Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 191
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The atmosphere in the purifiersâ quarters had recently hit rock bottom.
The deaths of many, coupled with Princess Ceciliaâs reclusion, had already dampened the mood. Now, with the addition of missing persons and a monster mimicking the appearance of one of the missing, things had only gotten worse.
To make matters worse, there were even attacks on people.
Naturally, the purifiers had called their pairs to their sides and barricaded themselves in their rooms. However, those who had pairs to rely on for safety were perhaps considered the lucky ones.
The maids, who had neither the experience nor the capacity to face monsters, let alone stand against them, lived every day in sheer terror.
This yearâs heavy losses only emphasized the importance of each purifier.
As such, the guards prioritized protecting the purifiers, leaving no one to safeguard the countless maids who were easily replaced.
Consequently, the maids always moved in groups of at least two, each wearing a whistle around their necks that emitted a sharp sound.
Yet, even such precautions couldnât prevent the incident earlier that dawnâa fake Wilhelmina had attacked two fleeing maids.
Had it not been for the knight who happened to be passing by, those maids would have certainly joined the list of casualties.
While it was a stroke of luck that their lives were saved, not everything ended without consequence for the fallen maids.
The maids, lying atop the tightly packed beds in the shared quarters, looked at their bedridden colleagues. Though the fallen maids bore no external wounds, they couldnât move their bodies.
Despite nearly a full day having passed, the paralysis showed no sign of waningâthey couldnât even sit up properly, let alone walk.
It was thanks to Cynthia, a purifier familiar to them, that their condition had improved this much. Her purification power had helped to alleviate the effects.
âIf Lady Cynthia hadnât helped, they might never have moved again for the rest of their lives.â
âBut I heard it takes the power of other purifiers to completely cure them. Lady Cynthia promised to keep coming, but once the dungeon subjugations resume, how will she have time to help usâŚ?â
Someone murmured, and the gloom thickened within the room.
The maids knew better than anyone what their place was here. They were like interchangeable cogs in a machine, easily replaced at any time.
Still, they remained here because the wages were higher than anywhere outside the fortress.
Moreover, earning the trust of purifiers or knights could lead to occasional handouts of wealth, like crumbs tossed from a banquet.
Just as the silence grew heavier and the maidsâ sighs deepened, the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway.
Hearing not one but multiple steps approaching, the maids exchanged puzzled glances and turned toward the door.
The footsteps stopped in front of their door, followed by a knock.
âWho could it be?â
This was a shared room, and usually, no one bothered to knock before entering.
âIs everyone inside?â
âLady Cynthia?â
Hearing the familiar voice from outside, the maids quickly opened the door. As expected, it was Cynthia, the purifier they were close with.
However, something was different this time.
âW-With other purifiers tooâŚ!â
The maids panicked, bowing hastily. Even the bedridden maids struggled, attempting to move and sit up despite their paralysis.
âItâs fine! Please, everyone, stay at ease!â
Cynthia, startled by their reaction, hurriedly tried to calm them down.
Eventually, the commotion subsided, but the maids remained bowing, glancing around nervously.
âNot just Lady Cynthiaâeven Lady Irene came tooâŚâ
Recently, Irene had become just as close to the maids as Cynthia.
A purifier who occupied quarters of the same grade as Princess Ceciliaâs, Irene had originally been a 10th-grade purifier.
However, after becoming Sir Michaelâs pair and acquiring an incredible artifact, she had risen to the rank of fourth-grade purifier.
The maids’ desire to be on Ireneâs good side wasnât solely due to her high rank.
Somehow, whatever Michael had done for the Kingdom of Tyrenia had prompted the wealthy kingdom to cover all of Ireneâs living expenses in advance.
This included her accommodations, clothing, furniture, and most importantly, her food.
Every meal brought to Ireneâs quarters was the most luxurious and plentiful in the fortress.
Her meals included more than six types of meat, and fruitsâher favorite foodâwere served in such abundance that it wouldnât be an exaggeration to say they included every variety on the continent.
Of course, she couldnât eat all that food by herself.
