Episode 71
What fascinated Damian was quite literally ‘the child carried by Maynard Manor’.
Whether the child was real or fake was important to the temple, but not to Damian. Thus, while following the temple’s orders to head towards Maynard, Damian didn’t care about such matters. Damian’s daily life was generally free, and he acted based on his interests. So, the most important thing was whether the child he would meet in Maynard could stimulate his interest.
‘I’ll play with it for a while, and if I lose interest, I’ll discard it.’
And so, Damian met Lillian.
A child with longing filling her big pupils.
A child who seemed to have cut off her story along with her hair under her shoulders.
“…Swan?”
And a child who called herself by a strange name.
Such blind devotion was a first.
Even if Lillian mistook herself for the child named ‘Swan’, Damian could assert that he wouldn’t have shown any particular interest in Lillian. Lillian was just a sharp-tongued child without any remarkable characteristics.
But whenever that name ‘Swan’ came up, stars filled Lillian’s pupils.
No chandelier could shine so brightly. No longing could be so vivid. The pure and intense emotions of an unrefined child flowed like blood through her veins. To love someone so much, Damian was surprised and jealous at the same time.
‘Can’t I steal her away?’
A boy even loved by the gods easily gained everyone’s favor. He seemed to be born just to be loved. Just smile a little, behave politely, and everyone would like him.
“So, who’s Swan?”
“I don’t know.”
“You know. You called me that. It sounded like a girl’s name. Am I similar to her?”
“No, not at all. She’s pretty, unlike you. You’re ugly. I don’t even want to look at you, so go away.”
Except for this blunt girl.
Ugly? Damian heard such a thing for the first time. How much more beautiful could that girl be to receive such a compliment over him?
Damian was offended.
“Well, it’s not difficult to gain favor with a child.”
I’m loved by the gods. Everyone likes me.
There’s nothing he couldn’t win against just one girl named Swan or whatever.
If Lillian just liked him more than ‘Swan’, it would be an easy problem to solve.
Then, this trivial heart and unfamiliar jealousy would disappear.
So, Damian became a kind friend to win Lillian’s favor.
He even showed kindness by secretly visiting her on dangerous nights and gave her a knife. Perhaps he said a few touching words that children would like.
Then, Lillian grabbed Damian’s hand and cried.
— Thank you, Damian.
That night. Damian still couldn’t forget that night.
The moment when the moonlight filled the room and the girl’s sob enveloped them. It seemed like only they existed in the world.
His heart beat within that strange sense of comfort and buoyancy. In that sensation where time seemed to stop, Damian could feel his existence in this world.
What exactly was there to be thankful for?
‘Was it for rescuing her from kidnapping? Or for saying nice things to her?’
If it was the former, Lillian didn’t need to thank him.
Because Damian was the kidnapper and accomplice himself.
* * *
The person who attempted to kidnap the child was sent by Winston Burnauer, but at the same time, he was also sent by the temple.
“Winston Burnauer tried to kidnap the child. Since our people were sent, they will snatch the child. Bring the child to the temple to confirm whether it’s real or fake. So, Damian, help with the bait properly.”
It wasn’t difficult to bait. Damian decided to use the small rocket he always carried.
This was something Damian often used to test his own sanctity, used in the first test when taking the priest exam to enter the temple.
It was the scent of a lupus flower.
This flower, also known as the Angel’s Touch, emitted a sweet scent to ordinary people but a bitter scent to those with sanctity. The more sanctity one had, the stronger the scent became, and it spread widely even in small amounts, earning it the nickname Angel’s Touch.
With this scent, it would be easy to lure the child into the garden.
“This scent. What do you think? Do you recognize it?”
So, if only it wasn’t for the words spoken before Lillian ran out, by now Lillian’s fate would have been much different.
“How can’t you detect such a pungent smell? Wait here. I’ll come find you.”
If it weren’t for that statement, Damian wouldn’t have noticed that Lillian had sanctity.
Or if Lillian didn’t have sanctity, Damian wouldn’t have saved her.
* * *
Of course, just having sanctity didn’t determine if Lillian was the ‘Daughter of Moonlight’ or not.
Sanctity could also manifest later in life and appear irregularly.
But just having it was enough to keep her alive.
Perhaps a little manipulation was at play as well. If Lillian went into the temple, she wouldn’t meet often.
“…That’s all it was.”
On the night when Lillian sobbed and thanked him for reasons unknown, Damian felt that his choice was right.
He developed possessiveness toward Lillian.
It was Damian’s first sense of possession and longing for another.
Lillian was the one who made him exist. He felt alive only with her presence.
At first, he thought it might be an illusion created by Lillian, but soon Damian realized the reason.
“It’s Swan.”
In the end, it was Swan.
Lillian’s world was filled only with the two of them. It could even be said that it was a world for two people.
The problem was that Lillian’s seat was empty because one person had died.
So, Damian waited for seven years to occupy Lillian’s empty seat.
‘If only I could beat Swan, Lillian’s fate might have been different by now…’
Damian looked away. What was this contemplation for? A relationship with Lillian that couldn’t be reversed? Or himself, exhausted from waiting? The past seven years? Or was it about the dead ‘Swan’?
As long as Lillian was hinted at, she wouldn’t think of Swan anymore.
Damian was now tired of stealing the owner’s vacant seat.
It was a bit disappointing, but if he couldn’t have her completely, he would be satisfied with having her superficially. Like I said, there would be no occasion for him to abandon Lillian by his own hands. He loved Lillian.
Well, in the world, there are also such kinds of love, right? Love that can only be satisfied by having it.
Damian put away his conscience and smiled again.
“Now that you’ve understood, just leave, Theo. I’m tired after fighting with you.”
“…I can’t go alone.”
Theo slowly brushed his hair aside.
“Release Lillian.”
