The Price of Breaching the Contract - Chapter 108

Yulania went to the front gate to greet Santia. His armor, covered in dust, felt familiar yet foreign. His face was still expressionless, but she noticed it immediately. The corners of his eyes were slightly drooped, and his steps lacked strength. Seeing his expression, as if hiding his fatigue, Yulania chuckled.

“Your face says it all. It was tough, wasn’t it?”

She quietly approached and offered him her hand.

Yulania embraced his back affectionately. Because of the armor, she had to reach around him quite a bit. Fortunately, the armor didn’t block her touch, and he stiffened in surprise.

“Welcome back?”

She didn’t miss the greeting he valued. Whispering it in his ear, unlike usual, made her chest tingle where it touched him. She made eye contact with Diego, who was attending him from over his shoulder, and greeted him with a nod, to which he bowed in response. There were many eyes watching. When the front of his silver armor had warmed to a lukewarm temperature, she gently released him. Santia looked at Yulania with trembling eyes as she smiled, pleased with her actions.

“Yes, I’m back.”

“You must be tired. If there’s nothing urgent, I was wondering if I could take my husband.”

She met the eyes of the knights standing behind Santia. As the knights, flustered by her request for permission, were choosing their words, Santia opened his mouth.

“There’s nothing urgent.”

Yulania replied with a smile.

“That’s good. Then, goodbye.”

The two of them took hands and quietly entered the castle. Closing the bedroom door, she said,

“Come here. I’ll take off your armor.”

Yulania went behind him and untied the tightly fastened straps one by one. First, the shoulder armor fell, followed by the guards and gauntlets that covered his arms. The armor that wrapped around his torso was neatly tied at his waist. Yulania lightly traced the knot with her fingertips, following the heavy texture of the iron.

With a click, the chain came undone, and Santia stood still with his back straight. She walked around him and slowly came forward. A strange silence flowed between the two facing each other.

Santia cautiously opened his mouth. There was a hint of tension in his voice.

“Why are you doing this? It’s nice but it makes it harder.”

Yulania, with a smile, straightened his collar and asked back.

“Don’t you know what day it is today?”

Santia frowned with a slightly dazed expression.

“I don’t think it’s any special day.”

“That can’t be. It’s very important and it should be a pretty good day for you.”

Her eyes sparkled playfully. Santia looked into those eyes and inhaled slightly.

“Today marks two months since Joel said.”

Santia’s eyes widened in an instant. He raised his head sharply and asked back.

“Then…!”

Yulania chuckled and turned her head.

“Oh my, Santia.”

His reaction was much more intense than she had expected, and Yulania was momentarily startled. However, the sincerity in his reaction quickly made her smile. Like a beast unleashed after a long period of abstinence, he didn’t seem to care about appearances at all.

Santia grabbed Yulania’s hand tightly.

“Yulania.”

“Yes?”

“Come here.”

He was a man of action. Before she could even nod, Santia slowly led her closer to the bed. Supporting her hair with his hand as she sat on the fabric, he asked in a low voice.

“Did you even take a bath and wait?”

Yulania flinched, seemingly embarrassed.

“I didn’t do it specifically for that.”

“I have to do it too.”

“Go do it.”

“Let’s do it together.”

“No way.”

Yulania shook her head firmly. At that moment, Santia’s eyes changed slightly mischievously.

“There’s no such thing as ‘no way’.”

He trailed off, slowly raising his hand. His fingers went deep into her freshly dried hair. Warm fingertips brushed against her scalp, gently intertwining. Yulania instinctively flinched.

“Ah, Santia.”

She inhaled and spoke in a low, warning tone, but it was already too late. Her scalp was Yulania’s clear weakness. Santia knew that fact better than anyone, and his touch was deliberately stimulating that spot.

She bit her lip, trying to shake off his hand, but Santia gently pulled her waist closer with his strong arm. Their foreheads came close, almost touching.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

It was an unexpected remark. Santia looked at her with sincere eyes and slowly brought his forehead to hers. Warm body temperature was transmitted through their foreheads.

” I think I couldn’t stand it too much, and I think I stood it too. I can’t explain it.”

Yulania looked into his eyes for a moment, then dropped her head and laughed.

“It might sound strange, but I also missed you a little.”

As soon as those words fell, Santia’s eyes wavered. He exhaled heavily and gently stroked her cheek.

“You’ll regret it if you say that.”

“It’s okay.”

Yulania’s words sounded like permission. Santia didn’t ask any further. His lips moved down from her forehead, slowly brushed against her cheek, and then touched her lips again. The moment their lips met, their breaths mingled and the tension was released. The air between the two softened.

His hand groped through her hair again. This time, it wasn’t stimulation, but a gentle caress. She tilted her head slightly and accepted his touch. The armor that had been removed fell to their feet. As if shedding a hard shell, Santia’s shoulders felt lighter.

Yulania’s hand went up over his shirt. She could feel the firm flesh between her fingers.

The two looked at each other in silence. At that moment, silence was the deepest emotion. A deeper connection than words and a clearer expression than faces passed between their eyes.

Yulania hugged his shoulders, and Santia slowly laid her down. Small laughter, soft breaths intertwined, and the touch that wrapped around her tender body filled the night. The heat that came after waiting was heavy, slow but hot, filling them from the inside.

“Ugh!”

Yulania struggled to reject her slowly awakening mind, whining in the warmth of his arms. She complained that it was difficult, but she certainly didn’t dislike her relationship with Santia. She could clearly see that Santia was unusually excited last night, but his restraint, not wanting to overdo it because of the baby, was so lovely.

As she squinted open her eyes, she met the eyes of her husband, who was also squinting. She liked this vulnerable side of Santia that only she could see. At a moment like this, even that Santia might allow a surprise attack.

Yulania woke up from her silly thoughts.

“Good morning.”

“Yeah.”

She also liked Santia’s appearance in the morning, answering dazedly with a slightly lowered voice. Since when had it become difficult for her to get a good night’s sleep without his gentle embrace?

Thoughts full of affection turned into words.

Yulania slowly changed her position and buried her face in Santia’s chest. The soft warmth and steady heartbeat tickled her ears. It was such a peaceful morning that she almost wanted to fall asleep like this.

“Do you know what? I can’t sleep alone anymore.”

She mumbled against Santia’s body. Santia stroked Yulania’s shoulder with his fingertips, seemingly indifferent.

“I take that as a compliment.”

“It is a compliment.”

“Didn’t you used to be more uncomfortable sleeping together?”

“Hmm.”

Yulania slowly chose her words. Santia’s touch slowly stopped, and then started moving again. Something hesitant was carried on his fingertips.

“I used to,”

Yulania spoke first.

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