My Husband Is Definitely a Paladin — Chapter 8

AH, HERE SHE IS.

WELCOME TO OUR GATHERING.

OF COURSE, WHETHER I INVITE YOU NEXT TIME DEPENDS ON YOU.

WILHELMINA MONTROSE.

THE REASON I CALLED YOU HERE, EVEN THOUGH YOU NORMALLY WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND OUR GATHERING,

IS BECAUSE THERE IS SOMETHING I WANT TO FIND OUT.

I HEAR YOU HAVE KNOWN IRENNE RODIAM, THE WOMAN CONTRACTED TO SIR MICHAEL, FOR A LONG TIME.

TELL ME EVERYTHING

YOU KNOW ABOUT HER.

I WANT TO KNOW WHY SIR MICHAEL

CHOSE A WOMAN LIKE IRENNE RODIAM AS HIS PARTNER.

WHAT KIND OF GIRL IRENNE IS?

IRENNE IS...

IRENNE RODIAM.

LIKE ME, SHE CAME FROM AN ORPHANAGE, BUT SHE IS TWO YEARS YOUNGER,

AND SHE IS A PURIFIER WHO WAS ADOPTED BY COUNT RODIAM,

THE OWNER OF THE VAST TERRITORY NEXT TO THE BARONY OF MONTROSE, WHERE I BELONG.

I DISLIKED HER FROM THE MOMENT I FIRST SAW HER,

BUT BECAUSE THE BARON WANTED TO BECOME CLOSE TO THE COUNT, I WAS FORCED TO ACT AS HER FRIEND.

H-HELLO.

I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING ALONG WITH YOU, WILHELMINA...

WHAT'S WITH THAT STUPID, ANNOYINGLY INNOCENT FACE?

FOR YEARS AFTER THAT,

EVERY TIME I SAW THAT GIRL'S FACE,

THE FACE OF SOMEONE WHO WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ADOPTED INTO THE COUNT'S MANOR,

WORE DAZZLINGLY PRETTY CLOTHES,

AND WAS RAISED WHILE RECEIVING PLENTY OF LOVE FROM THE COUNT, YET ALWAYS LOOKED SOMEHOW SAD AND GLOOMY,

I FELT SO IRRITATED THAT MY STOMACH TWISTED.

WAS ONLY THE DAUGHTER OF A BARON AT BEST.

I

WILHELMINA, WAIT!

THIS IS A STRAWBERRY CAKE FROM THE COUNT.

IT'S YOUR FAVORITE, SO I THOUGHT OF YOU AND BROUGHT IT.

LET US EAT IT TOGETHER.

THIS IS WHAT WAS LEFT AFTER TEATIME, IS IT NOT?

WHAT...? NO, WILHELMINA!

I ASKED THE COUNT TO GIVE ME THIS...!

ARE YOU TELLING ME TO EAT LEFTOVERS?

HOW FILTHY!!!

IT REALLY IS NOT THAT, WILHELMINA...

BUT IF I UPSET YOU, I AM SORRY...

THANKS TO THAT STUPID AND NAIVE SIDE OF HERS,

IT WAS NOT BAD THAT I COULD ORDER HER AROUND LIKE A MAID AND TORMENT HER.

LAST TIME, I GOT MONSTER BLOOD FROM THE BLACK MARKET AND TRIED PURIFYING IT.

JUDGING BY THE COLOR, MY PURIFYING POWER IS DEFINITELY 3RD GRADE OR ABOVE.

I WILL PROBABLY RECEIVE THAT GRADE IN THE OFFICIAL TEST TOO.

THAT IS AMAZING, WILHELMINA...!

IF I AM 3RD GRADE, THEN EVEN IF I CANNOT AIM FOR ROYALTY,

I CAN AIM FOR A PARTNER OF A STATUS COMPARABLE TO THEM.

EVEN AFTER THE YEAR OF DUNGEON SUBJUGATION ENDS, I WILL MAINTAIN THE PARTNERSHIP,

AND IT WILL LEAD TO A FORMAL MARRIAGE.

I WILL BECOME A PROPER NOBLEWOMAN,

ONE WHO DOES NOT HAVE TO FORCE HERSELF TO ASSOCIATE WITH SOMEONE LIKE YOU.

LADY WILHELMINA'S PURIFYING POWER IS 5TH GRADE.

5TH GRADE? 5TH GRADE...

AT THIS POINT, WE CANNOT THROW HER OUT OF THIS FAMILY,

NOR CAN WE CHOOSE A MATCH FROM A BRANCH FAMILY AND HAVE HER BEAR A CHILD TO INHERIT THE POWER OF PURIFICATION.

WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THAT CHILD'S AMBIGUOUS PURIFYING POWER?

AT THE NIGHT OF CONTRACTS,

I SOMEHOW MANAGED TO BECOME PARTNERS WITH A KNIGHT OF DECENT STATUS, AND AFTER ONE YEAR PASSED...

I HAVE NO INTENTION OF BECOMING YOUR PARTNER AGAIN.

NEXT TIME, I HOPE YOU MEET SOMEONE WORTHY OF YOU.

AND THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

WHY DID I RECEIVE PURIFICATION FROM ANOTHER PURIFIER?

BECAUSE YOUR PURIFYING POWER IS NOT ENOUGH!

IF YOU ARE THAT DISSATISFIED WITH IT, THEN WHY NOT BREAK THE PARTNERSHIP?

AND THIS YEAR,

THE YEAR IRENNE ALSO ATTENDED THE NIGHT OF CONTRACTS AND FORMED A PARTNERSHIP.

PRINCESS CECILIA CALLED FOR ME.

PRINCESS CECILIA'S GATHERING IS ATTENDED BY PURIFIERS OF HIGH GRADE OR HIGH STATUS,

AND ALL KINDS OF VALUABLE INFORMATION AND OPPORTUNITIES FLOW THROUGH IT.

BUT SOMETIMES, DEPENDING ON THE PRINCESS'S MOOD, SHE ALLOWS SOMEONE TO JOIN EVEN IF THEY DO NOT MEET THE CONDITIONS.

WHAT I SAY HERE MAY CHANGE THE REST OF MY LIFE.

I CANNOT BELIEVE AN OPPORTUNITY LIKE THIS HAS COME TO ME...

-SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A THOUGHTLESS GIRL.

EVER SINCE WE WERE CHILDREN, SHE WOULD GIVE ME THE FOOD SHE HAD LEFT OVER AS THOUGH SHE WERE HANDING OUT CHARITY,

AND EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ADOPTED,

SHE WOULD SHAMELESSLY SAY THAT LIVING AS THE DAUGHTER OF A COUNT WAS DIFFICULT...

AND YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE HOW MUCH SHE LIKES MEN!

I HEARD SHE RAN AWAY BECAUSE SHE DISLIKED THE MARRIAGE PROSPECT THE COUNT FOUND FOR HER.

WITH HER LOOKS AND BODY, SHE MUST HAVE THOUGHT SHE COULD HOOK SOME NAIVE KNIGHT.

BUT IT SEEMS SHE WAS TERRIBLY SHOCKED AFTER RECEIVING A 10TH GRADE EVALUATION.

AS IF SOMEONE LIKE HER COULD NEVER BE A LOWEST GRADE PURIFIER...

OH MY, COME TO THINK OF IT...

IF IT IS THAT GIRL, SHE MUST HAVE USED SOME DIRTY TRICK ON SIR MICHAEL TOO.

I WILL FIND OUT MYSELF!

AH, IRENNE.

YOU, WHO HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY USELESS ALL THIS TIME,

ARE FINALLY BEING OF HELP TO ME!

...IT IS ALL RIGHT, WILHELMINA.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL NOT TO BUMP INTO ME NEXT TIME.

"PLEASE BE CAREFUL"?

RIGHT. MORE IMPORTANTLY, IRENNE, WHAT HAPPENED?

I HEARD YOU ARE 9TH GRADE.

YOU CLEARLY TOLD ME YOU WERE 10TH GRADE.

DID YOU LIE TO ME?

AND HOW DID YOU BECOME SIR MICHAEL'S PARTNER, HUH?

HE IS FAMOUS FOR REFUSING TO FORM A PARTNERSHIP WITH ANYONE.

HE IS THE COMMANDER OF THE TEMPLE KNIGHTS, NO LESS!

IF I PRESS HER LIKE THIS, SHE WILL SURELY STAMMER AS USUAL,

AT A LOSS FOR WHAT TO DO, AND START GIVING EXCUSES.

HOW DARE YOU SEDUCE A PALADIN WITH THAT BODY?

DID YOU PERHAPS GET SOME WEAKNESS OF HIS THAT WAY?

IF NOT, THEN HOW COULD SOMEONE LIKE YOU POSSIBLY BECOME SIR MICHAEL'S PARTNER...

WHY ARE YOU CURIOUS ABOUT THAT?

WHAT?

I ASKED WHY YOU ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THAT,

WILHELMINA.