Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 54
Translated by Elphie
Cynthia, perhaps a little emotional, began tearing up a little bit.
Irene could understand how she felt. She’d been in the same situation many times herself, alone in the midst of other people’s friendly conversations. How she had wished that someone would have come up to talk to her. And without anyone wanting to have even a brief friendly conversation, how dearly she wanted to just leave.
‘This is probably a foolish thing to do.’
In this current life, Princess Cecilia still disliked Irene, but at least she didn’t completely ignore her. So there was a possibility that Irene could foster a relationship with the Princess and possibly get something good out of it.
She wondered if she had sabotaged that chance. If she did, she might ultimately regret it, but this woman who had been in her place was relaxed and had no regrets at all.
‘Princess Cecilia must think differently though.’
She was a sharp-eyed woman who most likely realized that Irene had brought Cynthia out on purpose. In the past, this situation might have caused despair, as Irene had always lived watching Cecilia’s every move and fearing her power.
‘But not anymore.’
From the moment Irene opened her eyes to this second life, she realized that her attitude toward things had changed. With the experiences from the past and a newfound certainty about what would unfold, there was no longer any fear.
‘I don’t need to cling to the Princess to hope for a good future.’
Irene recognized that in this revived life, there was no need to walk the same path as in the past.
With her mind clear, Irene reached out a hand and took Cynthia’s still trembling one.
“I’m relieved. I was a bit worried I might have overstepped. And please, feel free to address me more casually. After all, I believe I’m younger than you, Lady Cynthia.
“But…”
Cynthia hesitated but then nodded, seemingly realizing Irene’s intent.
“Thank you. Honestly… I was prepared to be ignored. But when it really happened… Oh, I can’t help but feel a bit emotional.”
“It’s okay. When you feel like crying, you should cry.”
Irene swiftly pulled out a handkerchief, as if anticipating Cynthia might need it. Fortunately, Cynthia quickly wiped away her tears and regained her composure.
“I’m embarrassed to say this to Sir Michael’s pair, but… if there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”
Cynthia’s face turned even redder as she spoke. As 7th-grade purifier, there was no way anything she had to whatever help Princess Cecilia could offer.
Still, Cynthia felt compelled to help Irene in any way she could, even if it was only in a small way.
“Don’t worry too much about that. By the way, you’re the first person to visit my room like this, so I was wondering, do you like sweets?”
With that, Irene reached for the sweets she never brought out when Wilhelmina came to visit. It was a chewy treat filled with nuts from a distant kingdom whose name Irene couldn’t recall.
“They’re so delicious, but I can’t eat them all by myself.”
“Oh my, this is valuable. It’s lukma, isn’t it?”
“You know what it is?”
“Of course. It’s the most expensive sweet you can get in the fortress. I’ve known the maids here long enough to have seen it a few times.”
“You’re friends with the maids here?”
“Yes, because I come here every year and live close to their quarters. I have to save money, so I stay in the cheapest room.”
Cynthia blushed, as if a little ashamed of the fact, but when Irene showed interest, she continued.
“If you want to sneak out of the fortress, let me know. As you know, the purifiers have very strict procedures every time they go out, right? I know things like the doors the maids use and the back roads, so I’ll let you know if that helps.”
“…!”
Irene’s eyes lit up at Cynthia’s offer. During Irene’s past stays in the fortress, she rarely left her room, so she had minimal interaction with the maids. Cynthia, however, seemed to know every nook and cranny of the fortress.
“Okay, if I want to go out, I’ll definitely find you, Cynthia.”
Just as Cynthia’s expression had completely relaxed, relieved that she had something useful to offer, there was a knock on the door.
“A guest has arrived. She goes by the name of Reyna. What should we do, my lady?”
“Reyna?”
Having temporarily forgotten about her advice in the archives to avoid going to higher-level dungeons, Irene was caught off guard.
“I’m sorry, Cynthia. Can I have another person over for a while?”
“Of course. If my presence makes it awkward, I’ll leave.”
Hurriedly, Cynthia prepared to leave but Irene stopped her, saying that it wouldn’t be necessary before asking Reyna to be welcomed in.
‘Why did Reyna come to see me? More importantly, what happened with the higher-level dungeon?’
The image of Reyna collapsing in tears in her previous life flashed through her mind. Could that be what was happening again?
“Irene!”
Reyna rushed into the room, her voice choked with tears. As soon as she saw Irene, she rushed over to her…
“Thank you so much!”
She hugged Irene tightly.
