CH 15 A Favor

“…!”

At the mention of Michael’s name, Irene jolted upright. She hastily grabbed her robe hanging on the wall and threw it on before swinging the door open.

It was already late at night, and the corridor was dimly lit with scattered lamps. In the faint light, Irene widened her eyes, confirming that the person standing outside was indeed Michael.

“Sir Michael? What brings you here this late…”

“I have something important to discuss. Despite the late hour, I couldn’t afford the luxury of waiting. Can we talk for a moment?”

The moment Irene realized it was Michael, the drowsiness that had started to set in vanished completely. He had never shown up like this before—not once. And wasn’t he usually holed up in the fortress temple, especially on nights like these?

Irene glanced down the corridor. Luckily, there was no one else in sight.

“Someone might get the wrong idea if they see us.”

In her past life, crossing paths with Michael always seemed to stir up a whirlwind of gossip behind her back. Rumors circulated that she deliberately waited for Michael at the crossroads, claiming that since he didn’t come to her, she went to find him herself.

But the one that cut the deepest were the assumptions that she tried to win him over through cheap seduction.

“Her abilities as a purifier are the worst, but her face and body are quite captivating, aren’t they? That must be why she’s determined to catch Sir Michael’s attention, even with such methods.”

“I heard that too. Every night, she dresses like a w***e and calls for Sir Michael.”

Reflecting on it now, she should have retorted and dismissed such nonsense, but at that time, she only hung her head in response.

‘If they see us like this, they will surely start spreading those sorts of baseless rumors again.’

That was something she wanted to avoid at all costs.

At that moment, a shadow flickered at the end of the corridor. Someone was coming this way.

“Come in!”

Flustered, Irene hastily ushered Michael inside and closed the door. Listening closely, the people passed by the door, and soon, their footsteps faded away. It seemed to be another pair using a nearby room.

“Phew…”

Irene turned away with a sigh of relief. As she did, her gaze met Michael’s who was looking at her quizzically.

“Oh, it’s…It’s just that I was worried someone might see us…”

He gave her a puzzled look.

“Is it wrong to be with your pair? If there’s a curfew here, please let me know.”

That couldn’t be the case. This wasn’t the temple, so there couldn’t be a curfew they needed to worry about.

“No, it’s not that. But, you know, if someone sees Sir Michael visiting at this hour, it could cast a shadow on your honor.”

The derogatory remarks in the past were not only directed at Irene. Other knights who envied Michael also said rather unkind words behind his back.

“Even as a paladin, there must be limits to his ability to purify himself. Yet, seeing him walking around so healthy… Well, who knows, maybe he’s vigorously moving his hips every night in secret.”

“I heard her purifying power is extremely weak. Then they must have to stay in bed for a very long time.”

“No doubt they do everything behind doors, but on the outside, he’ll act the holy and noble knight.”

Irene endured the barrage of nasty things about them when they didn’t even hold hands.

Despite drawing a clear boundary and keeping their distance, what if someone had witnessed Michael coming at this hour?

The mere thought gave her a headache. Instead of a day, rumors might spread throughout the fortress in less than half.

“If that’s enough to tarnish my honor, it must not have been much of an honor in the first place. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Irene smiled bitterly at his firm reply. Whether in the past or present, seeing him maintain such dignity eased her mind slightly.

“More importantly, what brings you here at this hour?”

Even as she asked, her heart was uneasy.

Come to think of it, this place served as both her lodgings and his. It wasn’t originally a room he was supposed to be sharing, as it was, in fact, provided by another kingdom as a result of his merits. Feeling a little impudent for asking why he was here when he was the rightful owner, Irene looked away.

“Well…,” he began.

He hesitated, avoiding a direct response to Irene’s question.

‘What could possibly be going on?’

Sudden worry gripped her.

Once the sun set, he usually confined himself to the prayer room in the temple, avoiding contact with others. Sir Michael’s exceptional piety allowed him to easily dismiss most of the crude gossip with a good-natured laugh.

Yet here he was, entering her room at this hour.

‘Something must be wrong.’

Examining him again, Irene couldn’t help but wonder about something that hadn’t occurred in the past. Soon enough, she noticed a difference.

He was wearing not the typical attire of a paladin but rather the common clothes worn by other knights. Normally, he was meticulously adorned in the temple’s ceremonial robes, even going so far as to wear them beneath his armor when entering dungeons. Seeing him in those clothes stained with blood, Irene quickly understood why he was nicknamed the ‘Sword of God.’

Even when he stayed in the prayer room and fell asleep there, he used to wear priestly robes. However, the person standing before Irene now was clad in the same attire as the other knights within the fortress.

Was it because he was wearing common clothes? The Michael she was accustomed to had always seemed distant and uncomfortable to approach. But now, he appeared like any other knight.

“Is there something wrong with my clothes?”

“What?”

Surprised by his sudden comment, Irene looked at him.

“I noticed you were scrutinizing my clothes. The ceremonial robes I requested from the temple haven’t arrived yet, so I had no choice but to borrow clothes provided by the fortress.”

“Oh, I see.”

It wasn’t a significant matter, yet she felt awkward for inadvertently giving it attention.

There was silence in the room for a moment. Finally, he spoke up.

“I mentioned that I had something important to discuss… In reality, I came because I’d like to ask you for a favor.”

“From me? A favor?”

A favor, within this fortress, what could she possibly do?

“Yes. It’s something only you can do.”

The more she heard, the more puzzled Irene became. As her expression turned increasingly inscrutable, Michael swallowed briefly and struggled to speak.

“I want to ask for purification.”

In an instant, Irene’s breath caught. She couldn’t quite comprehend what she had just heard.

‘He wants me to purify him?’

In her past life, she had never heard such words. He had always rejected her as if touching her would bring instant death.

Yet now, he was seeking purification on his own accord.

Irene recalled the last purification she had performed. He had been heavily wounded, and the magical energy within his body had reached its limit.

And so she undressed and held him.

All reason gone, Michael moved according to instinct. His large, rough hands cupped her br***ts, and his firm thighs pushed her knees apart exposing her innermost parts to him.

The natural urge to survive turned him into a beast.

Some huge thing, no different from a weapon, immediately was slammed straight into her, thrusting wildly. Unable to even scream, Irene gasped for air.

But the pain was short-lived. Once she regained her breath and the boiling demonic energy within him subsided, her purification mixed with pl**sure. Beneath him, above him, and sometimes not on the bed at all.

He pinned her down like a scurrying animal, his chest against hers and their fingers intertwined. Their tongues made obsc*ne noises as they mingled with one another without ceasing.

That was the last purification Irene remembered.

“Uh…”

Unconsciously, she took a step back from Michael. The act she had done to save him, but ultimately filled her with desire, had ruined everything. There was no way she would do that purification again.

“Um, I…”

Yet, in both her past and present lives, she was his purifier. As she hesitated, Michael took a step closer. When Irene stepped back again, he approached once more. After a few more steps, her back met a rigid wall. There was nowhere else to retreat.

Leaning against the wall, Irene turned her head. She saw the bed where she had been lying just a moment ago. It was a bed made for a pair, designed to make ample room for two.

Michael’s shadow loomed close, covering Irene. Bracing herself for what was to come, she closed her eyes.

Finally, Michael said, “Could you please hold my hand?”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***