I’m Trying to End This Possession - Chapter 159

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 159

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Lumiere had been waiting all along.

 

“Is that true, Lumiere?”

 

His great-uncle Duke Roland had come to visit him in prison, but he wasn’t the one Lumiere was waiting for.

 

“Did you really do such a thing?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Duke Roland closed his mouth as if shocked. Lumiere regretted causing his great-uncle distress, but it couldn’t be helped.

 

Duke Roland muttered while covering his face with one hand.

 

“Your punishment has been decided.”

 

“Please tell me.”

 

“Stripped of your position as captain of the MacLeir warship. And your rank is demoted from colonel to private.”

 

“Ah.”

 

A private.

 

Lumiere truly sighed. He exhaled a low breath and leaned his head against the prison wall.

 

“With all my military medals, to become a common soldier—it’s dizzying. The thought of starting from the bottom makes my future look dark…”

 

“You dare make jokes!”

 

Duke Roland couldn’t contain his anger and shouted.

 

“This is practically ordering you to retire!”

 

“…”

 

“Having violated military law, especially an order from the future sovereign, your military life is over.”

 

“…”

 

“Have you forgotten how you, a bastard child who doesn’t even know whose seed you came from, climbed to this position!”

 

How could he forget?

 

He was once pointed at and scorned as an illegitimate child born out of wedlock. But now no one dared mock him.

 

The military honor Lumiere had built up by risking his entire life had become the armor protecting his existence.

 

Duke Roland sighed. He never imagined his grandson would cast away that shining honor himself.

 

“It doesn’t matter how many military medals you have. There’s no future promotion for you now. Who would need a soldier who doesn’t follow orders!”

 

“I understand. I’m sorry, Grandfather.”

 

Lumiere apologized calmly.

 

“You’ve helped me so much, yet I failed to meet your expectations.”

 

“Failed to meet them? No, it’s worse than that. You’re my failure. You’ve disappointed me! Someone who was considered the next Navy Commander-in-Chief…”

 

Duke Roland glared at his grandson while swallowing his rage. After staring like that for a while, he asked bluntly.

 

“I heard you received a letter.”

 

“…”

 

“I heard you started acting strangely after receiving that letter.”

 

At those words, Lumiere raised one eyebrow obliquely.

 

“Who did you hear that from?”

 

“That’s not important. That letter—who sent it?”

 

Lumiere didn’t answer. But Duke Roland already knew the answer.

 

“It was a woman, wasn’t it?”

 

“…”

 

“Is she your lover?”

 

Lover?

 

Lumiere slowly shook his head. Far from being his lover, she was another man’s woman with a fiancé.

 

“If she’s not your lover, are you courting her alone?”

 

Courting her?

 

That wasn’t it either.

 

How could he court a woman who would become Empress someday? Especially when she had always regarded him like her own brother.

 

All he could do was secretly, without anyone knowing, carefully holding his breath alone while burning up inside.

 

“Pathetic fool. Not even a formal lover, and you threw away your bright future for a woman you can’t even dare to court?”

 

And his great-uncle seemed to already know who the target was. He knew his grandson very well, as much as he cared for him.

 

Duke Roland clicked his tongue.

 

“I’ve seen many men like you. Men who lived faithfully their whole lives, then ruined everything in a single moment when they lost their minds over a woman.”

 

Lumiere couldn’t bear to look at his great-uncle and lowered his eyes.

 

“Pull yourself together, Lumiere Windsor. Unless you want to live and die as such a pathetic fool.”

 

With those words, his great-uncle left.

 

Many people visited after that, but the one person he was waiting for never came.

 

Still, Lumiere waited.

 

How much time had passed? Bang! The bars opened as if they might break. Lumiere looked at the man who kicked open the prison door and entered.

 

Soon his collar was grabbed and he was dragged.

 

“You.”

 

It was Lyos Grants.

 

“It was you.”

 

His momentum was ominous. Lumiere replied indifferently.

 

“I don’t know what you mean.”

 

“You did it. It was you. It was you!”

 

The Crown Prince was completely enraged and had lost his reason.

 

There was only one reason for Lyos to act so violently.

 

“Did you perhaps get your engagement broken?”

 

Seeing the other’s face stiffen, Lumiere was certain.

 

Dana had finally succeeded in breaking the engagement.

 

Lumiere smiled gently.

 

“How unfortunate, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

 

Lyos looked Lumiere up and down with glittering eyes. Then, as if reaching a conclusion, he roughly shoved away his collar.

 

“Disgusting. Don’t spout words you don’t mean. You insolent fool who dared covet the Crown Prince’s fiancée…”

 

But as if he didn’t even have the energy to be angry, the Crown Prince soon closed his mouth and turned away. Lumiere watched the closing barred door with calm eyes.

 

 

 

“You did it. It was you. It was you!”

 

 

 

What?

 

What does he suspect I did?

 

The answer came quickly.

 

Lumiere knew about their engagement vow.

 

When his thoughts reached that point, realization finally washed over him.

 

Why Dana had suddenly acted intimately toward him. Why she had urgently called for him again and again.

 

‘Ah, so that’s why.’

 

A dry laugh escaped.

 

Nevertheless, Lumiere didn’t draw conclusions. He just wanted to wait a little longer.

 

Just a little, just a little more…

 

 

 

But even after that, the person Lumiere was waiting for never came.

 

Until several days later, when he left the prison.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Lumiere did not return to Windsor Estate.

 

Instead, he headed to the Roland Family estate. His other home.

 

He went straight to his bedroom. After taking a long, long shower, he changed into clean clothes and took a short nap.

 

And that evening, he was awakened by a servant’s knock.

 

“Lord Lumiere. How shall I prepare your meal?”

 

“That’s fine.”

 

He had just had a brief dream. Lumiere asked, still immersed in the dream’s lingering mood.

 

“Has anyone come to see me by any chance?”

 

“Pardon? There have been no visitors…”

 

“Any letters?”

 

“No. None.”

 

“You may go.”

 

After sending the servant away, Lumiere stood by the window and looked outside.

 

The sky had already grown dark.

 

He took out his cigarette case from his front pocket, picked out a cigarette, and put it between his lips. He lit it and slowly smoked while recalling.

 

That dream he had just had.

 

A few years ago, when he still regarded Dana as merely a cute younger sister.

 

He had once gone on a picnic alone with Dana.

 

 

 

“Wow, this place is really beautiful.”

 

 

 

It was a flower field where pure white daisy flowers swayed gently in the spring breeze.

 

There, he had enjoyed wine lightly with Dana. And after lying in the field for a while, basking in the sunlight…

 

He had dozed off without realizing it.

 

Had she lent him her lap as a pillow during that time?

 

When he opened his eyes again, Lumiere was resting his head on Dana’s thigh.

 

Since he hadn’t realized he had fallen asleep, Lumiere looked up at Dana with slight surprise and defenselessness.

 

Dana, unaware that he had awakened, was humming while gazing at the flower field. The dazzling sunlight sparkled like a halo above her head.

 

And the gentle touch stroking his hair…

 

For some reason, Lumiere was completely captivated by that moment. He held his breath while looking up at Dana.

 

Then, when Dana was about to lower her head, he hurriedly closed his eyes. Sleep had fled, but he continued to pretend to be asleep.

 

Because he wanted this moment to last for a long, long time.

 

Dana’s fingertips were as warm as the sunlight of this spring day, and Dana’s humming was as sweet as the flower fragrance carried on this breeze…

 

What would it be like if she called only my name with that voice?

 

Reaching that imagination, Lumiere was startled and squeezed his eyes shut even tighter. And he quickly realized.

 

This is impure.

 

This feeling rising within him now, this impulse, was not right.

 

People commonly say that love is beautiful, but that didn’t apply to him.

 

His love was not beautiful at all. Rather, it was nothing but a monstrosity that had to be hidden and concealed.

 

So now, he should come to a conclusion.

 

Lumiere stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. He turned around and walked out with heavy steps.

 

He wanted to confirm it with his own eyes.

 

Whatever it was. To bring an end to it, he needed substance.

 

He immediately mounted his horse and headed to Windsor Estate.

 

For some reason, his chest tightened just like that day, like the day he had run like a madman, enchanted by Dana’s letter. His heart pounded.

 

Overwhelmed by urgency, he climbed over the estate’s wall, ran across the garden with all his might, and climbed up the building.

 

Knock knock.

 

And while catching his trembling breath, he tapped on Dana’s window.

 

That window that hadn’t opened back then.

 

This time, it opened at an angle with a creaking sound.

 

Finally, the face of the woman who had tormented him all along appeared.

 

“Brother Lumiere.”

 

And she smiled brightly.

 

“What brings you here at this late hour?”

 

Clear eyes that seemed genuinely curious. Lumiere gazed at her intently and then smiled.

 

“You called for me, didn’t you, Dana.”

 

“I did.”

 

“What did you call me for?”

 

Lumiere asked while sensing the end of this conversation. Then Dana answered readily.

 

“I had business with you, but it’s fine now.”

 

“It’s fine?”

 

“Yes. It’s all finished. So you don’t need to worry about it.”

 

That was the end.

 

Dana smiled without any further words.

 

As gently as the moment he first fell for her.

 

He watched quietly as if savoring the moment, then casually asked.

 

“Dana.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“While I was imprisoned, were you with another man by any chance?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Did you sleep with that man?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Dana answered obediently. As if she had no reason to hide it from him, no need to conceal it.

 

“I’m sorry if you were waiting for me. My affairs were more urgent, so I had no choice. I should have come to find you sooner, but many things happened and I was too busy.”

 

What an innocent face she had. It was hard to believe this was the woman who had completely destroyed his life.

 

But it was appropriate for an ending.

 

Lumiere thought this was a sufficient conclusion.

 

He didn’t resent Dana. Since it was his own choice, there was no reason to resent her.

 

After all, he had already sensed that the letter might have been Dana’s mischievous prank, or perhaps a means to use him.

 

It was just an embarrassing delusion he had indulged in alone.

 

He had intended to end this old and gloomy longing with that.

 

Really, he sincerely intended to do so, but…

 

“If it’s alright with you, I’d like to comfort you, at least financially.”

 

The moment he heard those words.

 

“I’ll compensate you as much as you want.”

 

Lumiere’s thoughts changed.

 

No, his emotions… changed.

 

“…Compensation?”

 

That tender feeling into something completely different.

 

He could vividly feel it transforming very quickly into something dark, dirty, and violent within him.

 

“You’re going to compensate me with money?”

 

He asked in a low voice. Dana nodded.

 

“Yes. That’s all I have.”

 

“Ah. I see.”

 

He tried to smile but wasn’t sure if he actually did. Heat rose within him, and soon his head began to throb. Not just his head, but his throat and chest as well.

 

“I need a different kind of comfort.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“Money isn’t all you have, is it?”

 

Lumiere roughly opened the window.

 

Dana, pushed back by that force, stumbled backward, and Lumiere stepped into the bedroom without hesitation.

 

“Brother. What is this….”

 

“My name.”

 

Thud.

 

Lumiere smiled as he closed the window.

 

“You should call my name, Dana.”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

A few days later, Lumiere left the Windsor Family Registry and transferred to Roland.

 

It was the day Karl Windsor was stripped of his position as Deputy Family Head.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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