Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 204
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Michael rose from the bed, holding the completely limp Irene in his arms.
Because her entrance, which had held him for so long, couldnāt properly close, a cloudy substance trickled out continuously.
It felt as though he had poured enough into her to make her insides overflow, yet somehow, it still didnāt feel like enough.
Having held her since morning, there was still plenty of time left before evening.
So, he thought, there would be no problem in washing her, taking a nap together, and then continuing.
As he carried her, Irene opened her eyes.
She didnāt ask where he was taking her or what he intended to do.
She simply leaned her head weakly against his chest, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Michael, delighted by her actions, showered her with kisses again.
Amidst the cascade of light, rapid kisses, Irene felt a tickling sensation near her heart.
It had been so long since someone had cared for her like this.
The last time had been during her childhood, by parents whose faces she could no longer even remember.
Michael, on his way to the bathroom, suddenly paused.
Something beneath his feet had halted his step.
Looking down, he saw Ireneās dressātorn to shreds by him and reduced to ragsālying crumpled on the floor.
Irene followed his gaze and looked down as well, her face crumpling in dismay.
āMy dressā¦ā
Though she now had enough clothes to wear a new outfit every day for a year without running out, it still felt like a shame.
It had been a dress she particularly liked, and to see it ruined like this was upsetting.
As Irene pondered whether she should sew the buttons back on, Michael lightly nipped at her ear and whispered.
āYour dress is ruined. Iāll buy you a new one.ā
āNo, thatās not necessaryā¦ā
āIt should be the same type of dress, donāt you think? Would you prefer white or light blue?ā
āThatās not what Iā¦ā
āPerhaps next week, during the festival, would be a good time to buy it.ā
āā¦Are you even listening to me?ā
Despite hearing her rejection clearly, Michael pretended not to and continued, prompting Irene to sigh in resignation.
If he was going to do as he pleased anyway, why even ask?
Muttering her complaint in a voice too small for him to hear, Irene glanced up, only for Michael to smile and say,
āThereās a city called Brewa not far from the fortress. Would you like to visit it?ā
āReally?ā
Startled by his words, Irene, who had been pouting in his arms, suddenly raised her head.
So quickly, in fact, that the crown of her head almost bumped into Michaelās chin.
āWeāre really going outside the fortress?ā
Irene didnāt know much about the world beyond.
In her childhood, after losing her parents, she lived only within the confines of an orphanage.
After being taken to the countās estate, naturally, she couldnāt leave that place either.
To Count Rhodiam, who had paid a hefty sum to acquire her, she was little more than an animal.
And even after arriving at the fortress, nothing changed.
Though leaving the fortress was a complicated process, it wasnāt impossible.
Yet Irene had never ventured out.
She had no money, no family, and no friends. She had nowhere to go and nothing she had ever seen to inspire the desire to travel.
But that didnāt mean she hadnāt ever longed for the unfamiliar cities.
In her past life, when she was left alone in the fortress, she would sometimes sit in a corner of the battlements, watching people come and go, imagining.
What country were those clothes from?
What language were those words from?
What kind of relationships did those people have?
Where were they all heading back toā¦?
In this life, she had longed to leave the fortress and see the world she had always wondered about.
But as circumstances changed and, above all, her relationship with Michael shifted, she remained here with him.
Still, the moment he mentioned going beyond the fortress, that long-held yearning surged back to life.
āOf course. If youāre feeling tired, thoughā¦ā
āNo! Iām not tired! When are we going? Youāre coming with me, right?ā
āOf course.ā
Hearing that he would join her, Irene, already smiling, grinned even more brightly and wrapped her arms around his neck.
She didnāt say things like āIām happyā, āthank youā, or āIām gratefulā.
Instead, she buried her face in his shoulder, like a small animal seeking the coziest spot, and rubbed her face against him with a smile.
Her soft laughter tickled his heart.
Ah.
Iā¦
Michael, smiling as well, buried his face in her neck.
He remembered the wish he had long since forgotten.
I just wanted to see youā¦
āā¦smile like this.ā
At last, the words he had suppressed for so long were spoken.
