Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 29
Translated by Elphie
“…!”
At the mention of Michael’s name, Irene jolted upright. She hastily grabbed her robe hanging on the wall and threw it on before swinging the door open.
It was already late at night, and the corridor was dimly lit with scattered lamps. In the faint light, Irene widened her eyes, confirming that the person standing outside was indeed Michael.
“Sir Michael? What brings you here this late…”
“I have something important to discuss. Despite the late hour, I couldn’t afford the luxury of waiting. Can we talk for a moment?”
The moment Irene realized it was Michael, the drowsiness that had started to set in vanished completely. He had never shown up like this before—not once. And wasn’t he usually holed up in the fortress temple, especially on nights like these?
Irene glanced down the corridor. Luckily, there was no one else in sight.
“Someone might get the wrong idea if they see us.”
In her past life, crossing paths with Michael always seemed to stir up a whirlwind of gossip behind her back. Rumors circulated that she deliberately waited for Michael at the crossroads, claiming that since he didn’t come to her, she went to find him herself.
But the one that cut the deepest were the assumptions that she tried to win him over through cheap seduction.
“Her abilities as a purifier are the worst, but her face and body are quite captivating, aren’t they? That must be why she’s determined to catch Sir Michael’s attention, even with such methods.”
“I heard that too. Every night, she dresses like a whore and calls for Sir Michael.”
Reflecting on it now, she should have retorted and dismissed such nonsense, but at that time, she only hung her head in response.
‘If they see us like this, they will surely start spreading those sorts of baseless rumors again.’
That was something she wanted to avoid at all costs.
At that moment, a shadow flickered at the end of the corridor. Someone was coming this way.
“Come in!”
Flustered, Irene hastily ushered Michael inside and closed the door. Listening closely, the people passed by the door, and soon, their footsteps faded away. It seemed to be another pair using a nearby room.
“Phew…”
Irene turned away with a sigh of relief. As she did, her gaze met Michael’s who was looking at her quizzically.
“Oh, it’s…It’s just that I was worried someone might see us…”
He gave her a puzzled look.
“Is it wrong to be with your pair? If there’s a curfew here, please let me know.”
That couldn’t be the case. This wasn’t the temple, so there couldn’t be a curfew they needed to worry about.
“No, it’s not that. But, you know, if someone sees Sir Michael visiting at this hour, it could cast a shadow on your honor.”
The derogatory remarks in the past were not only directed at Irene. Other knights who envied Michael also said rather unkind words behind his back.
“Even as a paladin, there must be limits to his ability to purify himself. Yet, seeing him walking around so healthy… Well, who knows, maybe he’s vigorously moving his hips every night in secret.”
“I heard her purifying power is extremely weak. Then they must have to stay in bed for a very long time.”
“No doubt they do everything behind doors, but on the outside, he’ll act the holy and noble knight.”
Irene endured the barrage of nasty things about them when they didn’t even hold hands.
Despite drawing a clear boundary and keeping their distance, what if someone had witnessed Michael coming at this hour?
The mere thought gave her a headache. Instead of a day, rumors might spread throughout the fortress in less than half.
“If that’s enough to tarnish my honor, it must not have been much of an honor in the first place. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Irene smiled bitterly at his firm reply. Whether in the past or present, seeing him maintain such dignity eased her mind slightly.
“More importantly, what brings you here at this hour?”
Even as she asked, her heart was uneasy.
Come to think of it, this place served as both her lodgings and his. It wasn’t originally a room he was supposed to be sharing, as it was, in fact, provided by another kingdom as a result of his merits. Feeling a little impudent for asking why he was here when he was the rightful owner, Irene looked away.
“Well…,” he began.
He hesitated, avoiding a direct response to Irene’s question.
‘What could possibly be going on?’
Sudden worry gripped her.