Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 275
TL: Elphie / PR: Marm
“Everything is normal.”
The physicianās words filled the room with a collective sigh of relief.
It had been a week since Irene had vanished without a trace. In her absence, whispers of her abduction by a monster had spread through the Fortress like wildfire. The entire stronghold had been consumed with the frantic search for her.
And then, today, she had returned.
The monster had disappeared, leaving behind only Irene and the recovered Holy Sword. She had been brought straight to her quarters, where an assembly of physicians and priests had rushed to her side, their concern evident.
Because this was Irene.
The most influential purifier in the Fortress. The strongest among them all.
And yetā
As the physician spoke, Riosaās eyes narrowed.
“Are you absolutely sure there’s nothing wrong?”
Riosaās voice was sharp with disbelief as he glared at the physician.
Irene had been taken by a monster for an entire week. But theyāre saying she had returned without a single scratch? It was impossible not to be suspicious.
“Could it be that her purification power has weakened due to prolonged exposure to miasmaā¦?”
Riosa murmured, her brows furrowing.
A priest standing beside the physician chuckled softly.
“You need not worry about that either. We checked multiple times, but there is no trace of miasma within Lady Irene. Her purification ability remains at Grade 1, unchanged.”
For the briefest moment, Irene’s body flinched.
But it was fleeting, so quick that no one else noticed.
The physician, after reiterating that she was in perfect health and merely needed rest, left the room, despite the lingering doubt in the other purifiersā eyes.
As soon as he departed, the remaining people rushed toward Ireneās bedside.
Pushing through the crowd, two figures reached her firstāRiosa and Reyna.
Both had been close to Irene long before she had even entered the Fortress, their bond unwavering through the years.
They jockeyed to be the first to grab Irene’s hand, but it was Riosa who won in the end.
Reyna, pushed aside, grumbled in protest, but Riosa paid her no mind. Instead, she grasped Ireneās hand tightly, struggling to find her voice.
āā¦Do you have any idea how worried I was?ā
Riosa, who was always so proud and arrogantāso much so that people often called her insufferableāwas now on the verge of tears.
Faced with such an unexpected sight, Irene found herself at a loss for words.
āIām really fine. I wasnāt hurt at allā¦ā
āFine? How could you be fine? You were missing for a whole week, dragged off by some unknown monster! Are those doctors all incompetent or something? No, more importantly, Iām the one whoās not fine!ā
Irene barely had a chance to console her before Riosa, still crying, suddenly shouted in frustration.
Reyna, who had been standing behind them, glared sharply at Riosa.
āRiosa! The healers said Irene needs complete rest!ā
āAh, right. Rightā¦ A-Anyway, I was just so worriedā¦ sniffā¦ā
She tried to pull herself together, but the moment she attempted to speak again, the flood of emotions overwhelmed her. Riosa finally gave in, bursting into uncontrollable sobs.
At that, even Reyna, who had been scolding Riosa for being too loud, began to tear up.
āRiosa wasnātā¦ the only one who was worriedā¦ I was, tooā¦ I was so, so worriedā¦ā
And just like that, both Riosa and Reyna started sniffling together.
In the end, Cynthia stepped in.
āBoth of you. Out.ā
āNo! I want to stay with Irene a little longer!ā
āIām not leaving either! Thisā¦ This is a special tonic from our hometown! Itās supposed to help when youāre feeling weak, so I need to give it to Ireneāā
āBoth of you, out!ā
Without another word, Cynthia grabbed them by the scruffs of their necks and dragged them out.
A long while later, she returned alone, sighing as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.
āHonestlyā¦ Those two are like a pair of childrenā¦ā
She grumbled, clearly exasperated.
Irene simply smiled.
āBut Iām grateful they care so much.ā
āWell, sure, but everything in moderation. Anyway, Iāll just leave what Riosa got for you here.ā
Cynthia tried to place the item Riosa had half-forced into Ireneās hands onto the table. Or rather, she attempted to.
The table was already overflowing with gifts, leaving no space for anything else.
It wasnāt just presents. A towering pile of letters, filled with words of concern and relief, had piled up as well.
They were from a variety of people. Some were fellow purifiers from the same circle, others were Fortress staff. Some letters came from royals or nobles of distant lands.
But, as expected, the majority came from ordinary peopleāthose who had once been saved by Irene.
Of course, Cynthia thought as she recalled Ireneās past actions.
Unlike some pairs who only sought out dungeons that promised wealth, Irene was different.
She and her pair, Michael, didnāt hesitate to take on the large, dangerous dungeons. But they also tackled the smaller onesāthose that, while insignificant to the elite, were life-threatening to ordinary people.
The villagers who would have otherwise been forced to fight monsters on their ownā¦ They owed their survival to her.
Even when she remained inside the Fortress, Irene never stopped helping others.
