Translator: Nox

My Husband Was Clearly a Paladin

Chapter 8

“Oh my, Irene! I’m so sorry. I was so excited to see you that I rushed over and bumped into you. Are you alright? Can you get up?”

Wilhelmina reached out a hand, looking frantic with worry as if she were truly sorry.

However, she couldn’t quite hide her true feelings; the look in her eyes remained sharp and predatory.

Irene ignored the outstretched hand and stood up on her own.

‘So I’m seeing her again, too.’

The only difference from the past was that Wilhelmina was no longer someone she was happy to see.

She had known Wilhelmina for a long time.

The girl had lived on the estate right next to House Rodiam.

‘We used to be quite close when we were young.’

Like Irene, Wilhelmina had been practically sold into adoption to a noble family after her purification powers were confirmed as a child.

The difference was that Wilhelmina was quite satisfied with her life.

“If I’d stayed where I was, I would’ve lived like a beggar. How lucky is it that I was adopted into a noble family? You should be grateful to the Count, too.”

Wilhelmina used to say that to Irene constantly during their basic education meetings for purifiers.

Two years older than Irene, she had gone to the Temple to have her purification powers appraised as soon as she became an adult.

‘She was a 5th-rank.’

That ambiguous middle rank—not particularly high, yet not quite low—had placed her in an awkward position.

‘She was a purifier who was too valuable to discard, but too mediocre to keep indefinitely.’

When a purifier’s rank is high, nobles never want to send them to another family.

The probability of a child born to a high-ranking purifier also being a purifier is high. Thus, they would keep her as a daughter and bring in a son-in-law from a branch family to carry on the line.

‘But Wilhelmina didn’t fall into either category, so her noble family was constantly debating what to do with her.’

Terrified that she might be sold off to some old man wanting a purifier, Wilhelmina had always hoped to meet a talented knight in the Dungeon and formally marry him.

“I obtained some monster blood and tried a preliminary purification. They said I’ll definitely be at least a 3rd-rank. With that… even if I can’t snag a royal, I’ll be able to enter a powerful family. My pair will surely be someone of high status, too. We can maintain our partnership even after the dungeon subjugation is over. Then I can become a proper noblewoman.”

Wilhelmina had been confident in her abilities.

The higher a purifier’s rank, the more likely they are to be linked with a knight from a prestigious family, and the more likely that partnership will continue after the subjugation.

Perhaps they might even form a bond as husband and wife, not just pairs.

But she was judged as a 5th-rank, and after her first subjugation, her partner declared the end of their pairing.

Twice, Wilhelmina had her relationships terminated immediately after a subjugation ended.

‘That’s why she was even more desperate this year.’

In front of Irene, Wilhelmina had cried and screamed, wondering why her pairings were never extended.

Watching her throw whatever she could get her hands on, Irene felt she knew the reason why, but she kept her mouth shut.

If she had been honest about the cause, the next person hit by a vase would surely have been her, not the maid.

And this year, Wilhelmina had been more curious than anyone about what rank Irene would receive.

The moment Irene’s 10th-rank was confirmed, Wilhelmina had smiled brightly, looking truly relieved.

In that smile, Irene saw a firm conviction: You must never be happier than me.

As Irene was recalling the Wilhelmina of her past life, the woman whispered in a low voice.

“Irene, what happened?”

“About what?”

“I heard you’re a 9th-rank? And how on earth did you become Michael-nim’s pair?”

Irene couldn’t help but let out a short, dry laugh at the demanding tone.

“Asking that before even saying hello… you must have been very curious.”

A chuckle escaped her as Wilhelmina’s intention in suddenly acting friendly became transparent.

Meanwhile, Wilhelmina looked at Irene in bewilderment.

‘Did she eat something wrong? What’s with her?’

Wilhelmina remembered the Irene she had last seen quite clearly.

How relieved she had felt seeing Irene’s face look like the world was ending at the priest’s words that she was a 10th-rank.

‘What if her rank had been higher than mine?’

A purifier’s life is determined by their rank.

For years, she had treated Irene almost like a maid under the guise of mentoring her; if Irene were to look down on her now because her rank was higher, she wouldn’t be able to stand it.

Since Irene was a 10th-rank, Wilhelmina had thought their relative positions would never change.

‘But why!’

As soon as the banquet began, Wilhelmina had quickly signed a contract with a knight she had scouted beforehand and slipped out of the hall.

He was a decent match for her criteria, and the knight, seemingly not minding her forwardness, had spent the night with her immediately.

When she woke up in the morning, the Fortress was in an uproar.

‘It’s strange enough that her rank went up, but for someone like that to become Sir Michael’s pair…’

That alone was absurd, but when she found out Irene’s quarters were in the largest, most luxurious room—the kind reserved for 1st-rank purifiers—her stomach truly turned.

Just as Wilhelmina was struggling to contain her absurdity and irritation, a maid approached her.

“My master has requested that I bring you to her.”

The crest of the Visconti royalty glittered on the maid’s chest. She was a maid of Princess Cecilia.

Without a second thought, Wilhelmina followed the maid, her heart pounding.

‘Is she going to let me join her faction?’

Purifiers form groups centered around powerful individuals.

Naturally, they don’t just let anyone into those circles.

One must have a high purification rank, come from a noble background, or be paired with a highly capable knight.

At least one of those conditions had to be met to enter a prestigious group.

And for the past two years, Wilhelmina hadn’t even been able to get near Princess Cecilia’s faction, let alone join it.

But finally, this year, the Princess had called for her.

‘If things go well…’

Princess Cecilia’s faction was a group all purifiers envied.

Being part of it meant you could tackle dungeons alongside the pairs of other friendly purifiers, or if you didn’t like your current partner, you could be introduced to a new knight the following year.

Naturally, since it was a group led by a princess, the knights she introduced were men of excellent families and outstanding skills.

Not to mention, they possessed manners above the standard.

The gathering Wilhelmina attended with such high hopes exceeded her expectations.

Aside from her, most were at least 3rd-rank purifiers, and all were paired with high-level knights.

Furthermore, they occupied a lavish room that was hard to come by within the Fortress.

In the center of the gathering, Princess Cecilia greeted Wilhelmina with a smile, wearing an ‘Artifact’ obtained during the last subjugation.

The problem was that Princess Cecilia hadn’t invited Wilhelmina to join the group.

Though the Princess spoke in circles, she wanted only one thing.

‘She told me to find out about Irene and Sir Michael.’

She wanted to know why Michael, who had never taken a pair or even received purification from other purifiers until now, had suddenly wanted one.

And why that person was Irene.

Wilhelmina wasn’t a fool. She could guess why Princess Cecilia had summoned her and was so blatantly demanding information.

It was highly likely that Michael, having formed a pair once, would look for a partner again next year.

‘Princess Cecilia is aiming for that chance.’

She wanted to know what criteria Michael used to choose a purifier so she could make him her own pair next year.

Wilhelmina herself wanted to know why Michael had requested a pairing with Irene.

‘Since he paired with a 9th-rank, wouldn’t there be a chance for me, a 5th-rank, as well?’

It was with those expectations that Wilhelmina had sought out Irene.

‘That idiot will spill everything if I just ask her, anyway.’

Considering Irene’s usual self, Wilhelmina thought she would be overjoyed to see a familiar face in a place where she knew no one and would cling to her, making it an easy task.

But contrary to her expectations, Irene was being blunt.

While Wilhelmina stood there dazed, Irene swallowed a sigh as she looked at her.

‘No doubt someone sent her to ask.’

And that someone was most likely Princess Cecilia.

‘Since she was so desperate to join the Princess’s faction in the past.’

Recalling those memories, Irene bit her lip.

After her rank had been confirmed, Wilhelmina had hated it when Irene even spoke to her. Her excuse was that it would be embarrassing if people found out she was close to someone of such a low rank.

It was the same in this life.

Yesterday at the banquet, she hadn’t even spared Irene a glance before rushing away, yet now she was acting all affectionate.

In a few days, they would be strangers for the rest of their lives; should she just ignore her?

After thinking for a moment, Irene spoke.

“I don’t know why I became a 9th-rank either. The priests said the first measurement might have been wrong. And the reason Michael-nim asked me to be his pair is…”

“…The reason?”

“I don’t really know.”

“What?”

“It’s as I said. I don’t really know why he came to me.”

It wasn’t a lie.

He had said it was because she was the closest and he was in a hurry, but thinking back on that day, even though his injuries were severe, it wasn’t so urgent that he couldn’t see anyone else.

She had indirectly asked Michael if there was another reason he requested the pairing, but he had merely repeated like a parrot that it was because she was the closest.

Irene glanced at Wilhelmina’s expression.

Wilhelmina probably thought she would obediently tell her everything she knew.

In the past, Irene had considered her one of the few friends she had, so she had told Wilhelmina everything she asked or demanded.

That wasn’t all.

‘In the past, she urged me to go to Michael.’

Wilhelmina was always very interested in Michael. So on the rare occasions they met him, she would always stand by Irene’s side, dressed up lavishly.

That wasn’t all.

“Wouldn’t I have been more helpful as his pair than you?”

Wilhelmina would often say that and click her tongue.

Even though she didn’t dare say such things in front of Princess Cecilia.

Recalling how Wilhelmina had been so desperate for Michael in the past made her current state seem merely pathetic.

So, Irene spoke with a sigh.

“If you’re so curious, why don’t you just go to Sir Michael and ask him yourself?”

The bluntness of Irene’s tone, so different from what she expected, left Wilhelmina even more flustered.

But the confusion was brief. Seeing Irene act so confident grated on her nerves, and Wilhelmina spoke through gritted teeth.

“…Perhaps Sir Michael only paired with you because he knew your situation. He’s always been generous to those who are struggling. I only came because I thought you might be under the delusion that you’re getting special treatment.”

As Wilhelmina was speaking, a maid belonging to the Fortress entered and bowed to Irene.

“Purifier Irene-nim, please check the items that have arrived for you.”

“Items for me?”

A moment later, after returning to her room with Wilhelmina—who had insisted on following her—Irene stood with her mouth agape.

“What on earth is all this?”