Episode 90
Lillian’s face immediately frowned at Theo’s words.
“What? No, I don’t want to.”
Go to a reading club with Theo? It’s not something she particularly wants to do. Of course, Theo knows all about Lillian’s secrets, so she shouldn’t have to worry about putting on airs. But perhaps because of that, Lillian wanted to hide even more. She was still a little afraid of how Theo might perceive her.
‘What if I had divine power, and it belonged to Swan?’
Theo had left Lillian once before. There had been a reason for it then, but this time, there might be flaws in Lillian’s thinking that she hadn’t considered. She didn’t want to go through the same thing again. If they didn’t get too close in the first place, she could avoid getting hurt as long as they didn’t share too many secrets.
But Theo, unaware of Lillian’s inner thoughts, couldn’t understand her reaction.
I asked her to go with me because it might be dangerous, and she said no. Why?
“Do you really trust that viscount? Isn’t he a bit eccentric? You never know what those kinds of people might do.”
“Sure, but… he was a good person.”
“Damien Portier wasn’t a good person, though?”
In the end, Lillian frowned.
“Don’t talk to me like that.”
“Fine, sorry. But you know I’m not wrong.”
“…”
It was true. As Theo said, Lillian had only met Asher once. People could smile to your face and sharpen a knife behind your back. Hadn’t she learned that through Damien? After believing in someone who had been aiming for her for seven years, she couldn’t make the same mistake again.
“I’ll pretend to be your chamberlain or bodyguard, so let’s go together. It’ll be safer.”
“Can you be a paladin instead?”
“Sure, I can just take off the costume afterward.”
No matter how he looked, he was never going to be a proper paladin. Theo was concerned about potentially losing his job like Millard and having to instruct children in a rural setting, while Lillian appeared to be deep in thought.
“It’s a bit risky to go alone, after all.”
It wouldn’t hurt to be cautious, as Theo said. She could bring someone else, but there was no one else she could trust as much as Theo, who knew all her secrets. Theo was the perfect candidate in every way.
Except for the fear of being abandoned by him again.
In the end, Lillian nodded.
“Okay. Let’s go together.”
* * *
On the day of the reading club.
Lillian wore a half-mask covering her face. It was the dress code for this reading club. Masks.
Asher had found the idea of a masked reading club intriguing, but to Lillian, it felt even more suspicious.
‘But maybe this time… it could be an opportunity to find out the truth.’
There was no way she wouldn’t go.
Just in case, Theo wore a full-face mask, and the two entered the venue.
Except for everyone wearing masks, the atmosphere was no different from a typical salon. There were places with finger foods, and people gathered in groups discussing various topics. Asher seemed to be conversing with someone who appeared to be a steward, perhaps indicating his high status at the place.
“Oh, Lillian. Please come in. Who’s the person behind you?”
“He’s my Knight. It’s more comfortable to have someone accompany you to places like this alone. I made sure to dress according to the dress code, is that okay?”
“Of course, it’s fine. Come this way. Luckily, the members are earlier, so you can talk to them when you get a chance.”
Following Asher’s guidance, Lillian sat at a table. In the center sat a lady of the house, and when Lillian arrived, the debate was already in full swing.
“The topic seems to be about how to interpret passages from the Bible.”
It was a theological discussion.
The Bible was usually written in ancient languages, and even for those who knew ancient languages, the meaning could vary greatly depending on the translator. Therefore, it was common to translate the Bible as close to the original as possible without the translator’s bias. The problem was that doing so often resulted in passages that were readable but became almost like codes due to the differences in grammar between ancient languages and modern languages.
Therefore, the main point of contention in theological discussions was always how to interpret the passages from the Bible. Depending on how these passages were interpreted, the meaning could change entirely, and sometimes factions would form depending on the interpretation. So, it was common for theological reading clubs to debate passages from the Bible.
‘It’s all speculation.’
Talking too much doesn’t guarantee that someone’s opinions will be accepted by the church, even if their mouth hurts. While Lillian considered their debates meaningless, she found herself paying attention at times.
The reason was simple. They were debating the interpretation of the moon in the Bible.
“If the moon isn’t meant to represent God or those who received His grace, what symbolic meaning do you have in mind?”
“Isn’t it grace? Or those who received grace.”
“But if that were the case, why use the expression ‘moon’? It’s unnatural. This is clearly something meaningful. It’s not symbolic, it’s a direct word!”
As the conversation heated up, a word passed through Lillian’s mind.
Moon. Not a symbolic expression, but a direct one. Not meaning God or the moon itself.
Those who received grace.
“… Daughters of Moonlight.”
Lillian murmured unknowingly. Then, at that moment, bang! Someone slammed the table.
Everyone sitting at the table looked towards the direction of the noise. There was a lady who had been watching the heated debate for a while.
“A guest has arrived.”
Under the half-mask, her red lips drew a smile.
“How much do you know about the Daughters of Moonlight?”
TL/N: Hello, Just to be clear. These novels are based on fiction and don’t have anything to do with the Bible or churches. Some people try to find religious elements in the novel like the novel ‘I don’t want to Attack You’, but these types of novels don’t incorporate biblical or church teachings. They only make things up as an Imaginary religion linked to the Bible or Christianity. Please don’t come to me in the comments saying these things. I don’t want my novel to be filled with religious debate. Thank you for reading and understanding my perspective
