This chapter is written in third person's POV.

Jin was sleeping away in Tina’s dress pocket when she visited her client, as usual. He was just about to fall into deeper sleep… Until an urgent voice from Tina penetrated his thoughts.

… Jin, I want you to listen carefully to her thoughts; this girl can tell the future. Our livelihoods depend on this.

He couldn’t even begin to explain how absurd that sounded. Even a dragon like himself couldn’t foretell future.

What kind of broken power is this?!

Jin was starting to relate more with Tina when she found out about his mind reading and shape shift abilities. 

From what little he could understand from Lotte Graham, the Count’s daughter who apparently came 20 years back in time, was a fact that she was beheaded by the guillotine. She was a stupid person who was a marionette to her half-sister’s schemes, playing the role of an evil villainess bullying an innocent commoner sister. Her 5-year-old child was taken away from her, and she was killed by the very husband she loved so much.

And the thoughts that passed her head when she saw Tina, was the fact that she's  an undiscovered talent who designed the engagement dress for Janet Wolfram and went on to make her wedding dress. Not to mention, she was the best friend of two future Duchesses - both Wolfram and Cannes. 

She was the very person who never came into limelight despite people searching high and low for the “mermaid tailor”. The fact was, even after she was discovered to be such talent, she completely disappeared under the radar never to be seen again.

Yet, her work would show up every now and then the following years. Her dresses worn exquisitely by the two Duchesses, and Rosette Yttrea, who turned out to be the future saint...

Tina started choking on her tea when Jin retold her this information word for word.

“Saint, my ass! That non-recyclable trash of a pervert- If she’s a saint, I’m the god, okay!”

“Shush. You’re going to be charged for blasphemy.” Jin handed Tina a napkin cloth to wipe her mouth.

“Tsk tsk. This is another lesson for you.

Churches and religion are never good in any stories.

They’re always described as corrupted and full of deception. They're usually involved in many underhanded plays to manipulate the monarchy and the nobles.  They act holy and caring for the commoners - saying equality is for all.

But the power struggle between pope and the king will always exist. And the people are nothing but pawns to them.”

Tina’s swift hands wiped the table with a wash cloth before the stream of tea making its way to the table edge spills onto the floor.

“In fact, it’s often the case that angels are always the evil one in several romance stories revolving religion.

The stories like to portray a different point of view for the demons and devils - often showing how they are more humane and reasonable with their actions. The angels on the other hand, tend to be more self-righteous and narcissistic. Often described to be ignorantly selfish.”

Jin interestingly stared at Tina’s calloused fingers as she held the tea-stained cloth in her hands. She quickly stood and walked to the kitchen to wring the liquid out of the cloth.

He would never understand the concept of beings like angels and devils. Religion has pre-existed his long lifespan, yet he had witnessed the foolishness it brings out in human beings.

A god created for humans, by humans.

While it brings hope to believe in a greater being, the system of religion itself brings segregation and divides people with the standard created by the selected few.

He wouldn’t believe in god unless he’s seen one.

“There are gods in this world.” Tina’s words interrupted his thoughts.

Tina came back to sit opposite him with a new cup of tea. Her clear brown eyes stared into the reflection of herself shown in the clay tea cup. Her furrowed eyebrows creased the skin on her forehead. Jin felt a small urge to straighten it out, but held himself back.

“Because this world, which we perceive as real, is all fiction. And the fate of all of us, are decided by the authors who paint this world... It wouldn’t be wrong to say they are the true gods of this world.” 

[A/N: Fuck, I’m getting goosebumps as I write this shit.]

“But of course, there are also gods placed by the authors to play a role in this world. Depending on the story, there's either one omnipotent god. Or several gods with different functions - like God of War, God of Harvest, etc." She licked her lips after taking a sip from the tea cup.

"However, the authority of the writer goes above theirs. Because the character and individuality of these very gods are decided by the words that are written on a page somewhere.”

Tina’s finger drums the wooden desk. Taktaktaktak... She seemed deep in thought. And suddenly, she looked straight at Jin.

“This is called having an existential crisis.” She gave Jin a wry smile. “But we can’t do anything about that anyway. So live, laugh and move on I guess?”

Jin didn’t understand most of what Tina just said, but he nodded along.