My Husband Is Definitely a Paladin — Chapter 33

SIR MICHAEL!!!

IRENNE, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT ME-

JUST GET OUT FIRST!!!

I-I NEED TO GET OUT.

BUT HOW CAN I LEAVE HIM HERE ALL ALONE...!

NO, HE CAN EASILY TAKE CARE OF IT AND COME OUT QUICKLY,

SO IT WOULD ACTUALLY HELP HIM IF I LEFT RIGHT AWAY...

THE PATH TO THE GATE IS BLOCKED BY A BOULDER!!

I DEFINITELY NEEDED TO ESCAPE.

BUT ODDLY ENOUGH, THE MOMENT THE PATH WAS BLOCKED, I FELT A WAVE OF RELIEF.

DAMN IT, "THAT BASTARD"...

THERE IS NO TIME.

IRENNE!!!

COULD YOU LEND ME YOUR DAGGER?!

WHAT? MY DAGGER?

AH...!!! YES!!!

HERE YOU GO!!!

WH-WHAT IS THAT?!

DID THAT TENTACLE JUST TAKE SIR MICHAEL'S SHAPE?!

IT IS EVEN PERFECTLY MIMICKING HIS SWORDSMANSHIP!!

ITS SKILLS ARE IDENTICAL TO HIS,

BUT UNLIKE A HUMAN, IT NEVER GETS TIRED!

AT THIS RATE, SIR MICHAEL IS GOING TO BE IN DANGER...!

THAT LIGHT JUST NOW... DID IT COME FROM HIS SWORD?

NO, MORE IMPORTANTLY...!!

SIR MICHAEL!!!!

SIR, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?! THERE IS BLOOD...!!!

YES, I AM FINE. MORE IMPORTANTLY...

IT SEEMS THAT...

ONLY THE TWO OF US ARE LEFT HERE NOW.

WE TRIED TO MOVE THE BOULDER, BUT THE DISTORTION DUNGEON HAD ALREADY TRANSFORMED, AND THE GATE WAS GONE.

AFTER WALKING AIMLESSLY FOR A WHILE, WE DISCOVERED A SMALL LAKESHORE.

A BLUE SKY AND WARM SUNLIGHT,

WITH FLOWERS AND FRUIT TREES SWAYING GENTLY IN THE BREEZE.

IT WAS A SCENERY SO VIVID THAT, FOR A MOMENT, I MISTAKENLY THOUGHT WE HAD ESCAPED THE DUNGEON.

TO THINK A PLACE LIKE THIS EXISTS INSIDE A DUNGEON...

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?

IT IS BECAUSE THIS DUNGEON'S ATTRIBUTE IS "MIMICRY."

IT COPIES A PART OF THE WORLD THAT IT WITNESSED UPON ITS CREATION.

THE MONSTER AT THE CORE LIKELY GREW AFTER OBSERVING THE EYE OF EXPLORATION.

JUST AS THAT SAME MONSTER GREW BY MIMICKING MY APPEARANCE.

SO THEY WERE BOTH THE SAME MONSTER?

BUT... WHEN I TRIED TO PURIFY SIR MICHAEL EARLIER,

WHY DID THE TRACES OF THE MONSTER THAT COPIED HIM NOT GET PURIFIED?

S-SIR MICHAEL?!!

AH, THE SMELL OF BLOOD IS TOO STRONG, SO I AM GOING TO WASH MYSELF IN THE LAKE.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN ME, LADY IRENNE?

PARDON?!?!?! AH, NO!!! I AM FINE!!!! I WILL WASH MYSELF ELSEWHERE!!!

YES, UNDERSTOOD.

T-TO THINK HE WOULD ASK TO WASH TOGETHER.

HE REALLY DOES SAY THE MOST SHOCKING THINGS AS IF IT IS NOTHING...

REINA AND CYNTHIA MUST BE BACK AT THE FORTRESS BY NOW, RIGHT?

ARE THEY ALL SAFE?

WHAT IF SEEING THEM IN FRONT OF THE GATE WAS THE LAST TIME I'D EVER SEE THEM...

WHAT IF WE ARE TRAPPED IN THIS DUNGEON FOREVER AND CAN NEVER ESCAPE...

IRENNE?

ARE YOU ALRIGHT? YOU DO NOT LOOK WELL.

AH, I AM FINE!

I AM JUST A LITTLE TIRED... I WILL FEEL BETTER AFTER A SHORT REST.

...I TRIED MY BEST TO ACT COMPOSED, BUT THE TRUTH IS,

MY MIND IS FULL OF QUESTIONS FOR HIM.

WHY DID THE TRACES OF THE MONSTER THAT MIMICKED YOU NOT GET PURIFIED?

WHY DID YOU ASK FOR MY DAGGER IN THAT MOMENT?

DO YOU KNOW WHY THAT LIGHT CAME FROM YOUR SWORD?

WILL WE BE ABLE TO RETURN TO OUR ORIGINAL WORLD SAFELY?

HOWEVER,

HE MUST BE HIDING HIS ANXIETY, JUST LIKE I AM.

IF I CLING TO HIM AND WHINE LIKE A CHILD ASKING ALL THESE THINGS—

DO YOU WISH TO RETURN TO OUR ORIGINAL WORLD?

PARDON?

W-WAS IT THAT OBVIOUS?

AH, Y-YES.

I DID NOT EXPECT HIM TO ASK SO DIRECTLY.

HMM?

WAIT... WHY IS HE ASKING SOMETHING SO OBVIOUS?

ASKING IF I WANT TO RETURN TO OUR ORIGINAL WORLD...

DO YOU NOT WANT TO RETURN TO OUR WORLD, SIR MICHAEL?

NO, NOT REALLY...

PARDON?!?!

WHY NOT?

BECAUSE...

EVERYTHING THAT IS PRECIOUS TO ME...

IS RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF MY EYES.

SIR MICHAEL, I...

I AM NOT SURE HOW I SHOULD INTERPRET YOUR WORDS.

IN TRUTH,

OUT OF THE COUNTLESS QUESTIONS I HAVE FOR YOU...

THIS IS WHAT I'VE WANTED TO ASK THE MOST IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.

BUT IT'S ALSO THE ONE I'VE BEEN MOST TERRIFIED TO ASK.

PERHAPS SIR MICHAEL ONLY AGREED TO BE YOUR PARTNER BECAUSE HE KNEW OF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES AS A LOWEST-GRADE PURIFIER.

HE IS KNOWN TO BE GENEROUS TO THOSE IN PITIFUL SITUATIONS, AFTER ALL.

EVEN KNOWING THAT I COULD NOT REFUTE THOSE WORDS,

I WAS AFRAID THAT IF I FAILED TO HOLD BACK MY OVERFLOWING EMOTIONS FOR EVEN A MOMENT,

THIS FLEETING MIRACLE GRANTED TO ME IN THIS LIFE MIGHT VANISH.

SO I HAD TO BURY THIS QUESTION AT THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, OVER AND OVER AGAIN...

YOUR WORDS AND ACTIONS...

THEY MAKE IT FEEL AS THOUGH YOU ARE IN LOVE WITH ME...

BUT ONCE AGAIN,

AM I SIMPLY MISTAKEN?

...LOOK AT HIM.

THAT TROUBLED EXPRESSION AND AWKWARD SILENCE.

IT IS EXACTLY AS I HAD IMAGINED EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.

AND THE RUSHING SHAME AND MISERY... ARE EXACTLY AS I EXPECTED, TOO.

I SHOULD NOT HAVE SAID ANYTHING. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ASKED; I SHOULD HAVE JUST KEPT IT TO MYSELF.

LIKE A FOOL.

I was just mistaken, wasn't I?

I apologize. You were merely treat- ing your partner with proper courtesy,

but I selfishly misunderstood your kindness.

IRENNE!!

WAIT...

IRENNE!!

NO!

IF YOU ARE DOING THIS BECAUSE YOU NEED PURIFICATION,

IF THAT IS THE CASE, I WILL DO IT FOR YOU IN A MOMENT.

BUT RIGHT NOW, I DO NOT WANT TO...!

S-

S-Sir Michael...

Y-Your body...

I DO NOT NEED PURIFICATION.

I NEVER NEEDED IT... RIGHT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

THE ONLY THING I HAVE EVER WANTED IS...