A Morning of Refreshing and Renewal
When Irene opened her eyes in the morning, she could not immediately recall who she was or where she was.
Fortunately, after blinking a few times, all her memories returned, but she could not even lift her body or move a single finger.
Her body and mind lay limp like a soaked cotton ball.
Irene recalled the moment she had lost consciousness and the brief moment she had regained her senses.
Michael was stubborn and persistent.
Whenever she tried to give up purification even a little, he would whisper and urge her on again and again.
His words, heard in a state where all her senses were numb, were no different from a divine revelation.
That was why Irene had to muster her strength according to his murmurs.
Then, when she grew exhausted to the point of being unable to make a sound, he gathered her in his arms and carried her to the bed.
Even then, he never let go of the hand he was holding.
Perhaps because of that, when he tried to stand up, Irene ended up grabbing him instead.
It must have been because their fingers had been intertwined for far too long.
“Oh dear.”
With a troubled voice, he stopped in place.
“Since you wished for it, I will stay a little longer.”
That was not the case, yet he seemed to say that if she wanted, he could offer his body as much as she liked, and he held her hand for much longer before rising.
“Haa……”
Irene sighed and pressed the back of her hand to her flushed cheeks. How long had she really been with him yesterday?
Irene recalled the boiling, filthy energy that had been pushing into her from inside.
The energy that seemed like it would melt away just from receiving it was both terrifying and captivating.
How could Michael possibly contain such a thing?
‘To him, it must have been just a horrific feeling.’
Then, suddenly, his whispered words came to mind.
Relax your strength, do not swallow it all at once. You have to get used to it first before you can take in greater things.
At that moment, Irene’s face flushed even hotter.
It was probably just a casual remark from him, yet she was ashamed to think of such lewd thoughts herself.
‘But……’
Even in the past where that had never happened, he had said something similar.
“Relax your strength. How am I supposed to go in like this…….”
In her previous life, during that night together, when she was struggling with his immense size and Irene was trying desperately to bear it, he had whispered so and pushed all the way in.
It felt as though the massive pillar was being forced deep into her body without end, making it impossible to breathe properly while she moved as he commanded.
She had spread her legs wide open like a lewd woman and tried to relax her strength.
Perhaps because her efforts were satisfactory.
He had laughed and then thrust his hips roughly upward.
“Ah, ah……”
In an instant, his member had slipped smoothly into her depths. A low chuckle sounded from above her face.
“To try to swallow it all at once like this.”
Even in a confused state, Michael never belittled or insulted her.
His movements were urgent, but he never deliberately inflicted pain.
Yet that very consideration made Irene suffer all the more.
Halfway inside her, he patted her shoulder as if soothing her to urge him to stop.
Then he moved his hips very slowly.
Even staying still had been painful, but with him moving, the feeling of her insides being stretched wide open was unbearable.
While struggling between pain and pleasure, he firmly held both her wrists and whispered.
“You must hold on. To take everything to the end, you have to relax completely from now on.”
Michael said that and remained buried to the hilt for a long while before slowly moving his body.
And after an even longer time, he finally made her take him all the way to the root.
So incredibly slowly that it seemed as if her insides were completely changing to fit his shape. With utmost care and tenderness.
Just remembering it now made some part of her body tingle.
Even while holding her tightly for a whole week, he had often shown that kind of gentleness.
‘Anyway, I’m the only one remembering this……’
This was something that had not happened to him now, so why would he recall the past and say something like this?
“No, even so……!”
When Irene was squirming in some unjust anger, a knock sounded on the door.
“Milady Irene, are you awake?”
“Y-Yes!”
At the maids’ voices, Irene used all her remaining strength to sit up.
Soon after, the maids entered and looked at her disheveled state with worried expressions.
“It seems your purification yesterday must have been very taxing.”
“Y-Yes, it was too huge…… ah, I mean, the demonic energy!”
While answering weakly, she immediately realized her words could be misunderstood and hurriedly added.
“It’s because I just came back from clearing a high-rank dungeon. The demonic energy is so vivid. Although my ability is still low, even just holding hands made it so painful……”
While muttering, Irene felt her cheeks burning up.
“I see. Even without that, I heard that Lady Michael has single-handedly cleared a high-rank dungeon, causing quite a stir in the fortress. They say he handled it perfectly after helping others. Still, it seems purification is necessary for you. You must have worked very hard, Milady Irene.”
Contrary to Irene’s worries, the maid answered brightly with an extremely grateful expression.
As if she had never once thought of mixing bodies with Michael like the other pairs and purifying through that.
Irene felt awkward.
‘Well, who would doubt that.’
Even if their relationship had changed, Michael’s attitude remained the same.
Michael was still kind and respectful to everyone in the fortress.
He would bow his head and greet the maids who ignored and treated others rudely.
His chastity remained the same. Aside from when purifying, he kept a certain distance from Irene, as if he could not touch her.
That was why everyone had no choice but to trust his purity.
While Irene was being helped by the maid to wash and come out, another maid entered the room.
“Milady Irene, a visitor has come. With Lady Michael’s request, the high priestess has come to see you.”
With Lady Michael’s request? Irene hurriedly changed her clothes and asked for the high priestess to be brought in.
A short while later, a high priestess with a gentle expression entered the room.
At her appearance, Irene relaxed.
Because she could not find any contempt in the priestess’s gaze toward her.
‘I was worried there was no reason for the temple to welcome me.’
In the past, the people of the temple had disliked her. They thought she had tarnished Michael’s honor as the temple’s representative.
This time, thanks to Michael having applied to be paired first, it was milder than before, but there were still people whispering as if she were the problem.
So she had thought this priestess might also look down on her.
But seeing the gentle smile, it did not seem so.
“Hello, Purifier. My name is Bariel, the Holy Staff of the Goddess.”
The Holy Staff. At those words, Irene suddenly recalled Michael’s signature that had always introduced himself as the Goddess’s sword.
‘But…… this time it seemed different?’
When Reina and Cynthia were present, he had only said his name.
Thinking perhaps he had blinked, Irene realized Bariel was looking at her with a troubled expression.
She quickly lowered her head and greeted her.
“I am Irene Rodiam.”
“It is an honor to meet you. Lady Michael told me you would eventually find a pair, and now the wait has finally ended.”
“……What? What do you mean by that?”
The wait had ended? That sounded as if Michael had been waiting for a pair.
Irene, wanting an explanation, asked again.
Bariel hesitated a little before speaking.
“According to the Goddess’s teachings, Lady Michael coming to the fortress and finding a pair is against the natural order. However, after the Kingdom Alliance demanded he find a pair and stopped distributing dungeons, there have been many discussions within the temple.”
Many people were moved by Michael’s achievements and donated to the temple, but it had limits in feeding and sheltering the starving and wounded.
Up until now, the largest portion of the temple’s budget had been filled by the rewards he earned from clearing dungeons.
But now that was completely blocked, the immediate situation for the wounded’s medicine was dire.
“In fact, Princess Cecilia proposed to the deputy priestess that if Lady Michael pairs with someone, a large portion of the rewards would go to the temple, and contact would be kept to a minimum.”
“……”
Irene’s expression hardened at Bariel’s words.
‘It wasn’t a rejection proposal?’
She had already given away a large portion of the rewards, and the contact would not differ much from what she was doing now.
So why had she rejected the princess’s proposal?
“Even so, Lady Michael rejected it. He said he had no thoughts for now. In other words, it meant he would accept someday, but……”
Bariel continued.
The Kingdom Alliance’s interference in his dungeon access had quickly reduced the rewards he earned.
The temple’s stance became anxious.
The number of people injured by dungeons kept increasing, yet there was no money left to feed and house them.
But forcing Michael to find a pair and enter a dungeon was impossible.
So the temple would end up selling people for money?
“We had no choice but to select the most needy patients and reduce even that minimum, but this year Lady Michael suddenly went to the fortress as if he had been waiting. I, who received the temple’s orders, followed him belatedly. But the moment I arrived, I heard him say he had found a pair…… Honestly, I was worried.”
Bariel lowered her head as if receiving a confession.
“Honestly, I knew the purifiers desire many rewards. Ah, of course I am not blaming you. It is natural for dungeon adventurers to want more rewards because dungeons are dangerous. The temple itself is in no position to demand less than anyone else. So I was a little worried when you demanded so much……”
After saying that, Bariel’s eyes glistened with tears.
“When I came here, I heard from Lady Michael that the purifier understands the temple’s stance and gives almost all the rewards to the temple.”
At those words, Irene unconsciously stared into the distance.
‘It was not out of consideration for the temple……’
If it were just to obtain the artifact, she had intended to break the pair anyway……
But that was a fact that no one could ever tell.
She gave an awkward smile and said to Bariel.
“Um, what brings you all the way here……”
“Oh my, I have been talking too much. Actually, Lady Michael asked me to re-measure your purification power.”
“My purification power? It has already been judged as 9th rank.”
“Yes, I know, but he said re-confirmation is necessary. Would you mind sitting for a moment?”
Irene sat on the chair as she was told.
Then her gaze fell on the ring on her finger.
A simple, plain-designed ring.
It was clearly full of scratches, yet it looked strangely clean compared to the first time she had seen it.
Meanwhile, Bariel’s hand touched Irene’s head.
Soon after, a warm energy enveloped her body, and shortly after, Bariel said with a puzzled look.
“You are 8th rank?”