I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 86

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“I hope you have a safe journey home.”

Raios’s last words lingered unusually in Dana’s ears.

 

A safe journey home. It wasn’t exactly an overt warning. Why? Could he be planning to have us attacked on the way home? But even if that happened, it wouldn’t matter. Dana thought this sincerely.

 

I don’t care if Ignis dies.

 

Ignis de Windsor, this terrible man. He was threatening her with her own life, using violence against her, and dirtied her bed. She had no mercy left to show someone like him.

 

That was why this was, in a sense, an experiment. If Raios is the murderer who killed Justin Lancaster. Raios would totally, utterly, and ultimately never leave Ignis alive. And what if Ignis survived? Then it would mean someone else was doing it, not Raios.

 

“Hmm, the crown prince is greedier than I thought.” It was inside the carriage on the way back from meeting Raios. Ignis gave his cool assessment. “This is the crown prince we’re talking about. Yet he’s still brimming with greed.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Honestly, I didn’t expect him to want all your wealth.”

 

“You think so?”

 

“Of course. Hey, he’s the crown prince. Crown prince. The future emperor of the empire. The one and only heir to the throne.” Ignis looked slightly fed up. “He’s a man who has everything in the world. Looks, martial prowess, knowledge, wealth, status… It’s hard to find anything he doesn’t have, and yet he acts like he needs to have even more.”

 

“…”

 

“People who already have everything really are the worst, aren’t they?”

 

Dana smiled at the man who had no idea he had become her test subject. “Indeed.”

 

At her meek answer, Ignis glared sharply at her. Then he let out a deep sigh. “Hey, Danae Windsor.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Get a grip on yourself.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“I’ve thought about this for a while now.”

 

“…?”

 

“Why are you so oblivious?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“I said, why are you so oblivious?”

 

Oblivious? Who? Me?

 

When she simply stared at him, Ignis spat out irritably. “Look at yourself right now. Do you know what kind of expression you’re making?”

 

“What kind of expression am I making?”

 

“Look in the window. See for yourself.”

 

At his words, Dana slowly turned her head. Her reflection in the window was… smiling gently, softly, warmly. Even to her own eyes, it looked quite serene. She was almost always wearing a faint smile most of the time, after all. Now that I look at myself like this, I really do… look like a saintess. She was glowing all over in pure white, with only her irises sparkling like transparent light-green glass beads.

 

Danae Windsor looked very pure when she smiled brightly, elegant when she smiled lightly, and somewhat sad when she didn’t smile. When I have a blank expression, I seem to… stimulate people’s protective instincts a little too. Dana carefully studied this face. It was rare for her to observe it in such detail.

 

Indeed. She soon admitted. Danae Windsor looked kind, benevolent, and infinitely merciful, just like a tender deer that would eventually make any predator lower its guard. Well, in the end… it’s still my face.

 

There was nothing particularly new about it. Danae Windsor looked similar to Yeon Dana, after all. Only the color of the eyes and hair, and how pronounced the features are, are a little different. Her overall appearance was astonishingly similar to Yeon Dana’s. Her height, figure, voice, even the shape of her fingernails. Perhaps that was why she had adapted so well to living as Danae Windsor.

 

“Right. You look kind of stupid, don’t you?”

 

And yet Ignis pointed at her and criticized her like that.

 

“Why are you smiling at me? Idiot. You’re not even a real saintess…”

 

“…”

 

Oh my. To think a blackmailer would say something so innocent. Finding it a little absurd, Dana simply smiled.

 

“Why do you keep grinning? Are you an idiot?”

 

She had thought he was just saying it casually, but Ignis seemed quite serious. He clicked his tongue.

 

“You know, since we’re on the subject. Honestly, you didn’t even need to come here with me.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Why? Were you worried I might get beaten up by the crown prince?”

 

“…”

 

“Did your heart soften at the last minute?”

 

No. Of course not. It’s just that after Raios Geranze saw you and me boldly demanding to annul my engagement, I needed to experiment and see how he would react afterward…

 

“If I were you, I would’ve already slapped me ten times. Idiot.” As he said that, Ignis seemed to change his mind and shook his head vigorously. “What am I saying, ten times? I would’ve stabbed me ten times with a knife already. F*ck.”

 

“Why are you swearing? It’s vulgar.”

 

“Vulgar my ass. A b*stard who’s trying to manipulate my life however he pleases deserves to be stabbed that many times.”

 

“…”

 

“But what about you? You still haven’t even hit me once.” Ignis laughed insolently and tapped his own cheek. “I’m prepared to let you slap me a few times, just as a matter of courtesy, you know? So how have you managed not to hit me even once?”

 

“…”

 

Why is he suddenly acting like this? She couldn’t understand why he was suddenly saying these things. Why bring it up all of a sudden? Could it be that he really felt as though I had protected him by coming with him to see Raios? That’s rather funny. But there seemed to be no need to explain herself, so Dana simply remained silent.

 

“…”

 

Ignis didn’t even click his tongue anymore. He merely looked at her with a strange, subtle gaze before letting out a deep sigh.

 

“Hey, Danae.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Do you actually know what kind of family Windsor is before clinging to them?”

 

“…?”

 

What is he talking about? Dana blinked silently.

 

What kind of family was the Windsor family? It was Danae Windsor’s family, and Danae Windsor’s household. Back when knights existed, it had been an old and prestigious knightly family. After knights disappeared, it became a distinguished military family. And now that capitalism had arrived, it was a wealthy family of businessmen…

 

“Windsor…” Ignis’s voice sank low. Even as he spoke, he seemed to be struggling intensely with himself. “The Windsor family doesn’t suit a woman like you.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“Windsor family—”

 

At that moment, thud, Ignis’s words were cut off. Not just his words; expressions disappeared from his face as well. The flow of emotions that had seemed to be wavering as he wrestled with his thoughts suddenly froze solid.

 

What’s wrong?

 

In an instant, Ignis’s eyes sharpened. He breathed in slowly, as though trying to sense even the movement of air. And then…

 

“―!”

 

He stretched out both arms and pulled Dana into his embrace.

 

Just as she was about to ask why he was doing this,

 

Kaboom! With a loud noise, the carriage shook. No, the scene before her shook. Wait, it exploded. Everything violently overturned and was thrown about, shattering into pieces.

 

“―!”

 

Amid the impact, as if the entire world were exploding, Dana couldn’t even scream. All she knew was that her body was being frantically thrown against the walls, floor, and seats of the carriage. And that Ignis was holding her tightly.