I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 283

* * *

Demian rummaged through his memories. When had I first begun to fear her hatred? Right, it was back then. When he took Danawin to the empire.

 

Very occasionally, Demian had taken Danawin outside the Holy Land, to the empire. Because there was a chance that Danawin might regain her senses and run away, he made her into an even greater idiot than usual before taking her to the empire. A perfect idiot who could only give basic answers, and who, upon returning to the Holy Land, would forget everything she had seen and heard in the empire. Even forget that she had ever been to the empire at all. In other words, she was in a more primal state than ever.

 

He had asked her back then.

 

“Honey. Do you love me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then say that you love me.”

 

“I love you.”

 

Demian became endlessly sad. Was it because he had made her into an idiot? On the contrary, her raw emotions were revealed transparently in her clear eyes. Burning resentment and hatred, anger. Nothing but a violent grudge that seemed to penetrate her entire heart. He had never seen hatred this immense.

 

If you ever regain your senses, you’ll hate me so terribly that you’ll want to kill me. No, even after death, you’ll hate me terribly.

 

Someday, that day would surely come. The day she returned to the future and regained her senses. The day she would come to hate him.

 

For an instant, he was seized by fear. He was genuinely afraid. He truly hated the thought of being hated by her. Then should he let her go? Right. If he wanted her forgiveness, he should let her go, give her freedom, and restore her sanity. However… he genuinely did not want to. He was truly terrified of her leaving him.

 

Demian embraced Dana, who had become an idiot. “I love you…” Tears spilled from his frightened eyes. “This is love too, isn’t it, Dana?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You acknowledge that this, too, is love, don’t you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

He knew it was despicable and cowardly. But the moment this woman was held in his arms made him so happy. Before holding Dana, he could no longer even remember the past when he had dreamed of an ordinary life. Even what kind of person he had been before that, what kind of life he had lived, had become hazy.

 

Once, Carl had casually mentioned it in passing. That the Windsor family was cursed. That they had been cursed by a woman trapped in the Ice Lake. If this was a curse, Demian never wanted to be freed from it. And so Demian came up with a good method.

 

In life, he would take her to his heart’s content… And in death, he could ask her forgiveness, couldn’t he? Yes. After I die, I can leave behind a fragment of myself and beg her forgiveness.

 

Thus, for the first time since he was born, Demian volunteered for human experimentation. It was an extremely dangerous experiment that involved tearing away part of his soul and creating a doppelgänger of his soul using the information value he possessed.

 

Yes, that’s me. A fragment of Demian. A doppelgänger created so that, after his death, it could ask her forgiveness.

 

Now that Demian was dead, the fragment he had left behind had to apologize to Dana. That was the sole purpose for which it had been created. Unfortunately, however, Rodrigo was one step ahead. He had placed a suggestion upon Demian’s fragment.

 

“Bring Dana to me.”

 

It was far weaker than the brainwashing imposed upon Danawin Windsor, but it was still a sufficient suggestion to control him, who was nothing more than a fragment of a soul.

 

“You must bring her to me. Without fail.”

 

Therefore, there was no choice. He had to obey willingly. That was what he believed. But…

 

“Let me go…”

 

The moment Demian heard that trembling voice, the moment he saw the corners of her eyes, swollen red from crying so much, her wet lips, and her trembling eyes, he realized it like a bolt of lightning. The suggestion that had seized him was certainly extremely strong. But at this very moment, his desire to have Dana was even more intense than the suggestion. It was ridiculous. The sexual desire she had condemned, even calling it an illness. This enormous desire that made all his blood rush downward whenever he saw her had become the driving force that could overcome the suggestion.

 

“Demian, let me go. I’m not going to Rodrigo.”

 

She was simply too alluring like this. This face, whimpering as she leaned her delicate body against him in his arms.

 

Did Dana know that a woman’s crying face could sexually stimulate a man? She probably didn’t. If she knew, she would never show herself crying so defenselessly like this.

 

Demian deliberately asked in an unconcerned tone. “You won’t go to Father?”

 

“No. And I’m not leaving with you, either. There’s something I have to do on this island right now.”

 

“I see…”

 

Yes. That was how it should be. Because you’re looking for the holy relic. Demian found himself extremely pleased by her answer. He wouldn’t give her to his father, either. Because she belonged in his arms.

 

What had Rodrigo said would happen if he disobeyed the suggestion?

 

“Don’t forget. If you disobey my command, you will die within 24 hours.”

 

24 hours. Death.

 

“But if you faithfully carry out my command, I will greatly extend the amount of time you have left to live. You should be able to live without difficulty for at least another 24 years.”

 

24 years. Life. Which should he choose? In truth, there was no need to deliberate.

 

“Dana. As you know, I don’t have much time left to live…”

 

His answer had already been decided long ago.

 

“So if you would give me even a single memory to savor before I disappear, I will help you with what you need to do.”

 

“A memory?”

 

“Yes. A single fragment of memory that would make me regret nothing even if I gave up a long life and died. That’s enough.”

 

Speaking gently, Demian stroked her cheek. Her face, wet with tears, was provocative. He wiped away the moisture gathered around her eyes with his thumb. The sensation of her long eyelashes trembling was lovely.

 

“Just let me serve you. That really is enough for me.”

 

“…”

 

“Really, that alone is enough.”

 

If he could hold her even once, he would gladly spend all the time he had left. That was his true feeling.

 

“If you do that for me, I will devote all the time I have left solely to you.”

 

“…”

 

“So, Dana.”

 

Dana breathed silently. Demian felt her breath against his palm. All his nerves were focused on her, so he could know everything without even looking. Even the way she curled her fingertips, the way she drew in her toes.

 

“I want to make you feel good. As you know, if you’re happy, then I’m happy too…”

 

He slowly lowered his face. The moment he inhaled her fragrant scent to his heart’s content, he suddenly remembered the time he had been jealous of Rumie. Inside the carriage. The lonely time when he had watched them alone. The time when he had been jealous, and jealous again. Now, all of that jealousy was being perfectly compensated for.

 

After that, Demian could barely think anymore. She was dazzling, as though carved from silver, and his mind was simply dyed completely white. His mouth tasted sweet, as though he held cherry blossoms inside it.

 

“I love you.”

 

It was so sweet that it felt as though the tip of his tongue might melt. That was more ecstatic and wondrous than a long, long life, so he would have been content to live for only a day and then die.

 

* * *

Ingria was violently furious. “Where on earth did that woman go?!”

 

They had searched every corner of the maze garden, but they could not find Danaena anywhere. In the end, they all gathered in the basement of the Grand Temple. Inside the dark ritual chamber, beneath the torches hanging on the walls, the priests spoke irritably among themselves.

 

“The sacrifice that was supposed to be placed upon that altar has disappeared!” The priest pointed toward the black altar towering in the center of the ritual chamber.

 

“Where has Duke Rolland gone at a time like this?”

 

“He went out to smoke a cigar earlier and hasn’t returned. He told us to proceed on our own.”

 

“How can he be so irresponsible? Where on earth is he, and what is he doing?”

 

Anton, who was practically the leader of this secret society, was absent. With him gone, everyone’s eyes naturally turned toward Ingria.

 

Clenching her axe tightly, Ingria shouted, “The Rolland family has betrayed the Aren family!”

 

“What? Surely not…”

 

“Anton Rolland isn’t here either, is he? And the one who attacked my siblings and me was Adma Rolland!”

 

That damn bastard. It had only been a single slap, but he had slapped her so hard that it felt as though the eardrum in one ear had burst. A constant ringing filled her ear, her head was dizzy, and the inside of her mouth had been smashed so badly that five teeth had fallen out. Above all, her cheekbone had collapsed completely. If Priest Somora had not hurriedly cast a healing spell on her, her life would probably have been in danger. Moreover, the twins still had not regained consciousness. Even now, they were slumped unconscious against the wall of the basement.

 

Ingria wiped away the blood with a handkerchief and shouted, “Listen carefully, priests! This is Rolland’s betrayal. The moment I return, I will report this to my father, the King of Lucile, and break off our agreement with Rolland.”

 

“What? Are you really sure that’s alright?”

 

“What could possibly be wrong with it?!”

 

“I mean… I understand you rely heavily on the Rolland family for diplomacy with the empire…”

 

“Hmph, even so.” Ingria laughed. “If we so much as open our mouths, Rolland will immediately be wiped off the face of the earth.”

 

“…But isn’t the Aren royal family the same?”

 

“Both families committed human sacrifice! And Rolland committed an even greater crime! Do you not understand that Rolland’s offense is more serious?!”

 

The priests exchanged glances, seemingly unwilling to get caught up in a battle between two enormous whales.

 

Ingria said firmly, “Do not forget. The Somora religion has maintained an alliance with the Aren royal family for more than a thousand years. You must stand on Aren’s side.”

 

That was when it happened.

 

“Betrayal, you say?”

 

Creak. A man walked in after opening the enormous stone gate.

 

“You are mistaken.”

 

It was Adma Rolland.

 

Sparks seemed to fly from Ingria’s eyes at the sight of him. She gripped her axe and accused him, “Adma Rolland! How dare you lay hands on me!”

 

“Consider yourself blessed that it ended with that. If I’d had my way, I would have liked to chop off your head with that axe.”

 

“…”

 

Silence descended. Everyone was horrified by the murderous words Adma delivered with a smiling face. That pathetic Adma, the one even the commoners on the island ignored?

 

“Just kidding, just kidding. Smile.” Adma laughed, but no one could relax. There was an oppressive force about him that was utterly unimaginable from the Adma they knew.

 

“Anyway, I apologize in many ways. I got a little too absorbed in playing tag.” Adma Rolland grinned as he lifted the limp woman in his arms for them to see. “I wanted to be the one who caught the mountain goat.”

 

Danaena Rolland was unconscious, lying limp in his arms.