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Chapter 5
What was I even expecting…?
For a moment, Irenne’s face turned red.
She felt embarrassed that, even for a second, she had thought Mikhail had asked her to become his Pair because there was something special about her.
“What’s going on?”
“That’s Sir Mikhail, the Holy Knight, isn’t it?”
“What? He actually came here?”
The whispers of the people nearby brought Irenne back to her senses.
She didn’t know why he had arrived at a different time or why he was in such a condition.
But she could not repeat the mistakes of her previous life.
“I am not worthy of that.”
As she spoke, Irenne tried to pull her hand away.
But instead of letting go, Mikhail tightened his grip.
“…!”
His reaction left Irenne stunned once again.
He was never like this.
Not only did Mikhail dislike touching women, but even when politely escorting one, he never held her hand firmly.
The moment she tried to pull away, he would always notice immediately and let go.
But the Mikhail standing before her now did not.
“Aren’t you a purifier?”
His eyes were filled with absolute certainty that she was.
Yet there was also a trace of resentment in them, as though asking why she refused to heal his wounds.
Irenne didn’t know what she should do.
My purification power is weak anyway.
And if I heal him here in front of everyone…
It would be no different from announcing that we’ve already formed a contract.
Although a purifier could heal many people, their power became much stronger when focused on only one person.
That was why healing someone in front of others was practically the same as publicly declaring that the contract had been completed and that person had become their Pair.
The current Mikhail probably doesn’t know that yet.
He had only recently received notice of the new continental law from the Allied Kingdoms.
There was no way he would know such details.
Besides…
If he did know, he would never have asked her to purify him in front of everyone.
As Irenne wondered how she should explain it, someone approached them.
“It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Sir Mikhail.”
The beautiful voice naturally drew everyone’s attention.
It was also a voice Irenne remembered very clearly.
“Princess Cecilia…”
Irenne whispered her name like a sigh as she turned around.
Standing there was a beautiful woman with long black hair that reached her waist and a gentle smile on her face.
Cecilia Mocenigo Visconti.
The first princess of the Visconti royal family.
And the strongest purifier among them all.
And…
Without realizing it, Irenne felt cold sweat forming on the hand she had clenched.
Princess Cecilia hated her.
She often invited Irenne to gatherings of purifiers and would say with a regretful expression,
“If only you were a stronger purifier, Sir Mikhail would not have to suffer so much.”
Those words, spoken with a quiet sigh, were completely true.
That was why they pierced Irenne’s heart even more deeply.
She was also the last person I saw.
On the day Irenne died in her previous life…
Princess Cecilia had been the last person she spoke to.
“Why are you in such a hurry?”
“I want to say goodbye to Lord Mikhail one last time, but I don’t know where he is…”
“Ah, so you’re looking for Sir Mikhail.”
Princess Cecilia nodded and pointed toward the remaining low-rank dungeon.
“Do you see that dungeon over there? Sir Mikhail went inside to clear it. If you want to apologize, this is probably your last chance. Hurry. All the monsters have already been taken care of.”
After telling her where Mikhail was, the princess simply turned around and walked back into the fortress.
Following her directions, Irenne entered that dungeon.
And…
I died.
Contrary to what Princess Cecilia had said…
The dungeon was still full of monsters.
It looked as though no one had ever entered it.
Not long after Irenne went inside, the monsters caught the scent of a human.
They rushed toward her.
Unable to escape, she had no choice but to flee deeper into the dungeon.
Irenne tightened her trembling arm.
Whenever she remembered those final moments, the fear she had never fully erased returned as vividly as ever.
She quietly looked at Princess Cecilia.
In her previous life, she had died because of the information the princess gave her.
But…
She still didn’t know whether it had been intentional or simply a mistake.
If it had been intentional, Princess Cecilia had never hated her enough to wish her dead.
But if it had truly been a mistake…
There were still too many things that didn’t make sense.
But now…
It doesn’t matter anymore.
Irenne calmed herself.
She would never enter a dungeon because of Princess Cecilia’s words again.
In fact, she would never even ask.
She no longer planned to become involved with Mikhail.
So there would be no reason for Princess Cecilia to despise her.
Maybe this is for the best.
In her previous life, Princess Cecilia had already left before Mikhail arrived.
Many people regretted that she wasn’t here.
If she and Mikhail had formed a Pair…
They would have become a legendary partnership.
Besides, as a princess, Cecilia wasn’t concerned about money like other purifiers.
Even if Mikhail donated most of his rewards to the Temple, she wouldn’t care at all.
This time…
The two of them should become each other’s Pair.
If that happened…
Even if Mikhail suffered terrible injuries, holding her hand alone would be enough to heal him.
He would never be expelled from the Temple.
Princess Cecilia, who greatly valued honor, would become a legend beside him.
That…
Was the right path.
Irenne quickly turned, intending to leave.
Now that the princess had arrived, the rest was up to them.
Just then—
“…!”
A brilliant golden light suddenly spread from the hand Mikhail was holding.
The light left not only Irenne and Princess Cecilia frozen…
But everyone around them as well.
“W-What is this?!”
Irenne gasped.
She knew this light well.
She had seen it countless times in her previous life.
But…
Never from her own hand.
The Light of Purification!
The light that appeared whenever a powerful purifier healed wounds or cleansed demonic miasma.
In the past, only Princess Cecilia and a few high-ranking purifiers close to her had ever produced such light.
So why…
Why was it appearing now?
“It’s the Light of Purification!”
“Wasn’t she supposed to be the lowest-rank purifier? Then how is this possible?!”
While everyone else stared in shock…
Irenne was even more stunned than they were.
What’s happening?
Everyone was shocked because of the light.
But something else frightened Irenne even more.
I didn’t use my power!
Purification power could only be activated by the purifier’s own will.
No matter how badly a knight wanted it…
The power would never appear unless the purifier allowed it.
So how…
How could this be happening?
While everyone watched in disbelief, Mikhail’s appearance rapidly changed.
The wounds covering his face and body disappeared.
The dark red monster blood covering him slowly lost its color until it became clear and vanished.
Before long…
The blood-covered knight was gone.
Only the Holy Knight everyone knew remained.
The moment Irenne finally saw the Mikhail she remembered—
“Huh…?”
A wave of dizziness overwhelmed her.
Her legs gave out, and she collapsed.
It was a familiar feeling.
The dizziness that always came whenever she used all of her purification power.
I’m going to fall flat on the floor…
Just as she thought that—
A strong arm immediately wrapped around her waist.
Even through her fading consciousness…
Irenne recognized it.
It was Mikhail’s arm.
In her previous life, when she had healed him by sharing the same bed…
There had been times when she couldn’t endure his desperate movements and had tried to pull away.
Whenever that happened…
His strong arms had wrapped around her waist just like this, holding her close.
As Irenne became embarrassed remembering something that now only she could remember from her previous life…
Mikhail, still holding her, spoke in a trembling voice.
“…Thank you for becoming my Pair.”
“…When the time comes, I will definitely…”
It sounded as though he whispered something more.
But before she could hear the rest…
Irenne lost consciousness.
