Holy Night: My Husband is Definitely a Paladin - Chapter 8
Translated by Elphie
Biting her lip, Irene took the hand of the knight she had negotiated with.
At that moment…
Thud, thud.
Michael, who had been standing still and observing the banquet, turned his gaze towards Irene and immediately approached without hesitation.
“What’s, what’s going on all of a sudden…”
As the ghastly figure, soaked in blood, strode towards them, the knight next to Irene recoiled in terror. Irene, on the other hand, did not shy away from his approach.
‘Michael.’
His partially exposed golden hair, no matter how soaked in blood, was dazzling. The deep and clear blue eyes, untainted by any impurity, were unmistakably Michael’s. She knew at a glance that it was him.
A dull ache settled in her chest as memories of him resurfaced. In her past life, Irene respected and loved him.
‘It couldn’t have been any different.’
To him, however, she was the one who had tarnished his honor. If Irene hadn’t clung to him in tears, he might have continued his noble life as a paladin, walking away from her.
Although she embraced him to save his life, her actions eventually led to dire consequences, resulting in the death of his soul. Despite everything, he remained polite and bowed, stepping away with grace during their final moments together. Anyone else might have spewed curses and insults, but he bowed respectfully, even in the face of excommunication.
How could she not love such a man?
Amidst the emotions from the past welling up in her throat, he stood before Irene. But when the repugnant scent of a monster’s blood overwhelmed her, she snapped out of it.
“Why…”
Why did he show up in this state, so differently from how he did in her previous life?
Before Irene could bring herself to ask, he dropped to one knee and addressed her.
“Please, grant me the grace of your purification.”
At those words, there were murmurs of astonishment. It was something knights usually said before making a pact with a purifier.
“What? Why are you asking me for that…”
Irene was stunned as well. It was an absurd situation. There were still many purifiers remaining in the banquet hall. So why did he immediately demand a contract from her?
Irene’s confusion was met with Michael lifting his head.
“…!”
At that moment, Irene trembled. In the past life, he always looked at her with eyes as calm and blue as a placid lake. However, now, behind his eyes, there was a flash of light like a stormy sky. Something close to madness. Something like this had been seen in those addicted to magic…
Startled, Irene took a step back, but Michael’s blood-soaked hand grabbed hers. Then, shivering, he placed her hand on his face.
“I… need you.”
Upon hearing those words, Irene recalled her past life. Back then, in the banquet hall, he had said to her:
“I have no need of you.”
He had clearly said that. Why, then, was the same person saying completely different words now when nothing tied him to her in this current life? Why?
Irene looked at the bloody hand holding hers. The overpowering scent of the demonic blood brought her back to her senses. She had to let go. She cannot dishonor him in this life as well.
Irene tried to release his hand.
“Please.”
Michael begged, clutching at her hands like a man with nothing left in the world to hold on to but her, his face pressed against her hand.
“Please, purify me.”
Frozen in place, Irene couldn’t move in the face of his desperate plea. Why had he come directly to her?
‘Could it be that Michael has memories from that past life as well?’
However, she quickly dismissed such silly thoughts. If he remembered the past, he would have distanced himself even further, not approached her among all these purifiers.
Irene opened her mouth, swallowing down dozens of questions that arose in her mind.
“Why…are you making such a request to me?”
Michael smiled and said, “Because you are the purifier closest to me.”
It was an incredibly disappointing answer.
