Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 9
Translated by Elphie
‘What did I expect…’
In that instant, Irene blushed. It was embarrassing to realize that she had momentarily thought there was something special about her that made him propose a pairing.
“What’s going on?”
“That person is the Paladin Michael, right?”
“What? He’s really here?”
The chatter of the people standing next to her brought her back to her senses. She couldn’t repeat her past mistakes, regardless of why he had come here and what had changed about him.
“I am not worthy.”
Saying so, Irene withdrew her hand.
However, contrary to her expectations, Michael tightened his grip, holding onto her hand with even more strength.
“…!”
Irene was once again taken aback by his actions.
‘It wasn’t like this before.’
Not only was Michael reluctant to touch women, he never held them tightly even when performing basic escort duties. He was the type of person who acutely sensed when she would try to pull away even slightly and let go right away.
But the Michael before her now did not.
“Aren’t you a purifier?”
His eyes were filled with conviction that she was. He looked at her, seemingly questioning why she didn’t heal him despite being injured. Irene found herself at a loss on how to respond.
Her purifying power was weak anyway.
‘Besides, if I heal him in front of everyone, it’s practically the same as publicly declaring our contract.’
While a purifier could heal multiple people, their power was stronger when focused on just one person. And so, healing someone in front of others was akin to announcing the end of their contract and publicly declaring that the person had become their pair.
‘Michael probably doesn’t know that yet.’
He’d only just been informed of the continent-wide law by the Alliance of Kingdoms, so there’s no way he’d know. Even if he knew, he would never have asked her to purify him in front of everyone.
As Irene pondered how to explain, someone approached the two of them.
“Nice to meet you, Sir Michael.”
It was a beautiful voice that made your head turn just by hearing it. And it was a voice Irene remembered vividly.
“Princess Cecilia…”
Irene turned her head with a sigh, and there stood a beautiful woman with long black hair that reached down to her waist, wearing a gentle smile.
Princess Cecilia Mozinego Visconti, the first princess of the Mozinego royal family and the most powerful among purifiers.
And…
Unknowingly, Irene felt cold sweat in her clenched hand.
Princess Cecilia hated Irene.
She often called Irene to gatherings among purifiers and pitied her, saying things like:
“If only you were more capable, Sir Michael wouldn’t be having such a hard time.”
The words, often accompanied by a sigh, never failed to stab Irene in the heart.
‘And she was the last person I saw.’
In the past, on the day Irene died, the last person she had a conversation with was her.
“Why are you rushing around like that?”
“I wanted to say one final goodbye to Sir Michael, but I don’t know where he is….”
“Oh, you’re looking for Sir Michael.”
The princess, turning her head, pointed to the lowest level dungeon that still remained.
“Do you see that remaining dungeon over there? Sir Michael headed in to clean it up. If you want to apologize, now is your last chance. Hurry, he probably finished clearing out all the monsters.”
After informing her of Michael’s whereabouts, she seemed to have nothing more to say and turned away to walk back to the fortress.
After that, Irene entered the dungeon as she was told…
‘And I died.’
A dungeon that was supposed to have been cleared was full of monsters—as if no one had ever entered.
It wasn’t long after she entered that the creatures caught her human scent, and chased her further in.
Irene steadied her trembling arms. When she thought of that moment when her breathing stopped, the fear she could not completely erase came back to her with an intense clarity.