Theon grinned at her gaze, which seemed to urge him to answer.

“Me too. So much that I wondered if a day could be this long.”

“I waited patiently, but I get no reward?”

“Reward?”

“You told me not to cause trouble and be patient. I listened well, so you should give me a reward.”

Ayla, who stood in front of him with twinkling eyes as if she had become a puppy waiting for its owner, trembled slightly.

Ayla’s movement was understandable, as the inside of the detached palace was filled with cold air due to the sudden rain.

“We should warm up first. The reward doesn’t matter if you catch a cold.”

Ayla’s shoulders shook slightly as the cold air wrapped around her body.

Trudge. Trudge.

Theon, who lightly messed up Ayla’s hair, turned towards the fireplace.

Rustle.

Theon’s large hand picked up the dry firewood in the corner.

Then he shoved a few thin pieces of wood into the cold fireplace.

After pondering for a moment, he opened his clenched fist lightly, and a small flame broke out in the center of his palm.

He didn’t use his inherent magic often since the massacre a few years ago, but it was inevitable because of the circumstances.

“Your hand… There was a flame on your hand!”

Ayla stuttered, startled, but Theon didn’t answer.

Inside the fireplace filled with black ashes, the dry firewood was burning and making a crackling sound.

Ayla’s blue eyes, looking at the embers fluttering over the firewood, became more and more cloudy.

“Come closer and warm yourself in the fire. It’s a problem if you catch a cold.”

He, who was lighting the embers in a sitting position, turned to Ayla with a worried tone.

Soft.

Contrary to the thought that she would be crouching next to him, he felt an unfamiliar sensation behind his back and his busy hand stopped.

“Don’t keep changing the subject.”

With her face buried in Theon’s broad shoulders, Ayla wrapped her arms around his neck and spoke bluntly.

His heart was pounding as if it was about to explode at the sight of Ayla, who had a captivating atmosphere and tone of voice.

Theon quietly frowned as he sensed a desire to conquer her rising from deep inside.

Theon, who was controlling his emotions with his eyes closed, spoke in a low voice, apparently having calmed down a little.

“Is there anything you would like to have?”

“…”

“It’s fine so tell me.”

“H…ness.”

“I can’t hear you. Speak a little louder. Your voice is too low.”

Ayla, who was rubbing her face in Theon’s shoulder, raised her head and brought her red lips to his ear.

Theon’s nerves seemed to be on the brink as he felt her shallow breath on the back of his neck.

“I want to have Your Highness.”

It seemed that honey was dripping from Ayla’s voice, which echoed in his ear after a little while.

He could feel the string of reason he had been trying hard to hold on to snap at the immoral words that flowed out of her mouth.

“!”

As if unable to bear it any longer, he turned around and kissed her lips a bit violently.

Their hot tongues intertwined between the naturally gaping lips, making an obscene sound.

Theon lifted Ayla’s small and slender body, which was sitting on his lap, with one hand, and headed towards the console.

Clank.

The furniture placed on the console next to the fireplace fell with a loud noise by Theon’s violent hand movement.

As Ayla’s body, which was in Theon’s arms, was lifted onto the console, Theon, who was craving her lips, slowly detached himself as if holding back.

“Ahh, ah.”

Breathing heavily while holding Ayla’s slender shoulders, his gray eyes seemed to have already lost their reason.

Theon’s gaze, which had been examining every nook and cranny of her like a beast that found its prey, turned to her blue eyes.

Soon, Theon’s eyes, which were shaking incessantly, seemed to feel something strange and gradually regained their composure.

A hoarse voice came out from Theon’s lips, who was exhaling harshly.

“Are you scared?”

“I-It’s weird. The words… Just come out on their own.”

Clear water droplets were forming in Ayla’s blue eyes, as if she were surprised by his violent appearance.

Ayla’s eyes, which had turned cloudy, were now finding their own color and shining brightly.

Then, as if he finally understood everything, Theon, who was frowning, turned his gaze downwards.

Her thin blouse, which seemed to have been untied and was barely hanging over her shoulder, was pitiful.

Ah…

A heavy sigh escaped from his mouth.

***

“Did anything in particular happen while I was away?”

Theon, who muttered the question in a low voice, gently closed Ayla’s wide-open blouse.

Since they were all wet, there was no big difference anyway, but it was better like this.

A sense of guilt struck his chest for what he was going to do to this small child.