Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 178

[Vol. 5] Chapter 178: Miss Holy Knight’s Past

“For a long, long time, Arlin was my only playmate. Given the close relationship between the Cecilia and Ulysses families, many people at the academy assumed that he and I would end up married one day…”

Edwina smiled and shook her head.

“Of course, at that time, both Arlin and I were barely over ten years old, just two kids who didn’t understand anything. I didn’t care at all about those rumors.”

“But, as time passed and we grew older, things started to change.”

“Arlin’s personality is the complete opposite of mine. As I mentioned before, he’s very confident, very good at communicating with others, and whenever he sees something he considers wrong, he points it out sharply. He might hold back with strangers, but with those close to him. The me of the past would have been constantly lectured for every little flaw.”

“Since I always meekly accepted it, this behavior only grew more apparent as we got older and our personalities developed.”

“The key issue was that he seemed to think this was perfectly normal, positioning himself as my guide or even my guardian. To put it bluntly, he treated me like his possession, as if without him, I wouldn’t be able to do anything right or even interact with others properly.”

“But the truth is, I have my own opinions. I just wasn’t good at expressing them. Arlin’s overbearing attitude naturally started to make me resent him.”

“As a result, our relationship gradually deteriorated. I didn’t want to see him, didn’t want to deal with him, and the final spark that drove a permanent wedge between us, to the point where we can’t even be friends anymore…”

Seeming a bit embarrassed, the blonde girl hesitated for a moment before sighing and covering her forehead with a wry smile.

“Miss Dawn, did you know? When I was 17, the year I was about to reach the coming-of-age standard for divine families, Arlin Ulysses, without my permission and without even consulting me for a single word, ran off on his own to propose a formal alliance to my mother… And as for who the proposal was for, I think you can easily guess.”

“Wow…”

Hearing this, a sound of amazement came from beneath Miss White Fox’s mask, while Miss Holy Knight, recounting the story, had an exasperated look on her face, as if even now, thinking back on it seemed utterly absurd.

“Yes, a marriage proposal. He wanted to marry me, Edwina Cecilia, in the year we turned 18, right after we graduated from the Holy Academy.”

“When I heard this from my mother, I was in complete shock for a long time. From childhood to that moment, I had always treated those rumors as a joke, seeing Arlin as just a peer or, at most, like an older brother. I had never even considered romantic feelings, but it seems Arlin Ulysses didn’t see things that way.”

“It wasn’t until I confronted him that I learned he had, ever since we were kids, considered me his pre-determined future wife. And he just assumed that… I thought the same! When I clearly rejected him, he was even more shocked than I was.”

“Ha…”

The girl sighed deeply.

“We had a huge argument and parted on bad terms. That’s also when I accepted my teacher’s suggestion to put aside my studies and travel for a while… It was both to improve my withdrawn personality and to avoid Arlin for the time being. After all, with his overly controlling attitude, treating me like his possession. I really didn’t know how else to handle it other than cutting ties completely.”

“I just didn’t expect that, even though he should have graduated from the Holy Academy by the second year, he’s still studying here. And now he’s somehow ended up eating at the ?Bamboo Lodge?… What on earth is he trying to do?”

“Hmm~ quite a strong-willed fellow, isn’t he?”

While making this comment, Miss White Fox, as an observer, was seeing more than Edwina herself.

As Awen mentioned earlier, although Arlin is a bit forceful and tends to speak bluntly, it seems he doesn’t bear any ill will towards Edwina.

For example, after his marriage proposal was rejected, he didn’t persist or pester her. Even though his earlier words were harsh, people could be seen as him being concerned. He was worried that Edwina was out socializing with unfamiliar people at a key moment in her life. If someone who knew her saw this, it could damage her reputation and affect her future.

Of course, this is just Violet’s interpretation as an outsider, viewing things objectively. For Edwina, who was being reprimanded so sternly, it’s understandable that anyone would find it difficult to accept.

However, it was surprising to the priestess to see the normally gentle and polite Edwina, who could even tolerate someone like Croman, suddenly draw her sword with such cold resolve.

In fact, even Violet hadn’t expected Edwina to suddenly attack Arlin. It had caught her off guard.

Although she was glad to see Edwina display the poise of a true leader and acknowledge her growth, she agreed with something Awen had said earlier—drawing a sword against an old acquaintance in such a manner was a bit excessive, wasn’t it?

Not that she would say that out loud, of course.

*Clatter.*

Several steaming dishes, soup, and four bowls of rice were placed on the table from the tray. Awen handed out the utensils, and as though she had been listening to the entire conversation, she naturally chimed in.

“That boy Arlin stayed here specifically for you. Even though he never brought up marriage again after that incident, and even publicly clarified your relationship, saying he would continue his studies at the academy…”

“But let’s be honest, with the strength of the Ulysses family, there’s no real need for their heir to stay at the academy for further education, right? In the end, wasn’t it all because he was worried that when you, this little loner, returned, you’d be isolated at the academy?”

The young-looking shopkeeper said this while tapping her chopsticks on the table.

“In the two or three years you were gone, he almost came to the ?Bamboo Lodge? every day, always sitting in the spot you both used to sit. Even if his personality is a bit extreme and he’s not suitable to be a partner, there’s no need to end things to the point where you can’t even be friends, right?”

“In the end, what were you even angry about just now, the Rigit Little Miss? Did two years of training make your temper grow as fast as your strength, to the point where you’ve become this irritable?”

“Sigh… Sister Awen, just stay out of our business…”

Taking the chopsticks and spoon handed over by the shopkeeper, Edwina quietly thanked her, while Miss White Fox also glanced over at her outfit.

A cheongsam and a bamboo flute tucked at her waist… Hmm, it looks like this is ‘Awen No. 3.’

Speaking of which, when Edwina introduced the mysterious shopkeeper of the ?Bamboo Lodge? earlier, she was just getting to the key point when Arlin unexpectedly interrupted.

But now, with the shopkeeper herself present, and especially after realizing that she seems to be able to monitor everything in the ?Bamboo Lodge? in real time, Miss White Fox felt too awkward to bring up the topic again so openly.

In the end, Violet could only watch as this shopkeeper, who outwardly seemed to be about the same age as Edwina, casually sat down next to Miss Holy Knight, took the bowl of rice clearly meant for her, and… left the ?Bamboo Lodge?’s business unattended as she naturally joined the three of them for a meal and conversation.