I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 237

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Ssssss. Ignis blankly looked down at the branding iron pressing beneath his left collarbone.

 

“Speak.”

 

The smell of burning flesh stung his nose. It was painful, but Ignis was used to this kind of pain. Enduring it was even easier.

 

“Speak up now.”

 

Sssssss. Again and again, the iron crushed into his skin.

 

“What happened between you and Dana?”

 

Ssssssss.

 

“What did you do with Dana?”

 

Ignis did not answer. Not even a twitch of his lips.

 

That stone-like silence was driving Rodrigo insane. This torture had been going on for days now. Even while immersing himself in experiments with the demon fragment he had recently obtained, he could not maintain his concentration for long. It was because he had found Ignis in Dana’s bedroom.

 

Why on earth had he been there? Why had Dana hidden him in secret? There was only one bed. Where had she let him sleep? Surely she hadn’t shared the same bed with that vermin?

 

To find out, Rodrigo would visit again and again, torturing and burning Ignis. By now, Ignis’s back was so scarred there was no left to burn, so now it was his chest. And yet this wretched b*stard didn’t even let out a groan!

 

“I told you to speak!” Rodrigo finally cast aside all dignity and shouted like a child. “Speak!”

 

“…”

 

“What did you talk about with Dana? What happened? Tell me everything, leave nothing out!”

 

Dana had not merely hidden Ignis. She had been teaching him how to read and write. It was only for a short time, but the evidence was there.

 

Dana lavished such care on this lowborn wretch.

 

On the paper were beautiful, neat, lovely letters. And beneath them, crooked, worm-like scribbles as though someone had tried to copy them. Anyone could see it was evidence of learning. In that brief span, Dana had tried to teach this vulgar b*stard how to read. To this mere scrap of trash! Why?

 

Rodrigo couldn’t understand why Dana had been injured trying to save Viego, but he could at least accept it. Viego was only seven. Small and young, almost fairy-like in appearance, he had even been told he would become her child in the future. Perhaps her maternal instincts had been stirred. Rodrigo could understand that. But… Why with this one?

 

Ignis was a complete stranger, and though still a boy, he was already broad-shouldered and tall, hardly the sort to awaken protective instincts in Dana. If anything, she should have found him threatening. So why had she shielded him?

 

“Dana is kind to everyone by nature.” Unwilling to admit anything else, Rodrigo spoke coldly. “She is so good and innocent that she even shows kindness to scum like you.”

 

“…”

 

“But unfortunately, she grows bored quickly. Look, she asked me to have you removed from her room. Dana reported you!”

 

It was a lie. The search party had found Ignis, but Rodrigo had thoroughly deceived him.

 

“But Dana didn’t tell me what happened between you. So I will ask you.”

 

“…”

 

“Everything that happened while you stayed with her. Every conversation. Speak. Now.”

 

At that, Ignis twisted his split lips into a smile. “Pathetic.”

 

“…What?”

 

“Rodrigo. No matter how young your body looks, isn’t that woman much younger than you?”

 

“What nonsense is that all of a sudden—”

 

“You’re jealous.” The red-eyed boy snickered. “You’re jealous of me.”

 

“…”

 

“You senile old fool. Stop guzzling holy water. Isn’t your libido a bit excessive?”

 

Rodrigo’s lips trembled. It was humiliating. Jealousy? Absurd! “N-No!” Yet his reply wavered. Realizing it, Rodrigo snapped his mouth shut in shock.

 

Ignis burst into loud laughter. “One of your few virtues is that you’re bad at hiding your emotions.”

 

“Shut your mouth!”

 

This was not mere jealousy. It was blasphemous humiliation. Yes, he had thought of Dana as one worships a goddess. For decades, he had watched her sleeping face. Waiting for her to open her eyes. Living his entire life thinking only of her. Jealousy? How could it be such a shallow emotion?

 

Rodrigo sneered. “What would a lowborn thing like you know? Guesses befitting your station—”

 

At that moment. Beyond Ignis, in the window’s reflection, Rodrigo met his own eyes. A young man with sleek platinum hair. Green eyes, delicate features, a beautiful youth… How old was he, again?

 

“Stop taking it out on me and just confess to Dana, that woman. Of course, she’d be utterly disgusted.” While Rodrigo’s mind drifted for a moment, Ignis continued to mock him. “Ugh, just imagine how nauseating it’d be if she found out that some old man with a pretty exterior fantasized about her while jerking off.”

 

“Shut up.”

 

“I’m right, aren’t I? I’m way better. At least I’m actually young.”

 

“Blasphemous nonsense! Mind your tongue!”

 

“No matter how cute you look, Dana wouldn’t like you. You’re an old rag. Don’t you have over a dozen hidden children? A whole pile of bastards, I hear.”

 

Rodrigo’s face froze with humiliation. He knew. Every word was meant to provoke him. Being swept up by it was pitiful, but—

 

“Leader.”

 

At that moment, the door burst open, and a woman entered. At the sudden interruption, Rodrigo felt his breath return. And he realized. My mental fortitude is weak… To nearly be swayed by a child’s tongue.

 

Rebuking himself, Rodrigo asked, “Natty. What is it?”

 

“There is good news and bad news. Which would you like first?”

 

“Bad news.”

 

“The radicals have staged a rebellion.”

 

Rodrigo frowned. A rebellion?

 

“Looks like they held a grudge over your summary execution of those who attacked Lord Viego.”

 

“Hah. Ridiculous.” Rodrigo scoffed. “Since when were they so loyal? They’re just trying to seize the serpent’s head we obtained. And the good news?”

 

“Ah, that.” Natty smiled brightly. “The rotten land is finally appearing.”

 

For a moment, Rodrigo’s mind went blank.

 

“The contamination is spreading from the center of the Grand Temple.”

 

“…Is that true?”

 

“Yes. At last, the prophecy is coming true, Leader!”

 

The land had begun to rot. Just as prophesied 200 years ago, the sign of destruction had begun! What joyous news!

 

Rodrigo trembled with ecstasy. I was right! He knew the prophecy had come from a demon. Even so, someone had to prepare, just in case it was true. Someone had to play the villain. For this day, he and the ancestors of Windsor had committed countless sins. Windsor was right after all! Tears of emotion welled in his eyes.

 

“For now, evacuate everyone away from the rotten land. And as for the rebellion—” Rodrigo hurried out of the torture chamber with Natty.

 

Thud. When he left, Ignis remained alone in the dark chamber. Still hanging from chains, he lowered his gaze to the floor. Finally, it was quiet. That damn old man. So damn noisy.

 

I’m tired… Ignis just wanted to sleep. He was exhausted, worn down, and even resisting felt bothersome now. He had never felt like this before. Never once had he wanted to give up on everything this much.

 

It’s all because of that woman. That fair, beautiful woman. She had asked him to run away with her. To live a new life.

 

A new life… He really wanted to. Truly, he desperately wanted it. But in the end, he could not have it. And so Ignis sank into deep, very deep despair.

 

Cruel woman. Why did she give me hope? She had even taught him letters for a few hours. Said that to live a new life, he would need to read and write. Her clear face had been so innocent.

 

She truly knew nothing. Beggar brats like Ignis should never be easily given even a scrap of bread. Because beggars are greedy and ravenous. They will cling persistently, hoping they might receive that kindness one more time by luck.

 

So count yourself lucky… Ignis sneered inwardly. She was the fortunate one. Because he no longer had the strength to chase after her. His body, his mind, everything was spent.

 

There is no new life for me. Only now was Ignis ready to accept the truth. The reality she had shown him.

 

Slowly, Ignis rolled his tongue in his mouth. If I bite through the base of my tongue at once… He could die. In his current condition, tortured as he was, death would not be strange. Simply severing his tongue would be enough. If unlucky, he might survive. But there was no other way. Rodrigo had severed every nerve in his body except those of his mouth with sorcery.

 

Let’s end this. With resolve, he bit down on his tongue with all his strength. Crunch. The pain was blind. The world flashed before his eyes. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth rapidly, then spilled past his lips in streams. Instinctively, he knew. It worked. At last, he could die. I’m going…

 

Cruel woman. If only you’d never appeared before me. If so, I wouldn’t have been so miserable as to die such a pathetic death by suicide.

 

It was as his consciousness began to fade. Rattle, the door shook open.

 

“No!”

 

A tiny white girl, small as an acorn, came running in.

 

“No, Ignis!”