CH 5 Purification

‘What did I expect…’

In that instant, Irene blushed. It was embarrassing to realize that she had momentarily thought there was something special about her that made him propose a pairing.

“What’s going on?”

“That person is the Paladin Michael, right?”

“What? He’s really here?”

The chatter of the people standing next to her brought her back to her senses. She couldn’t repeat her past mistakes, regardless of why he had come here and what had changed about him.

“I am not worthy.”

Saying so, Irene withdrew her hand.

However, contrary to her expectations, Michael tightened his grip, holding onto her hand with even more strength.

“…!”

Irene was once again taken aback by his actions.

‘It wasn’t like this before.’

Not only was Michael reluctant to touch women, he never held them tightly even when performing basic escort duties. He was the type of person who acutely sensed when she would try to pull away even slightly and let go right away.

But the Michael before her now did not.

“Aren’t you a purifier?”

His eyes were filled with conviction that she was. He looked at her, seemingly questioning why she didn’t heal him despite being injured. Irene found herself at a loss on how to respond.

Her purifying power was weak anyway.

‘Besides, if I heal him in front of everyone, it’s practically the same as publicly declaring our contract.’

While a purifier could heal multiple people, their power was stronger when focused on just one person. And so, healing someone in front of others was akin to announcing the end of their contract and publicly declaring that the person had become their pair.

‘Michael probably doesn’t know that yet.’

He’d only just been informed of the continent-wide law by the Alliance of Kingdoms, so there’s no way he’d know. Even if he knew, he would never have asked her to purify him in front of everyone.

As Irene pondered how to explain, someone approached the two of them.

“Nice to meet you, Sir Michael.”

It was a beautiful voice that made your head turn just by hearing it. And it was a voice Irene remembered vividly.

“Princess Cecilia…”

Irene turned her head with a sigh, and there stood a beautiful woman with long black hair that reached down to her waist, wearing a gentle smile.

Princess Cecilia Mozinego Visconti, the first princess of the Mozinego royal family and the most powerful among purifiers.

And…

Unknowingly, Irene felt cold sweat in her clenched hand.

Princess Cecilia hated Irene.

She often called Irene to gatherings among purifiers and pitied her, saying things like:

“If only you were more capable, Sir Michael wouldn’t be having such a hard time.”

The words, often accompanied by a sigh, never failed to stab Irene in the heart.

‘And she was the last person I saw.’

In the past, on the day Irene died, the last person she had a conversation with was her.

“Why are you rushing around like that?”

“I wanted to say one final goodbye to Sir Michael, but I don’t know where he is….”

“Oh, you’re looking for Sir Michael.”

The princess, turning her head, pointed to the lowest level dungeon that still remained.

“Do you see that remaining dungeon over there? Sir Michael headed in to clean it up. If you want to apologize, now is your last chance. Hurry, he probably finished clearing out all the monsters.”

After informing her of Michael’s whereabouts, she seemed to have nothing more to say and turned away to walk back to the fortress.

After that, Irene entered the dungeon as she was told…

‘And I died.’

A dungeon that was supposed to have been cleared was full of monsters—as if no one had ever entered.

It wasn’t long after she entered that the creatures caught her human scent, and chased her further in.

Irene steadied her trembling arms. When she thought of that moment when her breathing stopped, the fear she could not completely erase came back to her with an intense clarity.

****

Irene looked at Princess Cecilia. In the past, due to the misinformation Cecilia provided, Irene lost her life. However, it remained uncertain whether it was intentional or a mistake.

It seemed unlikely that Cecilia harbored such intense resentment towards Irene to intentionally cause her harm, but there were too many things she was unsure of to dismiss it as an honest mistake. Nonetheless, Irene chose to bury the issue.

‘But now… it doesn’t matter.’

Irene made a conscious effort to compose herself. In this current life, she has no connection to Michael whatsoever, so there’s no need to concern herself with Cecilia’s disdain.

‘It’s probably better this way.’

In their past life, when Michael arrived, Princess Cecilia had already left.

‘So many regretted the fact that the princess didn’t stay.’

If she and Michael had formed a contract, they would have become an exceptionally strong pair—maybe one even worthy of legends.

Additionally, Cecilia was a princess who wasn’t overly concerned about money. Even if Michael donated most of the rewards to the temple, she wouldn’t have cared one bit.

‘So, this time, they can be a pair.’

Even if Michael were gravely wounded, he can be healed just through holding hands with her and he won’t have to break any of his holy vows. And Princess Cecilia, with her strong sense of honor, would become a legend by his side.

That was the right path.

Irene was about to turn around to quickly leave this place. Now that the princess had arrived, the two of them could handle things on their own.

That’s when it happened.

“…!”

A strong golden glow emanated from her hand as Michael held onto it. At the sight of this light, Irene, Cecilia, and everyone around were astonished.

“This is…!”

Irene found herself breathless. Although she had witnessed it countless times in the past, this was something she had never seen from her own hand.

‘It’s the light of purification!’

The intense light that appears when a powerful purifier heals or purifies someone. In the past, only a few high-ranking purifiers, including Princess Cecilia, could conjure such light.

So why was it appearing now?

“That’s the light of purification!”

“But didn’t you say that person was the lowest rank? So how…!”

Among the bewildered crowd, Irene was more perplexed than anyone.

‘What’s going on?’

Everyone was baffled by the light of purification, but Irene was more surprised by something else.

‘I didn’t use any of my power!’

Naturally, purification power was a force that appeared at the will of the purifier. Even if a knight wished for it, the purifier must allow the power to be drawn out.

But how on earth did this happen?

While everyone was in shock, Michael’s appearance quickly changed. The wounds that covered his face and body disappeared, and the dark demonic blood that had covered his entire body gradually turned clear as it lost its crimson color. In the place where a bloodied knight stood moments ago, there was only the holy paladin of renown.

Finally, Irene came face to face with the Michael she remembered.

“Huh?”

An intense wave of dizziness washed over her and she collapsed to the ground. It was a familiar sensation—dizziness that comes when using the power of purification to its limit.

Just as she thought she was going to fall to the ground in a heap, a thick arm immediately wrapped around her waist.

Even with her dazed mind, Irene recognized that it was Michael’s arm. In the past, when she was healing Michael by merging their bodies, she tried to escape several times because she could not handle his frenzied passion. Each time, his thick arms had wrapped around her waist like this, pinning her down.

Now, as Irene was embarrassed by what had happened in a previous life that only she would remember, he spoke to her in a trembling voice.

“Thank you for becoming my pair. …I will definitely…”

And he seemed to whisper something more.

But Irene’s consciousness had already faded away.

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