Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 175
At Ceciliaâs words, the red form of Wilhelmina made a creaking sound and shook its body violently.
It was always a grotesque and horrifying sight, no matter how many times she saw it. Yet now, such a scene only added to her pleasure.
âTo think I could actually summon a creature like this.â
Placing the teacup down, Cecilia stood and approached the red form of Wilhelmina, as if she still couldnât believe what she had accomplished.
Summoning a monster.
It was an act strictly prohibited under continental law. But no one cared about such laws anymore.
âFew people even remember how to do it, making the law meaningless.â
It was a method discovered long ago, in the early days of dungeons, by scholars of that era.
The kingdoms that learned the method had planned to use monsters as weapons to destroy enemy nations.
But in an ironic twist, one such kingdom brought about its own downfall through a summoning mistake, and the knowledge was believed to have been lost forever.
This was a story everyone on the continent knew. But Cecilia knew more.
Fortunatelyâor unfortunatelyâsome scholars had managed to smuggle the knowledge out just before the kingdomâs collapse.
These scholars sought asylum in Ceciliaâs kingdom and shared their secrets.
The king at the time ensured the knowledge would never leak by killing all the scholars who had defected.
Thus, the method of summoning monsters was preserved solely within her kingdom, buried in obscurity and forgotten by history.
âEven the royal family gradually forgot about it.â
Though it was a means to summon a powerful weapon, the difficulty of controlling it had rendered the knowledge practically useless.
It became a discarded relic, left to rot in the deepest corners of the royal library, waiting to be erased from human memory.
Cecilia had uncovered it.
Even then, she had no intention of using it.
After all, as a purifier, her role was to eliminate such monsters.
But now, she had resolved to use itâfor one purpose only.
To kill Irene Rhodiam.
* * *
From birth, Ceciliaâs life had been one of grace and nobility.
Born a princess, blessed with the powers of a first-grade purifier, she was raised with special care within the royal family.
When she arrived at the fortress for the first time, she saw others who claimed to be purifiers but couldnât compare to her ability.
Seeing them strut around with arrogance only strengthened Ceciliaâs certainty:
She was destined to always stand above others.
Shortly after her arrival at the fortress, news of the holy knight Michaelâs exploits began spreading.
Before entering her first dungeon expedition, Cecilia decided to visit him.
She felt nothing but disbelief and irritation on her way there.
âWhy do I have to go out of my way to meet someone?â
It was the first time in her life she had adjusted herself for anyone.
But there was no other choice. No matter how many invitations she sent, Michaelâs only response was something a priest might say.
âWe will meet when God wills it.â
Even after nearly a year, his answer remained unchanged, driving her to frustration.
Finally, one of her ladies-in-waiting cautiously suggested,
âYour Highness, it seems Sir Michael wishes for you to personally seek him out.â
âSeek him out? Me? Personally?â
Unbelievable. The sheer audacity.
But there was no alternative.
âHeâs a knight capable of single-handedly conquering high-level dungeons.â
Even the kingdomâs strongest knight couldnât hold a candle to him.
Such exceptional strength.
âHeâs just like me.â
To Cecilia, forming a pair with him was the most natural conclusion.
When she finally met him, her certainty solidified.
Such unparalleled beauty combined with unmatched powerâhe must have been destined by God to be her partner.
She was sure of it.
Just as she had fallen for him at first sight, she believed he must have immediately recognized her as his fated pair.
As a princess praised not only for her purification abilities but also for her beauty, how could he not?
Even a holy knight devoted to God must appreciate beauty when he saw it.
Or so she thought as she approached him.
âI have no intention of forming a pair. Please leave.â
Cecilia experienced rejection for the first time in her life.
Humiliated and furious, she ground her teeth in frustration.
With no choice, she partnered with the kingdomâs strongest knight and set out on dungeon expeditions.
Whenever she encountered Michael, Cecilia made a point of flaunting her abilities by healing her partnerâs wounds in front of him.
Wounds and miasma vanished at her touch.
She thought surely, seeing her divine power, Michael would eventually realize his mistake and beg her to take him back.
