Killing the Possessor - Chapter 61
I had worn all my accessories, each containing magical artifacts, in case he asked to see some magic. But it seemed that had backfired. I never expected him to be able to recognize all of them.
“It’s a dangerous world, after all.”
“…”
“Just like last time, an evil spirit could show up, and I might not be able to use magic in time out of shock…”
I didn’t want to hint at the events that happened at the palace. If they asked how I dealt with the evil spirit, I wouldn’t have much to say.
However, after hearing my excuse, Ren didn’t ask about that. Instead, he made a different request.
“Could you please remove all the artifacts?”
“…What?”
“I apologize, but…”
His eyes shone sharply. The gaze he gave me felt far more terrifying than the evil spirit’s I had seen recently.
“I need to confirm something.”
“…Confirm?”
“There could be others besides Miss Dahlia who’ve been affected by the evil spirit.”
With that, he added something more ominous.
“The evil spirit may still be lingering.”
“…”
His suggestion that the evil spirit might still be around made me clench my fist tightly on my thigh.
As I suspected. I was being suspected.
But why? When did this start?
“Are you saying I might be a possessor?”
I asked calmly, trying to steady my trembling heart. But he only smiled faintly without answering.
I swallowed hard, trying my best not to show my anxiety. I clenched my teeth, but despite my efforts, I couldn’t stop my breath from shaking.
Yes, I thought this moment might come one day. That’s why I practiced with Hawk, my contact, before coming here, hoping to use even a little magic.
But magic is such a complex skill that trying to succeed in a short time was too difficult. If I had practiced swordsmanship, my muscle memory would have made it easier, but it was unfortunate.
“I think it’s unnecessary, but if you insist…”
I tried to act nonchalantly and began removing my accessories one by one. First, I took off the ring, then the bracelet, the earrings, and finally, when I went to take off the necklace…
“Why… is this…”
Because I was nervous, I couldn’t even find the clasp on the necklace. I fumbled with it, trying to spin it around, but since it had several small gems attached, it wasn’t easy to find the clasp just by touch.
I fumbled with the chain for a while, and when it became obvious that I was struggling, the man stood up from his chair.
“I’ll help you.”
“Ah.”
Without hesitation, he stood behind me and reached for the necklace. His skilled hands didn’t need much time. The warmth that had touched my skin earlier was now very gently, yet distinctly, there and gone.
Click. The last piece of my accessories, which had felt like my lifeline, fell onto the table.
I tried to calm my rapidly beating heart by closing my eyes and taking a deep breath before turning to face the person behind me.
“What do I do now…?”
At that moment, long legs appeared between the chair I was sitting in.
With a swift motion, the chair spun 180 degrees, changing the scenery.
Ren, who had moved the chair with his foot to make me face him, extended both hands to the table.
“Such rudeness, what is this—”
“Miss Camilli.”
He called my name coldly as he trapped me within the space between his arms. His face, which had been smiling until now, was oddly expressionless.
“I’m going to summon the instrument now.”
“…What?”
The ‘instrument’ he was referring to couldn’t possibly be a musical instrument. Was he really going to summon the instrument he took from an evil spirit? Why on earth would he have that?
“…You’re lying, right?”
“There are two ways to avoid this. You can purify it, like you did in the palace, or protect yourself with magic.”
He stretched out his left hand and performed an unknown gesture. Behind him, familiar red letters appeared in the air. It was the same scene I had witnessed before in Loitri. Last time, the blue letters had obliterated the surrounding instruments.
The ominous sound that began to vibrate the air around us left no need for further explanation.
“Wait, wait, wait!”
