My Husband Was Clearly a Paladin
Chapter 20
“……!”
The moment Irene spoke, Felix immediately shielded Reina, stepping in front of her.
“Who are you?”
Felix scrutinized Irene with a sharp gaze.
It was a guarded reaction to a sudden approach—one naturally expected from a pair.
Had it been the Irene of her past life, she would have been startled by Felix’s swift movement. But not now.
‘He’s clumsy.’
Having seen many knights in her previous life, and having witnessed Michael’s movements—infrequent as they may have been—Felix’s response seemed somewhat amateurish.
‘With that level of skill, death is a certainty.’
No matter how large the raid party, survival ultimately depended on individual ability.
At his current level, his limit would be dealing with low-grade monsters at the rear.
‘And if the knights at the front are breached and he comes face-to-face with a high-grade magical beast….’
In her past life, Reina had wept while cradling his severed head. His neck had been taken off in a single strike before she even had a chance to heal him.
Recalling that scene made her stomach churn. At this rate, that sight would be repeated.
“Hey, I asked who you are.”
Felix’s voice grew sharp at Irene’s lack of response.
Irene straightened her posture and greeted the two of them.
“Irene Rodiam. I am a purifier who recently arrived at the fortress. And… my pair is Sir Michael of the Temple.”
She had intended to give only her name.
However, seeing Felix’s hostile aura, she felt she needed to utilize Michael’s fame to lower his guard.
As expected, the mention of Michael’s name caused Felix to falter; he dropped his guard and adjusted his stance.
“Ah, you are Sir Michael’s purifier.”
He even became polite.
Irene bowed her head slightly, realizing once again just how much influence Michael’s name carried.
“I apologize for approaching you so suddenly. I’m sorry if I startled you.”
“Not at all. I should be the one apologizing for my rudeness. I suppose I’ve been on edge since this is my first time at the fortress.”
Felix bowed deeply.
His attitude made Irene feel a bit more favorable toward him.
It was rare to find someone who could apologize for their mistake so readily.
Just then, Reina, who had been standing behind him, took a step forward and questioned Irene.
“What do you mean, don’t go to that dungeon? Do you happen to know something about it?”
“Reina?”
Surprised by Reina’s sudden assertiveness, Felix tried to hold her back.
But Reina firmly brushed his hand away and stepped closer to Irene.
“If so, could you tell us anything at all?”
As Reina’s voice rose, the eyes of the Archive staff and others inside shifted toward them.
‘Oh dear.’
Aware of the unwanted attention, Irene looked around and spoke in a whisper only the two of them could hear.
“Ice Bees appear there. It will be difficult to block the attacks of flying-type monsters, so avoid it.”
“……How do you know that?”
Felix looked down at the paper the staff member had given him earlier, which stated that an advanced dungeon had appeared.
It only listed the dungeon’s location and rank; no results of internal exploration were recorded yet.
Unlike low-grade dungeons, exploring advanced ones took a significant amount of time.
Yet here she was, asserting exactly what would appear in a dungeon that had only just been reported.
“I cannot tell you that, so please do not ask further. Regardless, I have warned you. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Leaving behind a Felix who clearly wanted to pry more, Irene hurried out of the Archive.
She feared that staying any longer would only invite further suspicion from others.
Fortunately, the two did not try to stop her.
“Whew….”
It was only after she had quickly exited and walked for a long while that Irene finally let out a breath.
Setting the records she had brought out onto a nearby bench, she closed her eyes for a moment.
‘Did I do the right thing?’
Since returning to the past, she had tried not to interfere in matters outside her own.
That was the only way to ensure the past she had experienced would repeat without change.
‘Only then will the knowledge I remember be of any help.’
So, she should have avoided stepping in as much as possible.
And yet, Irene had told Reina and Felix not to enter that dungeon.
‘But….’
Irene reflected on her past life.
In this vast fortress, the number of people who had treated her with any decency could be counted on one hand.
No, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say there were none at all.
There were those who looked at her with contempt. There was Michael, who was polite and formal but never allowed her to get close.
In that environment, Reina was one of the few who had shown her kindness.
‘Above all… I can’t forget how she looked at the end.’
When Reina’s family came to collect her, they had shoved her into a carriage as if she were luggage, while she wept hysterically, screaming that she had to find Felix.
Irene, lingering nearby out of pity, had overheard the conversation between her family members.
“Stupid girl. If she had just chosen the knight Princess Cecilia introduced as her pair, this never would have happened.”
“She insisted she could do well and picked her own pair…. Perhaps it’s for the best. She’s in that state, but there’s nothing wrong with her ability to bear children, so we received a high price, didn’t we?”
“Exactly. That might be more money than Reina would have ever earned as a purifier.”
Irene had been horrified by their words as they climbed into the carriage, acting as if things had actually turned out well.
Despite being their daughter and sister, they felt no empathy for her pain; they were merely treating her like livestock they had sold off.
And that was the same future Irene would have faced if she hadn't paid off her debt.
‘If those two go to the advanced dungeon again this time….’
The same tragedy would occur.
But what if they didn’t go?
Things would flow differently from her past life. Because of that, the future Irene remembered would change, and she might suffer for it.
‘Even so….’
Irene recalled the image of Reina handing her fruit in the past.
She remembered how Reina had spoken to her warmly when she was all alone, sharing what she had without hesitation.
If she could keep seeing that version of her….
She would have no regrets.
*
*
*
Reina and Felix stared at the door Irene had exited for a long time.
Though they had never met her, they knew who she was.
The pair of the famous Holy Knight, Michael. Moreover, she was the person Sir Michael himself had requested to be his pair.
How many rumors had circulated through the fortress immediately after that?
‘The rumors were everywhere—that she lacked ability as a purifier and tried to seduce knights with her face and body.’
They said that even Sir Michael had fallen for her charms.
However, someone who had been nearby during the Night of the Contract informed people of what Michael had actually said: that he had simply sought out the nearest purifier.
That meant all the slander they had engaged in previously was baseless nonsense.
Instead of feeling ashamed for spreading groundless rumors, people now gossiped that the woman was incredibly lucky, while pitying Michael for ending up with such a low-grade purifier.
Regardless of the truth, it was disappointing to see people biting at an unknown purifier because they couldn't tear down the prestigious Michael.
Naturally, Reina had been curious about what kind of person Sir Michael’s pair was.
“What a strange person.”
Reina muttered to herself without realizing it.
“Indeed.”
Beside her, Felix agreed.
She hadn’t even flinched at his rough attitude; she had simply given them a warning as if she knew the future and then left without a second thought.
Reina sank into thought for a moment before leading Felix out of the Archive to a quiet spot.
“Felix, I’ll be honest. I think both you and I lack the experience to go to an advanced dungeon yet.”
“…….”
“I’m not just saying this because of what that purifier said. Besides, there’s no way you don’t know what I know. So why did you suddenly want to apply for an advanced dungeon?”
“T-That’s….”
At Reina’s question, Felix’s face suddenly flushed bright red.
Seeing him avert his gaze, unsure of what to do and breaking into a sweat, Reina gave a small laugh and took his hand.
Her slender fingers slid between his, gripping them firmly.
Felix, who had been momentarily agitated, quickly regained his composure.
A sensation like a cool breeze brushing through his mind was accompanied by a warmth like spring sunshine.
It was a feeling of profound calm and stability.
Reina wore a pleasant smile. This was the natural sensation felt during purification.
‘Though it’s not always like this.’
Cases where one felt an intense, violent stimulation instead….
‘Are only when the partner has been consumed by demonic energy.’
Not long ago, when they had gone to subjugate a low-grade dungeon right after arriving here, Reina learned for the first time what that feeling was.
Hadn't they rushed back to their quarters and ended up clinging to each other, breathless?
Both the purifier and the knight had felt a maddening stimulation toward each other that made it impossible to stay sane.
‘Felix said he felt a violent urge that he couldn't restrain at all.’
Recalling how he had clung to her on the verge of tears that day, Reina let go of his hand.
Felix looked disappointed, but he released her hand obediently.
“Now, Felix. Tell me why you applied for the advanced dungeon.”
At Reina’s soft voice, he squeezed his eyes shut and answered.
“T-That… I heard it’s custom to give the first accessory obtained from a dungeon as a gift to one’s pair…. I wanted to give you something better, so that’s why.”
In that moment.
Rustle.
The sound of something moving came from below.
The place where the two were standing was a terrace near the Archive. Naturally, it was a place where others could come and go freely.
‘But if someone was there, there’s no way I wouldn’t have sensed them.’
Felix shielded Reina just as he had before and looked down.
Standing there was a figure he hadn't expected at all.
“Sir Michael?”
It was Michael, dressed as neatly as ever in his Temple vestments.
