Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 79
“Haah, haa…”
Irene rushed into the lounge and quickly found a private space where she could be alone, trying to catch her breath. She couldn’t even remember how she had made it this far.
“Huwaah…”
After taking several deep breaths, she finally regained some composure.
The lounge, designed for the wealthy clientele of the auction house, was lavishly and beautifully decorated. Normally, she would have been wide-eyed, taking in the luxurious surroundings of a place she was visiting for the first time, but right now, nothing registered in her mind.
After standing still for a long time, she raised her hand to touch her neck.
The spot where Michael’s breath had touched her earlier still felt as if it had been burned, scorching hot.
As she absentmindedly rubbed the area, Irene pressed harder, roughly massaging the spot. But the tingling sensation on her neck refused to go away.
Irene thought back to Michael, who had been getting closer to her.
If she hadn’t pulled back, his lips, which had exhaled warmth, would have touched her neck.
The moment she imagined the scene, a heated flush spread all the way to her ears.
She hurriedly cooled her burning face with the back of her cold hand.
‘What nonsense am I thinking?’
He had simply leaned on the railing beside her to get a better view of the man below. And he was only trying to comfort her because of what that man had said.
The idea of him burying his face into the crook of her neck—
She had never imagined such a thing before, so why was she now thinking that he would have done that if she hadn’t moved away?
Then she remembered his face up close.
He always had a face that made people admire him. No matter how perfect he seemed, anyone would expect to find a flaw if they looked closely enough.
Yet, seeing him up close had only confirmed his flawless perfection.
‘No wonder they call him the knight most beloved by the gods.’
Not only did he possess strength and swordsmanship beyond human limits, but his very appearance seemed like proof of the gods’ existence.
Beautiful, reverent, and strong.
His delicate, well-proportioned features beneath his golden hair radiated grace and divine mercy.
His firmly set lips always spoke to his strong will and determination.
Even though she knew all this, she had been startled by how close he had gotten.
During past purification sessions, he had come close to her a few times, but she had been so out of it that she hadn’t had the clarity to notice him properly.
Today was the first time she had really taken a good look at him, and the unfamiliarity had shocked her.
With her hand still pressed to her cheek, she absentmindedly recalled his eyes from up close.
His eyelashes, as bright as his hair, framed his clear, sky-blue eyes, blinking softly.
Though he had many admirable features, Irene’s mind kept returning to the way his blue eyes had gazed at her and blinked.
* * *
Irene returned to the box seat after the second part of the auction had already begun.
‘He’s gone.’
Michael was nowhere to be seen.
Even the coat he had hung up earlier was gone, suggesting that he hadn’t just stepped out briefly but had left with no intention of returning.
Leaving one’s companion behind without a word was impolite, but when it came to Michael, it didn’t surprise her.
‘Did he receive word of a new dungeon?’
He often roamed dungeons alone, but sometimes the fortress would request his help for particularly difficult ones.
The high-tier dungeon that Reyna and Felix had recently tried to enter was such an example.
When other parties failed to clear dangerous dungeons or no one dared to enter, the fortress would turn to Michael for assistance.
And he had never once refused their requests.
As the Sword of God, it was his duty.
Still, Irene thought it would have been nice if he had left her a note or something.
She glanced down below.
“Huh?”
She hadn’t been particularly paying attention, but her eyes naturally drifted to the unpleasant man she had noticed earlier.
But he, too, was nowhere to be seen.
