Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 293
TL: Elphie / PR: Marm
âHaaahâŚâ
The next morning, Irene let out a small yawn, covering her mouth as she stretched.
Seeing this, Cynthia, who was passing by, looked at her with concern.
âAre you okay? Looks like you didnât get much sleep.â
âHahaâŚâ
Irene gave a sheepish laugh at Cynthiaâs question.
She was right. Last night, Irene had barely slept at all.
âNervous because itâs been a while since your last dungeon run? Donât worry! Iâll be with you today, so youâve got nothing to fear!â
Reyna, who had been hovering nearby, suddenly jumped into the conversation with a bright smile.
But before Irene could respond, Riosa, who had been standing close by, shoved Reyna aside.
âIf thatâs the case, I should be the one going with Irene. A second-grade purifier like you should step aside.â
âMy purification control is way more precise than yours!â
While Reyna and Riosa continued their squabble, Michael approached Irene, gently taking her hand and leading her away.
The two, realizing Irene had been taken from them so suddenly, wilted under Cynthiaâs sharp reprimand to stop making a scene.
âAre you okay?â Michael asked, his voice laced with concern.
âMm-hmm.â
Irene forced a smile, answering as lightly as she could.
But she wasnât okay.
Her lack of sleep had nothing to do with anxiety over the dungeon.
Every time she closed her eyes, that enormous sound echoed in her ears.
A sound no one else could hear that she herself didnât remember ever hearing before.
She didnât need to search for its source. She knew exactly where it came from. It was everywhere.
From the sky, the ground, the buildings, the objects around her. Everything that existed was screaming.
It wasnât just the sound that unsettled her.
âAre you really okay? If you’re too tired, you can stay behind at the Fortress.â
Michaelâs voice was filled with concern.
Irene quickly shook her head. She didnât want that. She was his pair.
Even if she wouldnât be of much help, she didnât want to be the only one left behind outside the dungeon.
It reminded her of the times that he did and when she felt so utterly worthlessâŚ
âMe? Since when was I ever left behind?â
Creeeeaaaak.
That moment, the sound came againâthe world twisting, grinding as if being crushed under an unbearable weight.
Startled, Irene whipped her head around.
But just like yesterday, no one else seemed to hear it. The people around her remained unfazed.
âIrene?â
Even Michael looked clueless about it as he called out her name.
âOh, itâs nothing. Iâm just⌠a little nervous since itâs been a while.â
ââŚI see.â
Michael swallowed a sigh as he adjusted Ireneâs coat.
The wind was cold. While the inside of the dungeon maintained a steady temperature, the mountain range where it was located would be quite frigid.
Perhaps that was why he took the extra step of carefully wrapping the scarf he had brought for her snugly around her neck.
Even then, as if still uneasy, he fussed over her clothes a little longer before glancing down and asking,
âWhat do you have in your pocket?â
âHuh?â
Irene flinched and lifted her head.
âYou keep keeping your hand in there.â
âOh, thatâs⌠I guess my hands are just cold today.â
Michael chuckled softly at that.
âWant me to hold them for you?â
From behind them, Reyna gave a knowing look that practically screamed, âHere we go again,â before sighing and stepping away.
Irene let out a small laugh and shook her head.
“Not quite.”
At her response, Michael’s shoulders slumped, resembling a puppy denied a long-awaited treat.
Just then, another knight called for him.
âIâll be back in a bit.â
âMm.â
With one hand still tucked in her pocket, Irene waved him off.
As soon as Michael walked away, the smile on her face faded.
âI lied.â
With a heavy heart, she brushed her fingers over the metal fragments hidden in her pocket.
Clink. A faint sound of metal colliding echoed from within.
The two metal fragments she had found in her room the night before.
No, found wasnât the right word. It was more accurate to say they had been given to her.
She hadnât even known they existed, yet they had called to her from deep inside the drawer, as if begging to be found.
And ever since obtaining them, she had been plagued by visions throughout the night.
But while she remembered having visions, she couldnât recall what she had actually seen.
It was just like when she tried to recall her lost memoriesâthere, yet out of reach.
âWe’re about to leave!â
Cynthiaâs voice rang out from the front. At her call, people began gathering their bags and making final preparations.
Irene, too, reached for her pack and turned toward the stables.
â……!â
In the distance, something shifted in the window of one of the Fortress buildings.
âThatâsâ!â
Ireneâs eyes widened in shock.
âThe giant worm that disappeared into my drawer last night!â
The creature swayed back and forth behind the window, as if desperately trying to catch her attention.
Without thinking, Irene moved toward it.
âIrene? Where are you going!â
Reyna asked, surprised to see her suddenly leave the room.
âJust a moment, I forgot something! Go on ahead without me!â
Without even waiting for Reynaâs response, Irene dashed toward where she had seen the worm.
* * *
âHuff⌠huffâŚâ
She was out of breath from running nonstop, the taste of metal sharp on her tongue.
âThis placeâŚâ
Only after reaching the window where she had spotted the giant worm did Irene finally take a moment to look around.
The building was inside the Fortress, but it wasnât used often. Half of it functioned as a storage area.
As she glanced at the piles of stored goods, reality hit her like a cold wave.
âWhat am I doing?â
Just because she saw something strange, she had abandoned her group right before a dungeon raid and ran off on her own.
She must have been possessed by something. As she turned to leaveâ
Creak.
The nearby door creaked open. Through the gap, she caught a glimpse of the worm-like creature hastily retreating out of sight.
âYou!â
Irene immediately threw the door open and peered inside.
She had expected to see the worm, but insteadâŚ
âThe Hand of Appraisal?â
