Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 324
TL: Elphie / PR: Mikan
Time passed.
Michael steadily built his reputation, saving people in the name of the divine.
On rare occasionsâbriefly, after evening prayers and just before sleepâhe would recall the words of the High Priestess.
And each time, he felt a quiet satisfaction that what she had feared had not yet come to pass.
Letting go of those thoughts, he would once again turn to his prayers, repeating the verses in his mind until sleep took him.
Ever since he entered the temple, this nightly ritual had never once been broken.
Until something happened.
At a political ceremony called the Contract Night, orchestrated by the Alliance of Kingdomâs petty schemes, he found himself unavoidably paired with a woman.
The day he returned to the temple at the Fortress, flustered and unsettled, the other priests, having heard what had happened, grew angry as if it had happened to them.
Normally, Michael would have felt grateful for their anger on his behalf. But strangely, on that particular day, their attitude didnât sit well with him.
âWhy are you getting involved in my affairsâŚ?â
The moment he had that thought, Michael was startled by himself.
It was only natural for the priests to be outraged by what had happened. But when one of them exclaimed, âWho is that rude and shameless Purifier, anyway?!â Michael felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort.
It was as though they had insulted the gods. Disturbed by the deep unease, he quickly stopped their conversation and told them not to worry too much, that he would do his best, and then turned his back to them.
That night, for the first time, Michael lay in bed thinking not of the divine or the temple, but of something else entirely.
The woman who clung to him in tears.
Even someone as indifferent to worldly attire as Michael could tell that her clothes were far more tattered than those of the other Purifiers present.
âIrene⌠RhodiamâŚâ
Michael murmured the name of the one who had become his pair.
Realizing what he was doing, he let out a hollow laugh.
To think he was whispering the name of such a woman at the very hour he should be most devoutly seeking the divine.
Michael tried his best to banish any stray thoughts of her and fall asleep.
News of the pairing would inevitably spread and stir up all kinds of commotion. He needed to rest quickly just to be ready for it all.
But Michael didn’t fall asleep until very late into the night.
* * *
Just as he had expected, the Fortress, the temple, and even far corners of the continent were thrown into an uproar.
Those who had long waited for a chance to topple the growing prestige of the temple and stain Michaelâs honor saw this as their perfect opportunity. They began spreading vile rumors and slandering him.
Of course, there were many who stood by his side as well.
But even that led to frequent quarrels, both large and small, within the Fortress walls.
âThat woman must have thrown herself at Sir Michael, playing on his sense of pity. Right now, sheâs probably grinning from ear to ear, thinking she can cling to him under the excuse of being his pair and hoping to entangle him physically in any way she can. But sheâs sorely mistaken. Sir Michael is not the sort of man to fall for such temptations, and even if she comes to him with her legs wide open..!â
The man who had been speaking in Michael’s defense to the others stopped in astonishment.
From behind the thicket, Michael had emergedânot with a grateful expression, but with a face hardened as if he had been insulted.
When Michael glared at him, both the defender and the others who had been part of the argument hesitated, then lowered their heads awkwardly and slipped away timidly.
Even after they had gone, Michael remained where he was, replaying their words in his mind.
That woman.
Naturally, they were referring to the Purifier who had tearfully pleaded with him to form a pair.
She was the one who had dragged him into this mess. He should have appreciated those who defended him and blamed her, but the filthy language they had used wouldnât leave his ears.
Yes, it was true that Irene Rhodiam had begged him to take her as his pair.
But after silently accepting the unfavorable terms he had offered, she had not shown her face to him even once since that day.
There were more than a few who sought him out, even inventing excuses just to see him. And yet, the one who now had the right to visit him freelyâthe one who had begged for that privilegeâhad hidden herself away as if that desperate plea had been a lie.
Michaelâs expression hardened.
He ought to have been pleased. But instead, a strange discomfort prickled at himârestlessness, even.
And then, it dawned on him.
Tomorrow was the first day he was scheduled to enter the dungeon with her.
