My Husband Is Definitely a Paladin — Chapter 39

JUST A BIT...

SLOWER...!

HER WARM, LOVELY LIPS.

THE VOICE WHISPERING MY NAME WAS AGONIZINGLY SWEET.

LIKE A DREAM, THE VISIONS ON THE EVE OF DEATH

UNFOLDED COUNTLESS VISTAS BEFORE MY EYES.

IN SOME, SHE APPEARED AS THE GODDESS I HAD REVERED ALL MY LIFE,

WHILE IN OTHERS, SHE WAS COMPLETELY DETACHED

FROM PAIR CONTRACTS, FORTRESSES, OR DUTIES,

EXISTING SIMPLY AS A LOVER IN AN ORDINARY, PEACEFUL WORLD.

IN YET ANOTHER, SHE WAS MY WIFE, CRADLED IN MY EMBRACE WHILE HOLDING OUR CHILD...

SHE WAS MY EVERYTHING.

EVERY SINGLE VISION WAS SO BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL

THAT I WISHED TO DWELL IN THEM FOR ALL ETERNITY.

AND YET...

THE WAKING REALITY THAT GREETED ME WAS MERCILESS.

WHERE DID THE ILLUSION END,

AND WHERE DID REALITY BEGIN?

THE LINGERING AURA OF THE MONSTER INSIDE MY BODY

SNEERED AT ME THROUGH MY CLOUDED SENSES.

BEHOLD.

LOOK AT THE GROTESQUE MARKS YOU LEFT LIKE A BEAST

UPON THE WOMAN WHO SAVED YOUR LIFE.

LOOK AT THE HYPOCRISY YOU COMMITTED,

ALL WHILE POSING AS THE SWORD OF GOD!

CHOKED BY DISGUST AT MY OWN VILE DEPRAVITY, I TORE MYSELF FROM THE BED.

BETTER TO HAVE DRAWN MY LAST BREATH IN THAT DUNGEON.

IF ONLY...

C-COMMANDER! YOU ARE AWAKE!

THANK THE HEAVENS YOU HAVE REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS.

FORGIVE US FOR DISTURBING YOU WHILE YOU HAVE YET TO FULLY RECOVER,

BUT AN IMPERIAL SUMMONS HAS ARRIVED FROM THE GRAND TEMPLE,

DEMANDING YOUR IMMEDIATE PRESENCE TO EXPLAIN THE SITUATION.

WORD THAT YOU BROKE THE VOW OF CELIBACY AND RECEIVED PURIFICATION

APPEARS TO HAVE ALREADY REACHED THE CAPITAL.

FROM THE FORTRESS TO THE CAPITAL WHERE THE GRAND TEMPLE STANDS

IS A THREE-DAY RIDE WITHOUT REST.

AND ANOTHER THREE DAYS TO RIDE BACK TO THE FORTRESS...

COMMANDER...!!!

COMMANDER, ALLOW ME TO ACCOMPANY-

NO.

GO TO THE PURIFIERS' QUARTERS AT ONCE AND DELIVER MY MESSAGE TO LADY IRENE.

TELL HER I WILL RETURN WITHIN FIVE DAYS AT THE LATEST.

SO PLEASE, WAIT JUST A LITTLE LONGER!

YOU NEED NOT FRET; WE SHALL SEE IT DELIVERED WITHOUT FAIL.

GO ON AND TURN BACK WITH AN EASY MIND.

PARDON?

BUT I MUST PERSONALLY MEET LADY RODIAM TO CONVEY THE COMMANDER'S WORDS...

WITH THINGS SO VOLATILE, IS IT WISE FOR A HOLY KNIGHT TO CALL UPON THE PURIFIERS' QUARTERS?

SCANDALS CONCERNING SIR MICHAEL ARE ALREADY STIRRING INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE WALLS.

WE FEAR FURTHER HARM TO THE DIGNITY OF BOTH SIR MICHAEL AND THE TEMPLE.

ON THE ROYAL BLOODLINE OF THE VISCONTI FAMILY,

I SWEAR HIS MESSAGE SHALL REACH HER WITHOUT FAIL.

SO PLEASE, RETURN TO YOUR POST.

...COMMANDER!

ALLIED CAPITAL, THE GRAND TEMPLE

AN EXCOMMUNICATION, YOU SAY?

YES.

W-WHAT MADNESS IS THIS?!

FOR THE KNIGHT COMMANDER OF THE TEMPLE TO UTTER EXCOMMUNICATION SO LIGHTLY-

SIR MICHAEL, WHAT DO YOU TAKE THE TEMPLE'S STANDING FOR?!

COMPOSE YOURSELF, SIR! EXCOMMUNICATION?! THERE IS AMPLE GROUND FOR CLEMENCY!

TRUE, YOU SHARED A BED WITH A PURIFIER,

BUT DID IT NOT HAPPEN WHILE YOU LAY UNCONSCIOUS, HANGING BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH?!

NO, THAT IS NOT THE ISSUE.

I CAN NO LONGER SERVE THE GODDESS AS I ONCE DID.

FOR THE LOVE I HARBOR TOWARD THE ONE WHO PURIFIED ME BURNS FAR BRIGHTER THAN MY FAITH.

HE HAS COMPLETELY LOST HIS MIND!

HOW DARE YOU UTTER SUCH PROFANE BLASPHEMY BEFORE THE GRAND TEMPLE!

SACRILEGE! THROW HIM INTO THE DUNGEON THIS INSTANT...

MY SON.

MAY I ASK WHAT CAME TO PASS DURING THAT TIME?

...I DARED TO HARBOR CARNAL LOVE FOR THE WOMAN WHO BECAME MY PAIR PARTNER.

MY SOUL, MY FLESH... EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING

CAN NEVER RETURN TO HOW IT WAS BEFORE LEARNING THIS DESIRE FOR HER.

I WISH TO LAY DOWN THE SWORD OF A HOLY KNIGHT, RETURN TO THE FORTRESS,

BEG FORGIVENESS FOR THE SINS I HAVE COMMITTED,

AND SPEAK OF OUR FUTURE TOGETHER.

FOR A PERSON...

FOR A MORTAL TO LOVE ANOTHER MORTAL-HOW COULD THE GODDESS EVER DEEM THAT PROFANE?

THE GIFT OF PURIFICATION AND THE BLISS IT BRINGS ARE BOTH DIVINE GRACES BESTOWED BY HER HAND.

TO LEAD YOU TO TRUE LOVE,

IT SEEMS THE GODDESS TREASURED AND GUARDED YOUR DESIRES ALL THIS TIME...

MY SON, MICHAEL.

I HEREBY RELEASE YOU FROM THE MANTLE OF A HOLY KNIGHT.

LOVE HER WITH THE SAME DEVOTION, WITH THE SAME WHOLEHEARTED SOUL

WITH WHICH YOU ONCE SERVED THE GODDESS.

YOUR EMINENCE!

WHAT ABSURDITY IS THIS...?!

WITH THE HIGH PRIEST'S UNYIELDING BLESSING, THE DISMISSAL PROCEEDED WITHOUT HINDRANCE,

YET RUMORS TRAVEL FASTER THAN STALLIONS—

THEY SAY SIR MICHAEL HAS BEEN STRIPPED OF HIS HOLY ORDERS!

AND BEFORE THE RITES WERE EVEN FINALIZED, THE SCANDAL RIPPLED ENDLESSLY ACROSS THE CONTINENT.

THEY SAY IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF THAT WOMAN.

SHAMELESS CREATURE.

WHAT A PROFANE, SELFISH WENCH.

AH...

IT SEEMS A WEDDING REQUIRES QUITE A LARGE SUM OF COIN.

THANK YOU FOR PREPARING THIS. AND THIS IS...?

AH, A TOKEN WHEN PROPOSING... I HAD NO IDEA. THANK YOU.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD I BESTOW UPON HER?

I HAVE NEVER POSSESSED ANYTHING MORE PRECIOUS THAN THE SACRED VOW I SWORE TO GOD.

AND EVEN THAT... I HAVE ALREADY OFFERED TO HER.

A LIFE BORN FROM SHATTERING THE SACRED VOW SWORN TO THE DIVINE...

WHO KNEW IT COULD SHINE

WITH SUCH DAZZLING RADIANCE?

I AM PUSHING YOU FAR TOO HARD; FORGIVE ME.

WE HAVE RIDDEN THROUGH TWO DAYS AND NIGHTS WITHOUT REST...

HOLD ON JUST A LITTLE LONGER.

I WANT TO RETURN TO HER SIDE, EVEN A SECOND SOONER.

WILL SHE ACCEPT MY PROPOSAL?

COULD SHE BE FURIOUS WITH ME FOR VANISHING WITHOUT A SINGLE WORD OF EXPLANATION?

EVEN IF SHE TURNS AWAY MY SUIT... EVEN SO...

JUST ONCE MORE—

I LONG TO HEAR HER VOICE CALLING MY NAME.

FASTER, JUST A MOMENT FASTER!

SIR MICHAEL HAS ARRIVED!!!

OPEN THE FORTRESS GATES!!!

COMMANDER!!!!!

GABRIEL! WHERE IS LADY IRENE?!!

...C-COMMANDER, THE THING IS...

GABRIEL.

WHERE IS LADY IRENE?

Ady: I'm Waiting For Your Comments!!!