Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 213

***

“Wow!”

As soon as Irene left the fortress, she couldn’t hold back her amazement.

The area surrounding the fortress was already a splendid city.

Beyond the auction district, a long road lined with numerous shops stretched out alongside various inns.

The fortress, being a hub of wealth from across the continent, had enriched the nearby city to the point where it could rival any other in prosperity.

At first, Irene had considered suggesting to Michael that they shop nearby instead of traveling far.

‘But… I still want to go further.’

Brewa was just a few hours away, yet the fortress had granted them a week-long pass.

When Michael had first shown her the permit, Irene wondered if there had been some kind of mistake.

“I thought you might want to buy a lot of things, so I made sure to secure plenty of time.”

Michael had replied with a straight face.

She thought it might still be too long, but then he added,

“If we have extra time, we could even visit a seaside city or someplace farther.”

At that, Irene immediately swallowed her suggestion to return early.

‘Since I’m going with Michael…’

She had always imagined she would one day leave the fortress and travel alone.

She’d even sought out travelogues about journeys across various kingdoms.

But now, Michael was coming with her.

That fact alone gave her the courage to feel like she could journey to the ends of the continent.

***

Although they had left the fortress in the morning, it was nearly noon by the time they exited the city walls.

“I’m sorry…”

Sitting atop her horse, Irene hung her head and muttered apologetically.

It was a distance that wouldn’t have taken twenty minutes on foot.

Yet they had spent over two hours walking, entirely because of her.

“Michael, just a moment. Can we take a quick look around here?”

“Michael, what’s that?”

“Is this really fabric from the Tiverton Kingdom?”

Everywhere she went, there were items and sights that caught her eye.

And since they had plenty of time, she couldn’t help but stop frequently to take in the view.

“You don’t need to apologize. I greatly enjoyed explaining things to you.”

To be honest, the delay was partly Michael’s fault.

He could’ve ignored her casual questions, but instead, he answered every single one with utmost sincerity.

They must have stopped countless times because of it.

Michael even had an impressive knowledge of the quality and price of goods.

Thanks to him, shopkeepers who initially tried to overcharge Irene had to renegotiate their prices down to a third of their original set price.

Once they had fully left the city, the two mounted their steed and removed their hoods.

As a Purifier and a knight, they had the privilege of riding within the city, but they had chosen not to use it this time.

They had also kept their faces concealed.

‘That was a good idea.’

Looking up at Michael as he urged the horse forward, Irene thought to herself.

Inside the fortress, where she saw him daily, she didn’t think much of it. But outside, where she could view him from a distance, he truly stood out.

Had he not worn the hood, everyone on the street would surely have stared at him.

‘Though, even with the hood, they still did.’

While the hood covered his face, his tall stature and remarkably strong build were impossible to hide.

At one point, someone passing by had even grabbed Michael’s arm and marveled at his physique, complimenting him endlessly.

‘I wonder how shocked that man would be if he knew he’d been praising Michael.’

The thought of the man’s reaction made Irene chuckle softly.

“Did something amusing come to mind?”

“Nothing much. I was just thinking it’s a good thing you wore a hood. Though, it’s a bit of a shame people didn’t recognize you.”

Everyone on the continent dreamed of seeing Michael in person at least once.

By making him wear a hood for her own comfort, Irene felt momentarily guilty about depriving people of that joy.

As she pondered this, Michael spoke up.

“I’m glad you wore a hood too.”

At his comment, Irene swept her windblown silver hair back and laughed lightly.

“Why? I’m not someone people would want to see, like you. No one would care.”

“……”

Michael didn’t respond and simply smiled.

He had intentionally taken a rugged mountain path rather than a smoother road.

The reason was simple—there were far fewer travelers on this route.

Watching Irene hum to herself cheerfully, Michael thought,

‘No one would care, huh.’

Irene had no idea.

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