The Price of Breaching the Contract - Chapter 12

At some point, Yulania realized she was dreaming.

The pure white space had no ceiling or floor, it was simply a mystical space. Among it, a particularly bright cluster of light came into view. A golden aura, somehow cozy, lingered as if to touch her, then drifted away.

Yulania didn’t know what it was, but she felt clearly that she had to follow it.

‘Wait…!’

She desperately reached out and tried to shout, but no matter how hard she tried, no sound came out. She ran with all her might, but the cluster of light only moved further away.

Somehow, that light seemed very important, so Yulania kept chasing it, but the cluster of light, which had been right in front of her eyes just a moment ago, was already so far away that it was faint.

‘Don’t go…!’

As it gradually moved away, the cluster of light eventually became so faint that it was out of sight.

‘Wait for me, please!’

Just as the light, now as small as a star, disappeared and she felt trapped in pitch-black darkness, a dizzying sensation and a feeling of falling overwhelmed her.

“…No!”

“Yulania!”

Santia’s voice reached Yulania before she could even grasp the situation. Seeing his face beside her and the bedroom she was lying in, her last memory came back to her.

“Ugh…!”

However, as she tried to get up, putting strength in her waist, a pain as if her pelvis was falling apart surged through her. Yulania helplessly slumped back down.

“…Why are you getting up? Just stay still.”

Despite his twisted tone, Santia supported Yulania’s back and slowly helped her up. Feeling the gentle warmth from his back, she made a flimsy excuse, blaming her husband’s last words.

“A few days ago, you said I didn’t keep my promise, and you were…”

“Is that the same as now! No, never mind. How’s your body? Does it hurt a lot?”

Hearing the question, she noticed the exhaustion etched on his face. He was usually fine even after expeditions lasting several days.

Now that she looked, the sun had already set and it was dark outside the window. Come to think of it, it wasn’t the first time she had been sick, but it was the first time Santia had waited by her side until she woke up.

“My lower abdomen hurts a little. What’s going on?”

She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, but there was an atmosphere that was different from usual. Yulania was worried that something big had happened while she was unconscious.

“A little pain, you say…? Haa… Doctor!”

Santia pressed his temples as if tired, then shouted towards the outside of the room.

The door immediately opened, and the white-haired old man who appeared made eye contact with Yulania. The old man was startled to see her and prostrated himself on the floor.

“I, I greet the Princess.”

Then, a short-haired woman who followed slowly behind him bowed deeply with the old man.

As Yulania wondered at the unfamiliar faces, Santia spoke first.

“You there, Joel, was it?”

“Yes, y-yes, Your Excellency.”

As her questioning gaze turned to Santia, he briefly introduced them and gave instructions.

“The estate doctor. Get a check-up first.”

“What about Devon?”

“Just get it.”

Receiving treatment only from Devon, the royal physician, was a condition stipulated by the King. Yulania narrowed her eyes slightly at the incomprehensible situation, but she closed her mouth at Santia’s unusually firm stance.

“Get up.”

“Yes, Your Excellency. Princess, uh, nice to meet you. My name is Joel, I came up at the Duke’s call just a moment ago. May I be excused for a moment?”

Joel, seemingly flustered by the couple’s brief argument, got up from his seat and cautiously looked at Yulania.

She stared at Santia for a while, then nodded. She didn’t know what had happened to Devon, but she was curious about her condition first.

“Please take care of me.”

As soon as her permission was granted, Joel began the examination, keeping his distance. He asked unremarkable questions such as whether she was dizzy and whether she had any pain other than in her abdomen.

As the calm conversation continued, the hallway became noisy, and Maya peeked out from the doorway. Yulania, who had been faithfully answering the doctor’s questions, felt a strange atmosphere once again when she saw the maid’s face.

Maya’s face was red and swollen in places, as if she had just finished crying, and she was still sniffling as she looked at Yulania.

As if something very bad had happened to her.

Just then, Joel’s questioning seemed to have ended, and silence fell in the room. Just as Yulania decided to ask about the situation again, Joel spoke up first.

“Would it be alright if my assistant, Shuri, examined the lower abdomen area? She is blind but skilled in massage.”

Yulania, who had only parted her lips slightly, closed them again and nodded.

“Shuri.”

“…Excuse me, Princess.”

As Shuri approached, Joel took a step back and bowed his head.

Santia had made such a fuss holding onto Devon that word of what had happened spread quickly among the servants. She couldn’t help but notice the chaotic atmosphere that everyone exuded.

Her heart pounded ominously in the confusing situation. Yulania quietly entrusted herself to Shuri’s touch and faithfully cooperated with the examination.

Before long, the touch stopped and Joel spoke.

“For now… it seems that you just need to rest and stabilize. There, there are no further problems.”

“So, what’s wrong?”

“Yulania.”

As Yulania, puzzled by his ambiguous words, tried to ask, Santia cut her off.

“…?”

Yulania looked at her husband, feeling her eyebrows furrowing involuntarily. His attitude of trying to hide her condition was very strange. She had felt a strange atmosphere since waking up, and her insides were not calming down.

She felt both curious about the situation and somehow unwilling to know.

Finally, Santia issued an order to leave instead of answering.

“Everyone out.”

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