Chapter 120
Sir Britson, the knight who had been the princessās pair, was said to be the strongest knight in her kingdom.
He had risen to the rank of commander at the youngest age in history.
He truly served the princess with utmost devotion.
It wasnāt just because she was the princess of his kingdom or because she was his purifier.
The knightās gaze toward her was filled with a passion anyone could easily recognize.
āThat must have made him even more useful to keep by her side.ā
The princessās group lacked someone with Michaelās skill level.
The only reason they had managed to clear high-level dungeons was because the knights had fought the monsters with their lives on the line.
Even though the purifiers could heal wounds inflicted by monsters and cleanse the miasma, they couldnāt erase the pain the knights experienced at the moment of injury.
As a result, after a dungeon raid, the knights were often left mentally unstable from the trauma and pain.
The princessās knight was no exception.
He not only loved her but also saw her as the one who brought him peace and stability.
She was the person who held his life in her hands.
He had devoted himself to her countless times, and Irene had seen it firsthand.
āWhere is Sir Michael?ā
The princess seemed more concerned with Ireneās absence than the empty space beside her own.
āHeās out scouting. Thereās something strange about this dungeon.ā
As Irene explained, she spoke not only to the princess but loud enough for others to hear.
She knew that sharing their situation first was necessary to both calm the princessās group and gather information from them.
When they heard that another raid group had been wiped out, everyone sighed in shock.
But when they learned Michael was safe and would return soon, their faces brightened.
āThatās all from our side. Now, can you tell us what happened to you?ā
At Ireneās question, Princess Cecilia bit her lip before finally beginning to recount their experience.
Her raid group had progressed smoothly at first.
As expected for a mid-to-high-tier dungeon, they encountered moderately difficult monsters and collected a few treasure chests.
But the princess wasnāt satisfied.
āWe need to gather as many rewards as we can as quickly as possible.ā
To maintain her advantage over the other group, the princess had declared that all rewards would be distributed equally this time.
As a result, those who had left her group came crawling back with flimsy excuses.
Though she wanted to cast them aside, this time she had to tolerate them.
She even had to reward them generously.
So, she pressured her knights to move faster.
As they continued deeper into the dungeon, another purifier spoke to the princess.
āDo you think the other group is doing well?ā
The princess, recognizing the subtle reference to the other group, smiled softly.
āWell, from what Iāve heard, they only have about thirty members. They havenāt worked together as much as we have, so they might be struggling.ā
āBut Sir Michael is with them, so they might be doing better than we expect.ā
At the mention of Michaelās name, the princess found it difficult to control her expression.
āWhy on earth is Sir Michael helping them?ā
The Michael Cecilia knew would never participate in a raid for personal gain.
He believed his abilities were gifts from God and that everything he gained through them belonged to God.
So why was he assisting in such a selfish raid filled with human greed?
āIt must be because of that woman.ā
Irene Rhodiam.
Just thinking of her made the princess burn with anger.
She had spent years trying to win Michaelās favor, putting in all her efforts to claim him.
āDonāt people say that Sir Michael only rushed to her side and became her pair was because Irene Rhodiam was the nearest to him?ā
When she heard the reason Michael had chosen Irene, Cecilia was filled with disbelief and rage.
To become a pair for such an absurd reason?
As a holy knight, she had expected him to maintain some distance from his pair, only visiting her when absolutely necessary, maybe just holding her hand when he couldnāt bear it anymore.
Up until recently, she hadnāt heard anything suggesting that Michael sought out Irene.
But a week ago, she found out that Michael had been summoning Irene to the temple.
Even the people in the temple seemed to welcome her, so it didnāt seem like there was any physical intimacy between them.
āHe even taught her how to wield a sword.ā
The princess bit her lip at that thought.
If they had simply shared physical contact, she might have tolerated it.
After all, when overwhelmed by the miasma, even holy knights might lose their senses for a moment.
But this wasnāt about their connection as a pair.
Michael was genuinely caring for and paying attention to Irene.
That, more than anything, got under the princessās skin.
As the princess brooded over Irene while walking, it appeared.
High above, a massive, fleshy creature with a giant, unblinking eye was staring down at them.
