I’m Trying to End This Possession

Author: alyalia

* * *

After the meal, Rodrigo said his farewell. “Then rest comfortably. I have some business to attend to.”

Dana suddenly grabbed Rodrigo’s arm as he was about to leave. “Where are you going?”

“Huh?” Seeing the anxiety on Dana’s face, Rodrigo smiled softly. “Are you uneasy?”

Of course Dana was uneasy. Not because of herself, but because of him. What on earth is he planning to do? To Dana, Rodrigo was a walking disaster. Who knew, he might even be going to do something terrible to Ignis right now.

“You don’t need to worry. The Grand Cathedral is safe.” As if he understood her, Rodrigo patted her shoulder. The gentle touch made her skin crawl.

“I need to find Carl. I was going to introduce him to you… No, on second thought, it’s better not to. He’s a strange one. I don’t know how someone like him even came about.” Just thinking about it seemed to stress Rodrigo out, as he pressed his brow with his fingers.

“Then I’ll see you at dinner.”

* * *

It was after the meal, while exploring the Grand Cathedral. Dana ran into Demian Windsor. He was walking with his arms full of luggage, looking as though he were about to leave this place.

“…”

Demian Windsor brushed past her without a word.

“Are you leaving this place, by any chance?”

When she asked bluntly, Demian answered in a thoroughly fed-up tone. “Is that not allowed? I can’t stay on this disgusting land for even a moment longer.”

Well, she agreed with that part. However…

“By yourself?”

“Why? Do you want to come with me?” Demian looked her up and down, then jerked his chin. “Fine. Follow me, then. I can take one extra person along.”

“What about your son?”

“…”

“Are you leaving Viego Windsor here?”

Leaving him alone, in a place like this?

Demian’s face hardened, and he started walking away even faster. Dana grabbed him.

“Damn it, let go!” After shaking off her hand, Demian hurried away in a fluster.

What is wrong with that idiot? To think someone like that existed in the Windsor family. She knew it was a family full of frauds, villains, and despicable schemers. But I didn’t think there’d be a coward among them.

Turning away in disappointment, Dana suddenly froze. At the end of the hallway, a young boy, Viego, was standing there, staring blankly. Watching the scene of his father abandoning him.

“…” Without a word, Viego abruptly turned around.

This is driving me crazy. After hesitating for a moment, Dana followed Viego. Of course, she didn’t owe him any loyalty. But it felt wrong to just ignore the small, fragile-looking boy in front of her.

Where is he going?

The little boy walked along with small, measured steps. He left the cathedral grounds and entered a narrow forest path. At the end of the forest road, there was a small sheep pasture.

Baaah. A sheep bleated and approached. As if accustomed to him, the sheep didn’t flee. Instead, it welcomed him.

Dana felt bewildered. She’d seen a scene like this somewhere before.

“Just so you know.” As though he’d expected her to follow, Viego spoke curtly. “I don’t need a mother.”

“…”

“I don’t need a father either.”

“…”

“I like being alone. So you don’t have to bother yourself.”

The prim look on his face was so adorable that Dana was caught off guard. Those soft, peach-colored cheeks. She felt as though the boy before her wasn’t Viego at all, but just some ordinary child. And so she couldn’t simply leave.

“How old are you?”

“Seven.”

“…”

The boy answered curtly, then sat down under a tree and opened the book tucked under his arm. Stroking the face of a sheep resting on his lap, he began to read.

“What are you reading?”

“Something boring.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve read all the books children can read. So they’re boring.”

So he read because he had nothing else to do.

Dana carefully sat down beside him. Even though he said he liked being alone, Viego didn’t explicitly push her away.

Ah, he’s really cute. A little kid reading while petting a sleeping sheep. Even though she wasn’t usually fond of children, Viego was exceptionally cute and lovable. She couldn’t help but start talking to him.

“There are probably books you haven’t read yet.”

“There aren’t.”

“There are.”

At this, perhaps feeling his pride wounded, the boy frowned. “What is it, then? Say it.”

“…The Fairy and the Woodcutter.” Viego probably wouldn’t know this one.

The boy glared at her with distrust. “There’s no fairy tale like that.”

“There is.”

“Then tell it. In three seconds. Don’t think. Right now.”

“Long, long ago, there lived a woodcutter—”

Viego examined her with the sharp gaze of a judge, trying to determine whether she was making it up on the spot. But like a child, he soon got absorbed in the story.

“So? Did the fairy get her winged robe back and return to the sky kingdom? Did the woodcutter end up alone?”

“Yes.”

Viego snorted. “Serves him right.”

“Huh?”

“The woodcutter is a kidnapper. He stole the fairy’s winged robe so she couldn’t go home.”

“…”

“And he’s a rapist too. Using the robe as an excuse, he forced her to marry him and have two children.”

“…”

Well, he wasn’t wrong, but… Where did a seven-year-old even learn words like rapist and kidnapper…? And for a child’s interpretation, it was strikingly realistic and sharp.

“The woodcutter was a bad guy, but also an idiot.” He even pointed out the protagonist’s flaw. “If the fairy was willing to take the children with her to the sky kingdom, that means she genuinely loved the kids, right?” Young Viego analyzed methodically. “If the woodcutter were smarter, he wouldn’t have given her the children.”

“…”

“Then, because of the children, she would’ve stayed by the woodcutter’s side.”

“…”

“Even if she got her winged robe back, she wouldn’t have been able to return to the sky kingdom.”

“I guess… that’s true.”

“Well, it was a pitiful criminal’s story, but it was fresh. Do you have any others?”

And so Dana told him every fairy tale she knew, while Viego diligently criticized and analyzed each one. Only then did Dana truly realize it. Yeah, he really is Viego.

* * *

It was that evening’s dinner.

What is wrong with that man? Had he been caught trying to run away?

Demian was present at the table again. His face was a mess, as though he’d been beaten badly.

“Dana, in the end, I didn’t manage to catch Carl. I’ll introduce him to you later.” Perhaps exhausted from searching for Carl all day, Rodrigo gestured weakly, his face gaunt. “Now then, let’s all begin our meal.”

On the table, there were no vegetables at all. It was meat, meat, meat, meat, meat, and meat. Nothing but meat. Dana was dumbfounded by the crazed menu selection. Was he really having a power struggle with his grandson?

“If you refuse to eat again, I’ll have the animals you like slaughtered and served.”

Viego’s face stiffened.

Chewing his meat, Rodrigo smiled. “Do you want to see your beloved sheep laid out on the table?”

Dana was horrified by his cruelty. Was this how he planned to fix a seven-year-old’s eating habits? By threatening him like this? As expected, he doesn’t have a shred of compassion. That was exactly why he’d decided to steal Ignis’s body. Feeling a renewed surge of hatred, Dana downed her whiskey in one gulp. Otherwise, she felt like she’d start swearing out loud.

Meanwhile, Viego slowly picked up his fork. He pressed the meat down and pushed it into his mouth. He chewed, then swallowed.

“How? Is it good?”

“Yes.”

“You eat well. Good. Finish the whole plate, then. If you do, your sheep will be spared.”

All the while, Dana silently poured back whiskey after whiskey. It was the only way she could endure this. How much time passed like that? By the time the meal was drawing to an end, Dana had emptied an entire bottle of whiskey, and Viego had finished a full plate.

“Come to think of it, Viego.”

“Yes?”

“You even give names to your sheep. You named the lamb born this time Ren, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“So that one was Ren.”

“…What?”