Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 276
TL: Elphie / PR: Marm
Others had come here simply to make money. But the moment Irene arrived, she and her pair, Michael, formed a new circle of their own.
The first people they welcomed were the low-ranking purifiersāthose who had always been ignored and oppressed.
With Irene and Michaelās help, they were finally able to earn enough to survive on their own.
But Irene didnāt stop there. She taught them how to use their purification abilities more efficiently, refining their techniques.
And even after they left the Fortress, she refused to let them be sold off by their own families. She demanded the establishment of a system that would allow those who wished to stay to continue working within the Fortress.
At first, the Fortress leaders were reluctant. But once they saw that Ireneās methods actually strengthened the purifiersā abilities, their stance shifted.
Further analysis of her proposal revealed something elseāthough the Fortress would suffer some initial losses, in the long run, keeping purifiers under its protection would bolster its power and authority.
Soon enough, they embraced the idea wholeheartedly.
Thanks to Irene, the lives of many purifiers stabilized faster than ever.
Of course, she wasnāt the first to suggest such changes.
But in the end, Irene was the only one who carried it outāwho pushed for it until the very end.
Because of that, every purifier in the Fortress trusted and relied on her.
And by her side, from childhood until now, was the knight who had always protected herāMichael.
Everyone wished to be part of a pair like Irene and Michael.
A strong yet compassionate purifier and the knight devoted to her protection.
Two people who sacrificed their own gain to help others, striving to build a more peaceful and stable world.
For that, they are both respected by everyone.
Cynthia was content with the life they had built here.
Dungeons continued to appear, but with more systematic pair management, the damage had been drastically reduced.
If things could continue like thisā¦
Knock, knock.
The sharp rap at the door sounded urgent, as if the person outside was desperate to come in even a second faster.
Cynthia smiled as she turned to open it.
āCynthia? Whereās Irene?ā
Sure enough, there stood Michael.
“Michael?”
Sitting on the bed, she called his name, and as if he couldn’t stand it any longer, he stormed into the room and immediately pulled Irene into his arms.
“Ireneā¦”
He had been so agitated, so unable to contain himself, that the physician had ordered him to step outside for a while. Even as he left, his gaze had never wavered from her. Now, his voice trembled.
“You’re really okay? Trulyā¦?”
Held tightly against him, Irene let out a small sigh.
She must have told him a thousand times that she was fine, and yet he was still worrying like this.
“I’m fine,” she murmured.
Even as she sighed, a smile crept onto her lips. How could she possibly dislike the way he worried for her? The way he put her above all else. The way he acted as if she were the only person in the world.
Whenever she saw him like this, she couldnāt help but smile.
As Michael exhaled softly, his hand gently smoothing over her back, Irene thought to herself.
She was truly happy.
At that moment ā
āā¦?ā
Her gaze dropped to the ring on her finger.
Come to think of itā¦ what was this?
* * *
Beside the Fortressās garden, there was a small field managed separately by the kitchen staff.
The kitchen maids carried baskets as they made their way there, preparing for the evening meal.
āYou heard about Lady Irene, right? Sheās safe. Not a single injury.ā
āThank goodness. The atmosphere in the Fortress was dreadful while she was gone.ā
As they arrived at the field, they chatted about the many ways Irene had helped them, both big and small.
āMake sure to pick out the best ones for Lady Irene. The head chef gave strict orders, so we need to be extra careful.ā
āThe head chef doesnāt even need to say anythingāweād only pick the best ones anyway. So donāt worry. Now thenā¦ huh?ā
One of the maids, holding a small knife and ready to harvest the vegetables, suddenly froze.
āW-What? What happened to the field?ā
Just this morning, the garden had been lush and full of fresh vegetables.
But now, it looked as if a herd of wild boars had stormed through, trampling and devouring everything in their path.
āOh no, what in the world!ā
The maids frantically looked around, trying to make sense of the chaos.
This field was located deep within the Fortress, surrounded by tall walls. No wild animals from outside could have possibly made their way in, and even the overhead netting prevented birds from getting through.
But what could have gotten in and made such a mess?
As they stood there, panicked and bewildered, something darted swiftly beneath the remaining leaves.
Slipping past the screaming maids, the small figure scurried out of the garden and disappeared into the nearby bushes.
Then, once it was sure no one was around, it spat out whatever it had been carrying in its mouth.
Ptui!
An unripe cucumber tumbled across the ground.
Chomp-chomp let out a deep sigh as it stared at the rejected vegetable.
In its desperate frenzy to eat anything in sight, it had even grabbed a cucumber. A cucumber, of all things.
It glanced down at its own shrunken body, now so thin it looked like a mere worm, and let out another sigh.
[What in the world happened to meā¦]
Another sigh, even heavier this time.
[A world where His Majesty has disappearedā¦]
Chomp-chompās body shook as he sighed.
After a moment, Chomp-chomp sobbed, tears streaming down its face.
[I reject this world! I hate it here!]
