I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 85

“He won’t cripple every man who approaches you just because he’s crazy about you like before, right?”

 

At that moment, Justin Lancaster’s face flashed through Dana’s mind. No. She couldn’t be certain.

 

There was no way Raios would kill the direct descendant of the Lancaster family, the army commander’s son, over a woman who he didn’t even love. Not when he could lose his position as a crown prince. What did it matter that Justin had merely sent her a few love letters and exchanged a few words with her?

 

And yet, Dana couldn’t be certain of this either. There was no one she could think of except Raios. If there were one more person, perhaps Carl…

 

“He wouldn’t kill me just because I proposed to you, right? Alright, I’ll give it a try.” Ignis sat up in bed. “If your engagement is annulled, will you marry me?”

 

“No.”

 

“What?”

 

“I was merely informing you that I am still engaged to Crown Prince Raios. So… I have no choice but to refuse Lord Ignis without a moment’s hesitation.”

 

Of course, even if there were something to think about, she would reject him after thinking it over anyway. Dana hadn’t said a single lie.

 

“So if you want me to accept you, shouldn’t you first get a definite answer from the crown prince that he’ll annul the engagement?”

 

Of course, Dana didn’t say that annulling the engagement didn’t mean she would accept him. There was no reason for her to kindly explain that to someone who was despicably threatening her.

 

“But if you want, I can go with you to see the crown prince.” Dana smiled sorrowfully.

 

Suddenly, she thought that perhaps it had been fortunate that she had lived so kindly and foolishly all this time. Because at this very moment, Ignis had no idea that he was being used by her.

 

* * *

“Hahahahaha.”

 

Raios Geranze burst into laughter.

 

“Hahahahaha.”

 

The laughter, dry and rasping from his parched tongue, made the reporting servant’s face pale. For the crown prince to suddenly laugh like this…

 

“Hahahahaha.”

 

How long did he laugh like that? After a while, Raios abruptly stopped laughing. Then, he immediately gave his approval.

 

“Let them in.”

 

Ignis de Windsor and Danae Windsor had arrived. They came with a formal request to annul the engagement.

 

* * *

Dana had never once thought of Raios as frightening. It had been that way from the very first moment she met him. Even when things between her and Raios had gone sour, he got angry with her, spat out cruel words, and insulted her, it had been the same. Not once had she ever been afraid of him. She just found him repulsive, hateful, or annoying. But now…

 

What is this? Has Raios always felt like this?

 

High on the imperial throne, with crossed legs and a bored chin in hand, the black-haired man was expressionless. His eyes were nothing but pitch-black darkness, devoid of anger or anything else. Yet, strangely, Dana felt as though he were a completely different person from the one she normally knew.

 

“So.” Raios looked back and forth between Dana and Ignis, moving only his lips to speak. “What do you demand from me?”

 

“We request that you annul your engagement, Your Highness.” Despite claiming to be frightened, Ignis’s mouth was remarkably free. “I proposed to Danae.”

 

“Proposed.” Raios murmured the word. As though it were a word he had heard for the very first time in his life, he rolled it around in his mouth several times. “Proposed?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Why?” Raios asked emotionlessly while still resting his chin on his hand. “Why?”

 

“…”

 

“Don’t you know that Danae Windsor is my fiancée?”

 

Ignis squinted at the crown prince as if observing him, trying to read his intentions. “I do know. That is precisely why I requested this audience and asked Your Highness to annul your engagement.”

 

“…”

 

“Dana told me. She said she wanted to live while being loved completely.”

 

She never said that. But she decided to remain silent. Perhaps Ignis’s method might actually work. There was no harm in trying, after all.

 

“I can give that love to Dana.” Ignis shamelessly spouted words he didn’t mean. “I will never look at another woman for the rest of my life and love only Dana. I can swear it before God.”

 

“…”

 

“There will be no other woman in my life but Dana.”

 

At that moment, Dana pressed her lips tightly together. She had nearly burst out laughing.

 

Those words. When the dimensional gate was closing, Raios had said the same thing. That he would only love her, there would be no other woman, and he swore to God. That’s rather funny. To deliver the exact same lines in front of the very person who had so thoroughly broken that vow. Ignis probably hadn’t known, but it was undeniably amusing.

 

Raios probably wouldn’t even remember. If he remembered, he wouldn’t break his vows so easily. Or would he? Even if he remembered, he might still break them. Because he thought so little of her, and because he loved Allice so passionately.

 

“…So.” Raios lifted the corners of his lips. It was a very strange expression. His entire face was rigid, but only the corners of his mouth had risen. It looked like a smile, yet also like a threat. “You want me to annul the engagement?”

 

“Yes, Your Highness. If you would do so, I would like to offer you as much property as you desire, divided up and presented to you as a token of my gratitude.”

 

“All of it…”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“I want all of it.” Raios slowly raised his face, holding it in his hand. Sitting up straight, he stared darkly at Dana. He moved his lips and spoke. “Every last bit.”

 

A chill ran down her spine. Again. That eerie feeling, as though she were being sucked into that pitch-black, bottomless abyss…

 

“If you aren’t going to give me everything, then it would be best for you to leave.” Raios spoke slowly, then smiled once more. This time, he showed his teeth like a beast. “I hope you have a safe journey home.”