I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 184

* * *

“Save me, Noah!”

 

Why should I?

 

“P-Please spare me. I-I was wrong.”

 

Do you even know what you did wrong?

 

“You’re going too far just for a single painting!”

 

Just a painting? He calls it just a painting?

 

“Noah, I-I’m your friend! Please, spare me!”

 

Noah was gasping for breath. His hands were covered in blood. But he didn’t feel relieved. His anger hadn’t subsided. Because—

 

“Noah.”

 

That woman had been horribly humiliated.

 

His vision shifted. There was a woman hugging the young boy tightly.

 

“My lovely Noah. You’re so cute.” She pressed her lips to Noah’s cheek. He could still vividly recall the soft touch and sweet breath.

 

That woman was the first woman to ever embrace Noah like this, the first to kiss his cheek. The first person to say she loved him, and the first to say he was lovely… His first attachment in life.

 

“I love Noah the most in the world.”

 

The most in the world? For real?

 

“Noah, it’s a secret, but I’ve fallen in love with a man.”

 

See? That was a lie after all.

 

A wave of betrayal surged through Noah, burning him up inside. He didn’t know what it was then, but now he did.

 

Years had passed since then. Even the days of growing pains had passed, and now, having finally become an adult, Noah could vaguely guess the reason.

 

* * *

“Wake up.”

 

Swish! The curtains were drawn open. Blinding sunlight poured in.

 

“Wake up, Lord Noah. An important guest is coming to the Grand Cathedral today.”

 

It was a woman with brown hair braided down. Her name was Natty, a high priestess of the Daiana Church.

 

“You must personally greet this guest, Lord Noah.”

 

Noah glared at Natty with a look of displeasure. But Natty only marveled.

 

“You’re looking more and more like Lord Carl as time passes.”

 

“…?”

 

“Not only Lord Carl, but you resemble every Windsor bloodline I’ve met. It’s like someone mixed a spoonful of each of Lord Rodrigo, Lord Damien, Lord Carl, and Lord Viego…”

 

“Shut up.” Noah spat out the insult in a hoarse voice and got out of bed.

 

Natty only grinned. “You know Carl Windsor is in the underground prison right now, don’t you?”

 

“I don’t care.”

 

“It’s a rare sight, that’s why. The priests and priestesses are having a blast watching.”

 

“…”

 

“Who would have thought we’d actually manage to capture such a heretic?”

 

Noah scoffed at those words. “Don’t kid yourself. My uncle let himself be caught.”

 

“Of course, but the important thing is that he was captured in the end.”

 

“There must be a reason he let himself be caught.”

 

“Oh, I know the reason.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“It’s one of two things. Either he wanted to avoid fighting Lord Rumie, or he ended up falling for his own lies.”

 

“…?”

 

The first part made sense, but… What did she mean by ‘falling for his own lies’?

 

“Did you know, Lord Noah?” Then Natty smiled slyly. “If you repeat a lie enough, sometimes you end up believing it yourself. I don’t think Carl Windsor would make such a mistake, but… you never know what people might do.”

 

“…?”

 

“Whatever the reason, his perfect body is now once again the property of the church.” Natty’s eyes gleamed. She chatted brightly, as if thrilled. “We put a magical gag in his mouth, chained his limbs with magical chains. And the magician placed a total of 666 restraining spells on him. He can’t do anything without the church’s permission now!”

 

A new wave of annoyance hit Noah. As expected, Natty, this priestess, was extremely unpleasant. Honestly, there’s not a single pleasant person here. Especially in this sanctuary, all of them were unpleasant. But the most unpleasant of all was his own brother, whom he had once respected, Viego Windsor.

 

“And last night, the church leader said he had something to tell you, so you should go see him as soon as you wake up.”

 

“What’s he doing now?”

 

“Who knows? He’s probably up by now.”

 

Apparently, she didn’t know.

 

There was a reason Noah endured listening to the woman he would normally have kicked out. To hear news of his brother.

 

I’ll have to check for myself. He wondered if his brother was alive or dead. Because at dawn, an assassin had gone after Viego. An assassin that Noah had sent.

 

* * *

It was then months ago. News came that Danae Windsor was dead.

 

I thought I’d be able to see her again. He wanted to see her after he became an adult. Waiting for the day they’d meet again, not as the immature boy who once threw tantrums at her, but as a grown man. But then she went and died.

 

One day, in a state of deep despair, Noah even stopped eating. Viego then took him somewhere. It was to the Ice Lake.

 

“Look. That’s Danae Windsor’s real body.”

 

Beneath the lake, he saw the most beautiful thing in the world.

 

“Danae Windsor isn’t actually a blood relative of the Windsor family.”

 

No—he saw the most horrifying thing in the world.

 

“So stop having feelings for that woman. There’s no reason to grieve.”

 

“…”

 

“Danae Windsor is a homunculus, no, not even human. She’s just an artificial creation modeled after that body. A masterpiece made by the Daiana Church.”

 

Something like that? An artificial thing? A homunculus? How could he say something so cruel? What unspeakable things were they doing with her body? What was the Daiana Church? What was his brother doing? How could they treat such a gentle woman that way?

 

After that, Noah was so shocked that he was bedridden for days. When he recovered, he made up his mind. I can’t forgive them. They would pay. Just as he had punished those who humiliated her with those paintings, he would bring punishment to the Daiana Church and his brother.

 

Once he had a goal, he felt like he could live again. Noah regained his energy. He started eating again. After all, he needed strength to kill those who had humiliated her.

 

Fortunately, there were many in the sanctuary who wanted the current church leader dead. Noah conspired with some of them, exposed the church leader’s weaknesses, and planned an assassination. And that very dawn was the day of the operation.

 

Did it succeed?

 

Please, let him die. Wishing so, Noah opened the bedroom door—and realized. It failed.

 

The stench of blood filled the air. Corpses littered the bedroom floor. It was a sea of blood everywhere.

 

“…What is this?”

 

Fresh out of the shower, Viego was toweling off his wet hair.

 

“As you can see.”

 

As you can see. That short answer was all there was.

 

When his brother let the bathrobe drop, a body like a weapon was revealed. Overwhelmed, Noah swallowed hard. He had underestimated Viego.

 

“Did Brother kill them?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I thought you hated getting your hands dirty.”

 

“If it’s necessary, I’ll do it.”

 

“Really?” Noah purposely spoke lightly, teasingly. “Then why didn’t you fight when Uncle Carl rampaged in the Grand Cathedral?”

 

“Fighting among family is vulgar and barbaric. Besides, there was no need. Why bother?” Viego replied boredly as he started getting dressed, putting on his suit layer by layer like armor.

 

“Why was there no need?”

 

“The opponent was doomed to fall anyway. You must know where Uncle is now.”

 

In the underground prison, tied up like an animal with all sorts of spells. Viego spoke as if he had foreseen all this.

 

“You knew Uncle Carl would let himself get caught? Does being a church leader give you the power to see the future?”

 

“…”

 

Maybe he was annoyed. Viego ignored Noah’s question and changed the subject.

 

“You know I’m engaged to Rolland’s daughter.”

 

“So what?”

 

“I want you to take my place in the engagement.”

 

Noah was briefly lost for words. This was the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. “Why me?”

 

Viego’s eyes seemed to darken for a moment. He spoke. “I…”

 

“…”

 

“…just don’t want to.”

 

Just now… Did his voice trail off? Noah had never heard his brother sound so vague before.

 

“She’s arriving at the Grand Cathedral, so meet her.”

 

Ridiculous. He was about to refuse without a thought, but Viego handed him something. It was a key… The key to the Chapel of the Holy Mother? It was a place managed directly by the church leader and the church vice-leader. Even Noah was forbidden entry to this secretive place.

 

“The church vice-leader is dead. You’re in charge now.”

 

The Chapel of the Holy Mother was a suspicious, forbidden zone. A place that, rumor had it, held the Daiana Church’s greatest secrets. Maybe, just maybe, there was something there that could bring down the church. So Noah nodded obediently.

 

“Alright. Fine.”

 

It didn’t matter. The engagement could be broken off later anyway. Of course, after he killed Viego. Thinking like that, Noah smiled, swallowing his murderous intent.

 

* * *

The important guest Natty had mentioned was the daughter of the Rolland family, his brother’s fiancée. Waiting for her in the parlor, Noah thought. It might be good to help Uncle Carl escape as well. His uncle would be very useful in destroying the Daiana Church. But he couldn’t understand why his uncle had been caught in the first place.

 

Did he really hate fighting Brother Rumie that much?

 

Rumie used to be Carl’s adopted son, didn’t he? But there’s not a drop of blood shared, and now even the paperwork says they’re strangers.

 

Uncle is surprisingly naive. Really. He even married Aunt Sandra, who had affairs with forty-seven men. His uncle clearly had no taste in women.

 

Noah knew a good woman better. Gentle, endlessly kind, like the wings of a white angel…

 

“Please come in, Lady Danaena Rolland. This is Lord Noah Windsor.”

 

Natty’s voice sounded as the door opened. Noah suppressed his annoyance and turned his head. And at that moment—

 

“…!”

 

Noah froze. He felt as if he’d been stuffed and mounted in that moment in time, unable to move.