I’m Trying to End This Possession – Chapter 242

Author: alyalia

* * *

As soon as they arrived at the imperial port, Viego changed clothes. Then he met the person he had arranged to meet in advance.

“That ship is the smuggling vessel.”

It was his cousin, Rumie. He was the one helping Viego to escape.

“If you board that ship, you’ll head north.”

It was a smuggling ship that traveled back and forth between the barbarian lands and the empire. Under the tacit approval of the imperial navy, it was being monitored. And the one in charge of overseeing that ship was Rumie himself. He was the one putting Viego aboard.

“But, Viego.” With a mischievous smile in his eyes, Rumie gestured over Viego’s shoulder. “Who is that?”

“…”

It was Dana. She was hiding quietly behind Viego’s back, her robe hood pulled low, and dressed in men’s clothes. But there was no fooling Rumie.

“A woman?”

“You don’t need to know.”

Dana pressed closer behind Viego, hiding. It was uncomfortable meeting the man’s gaze.

Why is that person so ridiculously pretty for a man…? Hair shimmering as if molten silver had been poured over it, eyes like rubies set deep within, an extraordinarily captivating youth. Is he still a boy? A man standing right on the boundary between boyhood and youth, about Viego’s age.

“Just who is she, that you’d go this far…” Rumie dragged out his words. This far. Breaking countless laws. Boarding a barbarian smuggling ship. Even disguising yourself as a sailor. “…to help her escape?”

Viego straightened his posture so Dana wouldn’t be in Rumie’s line of sight. “Mind your own business. I won’t let it cause you trouble.”

“Trouble? Of course not. This is one of the few joys in my life.”

The heir of a prestigious family, Viego Windsor, is dressing like a common laborer and boarding a smuggling ship. This was a sight one would hardly ever see again.

“I’m glad I stayed alive. To think I’d witness Viego Windsor eloping with his secret lover.”

“She’s not that kind of woman.”

“And yet you’re risking your life for her.”

“I’m just repaying a debt.”

At that moment, Dana wanted to poke his back. What debt? What kind of debt makes you do something like this?

Even Dana could vaguely sense it now. This wasn’t a simple kidnapping. Viego was throwing away his life to run away with her.

What should I do? Lord Rodrigo will be angry. Her head was full of worry and anxiety. But strangely, her heart was different.

The moment Dana left the sanctuary, she felt refreshed. It was as if her soul was crying out in joy with all its strength. Alive. Now I can live. I can finally breathe… She was startled by this violently surging happiness. It was the first sense of liberation she had ever felt.

And through it, Dana finally realized. I was unhappy in the sanctuary all this time. She hadn’t known. She hadn’t even realized she was suffocating, slowly dying like someone dying. But Viego had known. That was why he brought her out of there.

Viego saved me… To do that, he was throwing away everything he had. That much was certain.

* * *

After a long journey, they arrived in the northern lands where the barbarians lived, deep in a remote mountain village.

“This is an area the empire hasn’t mapped.”

“Really?”

“Yes. So it’s safe from pursuit.”

Walking past a small sheep pasture, they came upon a modest cabin. Viego opened the door as if it were his own home and went inside.

“Viego, whose house is this?”

“Yours.”

“…”

“From now on, you’ll live as the caretaker of this ranch.”

Dana was genuinely shocked. Her identity, her job, even her home, all of that had been prepared by Viego. Inside the cabin, all the household necessities were already in place. Just how long had Viego been preparing all of this?

“You’ll handle the housework and cooking yourself. It’s best to avoid contact with people as much as possible.”

At that, Dana felt a little embarrassed. She had never cooked or even cleaned before…

As if he had expected it, Viego said calmly, “I’ll teach you. Learn.”

“…Viego can even do things like that?”

“Yes.” It wasn’t a joke. He really could.

Viego lit the fireplace, swept the dust-covered floor, and began cooking with the ingredients he had prepared in advance.

“…It’s delicious.” Dana exclaimed after tasting the stew he served. It was truly good, clearly not the work of someone who had only tried once or twice. Was there ever a reason for the heir of a ducal house to clean and cook himself?

“How do you know how to do all this?”

“I learned.”

“You learned?”

“Yes. So you should learn too.”

Dana was amazed. He had prepared, knowing this day would come. The cooking, the cleaning, everything. Thinking that made her heart tighten warmly.

Viego had truly lived for today. To give me a new life… It was just as she thought like that.

“I’ll be leaving before long.”

Viego’s voice struck Dana like a blow to the head. She stared at him blankly.

“Aren’t we staying together?”

“If you and I live together, the risk of being discovered increases.” Viego calmly declared their separation. “So before I leave, you’ll learn how to live on your own.”

Dana’s lips trembled. Alone?

“Yes.” Still, Dana nodded. She still couldn’t refuse.

“And learn how to refuse too.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Your mind was tampered with.”

“Tampered with? Mine?”

“Yes. You were made so you can’t refuse, especially from men.”

The moment those words fell, a clear, foamy realization washed over her mind, turning it white. I see. I was manipulated. Made so I couldn’t refuse. It was shocking, but strangely, she wasn’t upset at all. Perhaps her instincts had already known…

“From now on, I’m going to make many humiliating demands of you. And you’ll practice refusing them.”

“Okay.” Dana nodded while putting stew into her mouth. “I understand.”

* * *

That night, Dana wore the pajamas Viego had prepared for her. They felt a little awkward, since they were the kind of clothes commoners wore. He said she would now live as a commoner, ordinarily without drawing attention.

It’s so nice…

In the sanctuary, she had lived like a princess. But now Dana understood she’d been rotting away there. Just leaving the sanctuary made the air feel cleaner.

Suddenly, sanctuary came to her mind, especially about Demian and Rodrigo.

“Please acknowledge it. Acknowledge with your own lips that this, too, is love.”

Once, Demian had said that with a face full of guilt, pleading as if begging. It had been an order. So Dana said, “I acknowledge it.” Because she could never refuse.

And then another time, just once. Rodrigo, drunk, had exploded in a fit of fierce anger.

“What is that vulgar b*stard worth that you chose him?”

Before she lost her memories, what wrong had she committed?

“How could you give your heart to such a lowly commoner?”

Rodrigo unleashed the hatred piled up inside him, driving her relentlessly.

“This can’t be! I, no, we devoted our lives to you, and you were bewitched by that filthy commoner!”

Dana knew. Rodrigo’s feelings toward her were a mix of love and hatred. And the hatred ran deep.

“Say it! Say you’ll never leave again!”

Rodrigo had been truly terrifying then. So frightening that it brought her to tears.

“Yes. I won’t leave.”

But I left! Laughter and shivers escaped her. Dana’s shoulders shook with pleasure as she felt it again. The sanctuary was hell to me! They controlled me! Viego saved me!

She couldn’t contain the joy surging through her like chills. Smiling again and again, Dana slowly unbuttoned her pajamas, one by one. They fell at her feet like shed skin. Then she headed to Viego’s bedroom.

Creeeak. When she opened the door, she saw Viego sitting by the bed, reading by candlelight.

“Viego.”

Viego turned his head toward her without thinking and froze. Under the pouring moonlight, her naked body shone like a white pearl.

Dana walked toward him softly. Then, she knelt in front of his long legs. “Thank you so much.” Smiling brightly, she grabbed both his knees and spread them apart. Slowly, his firm thighs opened wide. From between them, a wave of heat warmed her skin. Dana’s cheeks flushed hot. “As repayment, I want to make you happy.”

“…”

There was no reply. When she looked up. She met his green eyes, frozen stiff. Viego looked like a living corpse. Was he even breathing? She couldn’t tell. But it didn’t matter.

Dana slowly crawled between his legs. Just as she parted her lips to take him in, Viego suddenly grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up hard. Then in one swift motion, something dropped over her shoulders. It was a blanket.

“Viego?”

Without a word, Viego wrapped her body tightly in it, then collapsed heavily onto the edge of the bed, looking exhausted. He bent forward deeply and covered his face with both hands.

“Viego?”

“Be quiet.”

“…”

“Wait.”

“…”

Dana held her breath and waited. After a long silence, Viego slowly straightened up and let out the heaviest sigh yet.

“I forgot to say it earlier.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t have to do things like that anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t need to satisfy me.”

“…”

“So don’t use your body so carelessly anymore.”

For a moment, Dana was completely dazed. Viego was glaring at her with cold eyes, eyes of firm rejection. Her face slowly turned red. She was ashamed. Embarrassed. For the first time, a sense of humiliation surged up inside her.

Ah, what do I do? And Dana realized it sharply. Right now, she isn’t normal at all. When did my way of thinking go wrong? From when did I stop being normal? What if Viego despises me? What if he thinks I’m vulgar—

“Don’t cry.”

Tears were already falling in drops. Wiping them away, Dana whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m so pathetic…”

“You’re not pathetic.”

“But—”

“I remember you from before you lost your memories.” Viego cut her off firmly. “You were pretty scary. When you got angry, you even threw punches.”

“…Me?”

“Yes. I still clearly remember you hitting my grandfather when you were drunk.”

I hit Rodrigo? Really? She widened her eyes in disbelief.

Viego continued seriously. “Once, my grandfather tried to force me to eat something I didn’t want. You rushed in and hit him.”

“…”

“That’s who you were.”

“…”