Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 215
āThat isā¦ā
Michael hesitated, unable to answer.
Even so, he remained far behind, keeping a noticeable distance that made it clear he didnāt want to touch her. Ireneās face fell.
Memories of her past life suddenly resurfaced.
***
Back then, there were very few occasions to travel with him.
Going to dungeons together happened only a handful of times in an entire year.
Even then, they only ventured to dungeons close to the fortress, so there was little need to ride horses.
But when they were headed to a dungeon beyond the mountain rangeāa considerable distanceāIrene had to ride.
Having never ridden a horse in her life, she couldnāt possibly handle it properly.
Horses are intelligent animals.
They can immediately discern whether their rider knows how to handle them.
If they sense incompetence, they openly disregard commands.
The horse Irene mounted was no exception.
The one Michael had brought was a warhorseāmassive and strong-willed.
It would have been a favorite among knights, but for Irene, taming it was nearly impossible.
Predictably, the horse displayed its discomfort while she struggled to mount it.
As soon as she was on, it began shaking its body and lifting its front legs to intimidate her.
Irene couldnāt even get the horse to take a step, let alone control it.
Their departure was delayed, and complaints and ridicule erupted.
āHow long are we supposed to wait? Will we even leave before sunset today?ā
āShe must hardly ever participate in subjugations if she canāt even ride a horse properly.ā
Amid the snide remarks, Irene desperately tried to get the horse to move, but it remained obstinate.
Frustrated, she glanced around, hoping for someoneās help, and locked eyes with Michael, who had approached unnoticed.
He sighed as he alternated his gaze between her and the horse.
At that moment, the humiliation she felt was far worse than the ridicule from others.
Hurriedly, she tried to dismount.
Mounting had been difficult enough, and dismounting was no easier.
āAh!ā
As her foot, which she thought had found the stirrup, flailed in the air, her body began to fall.
Just as she tightly shut her eyes, she felt herself being caught in Michaelās arms.
āThankā¦ you.ā
She muttered her thanks and glanced at his face.
She already felt humiliated, afraid that he might look at her with disdain.
Michael stood stiffly, his face hard, as though on the verge of scolding her.
Seeing his expression, Irene felt like crying.
āWhy canāt I even manage something like this? Why am I such a mess, burdening everyone around me?ā
Swallowing her dry throat, she bowed her head.
āPlease, just go on ahead. Iāll walk and catch up.ā
She couldnāt delay the groupās departure any longer.
And besides, they didnāt need her.
In truth, she doubted anyone would notice her absence.
Michael hurriedly set her down, as if touching something he shouldnāt, then approached the horse.
The horse, which had been huffing and mocking moments ago, immediately quieted in his presence.
He patted its neck gently, as if to soothe it, yet firmly enough to signal who was in charge.
Then he mounted the horse, which accepted him calmly, without any resistance.
Michael guided the horse back to Irene and extended his hand.
It was the first time he had offered her a hand like that, so she instinctively reached out to take it.
With a light pull, she was lifted onto the horse effortlessly.
Michael adjusted his foot to make it easier for her to find the stirrup and, once she was seated, slightly leaned back, clearly avoiding contact.
Desperately clinging to the saddleās pommel, Irene pressed herself forward, trying not to touch him.
Her face was brushed repeatedly by the horseās mane, but that was the least of her worries.
The horse, which hadnāt moved when Irene was alone, now showed its full capabilities as Michael pulled the reins.
It moved confidently, leading the group and taking its place at the front.
Other horses naturally followed.
Throughout the ride, Michael maintained his distance, visibly uncomfortable and making it clear he didnāt want to be touched.
After the dungeon subjugation ended that day, Irene approached him.
āUm, Iāll return with the staff. You can go ahead.ā
He was the busiest person when it came to handling post-subjugation matters.
And more importantly, she didnāt want to ride with him again.
āThey all whispered, didnāt they?ā
When Michael left her behind to scout the dungeon, the other pairs had openly gossiped without even lowering their voices.
āSheās so slow and clueless. She shouldāve stepped aside when Sir Michael brought that warhorse.ā
āHow can she not get that? Sheāll probably delay us again on the way back. Ugh, honestlyā¦ā
Recalling those words, Irene didnāt wait for Michael to respond and walked toward the staffās carriage.
