I’m Trying to End This Possession - Chapter 10
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 10
* * *
The next day, at the Banquet Hall.
“Your Highness, are you sure this will be alright?”
Alice was extremely nervous.
“This banquet is meant for Dana, but if we hold the engagement ceremony…”
“You’re considerate of Dana until the very end.”
Lyos moistened his lips with wine and answered nonchalantly.
“Dana doesn’t consider you. So you don’t need to do so either.”
Alice nodded gloomily. However, she couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable.
‘Today is Dana’s medal ceremony.’
But why did he insist on holding the engagement ceremony at this banquet?
‘It’s because of me.’
Because Dana hit me. Because she humiliated me. Because she treated me carelessly.
That’s why he’s punishing her.
‘So that she can never bully me again… he’s punishing her.’
With that thought, Alice’s heart began to race.
‘Really, he’s so incredibly wonderful.’
Could the god of summer be like this? From Lyos sitting leisurely emanated overwhelming dignity and noble beauty.
‘To think such a person loves me.’
Just then.
“My, it seems Lady Danae Windsor has had the Crown Prince’s love stolen from her.”
A man’s voice, as if drunk, could be heard nearby.
“Well, I would have chosen a woman like Lady Alice Windsor too.”
“Shh. Henry, be quiet.”
“Why? It’s true, isn’t it? Honestly, Lady Danae Windsor is kind, but how should I put it, her reputation is too high. She’s the type of woman who crushes a man’s spirit.”
“Shut up, Henry.”
“Hurry up and take Henry over there!”
His friends hastily dragged him away, but it was already too late. Everyone had heard everything.
‘Surely His Highness heard it too.’
Alice glanced at Lyos nervously. And she received a great shock.
‘My goodness.’
He was tilting his wine glass with a composed expression. As if he hadn’t heard anything at all.
In the past, he would have surely cut out that man’s tongue—
‘He’s changed.’
Tears suddenly poured out because she felt sorry for him.
She felt so sorry for Dana.
Lyos had once even beaten up men who approached Dana.
He had loved her so much that he was terribly jealous.
But now he was calmly standing by and watching.
“Alice? Why are you crying?”
“Sob, sniff, Dana is so, so pitiful, sniff.”
“Count Henry Stein’s son didn’t insult you, so I don’t understand why you’re crying.”
Lyos wiped away her tears with an expression that showed he found Alice endearing.
“You’re such a crybaby.”
“Sniff… don’t tease me.”
“Don’t worry about other things and just think about the engagement ceremony that will happen soon. Today’s protagonist is you, Alice.”
“I’m the protagonist?”
“That’s right.”
Protagonist. Alice savored that word.
The word protagonist had always suited Dana. But now me.
‘Now, I’m the protagonist.’
Just then.
“Lady Danae Windsor, daughter of the Duke, is entering!”
* * *
“Lady Danae Windsor, daughter of the Duke, is entering!”
The moment she entered, all eyes focused on her.
Dana held her chin high and walked confidently through the shower of gazes like arrows.
And she stood before the frozen Lyos.
“I greet His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Silence flowed.
After a moment, Lyos asked in a sunken voice.
“What are you doing here, Danae Windsor.”
“As you can see, I’m attending the banquet.”
“Yes, I saw. I saw you entering without an escort.”
At his sarcasm, Dana simply smiled.
An escort. She didn’t need such a thing.
‘Perfect. I was planning to declare my intention to remain unmarried after breaking off the engagement anyway.’
Of course, she had no intention of kindly explaining this to Lyos.
“Did you forget our conversation yesterday?”
“I didn’t forget. I clearly told you yesterday. That I would attend my medal ceremony.”
Dana cast her gaze toward Alice.
“You heard it too, didn’t you, Alice?”
“D-Dana.”
Alice’s face quickly turned red.
She was a child who blushed so easily.
That aspect was endearing. She had thought she was such a cute little sister.
“Stop it, Dana.”
But who would have thought that Lyos would think the same way.
He had already pulled the tearful Alice’s shoulder into an embrace and patted her shoulder.
“Alice, it’s okay, don’t cry.”
Then he glared at her fiercely.
“Does making her cry like this satisfy you?”
“Did I make her cry?”
“Then who do you think made her cry?”
“I only attended my medal ceremony, but I have no idea why Alice is crying. Alice must have thought today’s banquet was for her?”
At that, Alice’s face turned red as if it would burst. It seemed she had been hit right on target.
“Shut that mouth.”
Lyos spat out fiercely.
“Your appearance with eyes rolled back from jealousy is truly ugly, Danae.”
Dana frowned.
Jealousy? What nonsense was that?
“You seem to be going to great lengths to prevent my engagement ceremony. I heard you went to see His Majesty the Emperor last night?”
Lyos questioned with wary eyes.
“To do such a thing knowing the relationship between His Majesty and me. How truly reckless. Can you still call yourself the future Crown Princess?”
Future Crown Princess.
At those words, both Dana and Alice’s faces hardened simultaneously.
However, as if he couldn’t see the two women’s reactions, Lyos continued his attack.
“What did you tell him? Did you ask His Majesty to stop the engagement ceremony?”
After asking that, he nodded without even waiting for an answer.
“Of course you did. There would be no other reason for you to visit His Majesty the Emperor in the dead of night.”
“…”
Lyos, who had reached his own conclusion, smiled crookedly.
“How foolish. Do you think His Majesty would attend a banquet over such a trivial matter? Just to mediate between you and me?”
The Emperor would never involve himself in such petty affairs. His eyes showed he believed this without a doubt.
And there was basis for that judgment.
The Emperor was an excessively conservative believer.
True to the Orthodox Sect that shunned alcohol, music, and entertainment, he had attended such social banquets only a handful of times.
“Nothing will change. I will hold the engagement ceremony with Alice here today, so leave now. I’m saying this for the sake of your honor.”
A laugh escaped me.
My honor. Honor?
“Don’t pretend to be considerate. This would be for your honor, not mine.”
“…Fine. If you insist on watching my engagement ceremony, so be it.”
Lyos’s eyes darkened ominously.
“If you want to become so miserable, I won’t stop you.”
Then he took Alice’s hand and walked past Dana toward the nobles.
When he and Alice finally ascended to the Royal Seats, all the nobles’ gazes were directed at him.
Everyone had been secretly watching. Their fierce three-way battle.
“I extend my gratitude to the noble lords who attended this banquet today.”
Therefore, Lyos could begin his speech quite naturally.
“About twenty years ago, the land of the Continent began to rot. It was the Bessman Empire—your homeland—that stopped that phenomenon, which was nothing short of a disaster, so you may take pride in that.”
And he smiled smoothly.
Dana suddenly thought.
‘I used to like that.’
Lyos’s face, usually fierce but boyish when he smiled.
I really used to like it.
“The Empire’s talents present in this Party Hall purified the Corrupted Land. Let us toast to their hard work.”
No, I loved it…
“And there is one more thing to celebrate here. Two lovers are scheduled to hold their engagement ceremony.”
But it’s all in the past tense.
The Lyos I loved doesn’t exist in reality.
“Priest Rixman, please come forward.”
Watching Lyos call for the priest, Dana thought once again.
Yes, so there’s no need to be hurt by that man’s actions.
That’s not the man I loved.
“Good heavens. An engagement ceremony?”
“An engagement ceremony, at this banquet?”
“But Lady Danae Windsor is here.”
“How pitiful.”
“What good is being a saint who purified the land? She’s been abandoned by a man.”
“Henry, shut up.”
The man who makes me so wretched can’t be the Lyos I loved.
“My name is Rixman. I am a high priest belonging to the Temple of Ramun, God of Sun.”
So.
“I will now conduct the engagement ceremony here by borrowing the authority of God.”
So…
Bang—!
“Hail—!”
So, I won’t need to feel sorry toward you.
“His Majesty the Emperor enters!”
I won’t feel the least bit sorry about making a deal with your uncle, whom you’re so wary of.
“…!”
The hall freezes in shock.
Breaking through that silence, the Emperor walks forward.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————