Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 268
But Irene merely stared at him for a long time before slowly shaking her head, as if to say, āNo, that never happened.ā
She remembered everything. And yet, even in such moments, she acted as though none of it had ever happened.
Michael bit his lip.
He had always harbored a quiet fear about Irene never speaking to him of the past.
Surely it was because everything back then was so horrific that she wanted to pretend it never existed.
To Irene, he was a past she wished she could eraseāan existence she would rather had never been.
That was why she could love him now, because she believed that this Michael was not the Michael who had committed those past sins.
Screeeeech.
Again came a distant sound of something twisting and being crushed.
The speed at which Ireneās world sought her was growing ever faster.
Now that Michael had left that world, the āMichaelā meant for her was undoubtedly taking shape again at a rapid pace.
The moment Irene laid eyes on that āMichaelā, she would completely forget everything related to the current Michaelābecause that Michael was the one who truly belonged to her.
The one who had been with her since childhood,
Who left the Temple Knights early to live as an ordinary knight,
Who had never once made her heart ache,
ā¦The Michael she had always longed for.
Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by a furious, uncontrollable urge to kill that other Michael.
A voice whispered from deep within him.
āMy Irene.
Yes.
She was his Irene, who would remember him, resent him, and yet eventually love him all over again.
Inside him, unstoppable rage and a possessiveness burned.
Still holding Irene, he spread her legs.
She no longer had any of the medicine in her system.
He sensed it. If he released himself deep within her womb just once more, she would surely conceive.
So he could do it now.
And in doing so, he would leave his mark on herā¦
ā…Michael.ā
Even without the strength to lift herself, Irene placed her hands on his cheeks, mustering what little power she had.
ā…Why are you crying?ā
ā…ā
Only then did Michael realize tears were rolling down from his eyes.
āI donāt know.ā
He knew exactly why, but he feigned ignorance, just as he always had.
Pretending not to know, even though he did.
Just as he had pretended to remain blameless while ultimately accepting her love.
At his answer, Ireneās expression clouded.
With her body still aching from the countless wounds heād left, she drew him into her arms.
āDonāt cry.ā
She spoke in a faint, almost whispered voice, and Michael buried his face against her shoulder.
That was who Irene was. Even if she was in pain and exhausted, she thought first of his suffering.
People had called her foolish for such kindness.
And that wasnāt all. Sheād attempted to purify him over and over, knowing it would draw insults and ridicule, all because sheād wanted to save him.
She was cursed, mocked, neglected, yet she poured every last drop of her purification power into keeping him alive.
And then she died alone, without hope of any recompense for what she had done.
But because she gave everything, she had been granted life once more.
Not only her, but everyone else, too.
So, in the world she had returned to, they should have all bowed before her, loved her, cherished her.
That was the proper stance of those whoād been given life again.
He knew he could never be a reward for her.
He should be satisfied with merely being able to see her again.
If he hoped for more, if he remained too long in this world, all that would await Irene was misery.
Because then she would never meet her own Michael.
From afar, the sound of Ireneās world drawing closer grew louder and clearer.
Michael made a decision.
He would leave her with only the best memories, then go.
Thus, he could not leave her carrying his trace.
Still holding Irene, he asked her,
āIrene, is there anything you want?ā
He didnāt care what it was. He was ready to give her anything she desired.
āTell me your greatest wish.ā
He hoped she might speak a wish so grand, so difficult to attain, so precious that he could give her the very best.
At his words, Irene fell silent for a long time. Her lips moved faintly where they rested on his shoulder.
What could she possibly want that made it so hard to speak?
After thinking at length, she finally seemed to make up her mind. Slowly, she lifted her head.
And in a careful tone, as though revealing a wish sheād held for a very long time, she said,
ā…Iād like to go see the ocean.ā
