My Husband Is Definitely a Paladin — Chapter 17

AH, SIR MICHAEL... WHEN DID YOU ARRIVE?

WHAT HAPPENED?

WHY...

ARE YOU CRYING ALONE?

AH, I WAS CRYING.

AH, UM, IT IS NOTHING!

I WAS LOOKING AT THE SUNSET, AND DUST GOT INTO ONE OF MY EYES.

DUST GOT INTO ONE EYE,

YET YOU ARE SHEDDING TEARS FROM BOTH?

IF DUST REALLY GOT IN, I WILL TAKE A LOOK.

I-IT REALLY IS NOTHING...!

GASP, I SLAPPED HIS HAND AWAY

Without realizing it.

WHAT DO I DO? HE MUST BE ANGRY...!

IRENNE, IT IS ALL RIGHT.

WHATEVER IT IS, PLEASE DO NOT WORRY ABOUT IT ALONE. TELL ME AS WELL.

AM I NOT YOUR HUSBAND?

LIKE HE WAS SOOTHING A CHILD,

HIS VOICE TOWARDS ME WAS SO GENTLE...

DID SOMEONE AT THE FORTRESS TREAT YOU RUDELY?

OR ARE YOU FEELING UNWELL...

N-NO, IT IS NOT THAT...

IT REALLY IS NOTHING. I JUST...

I MISS MY FAMILY... I MISS MY PARENTS A LOT...

YOUR PARENTS...

DO YOU MEAN COUNT RODIAM OF THE KIERN KINGDOM?

YOU KNEW ABOUT MY BACKGROUND?

YES. FROM THE MOMENT I FORMED A PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU,

I NATURALLY CAME TO KNOW IT WITHOUT EVEN TRYING.

I-I SEE...

DO YOU MISS THE COUNT VERY MUCH?

IF SO, I CAN SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR YOU TO LEAVE THE FORTRESS...

PARDON?!!! AH, NO!!

I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT WANT TO MEET THE COUNT,

BUT IF IT IS SIR MICHAEL, HE MIGHT REALLY ARRANGE FOR ME TO MEET HIM...!!!

SIR, UM...

I MEAN, I... I AM ACTUALLY...

NOT COUNT RODIAM'S BIOLOGICAL DAUGHTER. I AM HIS ADOPTED DAUGHTER.

OF COURSE, I AM VERY GRATEFUL

FOR THE COUNT'S MERCY AND GRACE IN TAKING IN AN ORPHAN WITH NOWHERE TO GO, BUT...

STILL...

SOMETIMES...

I MISS MY BIRTH PARENTS, WHO PASSED AWAY WHEN I WAS LITTLE...

IS IT ALL RIGHT TO TELL EVEN THIS MUCH TO SIR MICHAEL?

BUT HE IS NOT THE KIND OF PERSON WHO WOULD GO AROUND SPREADING THIS STORY...

AND THE FACT THAT I AM ADOPTED IS SOMETHING ANYONE COULD FIND OUT RIGHT AWAY IF THEY DECIDED TO LOOK INTO IT.

MORE THAN ANYTHING, HIS KIND VOICE AND GAZE,

AS IF HE WERE COMPLETELY ON MY SIDE,

PUT MY HEART AT EASE TO AN ALMOST FRIGHTENING DEGREE...

I SEE.

EVEN FOR ME... ARRANGING FOR YOU TO MEET THE DECEASED WOULD NOT BE EASY.

even for him...?

Sir Michael, you are capable of joking too!

THANK YOU, AND I AM SORRY, SIR.

YOU MUST HAVE BEEN STARTLED WHEN I SUDDENLY BROUGHT UP SUCH A HEAVY TOPIC.

NOT AT ALL.

I WAS ALSO RAISED AT THE TEMPLE AS AN ORPHAN.

WHAT?

PARDON? BUT I HEARD THAT YOU, SIR MICHAEL...

WERE A CHILD SENT DOWN TO THE TEMPLE BY GOD TO SAVE THE PEOPLE OF THE CONTINENT...

PEOPLE WANT TO BELIEVE THAT.

AND THEY LIVE ON BY GAINING HOPE FROM THAT BELIEF.

BUT I WAS ABANDONED WHEN I WAS TOO YOUNG TO KNOW MY PARENTS' FACES

OR THE REASON THEY LEFT ME,

AND AFTER I WAS HANDED OVER TO THE TEMPLE, I LIVED SOLELY TO SERVE GOD.

BECAUSE OF THAT, I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE LONGING FOR PARENTS AS YOU DO, LADY IRENNE, BUT...

EVEN IF IT IS ONLY TEMPORARY,

NOW THAT I HAVE A WIFE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE,

I FEEL AS IF I CAN UNDERSTAND A LITTLE WHAT LONGING FOR FAMILY MEANS.

YOUR TEARS HAVE STOPPED.

I AM GLAD.

AH, AH. YES...!

I WOULD LIKE YOU TO ACCOMPANY ME TO A DUNGEON TOMORROW.

A DUNGEON?

YES. ICE ATTRIBUTE MONSTERS WILL LIKELY APPEAR, SO MAKE SURE YOU DRESS WARMLY.

I WILL COME TO ESCORT YOU AT NOON TOMORROW.

ASIDE FROM DUNGEON NO. 181, HE HAS ALWAYS GONE TO SUBJUGATIONS ALONE UNTIL NOW...

WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED?

IS IT A DUNGEON WHERE EVEN MY WEAK PURIFYING POWER IS NEEDED?

AND THE THINGS SIR MICHAEL SAID TO ME TODAY...

TO THINK SIR MICHAEL WAS AN ORPHAN LIKE ME...

DID HE HAVE A HARD TIME TOO, LIKE I DID?

WAS HE ALSO, LIKE ME...

VERY LONELY...?

THIS IS...

AN UNSTABLE DUNGEON, RIGHT?

YES. DO YOU KNOW ABOUT UNSTABLE DUNGEONS?

JUST ROUGHLY.

UNLIKE ORDINARY DUNGEONS, THEY DO NOT HAVE A FIXED FORM OR STRUCTURE.

THEY ARE FILLED WITH UNEXPECTED SITUATIONS, SO EVEN STRONG PARTNERS ARE RELUCTANT TO SUBJUGATE THEM.

EVEN JUST LOOKING AT THE ENTRANCE, IT IS PRACTICALLY SAYING, "I AM A DANGEROUS DUNGEON..."

FROM WHAT I HEARD THE FORTRESS STAFF SAYING WHEN WE MADE THE SUBJUGATION DECLARATION EARLIER,

IT SEEMS TO BE AT LEAST A MID GRADE DUNGEON. IS THAT RIGHT?

MOST LIKELY.

WILL THIS BE ALL RIGHT?

I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO ANY DUNGEON ABOVE LOW GRADE...

AND IT IS UNSTABLE ON TOP OF THAT.

I MIGHT END UP BEING A BURDEN TO SIR MICHAEL

AND STEP ON AN UNEXPECTED TRAP AND DIE...

LADY IRENNE, EXCUSE ME FOR A MOMENT.

PARDON?

S-SIR MICHAEL?!! WHY ALL OF A SUDDEN...!

IN AN UNSTABLE DUNGEON, PARTNERS MAY BECOME SEPARATED WHILE CROSSING THE ENTRANCE.

PLEASE HOLD ON TO ME TIGHTLY.

PARDOOOON?!!!

Y-YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT A LITTLE SOONER.