I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 99

* * *

It was some time later. Viego Windsor returned from his business trip. He wasn’t alone. He had returned with a young priest, who, unpleasantly enough, served the Moon Goddess.

 

What’s with that person? Perhaps because she had suffered so much at the hands of that religion, Dana simply couldn’t bring herself to think well of the priest.

 

Viego welcomed the guest with the priest standing beside him. The guest was Inspector Bilod Lancaster.

 

“So, you’re asking me to cooperate with the investigation?”

 

“That’s correct.” After explaining the incidents that had occurred so far, Bilod Lancaster made his request. “We’re gradually identifying the members of that clubhouse. You may not know, but Lord Carl Windsor has successfully managed to join it.”

 

“…”

 

“However, since the murders, the clubhouse members have been laying low. There won’t be any gatherings for selling paintings for the time being.”

 

“And?”

 

“We plan to conduct a sting operation.” Bilod Lancaster showed Viego a painting acquired from the deceased cadets. “We intend to catch the murderer by spreading rumors that this painting is for sale.”

 

“…”

 

“Lady Danae Windsor has agreed to this, but I would like to know what you think, Duke.”

 

“Go ahead,” Viego answered readily. Then he added sarcastically. “She agreed herself. I have nothing more to say.”

 

“Thank you for your cooperation. We will catch the culprit soon.”

 

It was when Bilod was about to leave with the painting.

 

“Leave it behind.”

 

“…Pardon?” Bilod, who had already turned around, stopped at Viego’s words.

 

Viego gestured toward the painting with his chin. “The painting, leave it behind.”

 

Bilod hesitated for a moment, but there were plenty of paintings among the evidence they had collected anyway. So he left that painting behind and exited the room.

 

“You should leave too, Danae Windsor.”

 

What an unpleasant person. Someone had insulted a direct descendant of the Windsor family, yet he didn’t even so much as change his expression. Feeling annoyed, Dana left the room.

 

At last, only Viego and the priest remained. For some reason, the priest looked utterly dismayed and was visibly tense.

 

“Priest Nelten.” Viego stepped aside, as if inviting him to examine the painting. “What do you think of this painting?” He then lightly tapped the moonlight flower and the moon depicted in the painting with the tip of his cane. “As you can see, it seems to be the work of your colleague.”

 

“I apologize. Just who on earth could have painted such a thing…”

 

The priest was cautiously offering his apology when Viego lowered his cane, unfastened the cufflinks on his shirt sleeves, and rolled them up. And then… Slap! He slapped the priest across the face.

 

“Keugh!” The priest fell to the floor.

 

Viego nudged the fallen priest’s knees with the tip of his shoe. “Stand up.”

 

“Y-Your Grace…”

 

“I said stand up.”

 

The priest barely managed to stagger to his feet. Immediately, Viego slapped him across the face again. Slap! For an instant, it felt as though his skull was ringing. Blood gushed from his nose, his lips split open, and a tooth went flying. Thud! With his head slammed against the wall, the priest slowly crumpled to the floor.

 

Viego walked over and stood before him once more. “Stand up.”

 

“Y-Your Grace, please listen—”

 

“Do I have to help you?”

 

Trembling with terror, the priest stood up. And once again, a barrage of iron-like palms flew toward him. Slap!

 

“Stand up.”

 

“I-I’m sorry, Your Grace.”

 

Slap!

 

“Stand up.”

 

“Y-Your Grace, please, uugh…”

 

Slap! Slap! Slap!

 

How many more times had he been slapped like that? The priest blinked. Had I briefly lost consciousness? The polished black tip of the duke’s shoe was right before his eyes. He had collapsed with his face pressed into the carpet.

 

“Stand up.”

 

“…”

 

It was like the technique of a torturer. Not enough to leave someone unconscious for long, but skilled enough to inflict excruciating pain that made one’s entire body recoil.

 

With his face covered in blood, the priest struggled to rise. Fortunately, Viego seemed to have no intention of hitting him again. He was busy fastening the buttons of the sleeves of his immaculate white shirt.

 

Glancing briefly at the painting, Viego spoke. “Explain.”

 

“I apologize. It seems a radical priest has caused this trouble.”

 

“Bring that person before my eyes.”

 

“Ce-Certainly. I’ll bring him here and make sure to discipline him properly.”

 

“Discipline?” Viego wiped the blood that had splattered onto his palm with a handkerchief and curled the corners of his lips into a smile. “Your beloved Daiana will be the one to discipline him.”

 

* * *

A few more days passed.

 

“Here, a letter from Lord Carl Windsor.”

 

Lethe handed over the letter from Carl.

 

[This clubhouse is so frightening, Dana.]

 

[It’s absolutely terrifying, but I’m trying my best for your sake. Please pray for my safe return.]

 

Why does this man have to put on an act even in his letters? Dana tossed the letter into the fireplace.

 

Carl had indeed succeeded in becoming a member of that clubhouse. He had infiltrated it and leaked the information.

 

As if there’s anyone scarier than him. Why was a man who would gouge out someone’s eyeballs and smash their jaw the moment things didn’t go his way whining about being frightened?

 

Still, Carl was quite earnest. Considering he’s busy with the Retillan mine development too. Despite being so busy, he was making time to deal with something like this as well. No wonder I was completely fooled all this time. Even now, she felt that if she didn’t stay on her guard, she might be deceived by him again. That was just how devoted he was being.

 

“Bazellan Caravaggio is still missing.”

 

At Lethe’s next report, Dana clicked her tongue. That man was probably the artist who had painted her paintings.

 

“Where on earth could he have disappeared to?”

 

“Who knows. If he really was the artist who painted those nude paintings, he might have fled after witnessing the cadets being murdered. Or…”

 

Lethe trailed off, but Dana knew what he was about to say. Or perhaps he had been murdered as well.

 

“Who on earth could have done something like that?”

 

“I’m not sure…” Lethe gazed quietly at the light of the fireplace before continuing. “Whoever it is, one thing is certain. They love you, Milady.”

 

“You think so?”

 

“Unless they’re a madman who enjoys killing, that’s to be expected. Of course, I’m not defending the murderer.”

 

“…”

 

A moment after Lethe left, Dana lay down on her bed. For some reason, her mind was troubled, and she couldn’t sleep.

 

Come to think of it, weren’t they supposed to carry out the sting operation today? Who could the culprit be? The first face that came to her mind was, of course, Raios.

 

“Even in death, you’ll be buried beside me.”

 

Crazy b*stard. Dana clenched the blanket tightly. How funny. It’s coming from a pathetic coward who used to hide away and sob. Was he planning to bury me alive alongside him or something? He was such a prideful crybaby. How had he ended up turning into such trash?

 

Raios regarded her as his possession. Perhaps he had committed murder because he couldn’t stand seeing his possession being humiliated… Or perhaps not.

 

Stop thinking about it. The murderer would be caught tomorrow anyway. Soon, she would find out who it was. She was feeling tired, so she should just go to sleep. Dana closed her eyes. But as the darkness settled in, her thoughts continued to flood in.

 

Back then, I could have seen the murderer’s face. It was when she had once glimpsed the land’s memories. Dana had definitely seen the figure of the murderer who had killed Justin Lancaster. She could still remember it vividly.

 

Justin Lancaster was running through the bushes. Bang! The bullet lodged in his shoulder.

 

“P-Please, hng, aaah…”

 

As he groaned and crawled along like a bug, another bullet struck him without mercy. Bang!

 

“Please, please, please…” Justin begged with a tear-stained face. Though the murderer had approached right before him, he pleaded desperately through his sobs. “I-I won’t approach Danae, that person. I was wrong, I won’t do it again, so please!”

 

He begged and cried, but the murderer showed no mercy. In silence, the murderer raised the gun.

 

“Please, please, please! Spare me!”

 

The murderer placed a finger on the trigger, as though preparing to fire.

 

It was that very moment, in that split second.

 

“―!”

 

…Come to think of it, Justin seemed to have shouted something back then.

 

“Please!”

 

What was it? That final voice.

 

“Please, please―!”

 

The last words Justin had uttered in his life. It was definitely…

 

“Noah!”

 

Ah. I remembered.