Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 28
Translated by Elphie
With the generous meals provided by the Kingdom of Tyrenia and the consideration of Michael, a few days’ worth of the same lavish food was set before Irene. It was no longer a time to refuse, and after enjoying the meal, Irene sat back at the table.
‘I need to come up with a new plan.’
Not having obtained the Invisibility Ring didn’t mean she could just continue to stay idle. She still had a debt of 100,000 gold, and it had to be repaid within six months.
All hope was not lost.
Even though Irene didn’t acquire the artifact this time, there were still other artifacts to be found in the future.
‘What would be something useful?’
Irene rummaged through the initial records she had noted down, soon discovering the next item she should target.
“The Stone of Silence. That’s what it was.”
A stone that, when grasped, renders the wearer deaf to all sounds for about ten seconds. Its power was mysterious, but its utility was limited, earning it a relatively low value among artifacts.
‘Still, it went for around 20,000 gold at the auction.’
On the continent, collecting artifacts was a passion for all royals, nobles, and wealthy individuals. Naturally, the powerful and useful artifacts were so expensive that they were hard to come by. Still, those who wanted to show off their artifacts would buy modestly priced ones, like the Stone of Silence.
‘So they can boast about having several artifacts in their collection.’
The Stone of Silence, compared to other artifacts Irene had in mind, had a relatively useful power. Of all the artifacts she remembered, the one with the most minor power was the one that boiled eggs. While practical, it fell into a gray area where it was somewhat dubious to spend money on it.
Compared to those, the Stone of Silence was at least a decent artifact.
‘The problem is… Dungeon 482, where I can get the Stone of Silence, appears in about a week.’
She recalled the agreement with Michael – once a month, they would tackle a lower-level dungeon of her choosing, and she would claim all the rewards.
‘Once a month.’
That was the problem. That particular dungeon would appear a week from now, and in the meantime, any other pairs could venture into the dungeon and claim the rewards before her.
‘Even if Michael enters, it’s still a problem.’
Any rewards obtained from dungeons other than the one Irene designated would belong to Michael.
‘What should I do?’
Irene regretted not negotiating the contract differently, perhaps limiting it to once a week.
But it was too late to regret anything.
‘Maybe I can ask him for a favor.’
The Michael in this life seemed much more affectionate compared to the past.
‘He even put his arm around my waist.’
He says it’s because he’s worried about her getting hurt, but the old Michael would never have done that.
‘Maybe Michael genuinely wanted to enter a pair in this life.’
Perhaps that’s why he held less resentment towards Irene.
After contemplating for a while, Irene began to feel her eyelids growing heavy.
‘I need some sleep to think more clearly.’
She had been moving since morning, and unexpected events had added to her exhaustion.
Irene neatly organized the papers, placing them in a drawer, and covered the glow stones scattered around the room with lids. She left one with the faintest glow on a distant shelf, lying down on her bed.
‘In the past, I never would have dreamed of having such glow stones.’
Of course, these glow stones were also expensive items. Irene hadn’t even touched them, let alone considered placing them around her room. But now they were scattered throughout her space.
‘I’m glad it’s not too dark.’
When she had laid down on the hard bed in her small, lightless room, the fear of being sold off, unable to escape the grasp of the Count, suffocated her. The murmurs of people talking against her echoed around her.
But now, lying in the cozy glow and on a fluffy bed, those troubling visions seemed to disappear. All she could think about now was how to negotiate the terms of her contract with Michael.
‘I’ll have to see Michael and talk to him first.’
That’s what she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
Knock. Knock.
There was a short knock on the door and a voice came from outside.
“It’s Michael. Are you inside?”