I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 195

* * *

Dana was dreaming. It was that day, the night she slept with Ignis. The night she seduced him to break off her engagement with Raios.

 

“Lord Ignis, I can’t breathe.”

 

At her words, the arms holding her loosened a little. Dana carefully raised her head to look at the man. In the darkness, Ignis was gazing at her quietly.

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

“You’re really warm.”

 

“…What?”

 

“I said, you’re warm.”

 

“…”

 

He acted like someone holding a woman for the first time… no, more like… This must really be his first time. Since Ignis had lost all his memories, this was probably a first for him.

 

“Lord Ignis. By any chance—” Dana asked carefully. “Did any of your memories return?”

 

“Not really,” Ignis replied nonchalantly. “Not at all.” But he looked as if something had come back to him. Still, since he didn’t want to talk about it, Dana didn’t press any further.

 

Then, unexpectedly, Ignis asked her a question. “Hey, Dana. There’s something I’m curious about.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Your grandfather passed away, right?”

 

“My grandfather…?”

 

“The man who adopted me into the Windsor family. The old man who tried to keep me in Windsor until the end—Rodrigo Windsor. He’s dead, isn’t he?”

 

Ah. Dana nodded. “Yes. I heard Lord Rodrigo passed away a long time ago.”

 

“…”

 

“Why do you ask?”

 

“It’s just something’s bothering me. I’ve remembered a few things, and that man, he was completely insane…” He trailed off, perhaps thinking he’d said too much. Then Ignis changed the subject. “I’m hungry.”

 

Dana played along with the change in topic. “When we wake up tomorrow, let’s eat something delicious. Have a meal, and dessert too.”

 

“Dessert?”

 

“Yes. I want something sweet. Chocolate.”

 

“Chocolate?”

 

“Oh, do you like chocolate?”

 

“…I don’t know.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“I said I don’t know.” Ignis shot back stiffly. “How would I know? That kind of stuff is for noble ladies like you.”

 

Ah, right. Chocolate was a pretty expensive dessert here…

 

“Try some chocolate tomorrow. It’s really good. It melts in your mouth. It’s sweet on your tongue, makes you feel good…”

 

“What’s the point of eating that? If it just melts in your mouth, there’s nothing to chew. Not that I know what that’s like.” Ignis responded gruffly, but he seemed curious about chocolate.

 

What the? He has a cute side too. I’ll have to buy him some tomorrow. Dana buried her face in his chest. Ignis, running his hand along her back, finally let out a sigh as if he couldn’t hold back anymore.

 

“Hey, Dana.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“One more time. Just one last time.”

 

“You said the last time was the last…”

 

“This really is the last. I mean it.”

 

“…”

 

“You started it, but you need my consent to end it.”

 

Well, she had nothing to say. As Dana stayed silent, Ignis coaxed her future, as if trying to get her to agree.

 

“Just stay still. Lie back and close your eyes, just relax…”

 

So Dana did. She closed her eyes and lay down as if going to sleep.

 

Ignis was heavy, solid, and also… Warm.

 

Just as she thought that, Dana realized something. Right now, Ignis was feeling exactly what she was. Peace, comfort, tranquility, unity. The illusion of not being alone.

 

* * *

As she woke from the dream, Dana thought. Chocolate… In the end, she never got to buy him any. After that, Carl invaded, stabbed Ignis in the stomach, and then Ignis avoided her… Then he died.

 

Why did she suddenly dream of Ignis now? Ah, is it because of this?

 

Noah, who had buried his face in her chest, was sleeping beside her. His arms were wrapped so tightly around her waist that it was hard to breathe, just like when she’d slept with Ignis. Of course, unlike with Ignis, they hadn’t crossed the final line. Or did we? Maybe we did cross it, after all?

 

Dana gazed down at Noah’s face. They hadn’t gone all the way, but they hadn’t stayed entirely within the line either. Noah, sleeping like an angel, had his lips latched onto her breast. He’d been oddly fixated on her chest since yesterday—even as he slept…

 

It felt strange. For a moment, a lot of thoughts passed through her mind, but in the end, she reached the same conclusion as always: getting Yeon Dana’s body back. Nothing was more important than that.

 

Dana gently removed Noah, then sat up in bed. On the nightstand, the golden key Noah had handed her at dawn was gleaming. It was the key to the Holy Mother Chapel.

 

I definitely saw Lord Ignis go in there.

 

“I saw it too.”

 

Last night, as he gave her the sanctuary key, Noah had said the same thing.

 

“I saw someone like Uncle Ignis go into the Holy Mother Chapel.”

 

He said he’d seen something similar to what Dana had seen some time ago.

 

“But when I said I saw Uncle Ignis… Brother Viego said something strange.”

 

Noah also knew that Ignis had died, that his body had decayed, leaving nothing but bones.

 

“He said that’s not Uncle Ignis.”

 

But what did he mean by that?

 

“They said it’s impossible to resurrect a body with a destroyed head, no matter what kind of magic or holy water you use.”

 

Then what about Ignis? Ignis already came back to life, didn’t he? On the Saint Grave Island, Dana had shot him in the head. She’d clearly seen his shattered skull. So why had Viego said that to Noah?

 

Dana grabbed the key to the Holy Mother Chapel. Now that she has the key in hand—I’ll go meet Viego. She would know once she talked to him.

 

That morning, Viego had invited Noah to breakfast. Dana planned to go in Noah’s place.

 

* * *

The meeting place was a separate building deep within the great cathedral, far from everything else. It was a place Viego often used for rest. There wasn’t a single paladin around.

 

What kind of confidence is this?

 

Thanks to that, she was able to enter the building without interference. She was walking down the hallway when—

 

“Dana.”

 

Someone called her name from behind. She thought she’d misheard and kept walking.

 

“Dana.”

 

It wasn’t a mistake. Dana stopped dead in her tracks and thought, Is this a dream? Am I still dreaming? Because—

 

“Dana.”

 

This voice was unmistakable…

 

Dana turned around as if in a trance and felt like she’d been struck in the head. Ah.

 

There was a very tall man standing opposite her. A presence so overwhelming it could be felt just by looking, wild eyes, red pupils, tousled red hair…

 

Ignis. He was approaching her—quickly, with long strides.

 

Dana’s lips parted. She was so shocked she couldn’t even let out a sound. Then her heart began to race wildly. It was Ignis. His sharp face coming closer, it really was Ignis…

 

No. Her instincts struck like lightning. Dana’s fingertips twitched as if electrocuted. That look, that expression, that wasn’t Ignis. The man who closed the distance grabbed her and pulled her into a fierce hug.

 

“…!”

 

Dana was taken aback. Ignis’s hands were trembling violently. He pushed her down with tremendous strength.

 

“Hurry, hurry. Hurry…” He mumbled something incoherent.

 

Dana was overpowered and collapsed to the floor. Ignis climbed on top of her, grabbing at her clothes, and with a hard pull—

 

“…!”

 

Rip! Her clothes tore.

 

“Wa-Wait. Lord Ignis?”

 

Rip, rip! Rip! He kept tearing her clothes.

 

“Lord Ignis, wait!”

 

What was happening? Why? Dana tried to push Ignis’s shoulders away. But he seized her wrist and pinned her hard to the floor. It hurt. His frightening strength made her groan in pain.

 

“This body is dying. I-I need to replenish my strength.” Ignis muttered frantically.

 

In that moment, Dana became completely certain. It was Ignis’s voice, but not his tone. This was not Ignis.

 

“This body is dying. You want to save me, right? Then hurry.”

 

He had the same face, but his eyes and voice were different. Most of all, his skin was rotting.

 

This is not Ignis. It was something very dangerous that only looked like him. If so—Gun.

 

There was a gun strapped to her thigh. A gift from Lethe. She even had a black core in her pocket. She could pull it out, but… Should she shoot? Could she really kill him? It wasn’t Ignis, but how could she be sure? What if it really was Ignis?

 

Her hesitation lasted only a moment. As she hesitated for that brief second—

 

“Keugh.”

 

Ignis’s head suddenly jerked upward.

 

“Ugh!”

 

From his head down through his torso and then his lower body, he was dragged up as if pulled by some force. The heavyweight pinning Dana down slowly lifted away.

 

Dana gasped and looked up. Ignis’s body was dangling in midair, as if hanging from a gallows. A man was holding Ignis up by the head with one hand.

 

“How long do you plan to stand there watching?” It was a sharp, irritable male voice.

 

Dana instinctively looked down. The next moment, she heard it—the sound she’d been waiting for. Crack, crunch, the sound of bones breaking, Ignis groaning, as if something was being torn apart in his throat…

 

“Khrrrk.”

 

And then, the sound of all strength leaving his body—a sound of death.

 

Finally, silence. Only then did Dana look up again.

 

“Leader, what should we do with this?”

 

“Dispose of it.”

 

The secretary beside him disappeared, carrying Ignis’s corpse away. Only then did the man, Viego, turn to Dana. For a moment, he frowned, then looked away.

 

Ah. Dana hurried to cover herself. Her torn clothes had split open, exposing her chest. Even more embarrassing, she was still covered with traces of Noah…

 

Just then, thud—a coat fell over her body. At the same time, Viego’s scent washed over her. It was Viego’s coat.

 

“…”

 

Dana didn’t want to thank him. She simply kept her lips shut and put on the coat.

 

“What was that?” Dana asked in a low voice. “That wasn’t Lord Ignis just now, was it?”