My Possession Became a Ghost Story - Chapter 153
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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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Bishop Marik stared intently at ‘Azazel’. Because of the veil covering his face, his expression was unreadable, making him extremely nervous. His heart pounded, wondering if his answer was strange, if he had been caught not being the real Azazel. Jeremiah added another line with a sly pretense of nonchalance.
“I heard Evangeline Rohanson handles creatures like me well, so I went to find her. It seemed like it would be interesting. Like she would make me more entertained.”
“So you left my side even though you weren’t dying.”
“Yeah. Whether I stay by your side or fool around a bit is my choice.”
Jeremiah wore the smile that Pudding had extremely despised. Then he observed Bishop Marik’s reaction. Fortunately, there seemed to be nothing awkward as no criticism came from Bishop Marik. It seemed he hadn’t noticed that the contents had changed. His heart felt like it was pounding near his throat.
Fortunately, Jeremiah had learned quite a lot about Azazel during this time. Every time Jeremiah did something, Jelly and Pudding would look at him like he was disgusting filth and say ‘Azazel doesn’t do such things’ with revulsion. The quotes from Azazel they mentioned in passing were quite shocking, so they remained in his memory.
“So did you find out Lady Rohanson’s true identity?”
At Bishop Marik’s words, Jeremiah shrugged his shoulders. Evangeline was a benefactor who gave Jeremiah a new opportunity. She was the light that appeared with substance, the stars he had seen in his eyes before death. Because she was overwhelming, she made demons submit, and she was someone who couldn’t even be judged by human senses.
“Just that she’s sufficient as your adversary?”
Unable to speak his own thoughts, Jeremiah ultimately borrowed Bishop Marik’s perspective to describe Evangeline. An adversary who would make Bishop Marik more perfect. That was Evangeline. Hena, who had been quietly observing Jeremiah, suddenly spoke up.
“Lord Azazel has a very different personality from when you were at the Rohanson estate.”
“…Is that so?”
Bishop Marik showed interest at Hena’s words.
“I’m not stupid like you. If I had been this personality as is, would they have let me in?”
“That’s true. You did fight often with Lord Pudding and Jelly.”
Hena, who had briefly harbored suspicion, had never actually met the original Azazel, so she felt nothing strange and accepted it.
According to Jelly and Pudding, Azazel was arrogant and presumptuous, didn’t know his place, yet pretended to have hidden abilities – a sly and cunning species-hating, half-respectful, perverted bastard full of pretense.
Moreover, according to Jeremiah’s experience, he also had a talent for backstabbing others.
Jeremiah was very sad about the fact that the body he had unfortunately possessed was ‘trash’ itself. It was painful that he would have to continue pretending to be an arrogant (omitted middle part) perverted bastard. The princess who had grown up sheltered had no immunity to lowly types like Azazel, so her mental strength wore down faster. But Jeremiah comforted himself that this was all to repay his debt and get revenge.
Since he had decided to become a spy and stay by Bishop Marik’s side, he had to do his best. If caught, he would end up like Jelly under his feet. The sight of his face melting just from touching holy water was too horrible to recall.
Once, even a small scratch would cause people around him to make a fuss and treat it with holy water, but now his body melted in holy water… Though it wasn’t new, Jeremiah realized he had fallen to the fringes of humanity.
Jeremiah had stolen everything from Azazel and been reborn as a demon. When tested, he felt all the same symptoms that demons experienced. If Jeremiah clumsily imitated Azazel and Bishop Marik discovered his identity, he truly wouldn’t be safe then. If his whole body was submerged in holy water, it would corrode and disappear.
‘Let me get my head straight.’
Jeremiah being able to stay by Bishop Marik’s side and grasp his movements would be of great help to Evangeline. Jeremiah glanced at Bishop Marik.
Because Bishop Marik covered his face with a veil, he couldn’t even tell which direction his gaze was directed. Wondering if he might be watching him, Jeremiah was tense throughout the carriage ride. Of course, he didn’t show it outwardly.
Meanwhile, the sun had risen on the earth. As he was looking out the window, Bishop Marik called to Jeremiah.
“Lord Azazel.”
“Yeah?”
He couldn’t understand why someone who was a bishop of the temple, especially Bishop Marik who thought heretics deserved massacre, would use honorifics toward the demon Azazel. If someone saw this scene, they would think Bishop Marik had secretly summoned a demon.
“You’re unusually quiet today.”
Though the tone was gentle, goosebumps rose on his back.
He was definitely trying to test Jeremiah, saying he was different from usual. Becoming anxious, Jeremiah unconsciously tapped his feet. When Jelly underneath made a groaning sound, only then did he remember Jelly was below. He apologized to Jelly about ten times in his mind, but didn’t move his foot. If it were Azazel, he would probably press down harder on Jelly in this situation.
How would Azazel usually act? Jeremiah racked his brain on how to respond to Bishop Marik’s words.
He wanted to see Evangeline. He wanted to return to the comfortable Rohanson estate where he didn’t need brain wrinkles. Though he had been deceived by Hena and helped with the arson.
Or he wished Jelly would quickly regain consciousness and do ventriloquism like the clowns performing in the castle. If he just moved his body to match the words, it might have been a bit easier.
“Quiet, you say…”
After pondering, Jeremiah took Bishop Marik’s hand. Among the information about Azazel that Pudding and Jelly had told him, ‘perverted bastard’ was the most shocking, so he followed that. He deliberately took the hand because memories of people who had clingily fondled his hands during his princess days remained unpleasantly.
“Why, are you going to play with me, Bishop?”
And he smiled as vilely as possible. Since he deliberately acted clingy to be unpleasant, it must have been uncomfortable. Fortunately, this was also the right answer. He fondled the hand but got no reaction, so Azazel must have usually approached like this.
However, since there was no sign of pulling the hand away, Jeremiah withdrew his hand first as if he was bored.
Bishop Marik no longer spoke to Jeremiah and shifted his attention to Hena. Jeremiah leaned against the backrest as if bored and watched the two. In truth, he was just exhausted and needed something to lean on.
Hena was very anxious and restless. Bishop Marik took out a bottle from his bosom and handed it to Hena. He thought it might be holy water, but seeing the bottle’s different shape, it seemed to be water. Even for a bishop, using holy water when there were no wounds was excessively luxurious. This was true even now when the amount of holy water had increased unprecedentedly. Even Jeremiah, who had been a princess, had never drunk holy water while riding in a carriage.
Still, perhaps calmed by drinking even water, Hena became composed. Hena asked Bishop Marik.
“Bishop… did I do the right thing?”
“That’s not for me to judge. Only God knows.”
That wouldn’t have been the answer Hena wanted. Bishop Marik stayed quiet for a moment, then added a word.
“But if I may add my personal opinion… Lady Hena did the right thing.”
“The right thing…”
“Yes. Thanks to Lady Hena’s testimony, wasn’t Evangeline Rohanson’s existence revealed? Evangeline Rohanson is someone this Marik must rightfully kill. So there will be much for Lady Hena to help with in the future. Will you help me?”
“Gladly. If it helps you, Bishop, I’ll do anything.”
“Thank you, Lady Hena. Surely the Sun God will look favorably upon Lady Hena’s faithfulness.”
Jeremiah pretended to be uninterested in their conversation while looking out the window, but inwardly he was fiercely criticizing both of them. Faithful, indeed. Wasn’t she the one who went crazy and set fire to the estate where her master, colleagues, and children were? Her crimes were very serious. Having studied under Bishop Marik, who committed massacres for the greater good, Hena’s ideology seemed to have become corrupted and strange.
Hena seemed to think her sister Kanna had her soul switched like Jeremiah. She appeared to believe her sister was already dead and Evangeline’s minion was freely using Kanna’s body.
Since Jeremiah himself was proof that Evangeline could transplant souls, it wasn’t entirely impossible. Though it was a plausible story, Jeremiah blindly trusted Evangeline and disliked Bishop Marik, so he naturally concluded the bishop was whispering lies to use Hena. Lady Evangeline wouldn’t do bad things. Of course not.
Bishop Marik kept instilling wrong ideas into Hena like brainwashing. Had Tenebray also been deceived by Bishop Marik like this? As he listened quietly and inwardly chewed over his complaints, the carriage suddenly stopped. They had already arrived at the temple.
“Shall we get out now?”
Jeremiah followed Bishop Marik out of the carriage. Jelly, who seemed to have no strength to move, was immediately transported by the knights.
“Evangeline Rohanson wouldn’t dare come directly to the temple, so Lady Hena can rest assured and relax.”
“Thank you, Bishop.”
When Hena bowed gratefully, Bishop Marik also pretended to be very kind and returned the greeting. Jeremiah followed Bishop Marik into the temple.
Perhaps because his body had changed, the pure white temple bathed in sunlight felt very uncomfortable. Even the air was unpleasantly stifling. The existence of the Sun God, which he couldn’t be certain of even in his dying moments, could now be clearly felt. The temple was truly a place under the Sun God’s protection.
He couldn’t understand how the demon Azazel had served as Bishop Marik’s guard in the temple. From what he’d heard from Jelly and Pudding, he didn’t seem like someone who could endure such humiliation.
Jeremiah felt ashamed of being out of God’s favor and wanted to immediately flee and hide from the sun. Yet Bishop Marik, who had massacred dozens, was so brazen.
But if one could receive God’s love even after such killings, even if it meant taking innocent lives, one probably wouldn’t doubt their choices. Jeremiah felt jealous. Somehow he seemed to understand why demons despised humans so terribly. This was why creatures like Pudding and Jelly were so devoted to Evangeline.
As if reading Jeremiah’s impious thoughts, Bishop Marik suddenly spoke to him.
“How do you feel, Lord Azazel?”
Had he not properly heard what Bishop Marik said because he was deeply lost in thought? Puzzled by the sudden question for just a moment, Bishop Marik asked again.
“Didn’t you stand me up and visit the Rohanson estate? Lady Hena chose me. Who will you choose, Lord Azazel?”
Bishop Marik walked with his back straight without looking back, but Jeremiah somehow seemed to read her smile.
“Between Evangeline Rohanson and me, that is.”
Jeremiah had to do his best not to show his nervousness.
“Well… what answer do you want? Do you want me to choose you?”
His words trembled slightly. Jeremiah prayed that Bishop Marik wouldn’t notice and answered cheekily.
“My choice isn’t important to the noble Bishop anyway. But if you win, I’ll gladly remain by your side.”
When Jeremiah answered, laughter burst out from ahead. It was an innocent, girlish laugh unlike that of a middle-aged woman.
He couldn’t understand why a priest who despised heretics and abhorred demons would want to hear Azazel’s answer. But the answer Jeremiah gave outwardly seemed satisfactory by Bishop Marik’s standards.
Jeremiah looked at Bishop Marik’s back. Unlike other priests, the way she covered her entire body in nun’s robes looked exactly like she was avoiding the sun’s eyes.
‘Who will you choose?’
If he could be here as Jeremiah himself, the answer would be very obvious.
Jeremiah would do his best so that the lady who had saved him could judge evil and stand in a higher place, so that everyone could realize she was right. And at the end of that, Jeremiah’s revenge would be there too.
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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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