The Price of Breaching the Contract - Chapter 46

In the early morning, as the faint winter sun was just beginning to rise, the gates of Makari Castle slowly opened. The snow, crushed under the soles of boots, crunched awake, and the sound of the expedition’s horses’ hooves, lined up in a single file, echoed quietly through the hazy mist.

At the head was Santia, the general manager leading the expedition. With a gaze heavier and more resolute than usual, he stared ahead, never once looking back. Directly behind him were Mireiya and Yurban, knights of Hylon. Both were heavily armed and urging their horses forward, followed quietly by the Makari Knights, the Hylon Knights, and a portion of the Royal Investigation Unit.

In the center of this long procession, atop Santia’s large black horse, was the most unexpected participant in this expedition: Yulania. Perched on the back of the large black horse, she held Santia’s hand tightly in his, like a child.

From the moment she climbed onto the horse, her nervous hand had not left Santia’s side.

“Hold on tight and don’t let go,” Santia said softly. At his low voice, Yulania looked up slightly.

“I won’t. Never.”

As Yulania spoke with determination, Santia smiled faintly. The warmth he radiated as they rode soothed Yulania while also giving her a strange thrill. The closer they were, the more her nervousness eased.

The expedition slowly advanced across the snow-covered plains. Although the snow was thick, the expedition’s horses seemed perfectly adapted to the harsh northern climate, striding forward powerfully. Their thick, sturdy hooves forcefully broke through the piled-up snow, creating a new path.

The landscape before them was endlessly white. Even the sky had turned a pale gray, as if the entire world were trapped in the snow. After a long, silent ride, whispers began to circulate among the knights.

“It’s strange, why is it so quiet today?”

“Yeah, it’s the first time I’ve seen so few demons.”

Hearing their conversation, Yulania quietly raised her head and looked around. Though she didn’t know for sure, the knights were right. They had been out of the castle for quite some time, yet not a single shadow of a demon could be seen.

‘Could it be?’

Was it thanks to the Holy Stone she carried? Glancing down at her chest, she saw the Holy Stone emitting a bright light, as if proclaiming its health. She felt inexplicably happy and turned back to Santia, giggling softly.

“I think it really is because of me, isn’t it?”

“Maybe,” he replied gruffly, but there was a hint of a smile in Santia’s voice. Yulania leaned back a little further and whispered, “I’m glad I came, right?”

Santia was silent for a moment. But then he tilted his head, looked down at her, and smiled faintly. “That remains to be seen.”

Yulania pouted slightly, but quickly regained her smile at Santia’s affectionate expression. She felt much lighter now. Leaning against her husband’s back, she felt the safest and happiest she had ever been.

But as they approached the foothills, the atmosphere became serious again. Santia, who had been leading the way with vigor, suddenly stopped and began to carefully survey his surroundings.

Yulania asked nervously, “Is it a demon?”

Santia was silent for a moment. He stared into the forest with sharp eyes and slowly nodded. “I sense a presence. It’s close.”

Yulania felt a surge of tension, but curiosity and determination rose before fear. Perhaps it was because she had never been severely hurt by a demon. Her fear of demons was much weaker than others. There had been an accident last time, but it had passed so quickly that it wasn’t deeply etched in Yulania’s memory. The belief that Santia, who was right beside her, would protect her also boosted her confidence.

Under Santia’s protection, she wanted to try again what she had failed to do last time. She already knew that demons reacted to her in a special way. She wanted to see how far that ability could be used.

Clearly, the demon that had approached her last time had come slowly, like a tame beast. Perhaps, if she approached carefully, she could even touch it. Reaching this point in her thoughts, Yulania looked directly into Santia’s eyes and said, “I want to try to communicate with a demon again.”

“Absolutely not,” Santia immediately objected. She had expected it, but Yulania couldn’t hide her disappointment. She thought she had conveyed some of her sincerity last night.

Even that Lady Mireiya was watching right beside them. She didn’t want to be treated like a whining child here. Yulania continued with a determined look. “Santia, why do you think I came all this way?”

“…”

“I didn’t come to get in your way. If I really succeed, it will be a great help.”

“That’s already.”

“You’ll protect me, right? I trust you.”

Perhaps her resolute sincerity had been conveyed. Santia stared at her for a moment, then nodded briefly. “I will be by your side, then. Don’t ever leave my side.”

“Of course,” Yulania nodded earnestly. Santia stopped his horse, turned back, and gestured to the knights, signaling them to halt.

“Everyone, wait here.”

The knights, including Yurban and Mireiya, looked at him with puzzled eyes, but Santia simply waved his hand, quietly cutting off their questions.

Left alone, the silence around them suddenly felt heavier. Yulania dismounted with Santia and slowly began to walk. Santia gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, guarding his surroundings, while Yulania slowly clutched the Holy Stone to her chest.

After walking for some time, Santia suddenly stopped and whispered in a low voice, “It’s coming.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a low growl echoed from the surrounding forest. Yulania held her breath and slowly looked ahead. From the darkness of the forest, a black shadow slowly emerged. It was definitely a demon.

Santia felt a strange sensation as he watched the demon cautiously approach. The demon, which appeared to be of intermediate level, hesitated as if exploring them, not rushing in rashly.

“That’s strange. It would have attacked already under normal circumstances,” Santia whispered coldly, on guard. The demon stopped and only growled lowly. Seeing this, Yulania mustered her courage and slowly held out the Holy Stone. From the moment the demon came into view, she couldn’t calm the churning in her stomach. She couldn’t clearly distinguish whether it was due to tension or whether the demon was conveying something to her.

“Just a moment, Santia. I think it wants to say something.”

Santia blocked her to protect her and drew his sword, but he did not refuse her request. He simply waited patiently in a defensive posture.

Yulania slowly took a step forward. The Holy Stone vibrated slightly, emitting light. At the same time, the demon seemed to flinch slightly. She whispered softly without realizing it.

“What do you want?”

The demon growled even lower, but still did not move from its spot. In that strange tension, Yulania felt an unknown emotion rising. It was a bizarre sensation, deeper than fear, something incomprehensible seemed to connect her and the demon.

It was as if the demon was trying to convey something to her, and that message was being delivered in the form of emotions. Yulania gripped the Holy Stone a little tighter. The vibration of the Holy Stone grew more intense, and she focused on that sensation, attempting to communicate with the demon.

‘What is it? This feeling.’

It felt as if a new form of language, previously unknown, was flowing into her mind. Unspeakable emotions such as sadness, pain, anger, and despair were mixed together, crashing over her like waves. She couldn’t accurately distinguish whether those emotions belonged to her or were coming from the demon.

As if responding to her focus, the demon stirred and growled more fiercely. Santia immediately tensed at the rough movement. He gripped his sword tightly and stared at the demon, his breath turning cold.

“Yulania, be careful.”

Despite Santia’s warning, Yulania remained deeply immersed, her gaze fixed on the light emanating from the Holy Stone. The emotions sent by the demon became clearer. It was not simply hostility or hatred. Rather, it was a complex signal, a mixture of deep wounds and desperate pleas.

Yulania’s face twisted slightly. It was not easy to endure the confusing and unfamiliar emotions the demon was sending. As her fingertips began to tremble, Santia took another step forward, as if he could no longer watch.

“Stop. Don’t push yourself.”

She paused to catch her breath, then nodded slowly, holding the Holy Stone to her chest. The flow of emotions slowly receded again. The demon also gradually relaxed and distanced itself. Yulania took a slow breath and unconsciously wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.

At that moment, the demon contorted its face as if trying to speak.

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