Family dinners for followers of the Goddess were incredibly important. Each family member was expected to bring a dish to be served at the table. It didn't matter what it was, but usually someone always brought a side.

  Something like buttery bread rolls, a dip for chips, or a pitcher of sweet lemonade. Since Anna was always at the academy, she wasn't able to bring anything, which made her feel bad. But to her surprise, Edwin had managed to bring a dish that made her mother gush and shower him with compliments.

  Anna looked at the plate and saw what he had brought: a mountain of chunky potatoes that had been mashed with garlic and butter. It smelled delicious, making her wonder if he was an excellent cook. She decided to bring it up another time, as it could function as a conversation starter.

  Her mother shooed her away from his plate, commenting that there was plenty for her to eat and that she should just sit down. She blushed, despite her questionable mental age. She still was affected by being scolded by her mother.

  Anna sat down on a dinner chair that had a sun-shaped cushion, and Edwin sat next to her. From the corner of her eye, she could see that the teenager was sweating and fidgeting. She had to wonder if he was used to this cramped house and if his family even had these dinners. If they were willing to let him leave for a random part of town to visit her, they must not care to do them.

  She kept her mouth shut and played with her silverware. They had all been given a large plate and set to eat, along with a napkin. Traditional dinners involved bowls and plates being passed around for you to pick from. You would serve yourself with a pair of shred ladles or tongues, then hand everything over to the next person.

  It wasn't something she had done often in her past life. Her original parents had been too busy to eat with her because of work and business meetings that ran till dawn. The first time she ate with her new family, she'd been sitting at the table, confused. Her sisters had to pull her aside to explain what they were doing. Anna felt stupid and had become irrationally angry at her old family for never doing this ritual.

  She wished that she could have memories of family dinners with them. To cherish before those recollections slipped away like all the others. The table began to be set by her mother and father. The man looked giddy to see her.

  They hadn't had time to talk during her last visits, as he had been exhausted from work. Her father was doing everything in his power to fund her sister Emma, who was pursuing a research career. It wasn't the same type of academy as the one she attended.

  This was unrelated to magic but focused on preserving the country's history with the government's funding. The tuition for Emma's books, lab kits, and dormitory was astronomical, so her father worked overtime to help her pay. Anna felt grateful that he managed to make time for her. He was a good father, like the one she'd lost.

  He was just as protective and thoughtful for the girl's wellbeing. He knew her desire to be a priestess and supported her despite his understandable hesitation. After all, being a priestess would send her all across the nation for years. Any parent who gave a damn would be worried about what that meant for Anna.

  Looking at Edwin, she thought about whether his parents supported his choices. She set down the fork she was playing with and nudged him. “So, Edwin, how have your parents been?” The conversation would be odd due to his relationship.

  But thankfully, Edwin caught on pretty fast as he cleared his throat. “They're busy with missionary work overseas, so I don't know. But they spoke to my sister a week ago and told her everything was going great. The locals love their teachings.”

  Her father, who had sat down after setting a bowl of salad on the table, perked up. Anna remembered the man had worked as a missionary as a teen. “Excuse me, young man– do your parents work as a part of the white crest?”

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “They do. They have since I was a newborn.” Edwin looked at her father with avid interest. His voice was full of shock, as if he didn't expect the man to know about the organization. “Have you been a part of their foreign mission teams before?”

  Anna was surprised that Edwin's parents were active members. The white crest was a group of missionaries and healers who traveled to troubled areas. These places were usually going through some sort of collapse, whether it be from economic collapse or political discourse.

  Typically, when the members got a family, they would become inactive members who only became active again in extremely dire times. For his parents to be active members meant they'd be gone for long periods that could be even years long.

  With their lives being in danger, depending on the state of the country they were working in. She felt pity for the blonde, as she knew what his parents would be going through. Anna hoped that nothing happened to them as from what had been seen in news broadcasts, white crest members were the targets of gangs. Slimy people who were uncomfortable with their peaceful presence had famously killed a fifty-member team twenty years ago.

  They had been hit by magic that ripped their bodies apart. The massacre caused a huge ruckus that eventually led to the country handing some of the murderers over. Nothing that gruesome had happened since but it was still a draining position to have. Anyone who did it was sacrificing the comfort and safety of a normal life.

  “I was a part of only one before my daughter Nora was born.” Her father nodded to her sister who was distracted by her colicky baby. Anna saw that the poor thing was feverish and whining into the woman's chest. “But I did train hundreds in the capital to be ready for when their duty calls.”

  “You must be proud of Eliana then,” Edwin said while plopping some food onto his plate. It was a lasagna that was made without meat for her older sister.

  Her father nodded and gave Anna a warm glance. “I am. While I would have preferred her to find another way to serve the country, I eventually came around to her choice. You kids are doing things people twice your age are too scared to try.”

  Anna shrugged and stabbed her fork into a lump of Edwin's potatoes. “You're just buttering him up now, dad.” She swallowed the mash, finding it decent at best.

  Her father's words rang true for the teenager. She just felt a bit of petty satisfaction at seeing Edwin choke on his drink and lose composure. Anna hoped that after they worked together for a few months, he'd get over his bias. But for now, she would lie low with her insults and try to maintain cordial. Her father didn't notice the spat between them and commented that he couldn't help but compliment the pair.

  He was proud of the progress she had made in her studies. The old man also said, much to her horror, that he was happy she dipped her toe into dating. She tried not to spit out her potatoes as her mother added that they thought she wasn't the type. They worried she would miss out on teenage things like breaking curfew and boys because of her schedule.

  She swallowed the disgust she felt and tried to block out the words coming out of their mouths. Anna knew that parents wanted their kids to date and settle down. But it was ridiculous to be so comical about it.

  She had to wonder if they'd been talking about behind her back for years. Before she could turn red from anger, her darling nephew projectile vomited all over Nora's upper body.

  “Oh, my GODDESS!” Her sister screamed as baby puke stained her entire chest. On cue, the newborn whined and screeched with her. “It went in my eyes!”

  The scene was almost out of a movie. Eleanora dry heaved as she wiped at her face and turned pale. The baby had blown up everywhere– it was disgusting.

  Her mother got out of her seat and grabbed a napkin. She had a knowing look in her eyes as she led Nora out of the room. The older woman wiped at her face as the entire family gawked in shock. “Come into the bathroom, so we shower you both off.”

  Anna's father sighed and put his head in his hands. “The baby's been sick recently. A fever. The medicine for it in newborns has been flying off the shelves. Some flu has been spreading around and has gotten a lot of kids sick.”

  “My teacher's been talking about that. It'll settle down once the season comes to an end, and the weather gets better.” Edwin reassured him earnestly, his voice thick with worry. “I can look over the baby if you'd like. I don't mind.”

  Anna felt dizzy hearing them talk about the newborn's health. Hearing that the baby had a fever made her think of Lizzy. She knew it was stupid, as it was very rare, almost unheard of for infants to get that type of sickness.

  But she couldn't help to think of the redhead whose status she was unaware of. She wanted to visit her, but she knew it was impossible. Lizbeth's parents had made it clear that they blamed her and believed she caused their daughter to push herself.

  They thought that her influence was negative after saying for years Lizbeth benefited from her ranking. She started to shake and ended up dropping her fork. Her body felt like it was composed entirely of pudding from how wobbly her vision was. This drew the attention of the pair of men who looked at her, pausing their conversation. She quickly recovered with a throaty cough and put a hand over her face.

  “I'm feeling a little sick from the smell. Can I go up to my room?” Anna made sure to look as sick as possible. Which wasn't hard from her anxiety making her sweat gallons and her legs jiggling around.

  Edwin must have bought into her act as he smiled at them both. “I have to get going, anyway. My sister is waiting for me.” Her father notably pouted at this.

  Anna jumped at the chance and practically dragged the blonde out of his seat. This was the chance she needed to go outside to clear her head. “I'll walk you out, babe.”

  The look Edwin gave her could kill a nun. The teenager was shellshocked. He recovered before her father could say anything, but she just rolled her eyes.

  He was the one who thought lying about being in a romantic relationship was the best idea. If her parents honestly believed that they were dating, they'd have to play along.

  She could see that her mother saw a future, rich son-in-law and wasn't going to let go anytime soon. And her father wasn't much better, looking like a kicked puppy. The man was already smitten, which made Anna really want to strangle Edwin.

  Eventually, he grits his teeth at her tight hold and responds. “I'd love for you too.”