I'm Trying to End This Possession

“Do you indeed possess the original scripture?”

 

“…Yes.” I swallowed hard, feeling stiffness in my tongue and throat. “I have the original scripture, Your Majesty.”

 

Silence followed once again. In that quiet, I became immersed in confusion. Not knowing the emperor’s location heightened my unease.

 

Where is the emperor now? Still behind me?

 

“I will ask you once again.”

 

I gripped her hands tightly, bracing myself for another shock.

 

Right in front. This time, the emperor stood right in front of me. The hem of his pure white robe, devoid of any pattern and thus more striking, fell to the floor.

 

“Do you really possess the original scripture?”

 

“Yes,” I answered firmly. “Your Majesty, I know it’s hard to believe, but I have found the original scripture.”

 

He didn’t respond. It seemed like he doubted me. It was natural. The original scripture had been lost for over a thousand years, existing only in legend.

 

Please say something… I felt suffocating, almost as if I was choking, but then the emperor finally spoke.

 

“Raise your head, Danae Windsor.”

 

I had waited for this command, yet lifting my head felt so disagreeable. However, it was an unavoidable command. Slowly raising my head, I met the emperor’s gaze. I tensed my eyes, trying not to squint.

 

The emperor was like the sun at midday. His brilliantly shining golden hair and face, sculpted like the Sun God himself, were so beautiful they made my heart tremble.

 

“It would be wise not to lie.”

 

But I mustn’t be deceived by his angelic appearance.

 

Emperor Yustio was once one of the seven cardinals and the infamous head inquisitor of the Holy See.

 

The human most feared by barbarians…

 

The rumors about him killing nearly a thousand demon worshippers during barbarian hunts were not mere rumors. Moreover, Yustio was an unwilling emperor, who ascended to the throne by a divine oracle. Chosen by the heavens, he felt nothing like a fellow human being. The thought of having to deal again with such a person was truly exhausting.

 

“Your Majesty, do you remember when I purified the rotten land?” I started the conversation calmly.

 

He gestured for me to continue, and I gained courage from this and spoke.

 

“When purifying that land, I felt something peculiar. After the purification, for several years, it repeatedly appeared in my dreams.”

 

“…”

 

“I had my secretary excavate the site, suspecting something, and we discovered the scripture there.”

 

To others, it might sound like a ridiculous tale. But not when I said it.

 

Danae Windsor, who purified the ‘rotten land,’ a calamity. If a person like me had other abilities, it was plausible. And what I just said was almost the truth. I found the location of the original scripture from the memories of the land.

 

That’s right. So you can’t just ignore it. Especially since it’s the scripture.

 

The scripture contains the word of God. No one has ever seen the original scripture. The current scripture is just a collection of copies from the real one. Hence, rumors about it being manipulated were widespread. In fact…

 

“10 years ago, Demian Windsor brought a copy of the scripture.”

 

The scripture’s content has changed several times since then.

 

“Didn’t Demian Windsor’s discovery open an era embracing the Moon God, Danae Windsor?”

 

I didn’t respond. It was because the emperor probably wasn’t expecting an answer.

 

Originally, the Moon God was considered a demon. A demon worshiped by barbarians – it was viewed on the same level. But 10 years ago, Danae’s father discovered a scripture fragment.

 

Demian Windsor found not just immense treasure on Treasure Island but also a scripture fragment. The Moon God is not a demon. Like the Sun God, it is a benevolent and magnificent deity.

 

Demian publicized that content, turning the continent upside down. And from that day, religious factions began to divide. The Protestants acknowledged the Moon God, and the Catholics denied it. Thus, those who believe in Demian’s scripture fragment are Protestant, and those who don’t are Catholic.

 

Yustio was Catholic. He believed the scripture fragment brought by Demian was fake.

 

“Yet now Demian’s daughter brings the original scripture. It seems to be a discovery that runs in the family.”

 

The emperor’s voice was calm, devoid of any humor, but I knew. He was mocking me.

 

“As you know, I believe Demian Windsor to be a notorious swindler and blasphemer of the sacred.”

 

“…”

 

“Thanks to accepting the Moon God, the Windsor family started business in the southern continent, becoming the wealthiest in a short span.”

 

A prime example was the Moonlight Flower. Originally, it was a trade-banned flower from the heathen lands of the southern continent, symbolizing the Moon God. The Windsor family monopolized its import.

 

Considering I once proposed a threatening deal with that as a pretext, it’s understandable that I nearly got strangled to death. As I thought this, I felt my neck starting to ache again.

 

“…!”

The emperor reached out again. Surely he wasn’t going to strangle me again, right?!

 

“But.”

 

However, his elegant fingers lifted my chin.

 

“Where is this original?”

 

“It’s precious, so I didn’t bring it with me.”

 

“There must be a different reason…” The emperor muttered to himself with a raised lip. Then he withdrew his hand and directly asked. “What do you want this time?”

 

Finally, the awaited topic arrived. I answered immediately. “I want to break off my engagement with Raios.”

 

“If what you bring is indeed the original scripture, yes, I will agree.” The emperor accepted surprisingly easily. Then he took a step back. “But if it turns out not to be the original…”

 

I guess he would threaten to kill me again. That’s what I thought.

 

“I will eradicate the Windsor family.”

 

“…”

 

What?

 

I stared at him blankly. The emperor’s face was calm. It wasn’t a threat or intimidation. He was merely stating his true plan.

 

“How dare you toy with the era across generations? There’s enough justification to charge you with imperial and sacred blasphemy.”

 

The emperor turned away. His white robe fluttered as if it couldn’t even gather dust. “Send the original. We will talk again after verification.”

 

Walking towards the throne, he added. “Danae Windsor, I heard you love your family.”

 

“…”

 

“You must be desperate to break off the engagement with the crown prince if you’re willing to risk their lives.”

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