I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 234

* * *

Rumors spread.

 

“…Dirty wh*re…”

 

Danae snapped her head around. But among the countless nobles in the banquet hall, she couldn’t tell who had said it. Or perhaps, everyone was calling her that. Rumors had spread that Danae shared a bed with Raios. She could feel countless fingers pointing at her back. Not only that, but the experiment was also going poorly.

 

“We’re stuck at the final stage,” Rodrigo said, just before completion, that they lacked crucial material. “We need holy water from Ice Lake to complete it. But since we can’t access the sanctuary…”

 

Danae grew anxious. Wilhelm was in the sanctuary. Besides, half of the sanctuary belonged to the Ramun Church. Could she really smuggle Rodrigo inside?

 

Just as the pressure began to suffocate her—

 

[My dear Danae.]

 

A letter arrived.

 

[I miss you.]

 

It was from the former emperor, Wilhelm.

 

* * *

From the day she received the letter, Danae had nightmares every night. They were dreams of Wilhelm licking her hand like a dog and assaulting her.

 

Everything remained the same. The experiment was stalled at the last step, and Wilhelm was still a threat. Worse, nobles whispered that she should be reported to the Ramun Church for incest. They sneered that the dirty blood of Daiana Church’s witch couldn’t be hidden. They even called her Daiana Church’s witch, an offspring of a demon worshipper. After that, Danae’s nightmares included scenes of being burned at the stake.

 

What if I’m really accused of being a witch? What if, just what if something happened to Raios? If he died of illness or in an accident, or disappeared for any reason… Everyone will brand me a witch and kill me. Or, at that point, Wilhelm could take me away.

 

Unable to endure it anymore, Danae consulted Rodrigo about her fears.

 

“Run away from the imperial palace,” Rodrigo suggested. “It’d be better to hide with me.”

 

“…Run away?”

 

“Yes. Let’s think about how to complete the experiment together.”

 

But that would mean leaving Raios… I don’t want that. She didn’t want to leave him.

 

It was one day, while Dana was still hesitating.

 

“Sister, a letter has come from Father.” Raios handed Wilhelm’s letter to her. That horrible thing, delivered by his own hand.

 

The very next day, Danae ran away from the imperial palace.

 

* * *

Her escape didn’t last long. A week later, Raios found her hiding place.

 

“Why did you run away?”

 

In just a week, Raios’s face had grown startlingly pale. He looked as if he hadn’t seen sunlight in years.

 

“Let’s go back together.”

 

“…No.”

 

“Why are you doing this?” Raios knelt down and began to cry. Thick tears streamed endlessly down his cheeks. “Did I do something wrong?”

 

“…”

 

“I will apologize. Whatever it is, I will never do it again.”

 

“…It’s not your fault.” Her resolve wavered at the sight of him crying. As always, she collapsed before his vulnerable state. “I’m sorry for hurting you, Raios.”

 

At those words, Raios abruptly pulled her into an embrace. His body was trembling in small spasms. “Please tell me the reason. If there is a problem, I can solve it all.”

 

“…”

 

“If there is something you want, I can give you everything. So please.”

 

Danae bit her lip before finally blurting it out. “The previous emperor…” In the end, sobbing, she confessed everything about that day. How the former emperor Wilhelm had toyed with her hand. And how, through the gap in his bathrobe, he had deliberately spread his legs wide to flaunt his erect body. The suffocating fear she had felt then, and the nightmares that had continued until now.

 

Raios listened to her without saying a word. “And?” He asked with a resolute face. “What else are you afraid of?”

 

Danae told him everything, truly everything. That people were branding her a witch from the Daiana Church. That she was afraid she might one day be burned at the stake. And…

 

“Lord Rodrigo said he needs holy water.”

 

That Rodrigo, the former leader of the Daiana Church, was conducting an experiment using a fragment of a serpent. But he could not complete it without holy water.

 

Raios neither criticized nor showed surprise. He simply asked seriously. “What do you wish to obtain from that experiment?”

 

“I want power.”

 

“…”

 

“I’m afraid. Since I came from the Daina Church, which has been branded as a demon-worshipping cult, I could be accused of being a witch at any time…” With those words, completely exhausted, Danae fell asleep as if collapsing.

 

“If I…” As her consciousness faded, Raios asked, “Would you never leave again?”

 

Half-asleep, Danae answered. “Yes.”

 

* * *

It was a few days later. The former emperor Wilhelm was found dead. He had drowned in the sea. Everyone expressed doubts about his sudden death, but Raios concluded it as an accidental fall without any further investigation.

 

Danae was overjoyed, yet at the same time uneasy. Some had raised suspicions that the former emperor had been assassinated. Could it be that Raios killed him? But she soon shook her head. There was no way. Raios was kind and righteous. No matter how much he loved her, he would not have committed the atrocity of murdering his own father. She thought it must simply be a coincidence.

 

It was the day after the former emperor’s funeral was held. Raios gathered his close aides around him, with Danae by his side, and issued an order. That Rodrigo, the leader of Daiana Church, would be sent to the sanctuary with escort and support.

 

“Your Majesty! Why would you send such a wicked man back to the sanctuary!”

 

Fierce opposition erupted. In particular, Duke Lancaster, the commander of the army who had led the annihilation of the Daiana Church, strongly objected.

 

“He is a demon worshipper who conducted inhuman experiments!”

 

Raios replied with a gentle smile. “Rodrigo merely prepared for the prophecy that once the Sun God’s blessing ends and the land is corrupted, it will perish.”

 

“That’s a demon’s prophecy!” Duke Lancaster shouted, veins bulging in his neck. “The Daiana Church fell for the demon’s temptation! They listened to the demon’s whispers and succumbed to their lure!”

 

“But a prophecy is a prophecy. Someone had to prepare for destruction. The Daiana Church did what needed to be done for humanity.”

 

Duke Lancaster trembled, then sharply turned his head. He glared murderously at Danae, who sat beside Raios. “It’s all because of Her Highness!”

 

Danae shrank her shoulders.

 

The duke thundered, “There are rampant rumors that Her Highness warms Your Majesty’s bed every night!”

 

Raios said nothing and looked at the duke. With no one stopping him, the duke seemed to think he had seized the opportunity and poured out everything he had harbored. “Your Majesty! As your loyal subject, I must speak. You have lost your senses because you are obsessed with the first woman you’ve ever known!”

 

“…”

 

“I can guess what pillow talk took place! But Your Majesty, please do not forget that this woman is from the wicked Daiana Church!”

 

Raios looked at the finger pointing at Danae, then rose from his seat. He slowly approached. Startled, Duke Lancaster lowered his hand. But Raios grabbed his hand again as it tried to descend, the very finger that had accused Danae.

 

At that moment, Duke Lancaster’s body burst apart. With a terrible splatter, bones, flesh, and blood were sprayed over the carpet, the walls, the windows, everywhere.

 

Raios slowly turned around. He smiled at the courtiers who stared at him, pale as death. “Don’t you dare point your finger at my sister.”

 

All of them, soaked in terror, kept their mouths shut.

 

Raios then returned to Danae. He knelt before her, lifted the back of her hand, and politely kissed it. “I apologize for showing you something unsightly.”

 

Danae froze. The audience chamber was filled with shock and horror. But no one was more shocked than she was.

 

* * *

Raios sent Rodrigo to the sanctuary and supported his experiments. Although everything was done in secret, this news soon reached the ears of Ramun Church’s pope, Yustio. Viego Windsor had quickly gathered the information and leaked it.

 

Yustio issued the warning that half of the sanctuary belonged to the Ramun Church. If the Daiana Church remained there, war would break out. But Raios ignored him. Rather, he no longer concealed it and openly supported Rodrigo’s experiment, empowering the Daiana Church. And he distributed the holy water to the people.

 

Having once tasted the miracle of the holy water, the imperial citizens went wild with fervor. Most converted to the Daiana Church in a frenzy. The influence of the Daiana Church grew to an abnormal level. And Raios officially declared the Daiana Church the state religion.

 

As a result, conflict with the Ramun Church rapidly intensified. Eventually, battles broke out in the sanctuary between the Ramun Church’s paladins and Raios’s forces. Once became twice, twice became thrice. After the seventh battle, using the death of the heir of a prestigious imperial family as justification, Raios declared a religious war.

 

“Raios, think again.” That night, Danae tried to dissuade him. “A war, Raios. Think again. This makes no sense.”

 

“Don’t worry. We’ll win.” Thinking she was trembling in fear, he pulled her into an embrace. “This is the only path.” Raios spoke quietly. “That night, I decided to do this.”

 

That night was when he found Danae after she ran away. Raios had thought it all out by then.

 

“Sister, everyone on the continent knows you’re from the Daiana Church, a group known as demon worshippers.”

 

“…”

 

“When I think about it, that’s what you’re afraid of. Indeed, someday that fact might put you in danger.”

 

“…”

 

“I should have done this sooner. I was careless. I’m sorry.” He kissed Danae on the cheek and smiled. “I’ll remove everything on this earth that you could possibly fear.”

 

Only then did Danae fully recall what Raios had said that night.

 

“If I turn this continent into the land of the Daiana Church, would you never leave again?”

 

He had been planning to drive out the Ramun Church all along.

 

* * *

It was one day, during fierce battles in the sanctuary. An incident occurred in which a noble, who believed Danae to be the cause of the war, attempted to assassinate her. Fortunately, it ended in failure. But growing anxious, Raios assigned a powerful bodyguard to Danae, a soldier who had distinguished himself brilliantly on the battlefield.

 

“He is the warrior I trust most.” Raios personally introduced him. “From now on, this man will protect you, Sister.”

 

The silver-haired soldier in a pure white uniform bowed. “It is an honor to serve you.” He looked up and smiled brightly. “My name is Rumie Rolland.”

 

* * *

Goodness. Inside ‘Danae Geranze,’ Dana let out a deep sigh. This is bad. If it were her at this time, ‘Danae Geranze’ of this moment, it felt like Danae might even have an affair.

 

It was at that moment. Ah. Inside Danae’s body, Dana’s soul trembled violently. What is this feeling? Is it a mistake? It felt as if something were pulling her. No, it was not her imagination. She was actually being forcibly dragged by some power. She was being pulled out of Danae Geranze’s body, from this first timeline.

 

No. Not now. I have to see more. Because even after things had come to this point, the Sun God had still not cast a curse upon Raios. Raios’s power remained intact, and he still possessed his radiant golden hair. Despite committing atrocities that would shock the heavens, he still had not been cursed. Which meant that beyond what he had done so far, he would commit something even more vicious. No. I have to see it! What could be worse than driving out the Ramun Church!

 

As she tried to hold on inside Danae’s body, a violent clash of force struck her soul. She felt the holy magic Yustio had cast twisting and distorting once again.

 

At that moment, ‘Danae’ smiled and said, “It’s nice to meet you. May I call you Rumie?”

 

At the same time, an irresistibly powerful force pulled Dana like a magnet. No. I need to see more. I have to see what happens next, how it all ends—

 

“Wherever you go, take Rumie with you, Sister.”

 

But with Raios’s earnest insistence as the last thing she heard, Dana was flung out from the body of ‘Danae Geranze,’ and from this timeline.