Chapter 60: Dusk Under Threat
To call the Great Love Guild a criminal organization might sound extreme to some, even unpleasant to the ears. But when stripped of all romantic notions and subjective bias, the cold, harsh truth remained: at this moment, that was precisely what they were.
The guild’s origins were no secret—it had been founded by a man known far and wide as a merciless serial killer. No matter how noble their proclaimed ideals or what goals they pursued, the foundation upon which the guild was built was soaked in blood and defiance. And to act in blatant disregard of the law, regardless of the reason, was to challenge the very structure of society itself.
Anyone with a grain of sense understood one immutable truth: disrespecting the law was tantamount to scorning the societal order, and scorning the established order was nothing short of rebellion against the government. And rebellion, in any form, was considered a crime.
There might come a day—far in the future—when the tides of public opinion would shift. Perhaps more and more people would come to resonate with the guild’s ideals. If that day came, the Great Love Guild could possibly, just possibly, be seen as something more than a criminal faction. They might even be rebranded as a revolutionary force or a movement of change.
But that time had not yet arrived. Right now, as things stood, they were criminals in the eyes of the world.
And to think that their precious daughter—or perhaps granddaughter—would willingly join such a turbulent, dangerous world... It was a hard pill to swallow, even for men as shrewd and composed as them.
"You don’t have to be so hasty, child," Tharion said gently, his tone carrying a soft warmth. "There’s no harm in slowing down a little, is there?"
Lysandra paused, her eyes lowering slightly as silence stretched between them. It didn’t take her long to decipher their true thoughts. She understood—clearly and completely—what lay behind their words: worry, disappointment, even fear.
But even if the guild was viewed as criminals by the rest of the world—what of it?
’So what if they’re branded as criminals?’ she thought. ’At least I don’t see any contradiction between their goals and my own dreams.’
She lifted her gaze, eyes sharp like a blade tempered by experience. Her smile was calm but unwavering, and in that moment, the grace of her confidence spoke louder than any argument. Her tone was steady, not defiant, but undeniably firm.
"You don’t need to worry about me," she said. "I’ve learned so much from both of you over the years. I may not be drawn to the world of business like you hoped, but that doesn’t mean I’m ignorant or blind. I understand far more than I let on. So please, don’t concern yourselves too much. A little hardship or a few whispers of slander—I won’t be shaken by such things."