I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 224

* * *

“Well…” Dana opened her mouth. Her mind was racing. “In my opinion, the boy named Carl would be more suitable as the sacrifice.”

 

Long ago, Carl had once fallen into the Ice Lake. He’d said he’d been bitten by a snake back then. Yet he survived in the end.

 

“Seeing him walk around with explosives, he doesn’t seem sane. I think he shows signs of becoming a very delinquent person in the future.”

 

“Hmm. That’s true.”

 

“Yes. I hope you use that boy as the sacrifice.”

 

“Very well. If that’s what you wish.” Rodrigo easily agreed to her wish. “Then we’ll use Carl as the sacrifice.”

 

“…”

 

His quick change of mind made her heart drop. Dana clenched her fists. It’ll be okay. Yes, it’ll be fine. Carl is strong. He’ll survive anyway… Still feeling uneasy, she asked. “By the way, when you say ‘sacrifice,’ how exactly is the offering carried out?”

 

“Wait.” At that moment, Rodrigo held out his hand. “Your hand.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“It’s swollen.”

 

“…”

 

What? Dana looked down at her hand in surprise. Just as Rodrigo said, it was red and swollen.

 

Rodrigo gently took her hand and spoke kindly. “Dana, you are more precious than anyone.” He took a glass bottle from his pocket. After opening the lid, he poured the clear liquid inside onto her palm. “There is nothing in this world, in all of history, more noble than you. So, take good care of your body.”

 

As if by magic, the swelling disappeared. The burning pain began to fade as well. Dana was amazed. So this is holy water.

 

“Keep this with you at all times.” Rodrigo handed her the bottle of holy water. “You asked how the sacrifice is carried out, didn’t you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“First, Carl will be thrown into the Ice Lake to purify his body. And then he’ll be turned into a sealing stone.”

 

Dana frowned. So being thrown into the lake wasn’t the end? And also— “A sealing stone? What’s that?”

 

“It means turning him into a statue while he’s still alive.”

 

“…”

 

“It will serve as a magic stone to reinforce the demon’s seal.”

 

Dana was shocked. What did I just hear? Turn a living human into a statue?

 

Rodrigo continued, looking extremely proud, “There is already a sealing stone standing in the Ice Lake. Our Windsor ancestor has been serving as the sealing stone for over 200 years.”

 

“Huh…?”

 

The horror was so great that she could hardly speak. That’s what it means to be a sacrifice? To live, frozen in stone, for over 200 years? These people are insane. Rodrigo, and that so-called ancestor too, none of them were sane.

 

“It’s time for the ancestor’s seal to be released. He deserves to regain his freedom.”

 

“…So that’s why you need a new sacrifice to become the next sealing stone.”

 

“Yes.”

 

It felt unsettling. When released after two hundred years of sealing, would that ancestor even be sane? He’d probably be completely mad.

 

Rodrigo looked expectant. “Carl will have the honor of becoming the new sealing stone, succeeding our ancestor.”

 

Why don’t you do it? Why don’t you take that damned honor yourself? She almost said it out loud.

 

“But Dana, it seems you don’t want to use Viego as the sacrifice. You must be fond of him.”

 

“…”

 

Dana didn’t answer. Did she care for Viego? Of course not. Honestly, she didn’t care whether he became the sacrifice or not, but… The seven-year-old boy she saw today was just too small. She couldn’t let him become the sacrifice.

 

“Kindness is good, but you are precious. Your heart is precious, too. Don’t waste what is precious.” Rodrigo smiled as he said this. It was a deep, clear smile. “But Viego also needs to become stronger. If he doesn’t kill a lamb and put it on the table, I’ll give him severe punishment. When that time comes, please don’t stop me.”

 

* * *

After dinner, Dana was led to her bedroom by a servant. Her mind was troubled. She felt as if she had unintentionally driven Carl into a corner. But in the future, Carl never became the sealing stone. Then, who was sacrificed and became the sealing stone? She didn’t know. Only that it wasn’t Carl.

 

Still, you never know. Because of her, the future might change…

 

“Then please rest well, Lady Danawin.”

 

Click. Just as the door closed—

 

“Ah!”

 

Rough hands suddenly and forcefully covered her mouth. Someone attacked her from behind. Startled, Dana struggled in panic. Who—?!

 

“Be quiet.”

 

Dana froze. That voice—

 

“If you scream, I’ll break your neck.”

 

A boy’s voice, but very rough, very threatening, and very tense. It was…

 

“Nod if you understand.”

 

It was Ignis’s voice.

 

How did he even get in here? Dana slowly nodded. Just then—

 

“Lady Danawin?” A knock came from outside. “Lady Danawin? Are you alright?”

 

Perhaps startled, the hand covering her mouth pressed even harder. It hurts!

 

“Lady Danawin. Please respond.”

 

If she didn’t answer, they’d come in. Dana bit Ignis’s hand. But he only pressed harder and wouldn’t let go. So—

 

“…!”

 

She licked his hand. Startled, the boy released her. A reflexive reaction, it seemed.

 

“I’m fine,” Dana answered quickly, taking advantage of his loosened grip. “I’m alright. I just had a leg cramp for a moment.”

 

“Shall I call for a servant?”

 

“No, I’m fine now. Don’t worry.”

 

“Understood. If you need anything, please call.”

 

Finally, the knight began to walk away from the door. Only when the footsteps were completely gone did Dana breathe a sigh of relief. She had almost been caught.

 

“What’s the meaning of this…?”

 

When she turned her head, Ignis was frozen stiff.

 

“Why didn’t you turn me over to the knights?” He clearly hadn’t expected her to send the knight away. “What’s your game? Tell me now.”

 

Ignis’s voice was sharp as an awl, and his face looked as if it would shatter at a touch. It was more fear than threat. But the tough act didn’t last long.

 

“Ugh.”

 

Suddenly, Ignis staggered and collapsed. Dana instinctively caught him.

 

Oh my god. His body was burning up! She hadn’t realized it when he was covering her mouth. Looking closely, Ignis was covered in bruises and wounds. Blood was still seeping from several places, especially his abdomen. The wound where he’d been stabbed by a knight that morning hadn’t healed yet.

 

“Let… go.”

 

He was putting on a brave face in this condition? It was amazing he could even move. His earlier threat had been a desperate, last effort.

 

“Let go…”

 

Dana ignored his futile resistance and dragged him to the sofa.

 

“I said, let go.”

 

“Hold still.” She spoke firmly, then took out the holy water Rodrigo had given her earlier. It was exactly five drops. She dripped them onto his wound. Like magic, the area began to heal.

 

“Let go. Damn it, don’t touch—”

 

“It’s alright.” Dana took Ignis’s flailing hand in hers and whispered as she looked into his eyes, “You’re safe here.”

 

“…”

 

“So just rest.”

 

At that, Ignis flinched. His mind had been in a haze, but it felt as if lightning had struck him.

 

“Don’t worry too much.”

 

It happened once more.

 

“I’ll hide you here, so relax.”

 

The boy couldn’t believe his ears. Safe here? Relax? She’s using polite speech with me? And said she’d hide me?

 

“You don’t have to be so tense.”

 

It was the first time in his life Ignis had heard polite speech addressed to him.

 

“Are you hurt anywhere else?”

 

And not just that…

 

“If you’re in pain, tell me.”

 

The woman held his hand so gently that Ignis was startled. For a moment, his heart blazed. What’s with this woman? His face turned red in an instant, and his tongue trembled in embarrassment.

 

“L-Let go, you witch…” At his sharp retort, the woman smiled sweetly.

 

“A witch? How cute. Such a childish word.”

 

“…!”

 

“I guess you really are a kid.” She patted his head as if he were adorable.

 

The touch made Ignis almost scream, but he barely held it in. If he cried out, the knight would come back. “What are you doing?”

 

“You’re just so cute, I couldn’t help it.”

 

“Y-You crazy woman…”

 

“Wait a moment. I need to clean your blood.”

 

What is this? What is this? Ignis was dizzy, and it wasn’t just from blood loss. Why is she being nice to me? He just tried to strangle her a moment ago. She must know he’s an escaped experiment, and yet…

 

The woman poured some water from the jug into a basin, soaked a towel, and began to wipe the blood from his body. Is this another trap? Whatever it is, he must not fall for it.

 

Ignis had already fallen into Rodrigo’s trap. The man who adopted him. At first, that man pretended to be kind, but now he’d dragged Ignis to this hell and conducted bizarre experiments. For someone so handsome, he had acted with unmatched cruelty.

 

“Relax, it’s fine. Like I said, it’s safe here.”

 

So this woman must also be deceiving him. No matter how angelic she looked, if he trusted her…

 

“I think you’re getting sleepy.”

 

Ah, but why are my eyelids getting so heavy? Her gentleness made him tense in a new way, but somehow it also put him at ease. The anxiety that had been crushing his chest all this time melted away without him realizing it. Besides, he had lost so much blood today. It was only his stubbornness keeping him awake.

 

“Sleep well, Lord Ignis.”

 

I shouldn’t relax. I shouldn’t sleep. I barely made it this far…

 

“Sweet dreams.”

 

But Ignis was soon swept away by sleep. For the first time since coming to the sanctuary, he slept without nightmares.

 

* * *

At that time, in a dark bedroom, Rodrigo gazed at the golden sash on his bed. It was the sash Dana had used to hit him today.

 

“Your Holiness.” A subordinate began reporting behind him. “Ignis has escaped again.”

 

“Tsk. That wild colt.”

 

“We can find more boys to replace Ignis. So, how about disposing of him?”

 

Rodrigo had already been considering that. No matter how exceptional Ignis’s abilities were, he was impossible to control. Not a day passed without him causing trouble. Perhaps he could become a major problem in the future. Because of Ignis, Dana had realized today that the ‘experiments’ were not aboveboard.

 

Should he keep such a dangerous element around? No. It would be better to find another usable one. It would be better to dispose of him now.

 

Rodrigo made up his mind to abandon Ignis. “Kill him if you find him. We have no further need for such trash.”

 

“A wise decision, Your Holiness.”

 

Rodrigo could sense that the subordinate was smiling in the darkness, pleased by the order.

 

“And we’ve received information that the radicals plan to attack Lord Viego.”

 

“Viego?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Those vermin. Rodrigo muttered curses under his breath.

 

The radicals were of barbarian descent. The Daiana Church had recruited some barbarians to borrow their shamanistic knowledge that made use of demonic power. And they always caused trouble in the order, just like now.

 

“Until now, no member of the Windsor family has been used as an experiment. They seem to resent always being the beneficiaries.”

 

“I see.”

 

“So it appears they intend to kidnap Lord Viego and use him as an experimental subject.”

 

Rodrigo thought for a moment. Normally, he would have ordered their immediate capture and punishment for targeting a Windsor blood relative. “Leave them be. If he can’t survive on his own, he’s not worth keeping alive.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Leave.”

 

He heard his hesitant subordinate retreat.

 

Rodrigo gazed at the golden sash on his bed. Today, Dana had struck him with it. It was the first time in his life he’d ever been struck by someone, yet he didn’t find it unpleasant at all. Rather, it felt like an honor. It was as if he had received a lesson from the saintess who would save this world.

 

But the reason for it displeased him. Viego. That useless, weak grandson. To think she would give her precious feelings to someone like that. That must not happen. Because Dana was the woman he had devoted his life to.

 

“All my life…” Rodrigo murmured softly. “I’ve waited for you to awaken.”

 

Dana was the Windsor family’s, his lifelong wish and goal. The awakened Dana was exactly what he had dreamed. No, she was even more than that. Preciously beyond measure, a goddess who would purify this world…

 

Like a devotee worshiping a deity, Rodrigo slowly knelt before the golden sash. He lowered his face, brought the tip of his nose to it, and inhaled. Then he extended his tongue and slowly licked it.

 

Here. Dana had gripped it here. With those miraculous hands that would purify all corruption…

 

The sash was rough and dry, yet for some reason it made his tongue feel as if it would melt. It was like licking thick butter, no, like licking soft, most flower petals slick with butter, making the tip of his nose grow hot.

 

A shudder ran through him. In that instant, Rodrigo realized. I’ve lived for this moment.