Killing the Possessor - Chapter 83

“Whoa!”

Splash.

A huge noise erupted as the two women fell into the lake simultaneously. Ripples spread out in circles, and the shattered surface glittered, reflecting the sunlight.

On a peaceful afternoon, the commotion in the middle of the park drew many curious eyes. A lady admiring wildflowers under her parasol, a gentleman walking his dog, boys playing cards on the grass, and couples strolling along the path—all turned toward the lake to find the source of the sound.

“Oh my, what happened?”

“Shouldn’t someone save them?”

People gathered slowly around the lake but mostly just murmured among themselves; no one dared to step forward bravely.

“Puhah!”

Dahlia barely managed to lift her head out of the water and frantically looked for Camilli. But her waterlogged dress made it hard to stay afloat.

“Camilli!”

She spat out water repeatedly, calling out her name, but for some reason, not even an echo returned. The last thing she had seen before slipping under was Camilli hitting her head hard against the ground—an ominous image that filled her with dread.

Could it be that Camilli wasn’t even swimming doggy paddle because she lost consciousness then?

“Help… puhuh, help me…”

But Dahlia couldn’t stay afloat either. After desperately waving her arms for help, her consciousness too was swallowed by the deep darkness.

When she finally awoke from that long, unknown slumber…

“Dahlia!”

The first face she saw was Glinda’s, sobbing. Instead of her mother wiping her tears with a handkerchief, it was the butler who explained everything.

An officer who had been walking in the park rescued them. During the time she was unconscious, Dahlia had unfortunately been possessed by an evil spirit, but thankfully was soon freed with the help of an exorcist priest.

Dahlia brushed off the butler’s words and immediately asked,

“What about Camilli?”

“You’re the one who was possessed! Is this really the time to worry about anyone else?”

Ignoring Glinda’s exasperated sigh, Dahlia grabbed the butler’s sleeve and shook it fiercely. The butler gently pulled away her hand and spoke calmly.

“Please calm yourself, miss. Miss Camilli’s condition has been checked, and there are no visible injuries. Her body temperature has returned to normal, so she should wake soon.”

And the butler was right. The moment Dahlia heard her step sister had awakened, she hurried to her room. Camilli’s face was a bit thin and pale, but otherwise just as Dahlia remembered.

But…

“Hey, not leaving your room again today?”

“…Go.”

“Why do you keep pretending to be sick? Since when did you become so fragile?”

Though Camilli’s indifferent expression and sharp voice seemed unchanged, there was a strange unease—like something was missing…

At the time, Dahlia thought Camilli was still recovering. After barely regaining consciousness from drowning, it made sense she lacked the strength to snap back like before.

“Why are you so interested in me lately?”

But gradually, as Camilli broke their unspoken rule, Dahlia began feeling uneasy.

Why so interested?

Their only bond was interest—something only they shared in this household.

Dahlia even sulked for a few days, thinking maybe it was just talk. But to her surprise, Camilli didn’t even seem to notice that Dahlia was deliberately avoiding conversation.

“This doesn’t make sense.”

No matter how much she thought about it, it just wasn’t like Camilli.

Why this sudden change? Was it because of the bracelet? Angry about losing something precious?

Then why hadn’t Camilli once mentioned the bracelet?

Dahlia knew well how much she’d messed up regarding that bracelet, so she purposely avoided the subject—not wanting to stir things up with someone who seemed to have forgotten.

But she didn’t want to forget and cut ties at the same time. If Camilli had chosen to give up on their relationship instead of forgiving her, Dahlia wished she’d just say so instead of leaving her hanging.

That was before Dahlia found out Camilli had a boyfriend.

“So that’s why…”