Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 269
Where is this place?
Irene realized that she was sitting in an empty space.
There was truly nothing there.
No sky, no ground. No light, no darkness. Not even color, it seemed.
Yet it wasnât a place of total blackness, either. It was a strange realm devoid of everything, yet not entirely dark.
Before long, like drops of blood dripping from the air, red water droplets formed here and there. Those droplets soon gathered into a river, then quickly became a sea.
It wasnât a pleasant sight.
The moment she thought she wanted to see something else, the world changed in an instant.
A clear blue sky stretched above, and beneath it, a vast green forest with deep, lush foliage appeared.
âItâs so quietâŚâ
That was Ireneâs thought as she looked at the forest, and at that very moment, the wind began to blow.
The forest gently stirred, and birds flew up from the treetops.
They soared into the blue sky in a flurry of vivid colors, painting a beautiful scene.
Irene watched it all in a daze.
It was beautiful, peaceful. She could spend her entire life gazing at it without ever growing bored.
Once, that might have been true.
Back then, she was cold and hungry and exhausted, wanting only to remain still.
But now, things were different.
Irene rose to her feet. The scenery before her was indeed lovely, but she wanted to see something else.
A boundless sea, in some distant place.
She had learned how to yearn for that now.
Her fingers, which used to be so stiff from cold and menial labor that holding a pen was painful, now turned pages with ease.
Her mind, once too full of misery, shame, and self-loathing to think of anything else, could now look around and imagine her future.
So she could think of more distant possibilities.
She knew whom this newfound peace had begun with.
CertainlyâŚ
âIrene.â
Ah.
Hearing the voice at her ear, Irene smiled and curled up her body.
Whenever she did that, the owner of the voice would hold her tight, as if to shield her from every chill.
Then, without meaning to, sheâd nestle deeper into that warmth.
She was used to trembling alone, but being together felt so much betterâŚ
âIrene, weâve arrived at the place you wanted to see.â
His voice, usually calm, was even gentler now. So Irene pretended not to hear and kept her eyes closed.
At that, soft lips brushed her forehead.
Smooch. Smooch.
Light kisses grazed her brow, then moved to her closed eyelids.
When he touched her lashes, it tickled, and she squirmed closer to him.
His lips traveled from her eyes to her cheeks and nose, finally landing where they wanted, planting kiss after kiss on her lips.
Irene loved the way that felt. So she squeezed her eyes shut, reluctant to wake.
He must have noticed, because he laughed quietly against her face.
âMy wife is quite the sleepyhead, isnât she?â
Wife. That word sent a ticklish feeling deep into her chest.
Every time he called her that, Irene would turn away in feigned indifference.
She felt embarrassed⌠but also satisfied.
Being pairs like this was meant to be temporary. Yet whenever he called her his wife, it felt as if he were holding onto her more firmly, keeping her safe.
âYou said you wanted to come here, so we came. But how long are you going to keep sleeping?â
A hint of complaint colored his voice. Unable to hold back, Irene let out a small laugh.
He took it as a sign that sheâd been found out and gently nipped her ear, careful not to hurt her.
âWake up, Irene. We donât have much time.â
Not much time?
But theyâd be together from now on⌠so whyâ?
âListen. Can you hear it? The thing youâve longed to see is right in front of you.â
Hear it?
She kept her eyes closed and listened.
WhooooshâŚ
A cool sound sheâd never heard before reached her ears.
At first, it sounded like the rustling of leaves in the wind, but it was heavier. Irregular yet continuous.
Just hearing it gave her an odd sense of calm.
Now that she noticed the sound, she became aware of something else, too.
A smell in the blowing wind, faintly briny but far more layered, full of countless nuances.
A strange, complex scent.
âOpen your eyes now, Irene. The thing you want most is right in front of you.â
His voice pressed her more urgently. Slowly, she opened her eyes.
She was curious about the sound and the unfamiliar breeze.
And the moment she looked aheadâ
âWowâŚ!â
A cry of amazement escaped her lips without thinking.
An unfamiliar sight stretched out before her.
Blue water everywhere. Nothing but sky and water.
A vast sweep of sparkling blue filled her vision, crashing into white foam at the spot nearest her.
âWavesâŚâ
Sheâd read of them countless times in books, that the sea had ceaselessly rolling waves.
That unlike a lakeâs gentle ripples, they could surge to a furious immensity, slamming into the shore as though swallowing the world.
Realizing what those waves were, Irene understood what she was looking at.
