My Husband Is Definitely a Paladin — Chapter 23

A FEW HOURS EARLIER,

RIGHT AFTER REINA AND CYNTHIA LEFT.

SIR MICHAEL'S *SQUIRE CAME BY.

Apprentice Paladin Gabriel.

*an apprentice knight who serves and accompanies a knight.

THE COMMANDER SAID HE WILL CLEANSE HIMSELF AT THE PALADIN QUARTERS,

THEN COME TO ASK LADY IRENNE FOR PURIFICATION.

YES, THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME.

NOT AT ALL. IT IS ONLY NATURAL. THEN,

I WILL LEAVE NOW.

THIS IS BAD!

I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND A WAY TO HIDE HOW STRANGE

MY BODY GETS DURING PURIFICATION!

I WAS HAVING SUCH A GOOD TIME WITH THOSE TWO

THAT I COMPLETELY FORGOT!

Our fun little moment together..

I SEARCHED HARD THROUGH BOOKS ABOUT PURIFICATION TOO, BUT...

WHEN A PURIFIER PERFORMS PURIFICATION, SHE MUST COMPOSE HER BODY AND MIND WITH REVERENCE AND PROCEED WITH GRATITUDE TOWARD THE GODDESS SWHO BESTOWED HER POWER...

THEY WERE ALL FULL OF USELESS TEXTBOOK PRINCIPLES.

TIP! MENTIONING THE PLEASURE FELT DURING THE PURIFICATION PROCESS IS AN UNSPOKEN TABOO.

Come on, really?

WHAT SHOULD I DO? HE'S COMING TONIGHT.

NO MATTER HOW HARD I THINK, I CAN'T COME UP WITH A SINGLE GOOD IDEA~~~

STILL...

IS IT THANKS TO THIS RING?

THE DISHONORABLE WHISPERS ABOUT SIR MICHAEL SEEM TO HAVE QUIETED DOWN.

AND EARLIER, SIR MICHAEL'S SQUIRE ALSO LOOKED RELIEVED.

THOUGH THE TEST RESULTS SAID THE INCREASE WAS BARELY NOTICEABLE.

There is no difference at all..

...FOR NOW, I SHOULD DRINK A CUP OF WARM TEA

AND THINK AGAIN ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE TONIGHT'S PURIFICATION.

HANNA, COULD YOU BRING ME A CUP OF TEA RIGHT NOW...

HM?

HANNA, NINA. WHAT ARE YOU MAKING?

LADY IRENNE!

SINCE YOU KINDLY LET US DO OTHER WORK WHILE YOU WERE RESTING BEFORE...

You do not need to worry about me. Feel free to work in the next room~

The maid dormitory is too far...

WE WERE MAKING ANIMAL MASKS FOR THIS SUMMER FESTIVAL.

THEY SAID THEY WOULD PAY 10 SILVER FOR EACH MASK.

10 SILVER?!!

COULD I MAKE THEM WITH YOU?!

It is not like I can do anything else right now...

OH MY, WOULD YOU?

We were short on hands anyway~

LADY IRENNE, YOUR HANDS ARE SO QUICK!

YOU SEEM EVEN MORE SKILLED THAN WE ARE!

REALLY! THE CRAFTSMANSHIP IS WONDERFUL!

is it?

I HAVE BEEN SEWING SINCE MY DAYS AT THE ORPHANAGE...

I USED TO BE SCOLDED IF MY HANDS WEREN'T QUICK ENOUGH.

I THINK I MADE IT PRETTY WELL...

THIS...

THIS IS IT...!!!!

AND SO, BACK TO THE PRESENT.

WELCOME!

SIR MICHAEL...?

Are you not coming in...?

LADY IRENNE...

WHAT IS THAT ON YOUR HEAD...?

AH, THIS, UM...

I THINK I DRESSED TOO LIGHTLY IN THAT ICE ATTRIBUTE DUNGEON,

AND I CAUGHT A COLD .

COUGH. COUGH!

I WAS WORRIED I MIGHT PASS THE COLD TO YOU DURING PURIFICATION.

THE CAPITAL'S TREATMENT CENTERS SAY COLDS SPREAD WHEN YOU FACE SOMEONE DIRECTLY!

A RABBIT MASK THAT LARGE, INSTEAD OF A HANDKERCHIEF OR MASK...?

HIT THE MARK.

AH! WELL... UM...

S-SIR MICHAEL, YOU ARE THE HOPE OF THE CONTINENT...!! EVERYONE PRAYS FOR YOUR HEALTH,

SO YOU MUST NOT FALL ILL BECAUSE OF ME...!

I do not mind you taking the mask, but...

What are you going to use it for...?

S-SO I CHOSE SOMETHING BIG TO MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE I WOULD NOT PASS IT ON!!

THE BIGGER, THE BETTER WITH THINGS LIKE THIS!!!

AH... AHCHOO, AHCHOO.

IF YOUR COLD IS SEVERE, YOU DO NOT NEED TO PURIFY ME TODAY.

I FAILED TO CONSIDER YOUR CONDITION CLOSELY ENOUGH, LADY IRENNE.

NO, NO! YOU NEED PURIFICATION!

IT IS NOT SERIOUS, AND I CAN STILL PURIFY YOU!

PLEASE, JUST LET ME PURIFY YOU LIKE THIS!!!

IF YOU SAY SO... YES, UNDERSTOOD.

THANK GOODNESS!

...SIR MICHAEL?

WHY ARE YOU BEHIND ME... AH!

IT SHOULD BE FINE AS LONG AS OUR FACES ARE NOT FACING EACH OTHER, SHOULD IT NOT?

I THINK YOU WOULD BE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WEARING THE MASK DURING PURIFICATION.

TH-THAT IS TRUE, BUT...

DO NOT WORRY.

I WILL MAKE SURE OUR FACES DO NOT FACE EACH OTHER.

THEN,

I WILL ASK YOU FOR PURIFICATION AGAIN TODAY.

...IT IS ALL RIGHT. IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT.

IN THIS POSITION, WE'RE NOT FACING EACH OTHER...

NO...!

THE DEMONIC ENERGY IS STRONGER THAN LAST TIME...!

MY VOICE IS GOING TO SLIP OUT...

OUR BODIES ARE PRESSED TOGETHER, SO I CAN FEEL SIR MICHAEL'S FIRM BODY...

THE MORE I TRY NOT TO TOUCH HIM, THE LESS MY BODY LISTENS.

TH-THIS POSITION IS DANGEROUS...!

WAIT,

WAIT A MOMENT, SIR MICHAEL...

LET'S REST FOR A MOMENT...

YOU WANT TO STOP THE MOMENT WE BEGIN PURIFICATION?

THAT IS TOO CRUEL TO YOUR PARTNER.

B-BUT...

THE DEMONIC ENERGY IS TOO STRONG, AND MY BODY HAS NO STRENGTH...

I AM RIGHT BEHIND YOU, SO DO NOT WORRY. LEAN ON ME.

I WILL SLOWLY INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF DEMONIC ENERGY I RELEASE,

SO PLEASE ENDURE IT A LITTLE LONGER.

RELAX, AND SLOWLY...

DO NOT TRY TO TAKE IN EVERYTHING THAT FLOWS IN AT ONCE.

THINK OF ACCEPTING IT LITTLE BY LITTLE, STARTING FROM THE EDGE.

SLOWLY, JUST AS SIR MICHAEL SAID...

SOMEHOW, I HAVE TO ENDURE IT...

YOU ARE DOING WELL.

SHE HAS NO IDEA.

WHENEVER I HOLD HER IN MY ARMS LIKE THIS,

HOW MUCH I...

...IRENNE.

JUST A LITTLE MORE...

MAY I TOUCH YOU SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN YOUR HAND?