My Husband Was Clearly a Paladin
Chapter 49
Chapter 49
If one had to pick the most lavish place within the Fortress, everyone would point to Princess Cecilia’s quarters without a moment’s hesitation.
She was already twenty-five years old.
Since Dungeons typically manifested in mass quantities once a year, this year marked her fifth time entering this Fortress.
A Rank 1 Purifier. By that title alone, she was an existence meant to be looked up to in this place.
Even among Rank 1s, she was a Purifier possessing such powerful purification abilities that she could be counted on one hand.
While there were other Rank 1 Purifiers, they had naturally come to be treated as subordinates to Princess Cecilia.
However, they didn’t particularly complain about that fact.
The Princess had brought those two into her faction and treated them with extreme hospitality.
Among her gestures of favor, allowing them to use this massive residence—which was practically a mansion in its own right—was a sign of the Princess’s consideration toward those Rank 1 Purifiers.
But today, it seemed she had no intention of extending that consideration.
“I can’t go in?”
Liosa furrowed her brows. She was a Rank 1 Purifier, the same as Princess Cecilia.
“Is something the matter?”
“It is just that… it seems she has some urgent business to attend to.”
Simultaneously, the sound of something shattering echoed from within.
“What was that noise?”
At that sound, Liosa’s eyes widened in surprise.
The Princess Cecilia they knew was always quiet, gentle, and elegant.
Of course, she would occasionally call upon lower-ranked Purifiers wandering the Fortress to teach them their place, but even then, she always treated them with a smile and kindness.
For such a commotion to occur inside the Princess’s quarters was unheard of.
“Someone’s hand must have slipped. As I thought, it seems things are quite hectic inside, so please, return for today, Liosa-nim.”
The Princess’s maid bowed deeply with her usual polite posture.
A mere servant wouldn’t dare block her so firmly of their own volition.
Therefore, she was clearly acting on the Princess’s orders. If that was the case, nothing good would come of forcing her way inside now.
“Fine, I’ll head back for today.”
Liosa turned away as if she had no further business.
Yet, her mind was racing.
What on earth could have upset the Princess, who usually acted so composed?
‘There’s only one answer.’
Liosa walked to the window and looked out. Directly across from the building they were in was another building with an identical structure.
Naturally, the top floor of that building also contained a space nearly identical to Princess Cecilia’s.
Of course, the Princess’s quarters had an additional large drawing room and a space for hosting small banquets, but regardless, the occupant of the other side was enjoying a luxury that rivaled the Princess’s.
“Irene Rodiam, was it?”
Unlike Princess Cecilia, who was renowned for her Rank 1 purification power, she was a Purifier who had received a Rank 10 evaluation—the very bottom.
‘No, she’s Rank 8 now.’
A Purifier whose rank, which was supposed to be fixed once determined, had changed twice. Moreover, she was someone with the potential to rise even higher.
And….
“A new faction, huh.”
She had thought the power dynamic of this Fortress would never change until the day Princess Cecilia retired.
But the group that woman recently formed had been growing significantly in size.
“Hmm.”
Complex emotions flickered in Liosa’s eyes as she stared at Irene’s quarters.
As of yet, there wasn’t a single Rank 1 Purifier over there.
The highest-ranked member was said to be the Rank 2, Reina Ortega.
‘She’s a greenhorn who just entered the Fortress this year.’
Thus, she lacked the experience to offer advice to other Purifiers.
The rest were common Rank 3 to Rank 5 Purifiers who could be found anywhere.
Since the center of the group was a Rank 8, it was a faction that couldn’t even be considered proper.
‘But Sir Michael is there.’
That one man alone was enough to flip the board.
She sank into thought.
A faction with military strength equal to all the knights on this side combined.
Yet, a faction with no leader in the field of purification because they lacked a proper Purifier.
‘If I were to go over there….’
In an instant, various futures flashed through Liosa’s mind.
Since the number of people in that faction was still small, the distribution of rewards would be far greater than it was now.
And unlike now, where everyone praised the Princess, she could receive the most respect among the Purifiers. If that happened….
‘Since Sir Michael chose a pair this year, there’s a high possibility he’ll look for a pair again next year.’
There was no way someone who had experienced purification could walk away from it.
Furthermore, since he had to continue subjugating Dungeons anyway, he would definitely need a Purifier next year as well.
If so, if she built a rapport with him now….
‘Wouldn’t there be a high chance that I, not Princess Cecilia, would become his pair?’
It was only because the Princess was highly evaluated; she herself was also one of only three Rank 1 Purifiers in the Fortress.
‘It doesn’t seem like Sir Michael is particularly attached to his current Purifier, either.’
A pair is a marital relationship, albeit a temporary one.
Because of this, knights often sleep with Purifiers to both receive purification and satisfy their physical desires.
Of course, he likely kept his distance because he was a Holy Knight. Still, since it was a pair’s right, one might expect him to enjoy himself to some extent this time….
‘That woman’s face is decent enough, but he didn’t seem to be enjoying it particularly.’
All she had seen was him holding her hand as if escorting a noble lady.
The maids planted on that side said they hadn’t seen him visiting at night, and the bed had never once been found disheveled.
If so, like a true Holy Knight, it was clear he was obtaining purification through only the bare minimum of contact.
‘I, on the other hand, would like to enjoy it a bit.’
He had a body that commanded admiration just by looking at it.
Even though her own pair was a knight of some renown, compared to Michael, he looked like a mere child.
‘Spending a night of purification with someone with a body like that would be incredible.’
Because she was confident in her purification power, she sometimes intentionally pushed her knight to the brink.
Then, her partner would lose his reason and lunged at her like a madman.
She swept her tongue over her lips.
‘If I could just share a bed with Sir Michael even once.’
Furthermore, Michael was an exceedingly devout man. Even if he reproached himself for losing his physical purity, he would surely take responsibility until the end.
“To have the continent’s strongest Holy Knight as a husband….”
He was a man who had entered the Holy Knight Order, which consisted only of men, since childhood and had kept his distance from the opposite sex until now.
What would such a man look like at night?
Liosa’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as she gazed across the way.
Crash!
Another vase flew through the air and smashed against the wall.
Expensive items worth hundreds of gold each were instantly transformed into worthless porcelain shards scattered across the floor.
Cecilia’s ladies-in-waiting swallowed their sighs as they calculated the value of the items being destroyed.
This was the first time she had ever expressed such anger within the Fortress.
It was no exaggeration to say the Fortress was a place she ruled.
A place where everyone watched Cecilia’s moods and bowed their heads of their own accord.
However, not long ago, there was a Purifier who had walked out of a gathering of her own will, even though Cecilia hadn’t given her permission.
At the time, they thought they just had to endure the Princess’s irritation for a day, but….
‘To think that wench would escalate things like this.’
When they first heard news of her forming a faction, they had all mocked it.
But the situation changed when word spread that they had successfully cleared a high-level Dungeon with Michael at the lead and had divided the resulting Artifact rewards equally.
The first to disappear from Cecilia’s faction were the Purifiers around Rank 5.
Those who used to bow their heads repeatedly, saying they were only able to go to high-level Dungeons thanks to the Princess.
Those who, consequently, received the lowest percentage of rewards.
At the mention of equal distribution, they completely forgot the grace they had received from the Princess and rushed headlong to Irene Rodiam’s faction.
At first, she mocked them as being like moths to a flame.
But the severity of the situation became clear during the Princess’s mid-level Dungeon raid just yesterday.
Only half of the usual participants had shown up.
They all made excuses—that they were sick or that they were going to a low-level Dungeon separately—but upon investigation, it was revealed they hadn’t come so they could attend Irene’s faction.
And now, having received that news, the Princess was unable to contain her rage, throwing whatever furniture and decor she could lay her hands on.
She wasn’t huffing and puffing like a madwoman. No, that would have been better. It would have shown at a glance how angry she was.
Instead, the Princess calmly picked up the ceramics with her usual composed demeanor and slowly smashed them one by one.
After breaking everything that could be broken, the Princess sat in her chair with a graceful movement.
Just then, an employee from the Archive entered with an information sheet for a newly registered Dungeon.
The Princess’s eyes gleamed as she took it.
A moment later, she commanded her ladies-in-waiting.
“Contact all members of the faction. Tell them a large-scale raid will be organized within a few days, and those who wish to join should apply.”
