedside and surrendered to sleep.

* * *

Shortly after Dana drifted off to sleep, Carl slowly opened his eyes. Dana was sound asleep, slumped beside him.

 

“Dana.”

 

There was no response.

 

“Are you asleep?”

 

Only silence lingers.

 

Carl quietly gazed at Dana’s long eyelashes. He stared at them for a long, long time. Even after watching her for quite a while, Dana didn’t wake up. At last, he was completely certain.

 

“You’re asleep.”

 

Carl cautiously reached out toward Dana. His hand moved to her face, grazing her soft-looking cheek—then, as if by accident, slipped past… into the pocket of her skirt. There was a note there. After checking the note’s contents, Carl put it back.

 

It was at that moment.

 

“How is it? Is she asleep?”

 

The door opened, and a group of men burst in. But Carl, unfazed by the strangers’ intrusion, simply looked at them. After all, this meeting had been arranged in advance. They looked at Dana’s deeply sleeping face and laughed.

 

“You put her to sleep just as planned.”

 

“…”

 

“The sleeping incense works well, doesn’t it?”

 

“…”

 

“I’m surprised, Carl Windsor. I thought you’d betray us and try to protect that woman.”

 

At that, Carl tilted his head slowly. “Why?”

 

“Because you seemed to genuinely care about her.”

 

“…”

 

“But to think that was all just an act—what remarkable acting skills you have.” The man chuckled and gestured to his subordinates. “Well? Hurry and move the girl.”

 

The men approached the bed. They drew closer and closer to Dana, sleeping quietly. Carl simply watched as the distance between them closed.

 

“Be careful not to wake her. She’s a valuable offering.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Finally, one man’s outstretched hand reached for Dana’s body. But it never reached her.

 

* * *

After a long journey, Rumie Rolland finally arrived at the Sanctuary.

 

“Welcome, Lord Rumie. It’s been a while.”

 

As soon as he landed at the port, Priest Nilta, whom Rumie recognized, greeted him.

 

“Before you enter, we must perform the Ritual of Silence.”

 

It was a sacred spell to maintain confidentiality. Rumie was used to this spell. He had experienced it as a child when he last visited.

 

After the Ritual of Silence, Rumie was led to the Grand Cathedral. But—

 

“…What happened here?”

 

The Grand Cathedral was a mess. A building once as grand and beautiful as the imperial palace was now partially destroyed, as if struck by lightning.

 

“Several months ago, there was an intrusion by heretics.”

 

“Heretics?”

 

“Yes. They broke the main barrier of the Grand Cathedral, damaged part of the building, and stole something extremely important.”

 

“Ah. I see.”

 

“Many priests, magicians, and paladins were sacrificed.”

 

Rumie half-listened to the priest’s lament. He had no real interest in the affairs of the Sanctuary, especially those of the Grand Cathedral.

 

“Please take this. This is Lady Danaena Rolland.”

 

Rumie examined the portrait. She was a beautiful woman with a gentle expression. Her eyes, empty as a doll’s, were a little chilling, but… Rumie couldn’t look away. Was blood truly thicker than water?

 

“Fortunately, our investigator has learned where Lady Danaena Rolland is likely located.”

 

“And where is that?”

 

“It’s a very small village called Minadel.” Priest Nilta hesitated a moment, then spoke. “But there is a problem with that village.”

 

“What kind of problem?”

 

“The villagers there… in fact, all of them are people who should have been exiled from the Sanctuary.”

 

“…”

 

What did that mean?

 

“As punishment for performing a forbidden ceremony, the leader issued an edict of exile.”

 

“A forbidden ceremony? You mean that one? The group holy rite?” Rumie asked with a hint of sarcasm, as he was familiar with that disgusting ceremony.

 

“It was an even more wicked ceremony. An arrogant act of defiance against the leader’s authority…” Realizing he was getting off topic, the priest cleared his throat and got to the point. “Those sinners ran away just before being exiled, and have been missing ever since, but we recently discovered they’ve been hiding there.”

 

“You’re telling me my younger sister is in such a dangerous place?”