I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 276

Ingria could no longer offer any rebuttal. She merely convulsed, drained of all color.

 

At that moment, fatigue washed over him. Today has truly been an exhausting day. Rumie simply wanted to go to sleep. “Then, I’ll be going.”

 

He tried to walk past her, but Ingria reached out. She grabbed his arm. “I like you, Rumie.”

 

“…”

 

“No, I love you.”

 

“What?”

 

“I came here to end things with that man because I fell in love with you. This was supposed to be a final farewell trip…”

 

What is she even talking about? Dumbfounded, he glanced down at her.

 

Ingria pleaded desperately. “The reason I tried to obtain the holy water was because of you. For the future I wanted with you, I wanted to erase my past.”

 

Her face was flushed red, her eyes brimming with tears. What was even more astonishing was that she wasn’t acting.

 

“O-Originally, I didn’t intend to drag things all the way to this castle. But because I thought it was the last time, because I thought I’d never see him again for the rest of my life… my resolve weakened. I wanted to make one last memory.”

 

“…”

 

“Please, just believe me once, Rumie. I won’t ever meet that person again.”

 

“As soon as I return to the Empire, I will file for divorce.”

 

“…What did you say?” The hand clutching his arm tightened. “You said divorce?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Ingria looked as though she had never imagined she would hear such words. “That makes no sense.”

 

“And why does it make no sense?”

 

“We made vows when we married. We promised that no matter what difficulties came, we would overcome them together. Yet because of something like this… how can you even think of divorce?”

 

“…”

 

“Honestly, you’re not even angry at me right now.”

 

“…”

 

“Then why insist on divorcing me? You don’t even feel betrayed.”

 

It was true. Rumie wasn’t angry. In truth, it didn’t matter much what kind of person his wife was. Who knew? Perhaps on another day, he might not even have brought up divorce. He might have quietly kept her as his wife while secretly investigating her background. But…

 

“Because you’re a good man…”

 

Today has been an irritating day.

 

“I just feel that way. I think Brother is a really good man…”

 

A day where everything had gone wrong.

 

Rumie wished he didn’t have a wife, whether it was Ingria or anyone else. He knew it was an extremely impulsive decision, but the impulse was surprisingly strong.

 

“At the very least, I want the partner who will spend my life with me to be someone whose character I can respect.” He didn’t want to continue this conversation any longer.

 

It was when Rumie turned to leave.

 

“You?” Ingria did not release his arm. Instead, she dug her nails in sharply. “You have the right to talk about character?” Twisting her lips, she spoke. “Even with Danaena around?”

 

For an instant, Rumie’s eyes darkened. “What about her?” Even to his own ears, his voice sounded low and threatening.

 

“See? Look at you now!” As if she had expected this reaction, Ingria let out a harsh laugh. “You’re a man who doesn’t get angry or upset even when your wife cheats on you with another man. But look at yourself. Your expression changed the moment I mentioned your sister’s name!”

 

“…”

 

“You react so sensitively to every little thing Danaena does. It was the first time I’d ever seen you act emotionally toward anyone!”

 

Each word she threw at him scratched across his emotions like sharp fingernails. For him, this was an exceedingly rare occurrence.

 

“She is my younger sister. It’s only natural to be overprotective.”

 

“Have you ever once gone to see the prince born to Consort Allice?”

 

“…”

 

“Do you even care how Consort Allice is doing?”

 

“…”

 

“For the past three months, your daily routine was going to Danaena’s room whenever you could and staring at her unconscious face for ages. Do you know how bizarre that looked?”

 

“I can no longer tolerate listening to this. I’m afraid your vulgar way of thinking might be contagious.”

 

“Rumie!”

 

This was truly the end.

 

“Did Danaena tell you to do this? Did she tell you to break up with me, to divorce me?”

 

Rumie turned away without another word. Behind him, Ingria let out a cry like a wounded beast, but he did not look back.

 

* * *

Even afterward, Ingria could not stop crying for a long time.

 

“Sob, hic…”

 

Ingria really had meant it. This time, she had truly intended to end things. She had wanted to abandon all of her past and make a fresh start. She wanted to live as his kind and obedient wife. But then…

 

“I will file for divorce.”

 

Rumie ruined everything. Because Danaena had found out.

 

After wiping away her tears, Ingria rose to her feet. Then she staggered forward. Into the castle. To that woman’s room…

 

“Ingria?”

 

To her mother-in-law’s room.

 

Sandra, who had seemed just about to fall asleep, sat up in bed. “Ingria, why are you here at this hour—”

 

Slap! Ingria slapped Sandra across the face.

 

“Kyaa!” Sandra tumbled off the bed with a loud crash.

 

Ingria seized her by the hair and shook her violently. “Rumie asked me for a divorce, Mother!”

 

“Ah, aagh!”

 

“How exactly did you raise your son? How can he so casually demand a divorce?”

 

“Kyaaak! Le-Let go!”

 

“What kind of upbringing did you give him? What sort of family education did he receive that he can say something like that so easily?”

 

“Aagh, argh!”

 

“And what’s going on between Danaena and Rumie? Tell me honestly!”

 

“Kyaaah!”

 

“What kind of relationship do they have? How did you raise siblings like that?!”

 

Sandra struggled desperately, but she could not escape Ingria’s brutal grip. “Help! Is anyone out there?! Aaaah!”

 

The door flew open, and guards rushed inside. Ingria glared at them with murderous intent and shouted. “If anyone dares lay a hand on me, I’ll personally cut their heads!”

 

The guards froze in shock. Given that gentle Ingria was acting as though possessed by a demon, it was only natural.

 

At that moment, Anton Rolland came rushing in, still wearing his nightclothes. He stared at the scene before him in confusion. “This, what is going on…”

 

At the sight of her father, Sandra finally felt relief. I’m saved!

 

Had Ingria regained her senses at last because Anton had appeared? She released Sandra’s hair.

 

Sobbing, Sandra crawled toward her father. “Hic, Father, Father!”

 

“…”

 

Anton stared blankly at his daughter crawling toward him, then shifted his gaze to Ingria. After a moment, as if burdened by a headache, he gestured to the guards. “What are you doing? Close the door.”

 

“Ah, yes!”

 

“Close it, and you stay inside.”

 

“Yes, Your Grace.”

 

…Stay inside? A strange sense of dread overtook Sandra, and she raised her head.

 

The moment the guards turned to close the door, Anton moved like lightning.

 

“…!”

 

With one hand, he snapped the neck of the guard reaching for the door. Then he plunged a dagger deep into the carotid artery of the guard beside him. Thud! The guards died instantly, collapsing without even having time to scream. With a troubled expression, Anton looked down at the men he had just killed. Then he closed the door the rest of the way. Click. He locked it.

 

Anton slowly turned around and quietly asked. “What is going on here?”

 

Is Father… trying to preserve my dignity? Sandra’s mind, broken by shock, barely managed to form the thought. Is that why he killed them? To hide the disgrace of a mother-in-law being beaten by her daughter-in-law? And now… is he going to properly discipline Ingria? That was the only way she could rationalize the situation.

 

“I asked what is going on.”

 

Right. That had to be it. Now it would be Ingria’s turn to get scolded.

 

Sandra expected Ingria to panic. But…

 

“Rumie demanded a divorce from me, Duke.”

 

To her astonishment, Ingria’s attitude remained confident. No…

 

“Do you think this makes any sense? Divorce?”

 

Ingria wasn’t just confident. She was angry at Anton too.

 

Sandra was so stunned that even her tears stopped. Has that woman actually gone insane? Or am I the one who’s gone mad and started hallucinating?

 

“And do you think that’s all? The relationship between Rumie and Danaena is suspicious. Did you know that?”

 

At any time, in any place, Sandra had always considered herself the craziest woman around. No matter where she went, she had never met a woman more insane than herself.

 

“Answer me at once, Duke!”

 

To think there’s a woman even crazier than me.