Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 322
TL: Elphie / PR: Mikan
Beside her, Michael sat quietly, gently drying her wet hair with a soft cloth.
Overwhelmed by a feeling of bliss, Irene suddenly had a fleeting thought.
Having captured such a perfect moment… Could it be that all of this was just a dream?
A long time ago, back when Irene first met Michael, in a dark and narrow room, she would occasionally allow herself to dream of a future she wanted.
At first, all she thought about was repaying her worth to the Count.
Even if it was slow, she began to believe that maybe she could pay off that debt, one coin at a time. And the moment she allowed herself that hope, her dreams began to grow richer, little by little.
In those dreams, Irene ate the street food she liked.
Next, she bought clothes in her favorite colors. Then, instead of borrowing them, she bought books to read.
And like that, her dreams filled up one by one with the things she loved.
Then one day, when she and Michael went to a dungeon together for the first time in a while, a monster suddenly attacked her.
But the creature never laid a finger on Irene.
Before it could even get close, Michael swung his sword once and the monster was sliced clean in two.
Irene thanked him, but Michael simply gave a small bow, then walked away.
That night, Irene dreamed of Michael.
In a room filled with all the things she loved, he was there, sitting in a chair, comfortable and sound asleep.
Normally, in her dreams, Irene would spend her time touching and playing with the things she loved.
But when Michael appeared in her dream, Irene simply sat curled up in front of him, watching him sleep.
Just for that one night, none of the things she usually treasured in her dreams could catch her eye.
Until she woke, Irene had quietly watched the sleeping Michael.
And when she did wake, she realized what she loved most of all.
After that, Michael always appeared in her dreams.
In those dreams, she would share meals with him or have brief conversations.
Even in dreams, he was a man of few words.
Yes. No. That’s right.
Even those short replies made her happy. Because, at the very least, in her dreams, he didn’t avoid her.
Then one day, in her dream, Michael smiled.
When she awoke, Irene knew it had only been a dream but still, she reached out to the empty space beside her.
She wished that he had really been there.
As she remembered, she reached her hand out to the side.
Her fingertips touched Michael.
“Why are you doing that?”
“Just checking if this is a dream.”
“…?”
Michael looked at her, puzzled by the sudden remark, and Irene burst into laughter as she rested her head on his leg.
“A long time ago, I used to have dreams about you.”
“What was I doing in those dreams?”
“Not much, really. We’d just have meals together, I think? Usually, I’d do all the talking and you’d just listen. You were so quiet, even in my dreams. But still, I was so happy in those dreams, and every time I woke up, you weren’t there. So I’d always fumble around like this, trying to find you.”
At Irene’s words, Michael bit his lip.
He had realized exactly what she meant by ‘a long time ago’.
After a long pause, Michael finally spoke, his voice strained.
“This isn’t a dream.”
“I know. Back then, you never let me hold on like this.”
Irene said it with a soft laugh.
Michael buried his face deeper into her thigh as he felt Irene’s hand gently fidgeting with him.
As he continued drying her hair, he murmured.
“Come to think of it, I once had a dream about you too, a long time ago.”
At that, Irene turned her head to look at his face.
“You? Dreamt of me?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes sparkled at the revelation. It was the first time she’d ever heard this.
“What kind of dream was it?”
“Well…”
An embarrassed look crossed Michael’s face.
He didn’t want to lie, but he wasn’t sure if he could be honest about the dream he had back then.
As Michael remained silent for a long time, Irene urged him again.
“Tell me. I already told you mine.”
At her continued urging, Michael let out a short sigh and began to recall the memories from long ago.
