Killing the Possessor - Chapter 31

Though the woman’s mouth was smiling, the trembling corners of her lips and the shaking voice showed her nervousness. Her fingers couldn’t keep still either, and they repeatedly creased the white silk gloves.

Following Bali’s lead, I opened my fan and covered my mouth, whispering softly,

“She’s a possessor… right?”

“That’s something you’ll need to figure out from now on.”

As per the original story, the female lead would already be possessed at this point.

The protagonist, who was initially a bit clueless, would eventually navigate things cleverly with no help from Hongik Ingan. The possessor was a strong-willed character from the start, unlike the usual, indecisive female lead.

I hadn’t expected her to be this nervous.

Then again, it would be strange if she wasn’t nervous about such a big debut event so soon after being possessed. Though she was shaking a bit too much, which was somewhat different from the calm image I had of her, I could understand the situation well enough.

A strong person like her, in this circumstance, would naturally be overwhelmed.

After exchanging greetings, I quietly followed Illui as she left the audience hall. My first mission and requirement for joining Hongik Ingan was to be the confirmer for the female lead, Illui Hope.

However, due to the massive crowd, I lost sight of her when I turned my attention elsewhere for just a moment. Panicked, I began searching through the ballroom for her bright blonde hair.

I accidentally lost my balance and stumbled, stepping on the train of my dress. I collided forcefully with someone.

“Ah!”

The person I bumped into was a man, judging by his height and build. Of all places, I happened to crash into his chest, which was rather embarrassing. I hurriedly apologized without meeting his eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

I was about to quickly pull away when suddenly, a message popped up.

[Affinity: 88]

…Huh? Affinity?

Dazed by the sudden appearance of the number, I was snapped out of my confusion by a sharp question.

“You’re apologizing? Is that really an apology to me?”

Judging by the tone, it seemed he wasn’t exactly the most pleasant person. His response was completely opposite of the high affinity.

Flustered, I lifted my gaze and immediately saw his strikingly well-proportioned features.

With a high nose and delicate, reddish-brown eyes with soft double eyelids, his face was perfectly symmetrical. His slightly tousled black hair, likely curly, matched his rebellious aura, and his cravat was loosely undone, adding to his confident look.

Black hair and red eyes… a typical male lead trait.

“Why? Decided to pretend not to know me now?”

Only three people in this place, including the Empress, had black hair. And those red irises—symbolic of royalty.

He must be the Prince.

I let out a sigh of realization and blinked in surprise. While I had thought we might cross paths, I never imagined it would be like this—so directly.

But if I don’t leave quickly, I’ll miss the opportunity to meet the female lead again.

Although obtaining permanent residency was important, marriage wouldn’t happen that quickly, so for now, finding a clue about renewing my stay was more urgent.

I quickly decided and hurriedly looked for the female lead with my eyes. Fortunately, she was still within my sight.

“I’m in a hurry right now.”

I said that and started walking quickly toward her direction. I heard someone calling from behind, but I chose to ignore it for now.

In fact, with an affinity of 88, he should be going after me. Hang on, friend. I’ll make sure to pay attention to you later!

“Was this your destination?”

I had been wondering where she was rushing off to, and it turned out that our hope was heading toward the powder room.

Was she in such a hurry because she had a pressing matter? How human of her.

However, once she entered the room, I realized that unlike modern powder rooms, this one was a dedicated space for touch-ups and makeup. Feeling a bit embarrassed by my incorrect assumption, I cleared my throat and called her.

“Ahem, that, Miss Illui?”

She was adjusting her hair while looking into the mirror. She seemed a bit drained, her eyes tired, but she appeared much more relaxed now compared to when she was standing before the Empress.

“Yes?”

After hesitating for a moment at her confused question, I quickly approached her. Since the questions about being possessed were better asked quietly, I intended to whisper them up close.

“Huh? Why, why…?”

But for some reason, Illui started to step back with a pale face.