Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 253

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The day Irene passed away, Michael heard from the maids of the fortress about what Princess Cecilia had done. Without hesitation, he set out for Visconti.

Visconti. The kingdom of Princess Cecilia.

It had long been known as one of the wealthiest nations in the center of the continent.

And with Cecilia’s achievements, it had accumulated even greater riches.

After arriving in Visconti, he did not immediately seek out the princess.

Until now, he had consistently ignored her. If he were to suddenly seek her out, the cunning princess would surely sense that something was amiss.

Staying in a border city, Michael helped the impoverished people there. Whenever a dungeon emerged nearby, he rushed to clear it.

In the summer, many large and high-ranked dungeons appeared around the fortress, which was why that period was referred to as the subjugation season. But in reality, small dungeons—too insignificant to even be assigned a rank—constantly appeared throughout the continent.

Of course, ‘small’ was only by the standards of knights.

For ordinary people, a dungeon appearing near their homes, no matter how small, was a grave threat.

Michael, now without the temple’s sword, wielded a common blade as he ventured into the dungeons.

Before long, rumors spread—not only in Visconti but across the entire continent—that even after his excommunication, Sir Michael remained among the people, continuing to aid them.

Soon, people began flocking to him.

At first, it was knights who had once been acquainted with him. Then, the lords of various regions came seeking him.

And before a week had even passed, Princess Cecilia herself appeared.

“Cecilia of Visconti greets Sir Michael.”

With a formal demeanor, she bowed her head to Michael.

“I am no longer a knight of the temple, so please, feel free to be at ease.”

At Michael’s response, Cecilia shook her head.

“Even if you have been excommunicated, it does not erase the countless deeds of goodwill you have bestowed upon the continent. And besides…”

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“Can the responsibility for your excommunication truly rest upon you alone?”

At a glance, it sounded like words of comfort and understanding.

But in truth, it was an insinuation that Irene bore much of the blame for his excommunication.

Michael, pretending not to notice Cecilia’s true intentions, replied calmly.

“I appreciate your kind words, Your Highness.”

As he referred to it as ‘comfort’, a satisfied smile flickered across her face.

But in an instant, she composed herself again, adopting a sorrowful expression.

“And… I have heard news of Miss Irene, who was once your pair. She was a devoted Purifier despite everything that happened… To think she would meet such an end…”

She spoke in a somber tone, feigning grief. But Michael could see how shrewdly she was watching him, gauging his reaction.

‘Should I just kill her here?’

The thought crossed his mind, and he swallowed down a bitter smile.

The High Priestess who had excommunicated him had clearly understood people well.

Now, Michael found himself harboring murderous intent toward others so easily.

He forcibly suppressed the urge.

If he simply wanted to kill her, it would be no difficult task.

But more than anything, he wanted to uncover the truth of that day.

Had he not come here resolved to become a snake himself?

The ridiculous play had only just begun.

“Yes, it is a great tragedy. I did my utmost for her final moments, so I believe she has safely returned to the embrace of God.”

Michael spoke those words before crossing himself.

And he said nothing more.

As if the only emotion he held for Irene was pity, nothing else.

After that, their conversation continued in a dull and tedious manner.

Cecilia, as a princess, praised him for helping the people of Visconti, while Michael merely stated that he was doing what was right.

Their conversation was a charade, with both concealing their true intentions.

In the end, it was Cecilia who grew impatient first.

“What are your plans from here on, Sir Michael?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

Feigning uncertainty, Michael crafted his response.

“Regardless, I plan to continue subjugating dungeons. There are still many who suffer because of them.”

At those words, Cecilia could not completely hide the way her expression brightened.

“Then… will you be going to the fortress again next year?”

Her voice was noticeably more urgent than before.

Once again, Michael pretended not to notice and simply nodded.

“I would like to. However… as you know, the fortress does not accept knights without affiliation. So I suppose I will have to join an order somewhere.”

“In that case—”

Before he could even finish speaking, Cecilia spoke up with a bright smile.

“How about the knight order of my kingdom?”