Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 328
TL: Elphie / PR: Mikan
âIs she feeling very sick?â
If so, she should be resting in the quarters assigned to the Purifiers. So why had she come all the way out here on her own, only to fall asleep in the open?
She wasnât so unwell that she couldnât walk, yet she avoided the dungeon. Was she just tired? Or was it because of him?
Thoughts he had never considered before tangled in his mind, filling his head with quiet disarray.
Michael watched Irene for a while longer, then quietly left the garden before she could wake.
That night, lying on the hard wooden bed, the thought kept returning to him.
âShould I gift her a set of clothes?â
It wasnât entirely out of the question.
Among the clergy, there were some who earned a little money by gathering herbs or helping out with village work. It wasnât uncommon for them to use that money to buy small items.
As long as one remembered and respected their role as a cleric, such modest economic activity was even encouraged.
The temple didnât want its clerics to be completely cut off from the world. It preferred they blend naturally into the lives of ordinary people.
There were even clerics who used their talents to paint pictures and sell them, using the money to buy sweets for the children who visited the temple.
Michael told himself that what he was considering wasnât so different.
Whether by choice or circumstance, the two of them were bound together as a pair.
And that bond, he reminded himself, was one that ought to be grounded in mutual respect.
So if he used his reward to send her a single set of clothing, surely that would be acceptable.
With that thought comforting him, Michael drifted off to sleep.
In his dream, Irene stood before him.
Unlike reality, she didnât shy away. On the contrary, she approached him, meeting his gaze without hesitation.
It had been so long since theyâd looked at each other properly that the sight of her violet eyes, faint and hazy from memory, stirred an unfamiliar warmth in him.
Then suddenly, it occurred to him that if he wanted to give her clothing, he would need her measurements.
He could have just asked, but perhaps it was the dreamâs logic at work. Instead, he stepped closer and took hold of her clothing.
The tug caused Irene to sway unsteadily, and Michael instinctively caught her as she stumbled. The moment their bodies touchedâ
âGah!â
He woke with a start, breath catching in his throat.
For a few disoriented seconds, still half-dreaming, he couldnât quite understand what had just happened.
From somewhere far off, the hoot of an owl echoed. Only after his eyes adjusted to the darkness, catching the faint moonlight spilling into the room, did Michael fully realize who and where he was.
âIt was⌠a dream?â
Even as the clarity returned, Michael glanced around the room, like he was half-expecting the Irene from his dream to still be by his side.
He sat there blankly for a long moment before finally getting up and walking into the washroom. It hadnât been a nightmare, yet his body felt strangely drained, his skin damp with sweat.
He was about to take a cold bath, if only to clear his mind of the strange sensation, when he realized.
He was slightly aroused.
* * *
That should have been the end of the dreams involving Irene.
But to Michaelâs dismay, the dreams didnât stop.
Maybe she thought she couldnât keep avoiding him forever because this time, Irene did show up for the next dungeon raid.
Yet even then, her attitude made it painfully obvious that she wanted to get it over with and leave as quickly as possible.
He called her over, unwilling to let her keep her distance.
âThere are many flying monsters today. If you stay apart, itâll be hard to guard you. Come closer.â
Irene hesitated, flustered, before approaching him with a resigned expression, like she had no other choice.
It wasnât a lie. There really were many flying monsters that day. Still, even if she had stayed a little farther, it wouldnât have been that hard for him to protect her.
And yet, Michael found himself insisting on keeping her by his side, almost without realizing why.
Around the midpoint of the dungeon, the monsters attacked.
âAck!â
From above, a monster dove straight down, claws outstretched to snatch Irene.
Michael reacted instantly, slashing through its wings and limbs in a single, clean arc. But he couldnât stop the gust of wind that followed in the creatureâs wake.
Irene, thrown off balance, stumbled. And just like in his dream, she fell right into his arms.
And that night, Michael dreamed again.
In the dream, he was undressing Irene, piece by piece.
