CHAPTER 237: THE UNWANTED HOLY TITLE

"Thank you for explaining the meaning behind the Moon Goddess’ words." Primrose cleared her throat, clearly trying to bring the priests back to reality.

"To be honest, this whole situation still feels like a dream to me," she admitted with a soft laugh. "When I came to this place, I only wanted to follow the legend, but ... unexpectedly, the Moon Goddess spoke to a lowly creature like me. It’s truly an honor."

Elarion immediately stepped forward, looking almost offended. "Your Majesty, you are not someone insignificant!"

He said passionately. "The Moon Goddess only speaks to those she chooses. Even many priests and priestesses spend their lives in prayer without ever hearing her voice."

Silvan quickly added, "Reverend Father Elarion is right, Your Majesty. You must hold a special place in the Moon Goddess’ heart, for her to speak directly to you."

He bowed his head slightly, his tone gentle and respectful. "That’s why this temple will always welcome you. You may come here whenever you wish, and I’ll make sure everyone gives you full access."

Primrose tilted her head, curious. "Full access? You mean I can explore every part of this temple without needing permission?"

"You’re absolutely right, Your Majesty," Elarion answered. "To us, you’re no longer just a visitor or an ordinary follower of the Moon Goddess. If I may put it into words, you are what we would call ... the Saintess."

That title again.

Primrose still didn’t understand how they could label her the Holy Saintess just because she’d heard the Moon Goddess’ voice once. It’s not like she was going to hear her again, right?

Besides, she didn’t consider herself a holy person. In fact, to be honest, the word "Saintess" made her extremely uncomfortable. Just hearing it twisted something in her stomach, making her feel nauseous, like she was going to throw up then and there.

She swore she had nothing against saints or saintesses in general, but every time someone associated her with that title, something inside her rebelled.

It made her angry, but she had no idea why.

But what could she say? If she told anyone that being called "Saintess" made her furious, they’d probably think she was insane. So instead, Primrose decided to keep that feeling to herself.

"If that’s the case," Primrose said with a graceful smile, hiding her discomfort, "then I’ll gladly accept the privilege."

Then, her expression shifted slightly. "And honestly ... I think that boulder falling near me earlier was the Moon Goddess’ way of sending a message. She wants me to ask you to let His Majesty renovate this old temple."

She glanced at each of the priests, watching their reactions closely. "Would you be willing to set aside tradition for a moment and allow us to repair this temple? I don’t want anyone else getting hurt."

Elarion sighed deeply, shame clouding his face. "Of course, Your Majesty," he said softly. "The rest of us and I won’t stand in the way if the kingdom wishes to rebuild the temple’s structure."

[Maybe this was the Moon Goddess’ way of telling me that I’ve been foolish all along for holding onto such a ridiculous ideology,] Elarion thought.

[But if that’s the case, it would’ve been better if the Moon Goddess had dropped ten boulders on my head instead of letting one fall on the Holy Saintess!]

Primrose let out a quiet sigh through her nose, completely fed up. They just wouldn’t stop calling her "the Holy Saintess," no matter how many times she told them not to.

But whatever. As long as they didn’t say it out loud again, she wouldn’t make a fuss about it.

After that, the eldest priest began discussing the reconstruction plans with Edmund, while Primrose did nothing except sip her tea and nibble on the snacks the priests had prepared.

When the clock finally struck eight in the evening, their conversation came to a close. Edmund stood and offered to take Primrose back to the palace.

But before they left the private room, Elarion handed her a glass bottle filled with crystal-clear water.

"This is spring water," he explained gently. "We’ve distilled it several times so it’s extra clean. One of the priestesses who drinks it regularly says her skin feels softer now. Maybe you’d like to try it too, Your Majesty."

A smile slowly stretched across Primrose’s face, wide enough to show her teeth. Without hesitation, she snatched the bottle from his hands and said brightly, "This is a wonderful gift. Thank you, Father. I really appreciate it."

Then, after a brief pause, she added, "Can I have another one?"

By the end of it, the priests had given her five bottles. Honestly, if she’d asked for all the water they had, they probably would’ve handed it over without question.

But Primrose still had a tiny bit of shame left, so she tried not to be too greedy.

As she stepped toward the exit, she paused for a moment to gaze at the Moon Goddess’ statue, bathed in soft moonlight streaming in through a crack in the temple’s ceiling. A faint glow also fell over the Veil of Sorrow statue, making the delicate veil sparkle like silver.

Only then did she realize that they hadn’t actually prayed together at the altar.

But well ... the Moon Goddess had spoken to her already. Maybe that counted for more than any formal prayer.

"Have you come here often before?" Primrose asked as they walked again.

Edmund opened the door for her like a gentleman, letting her pass first. "Not that often. Maybe three times a month," he said. "Sometimes more, depending on my workload."

That actually surprised her a little because she hadn’t expected her husband to be the religious type.

"I came here to blame her," Edmund said suddenly, his voice quiet and almost ashamed.

Primrose froze mid-step. She glanced to the left and right, checking if any of the priests had followed them. "What?" she asked, frowning slightly. "Why would you blame her?"

Edmund lowered his head, his eyes fixed on the ground beneath his feet. Then, in a voice barely louder than a whisper, he said, "Because she never told me who my mate was for such a long time."