The Price of Breaching the Contract - Chapter 66

“It’s been a while, so it’s overwhelming,” Haron said, shaking his head as he scanned the crowded streets of the capital.

Meanwhile, Santia quietly caught his breath inside the carriage. Unlike the slightly excited Haron, he wasn’t very interested in the surrounding scenery. He intended to finish this trip quickly and return. Even though winter was over, it was still dangerous outside the castle. More than anything, he was worried about those he had left at home.

Yulania’s image was still vivid in his mind. Her face, gently cradling her swollen belly and smiling. And the light that now easily shone on that face.

He didn’t delay and wore inconspicuous clothes, renting an ordinary carriage to complete his schedule. There was no need to widely announce that Duke Makari had come to the capital. There was no reason for the carriage to cross the city in a flamboyant manner. He carefully arrived near the royal palace via a route that was as inconspicuous as possible.

As soon as he arrived, he went to his residence without a moment to spare, gathered the prepared documents, and headed straight to the royal palace. In front of the main palace, the stately guards greeted him. They stopped the ordinary carriage to check his identity. Santia jumped out lightly and strode forward.

“Santia Makari.”

The guards, who recognized Santia without him even needing to say his name, blinked in surprise. Then, they hurriedly disappeared inside.

Before long, the returning guard said with a troubled expression.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace. His Majesty said that an audience is difficult today.”

Santia’s expression subtly crumpled. He slightly raised one eyebrow and asked in a low voice.

“What do you mean?”

“His Majesty has ordered you to come back tomorrow at the appointed time.”

The guard kept glancing at Santia, looking as if he had committed a crime. He quietly inhaled, suppressing the anger that was rising from within.

He knew that the King was deliberately trying to subdue him in this way. It was a shallow trick to break his spirit and force him to obey.

‘Enjoy your last day.’

If he could just have a conversation tomorrow, he would gain the upper hand. Santia decided to show mercy for the last time. He nodded indifferently.

“I understand.”

And with only a short answer, he turned away without any further argument. He could hear the guard sighing in relief behind him, but it wasn’t even worth paying attention to.

Back in the carriage, he quietly gave instructions to the coachman.

“To the city.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

As the morning sun rose, warmth was slowly permeating the city streets. It was a distinctly different atmosphere from the still chilly Makari territory, even though it was the same season. Santia pulled his black cloak down low and walked through the city in plain clothes.

Haron, who was walking alongside him in similar attire, hummed as if it was a good thing.

“Now that things have turned out this way, shall we enjoy the latest novelties, Captain?”

“What novelties could there be?”

“Come on, it’s the most bustling city.”

“Isn’t Yulania’s sacred stone the most recent new technology?”

Santia said casually without much meaning. Suddenly, Haron stopped walking abruptly. When Santia turned only his eyes to look at him, he had a shocked expression on his face.

“Captain, I mean.”

“?”

“I didn’t know you were such a simp.”

“Ha!”

Santia just let out a hollow laugh and walked past him. He was speechless that he was being called a simp for only speaking the truth. Haron belatedly chased after him and asked.

“Hey, where are you going!”

“I have something to do.”

It was something he was going to do after meeting the King first, but since there was time left, the order didn’t matter. Santia moved his steps towards the place he had marked in advance.

The place he was looking for was a famous jewelry district in the capital. A place where nobles flocked every year when the royal ball was held. There was no flashy sign, but the sparkling colors beyond the glass windows spoke of luxury.

Santia quietly opened the door of one store. The chandelier illuminating the store shook clearly. The clerk greeted him happily.

“Welcome. What are you looking for?”

“A hair ornament.”

Santia, who answered briefly, looked around. Crowns studded with jewels, hairpins woven with pearls, and luxurious gold crafts filled each display case. Haron, who followed, asked again in disbelief.

“Don’t tell me you came to buy a gift for the princess?”

“Why do you keep following me? Don’t you have anything else to do?”

“The other guys aren’t here, so I have to escort you, Captain.”

Haron grinned as if telling him to trust him. Santia snorted again and turned his eyes back to the display case.

“Escort? If you’re going to follow me, just shut up.”

“Tch.”

Since there was nothing that really caught his eye, Santia spoke to the clerk again.

“There needs to be a small hole in the center. The size is… about this much.”

He showed him by gathering his fingers into a circle. Roughly the size to hold a sacred stone. The clerk looked puzzled.

“It seems like you want something bigger than the usual ornament for setting a jewel, do you have a special purpose?”

“Do you need to know that?”

“Ah, I apologize if I was being presumptuous! I only asked to recommend something that fits your purpose.”

“Think of it as needing to mount a large jewel.”

The clerk didn’t ask any further at the one word that refused to answer indirectly. He immediately brought out several samples. From headbands flowing with soft curves to brooches as light as feathers, it was clear that each one was made with care.

Santia slowly touched the objects with his fingertips. Since it had to hold a sacred stone, the seams had to be strong, not too heavy, and safe for everyday use.

‘Something that Yulania can wear without burden.’

After much deliberation, he chose a hair ornament woven with soft gold thread. There wasn’t a ready-made product that could fit the sacred stone properly, so he placed a special order to have a round groove in the center to fix the sacred stone. It would take about two days to make, so the King postponing the meeting actually worked out well. Only after entrusting the production did he turn back to the carriage.

There was still plenty of time left, so he came out into the city, thinking of looking around for a while. Haron, who was excited as well, pointed to various stores and sparkled his eyes.

On the street full of spring breeze, the stores put out new products, and children ran around with their arms wide open.

Santia slowly walked through a quiet restaurant alley. Then he found a small, shabby tavern full of people. While the cozy atmosphere caught his eye, he reluctantly approached at Haron’s urging. Since there weren’t any proper servants in the mansion, he pushed the door open, thinking of having a light meal.

There were already quite a few people gathered inside. The lively sound of conversations and the clinking of glasses were pleasantly mixed. He quietly took a seat in the corner with Haron.

He listened to the surrounding conversations while waiting for the ordered food to come out.

“Did you hear? A demon appeared in Makari in the north!”

“Really? I heard that area is usually okay after winter ends… but this time it’s unusual.”

“Ugh, what is the royal family doing? They always move too late.”

Santia quietly clenched his fist. They didn’t seem to know the details yet. However, the fact that a demon had appeared was enough to shake people up.

“I heard Duke Makari is taking action himself? They say he’s a living legend.”

“But isn’t it strange? I heard the royal family went with him this time?”

“Some rumors say the princess was there too!”

“The princess? The Duke’s wife?”

“Yeah! She may not have fought directly, but it’s amazing.”

And his vigilance deepened at her name, which he heard from an unexpected place. Without realizing it, he clenched his fist tightly and listened to the conversations of the people around him.

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