Killing the Possessor - Chapter 117

“A possessor, among us?”

A faint, sarcastic smile played at my lips. I set down my teacup, keeping an easy smile as I replied with firm certainty.

“Of course not. You can spot a possessors a mile away, just by looking.”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a lie. To anyone without insider knowledge, it was the obvious thing to say. When I first landed in Dahlia’s body, I was constantly terrified of giving myself away.

“They can never really hide their crude way of thinking.”

As I said those words, it felt like thorns were growing in my mouth.

Crude way of thinking. If you know what that phrase really implies, it’s hard not to feel guilt—especially if you grew up in a modern, democratic society where equality is the norm.

Here, though magic and holy power exist, the social structure is still very much imperial, built on strict hierarchies. That ‘crude thinking’ is simply questioning the system—something possessors struggle with as they try to adjust to this world.

As Princess Avelline idly moved her hand, the sensitive skin of her chameleon slowly shifted back to green—a color that blended perfectly into this lush, summer landscape.

I’d chosen camouflage. I mimicked the usual expressions of those around me, parroted their words, and pushed my true thoughts deep down, hiding my real self as thoroughly as I could.

Yuli’s lips curled into a smile. There was a glint in her eyes, like someone who’d just found something especially amusing.

“That’s right. They’re such crude people.”

Her laughter rang out shrill and clear. Then, lips twitching, she added,

“It’s a relief we’re all on the same page.”

* * *

After the tea party, I attended a gathering at the Eidepen family’s mansion—ostensibly to find a potential husband.

Possessing someone in a world like this was basically Mission Impossible meets Final Destination, day in and day out. Still, if there was a silver lining, it was that I’d arrived during the social season.

If it hadn’t been for that, meeting up with agents from Hongik Ingan would have been infinitely harder.

As always, in a crowd full of beautiful people, Bali excused herself under the pretense of needing a break, and slipped away to meet Ailrose and me in a room we’d secured beforehand.

Miraculously, her slightly wobbly steps became steady the moment the door shut behind her—like an actress straightening up after the director yells “Cut!”

It was hard to believe she was just acting, given how much she’d drunk. Knowing her, she’d never waste a single drop, so her alcohol tolerance was truly something else.

“So you’re saying she really didn’t do anything to Illui Hope?”

Bali’s brows shot up as I debriefed her on the anti-climactic ‘tea party’ event.

To be honest, I’d been surprised too. After lounging around the palace for days, I’d figured Yuli would just keep a low profile—but then she suddenly hosted a nerve-wracking tea party, only for the day to end without a single incident.

“I honestly have no idea what she’s thinking. But I don’t think we should let our guard down just yet. There’s something about this that feels…off.”

“Maybe it’s just her face. Doesn’t she look like one of those dolls from a horror movie? The kind that shows up in your nightmares?”

Ailrose, across from me, chimed in dramatically as she sipped her whiskey. I thought about Yuli’s looks for a moment and nodded in partial agreement.

It could be prejudice, but there really was something unsettling about her aura. Her features were neatly arranged, sure—but the expression she had when her eyes widened was nightmare fuel for a week.

Especially that gaze. There’s just something about the way she looks at people, like they’re toys, that makes your skin crawl.

“Anyway, she’s cut ties with Hongik Ingan, so the only person she’d be interested in now is Illui Hope. Keep watching, and report back if anything suspicious happens.”