Killing the Possessor - Chapter 24
Gone was the playful atmosphere. In the mirror, her face was now marked with a chill that was almost unsettling.
Bali spoke in a lower voice, as if warning me.
“So, I really hope you don’t make a mistake. A foolish reader is worse than useless.”
* * *
After the meeting with Bali, I immediately boarded the carriage heading home. As I sat in the red velvet-lined seat, my thoughts drifted to the Lady with similar-colored hair.
“A foolish reader is worse than useless…”
“I really hope you don’t make a mistake.”
I muttered her words again, slowly trying to make sense of their meaning. It seemed to mean that another reader had already made a foolish mistake.
“What mistake did they make?”
“They spilled all our information to the Public Security Bureau.”
“Yikes!”
I jumped, startled by the sudden voice, and pressed my back against the seat.
Looking around in confusion, I realized that I was alone in the carriage, except for the coachman outside. Just as I was processing this, I heard a snap of fingers, and suddenly, a man appeared in the seat across from me.
“What?”
“Magic. It’s nice to see you again.”
The man had disheveled silver hair and a long scar running across his face. It was a face I definitely recognized.
“You’re the one with the Hahoe mask from before…”
“Call me Hawk. Of course, it’s not my real name. The principle among possessors is that we don’t reveal each other’s identities.”
Given that, he was showing his face, and I thought my identity was already exposed. Perhaps my thoughts were clear on my face because he quickly added an explanation.
“Of course, you and I are the exception. I was your verifier. But I also don’t try to know someone else’s identity unless I’ve verified it myself.”
It seemed that a ‘verifier’ was someone who confirms if a person is truly a possessor. The reason for keeping such information secret was probably to avoid giving up details under intense interrogation later.
I couldn’t help but realize just how dangerous this Empire was for possessors. I felt a tightening sensation around my neck and let out a heavy sigh.
“So, this other reader gave information to the Public Security Bureau? Why would they do that?”
“They read the original work and mistook themselves for the new female lead.”
“That makes no sense… Why would giving info to the Public Security Bureau have anything to do with that?”
“Because there’s a man named Ren Abyss in the Public Security Bureau.”
Even with my brain dulled by dopamine, I couldn’t forget the name of the man who had left a strong impression on me last time. And if that man was the one I least wanted to encounter, then it was all the more significant.
“If they thought they could be the female lead, then…”
“You’re right in what you’re thinking. She was a complete fool. Well, maybe Ren was involved, too.”
“…”
I was stunned. I had imagined him tormenting possessor with his good looks, but using his charm as well?
“But, someone said this. You can’t drown out the pain of a breakup with alcohol.”
“…”
“You erase it with new love.”
Maybe it wasn’t as surprising as I thought. I should’ve figured it out when he first started spouting nonsense like that.
“Honestly, that’s really dumb.”
It’s a common trope in stories for someone possessed by a side character to take the female lead’s place and end up with the male lead. It was ridiculous that someone would dream of such a thing in a world full of dangerous settings.
But, if it’s the male lads, there are others, why choose the most dangerous one?.
“But, why him? There are other male leads.”
“…It’s probably his looks.”
To be honest, he was surprisingly handsome. It was immediately clear to me what the ‘male lead buff’ was.
But that didn’t mean the other male lads would be severely under shadowed. If someone was too overpowering, they’d immediately lose the qualifications to be the male lead. My decision was based on personal taste, but it still wasn’t something I could respect.
No matter how handsome he was, I wouldn’t stake my life—or anyone else’s—on him.
“So, what happened to her?”
