Chapter 1
The office was filled with the warm light of late summer.
A dry voice broke the silence, just as the gentle sunlight stirred the scattered papers.
“Dylan, it’s your turn to keep your promise.”
Mia sat up straight and looked at the man across from her. He was her husband, Dylan Richard.
He glanced briefly at the contract in front of him. Mia quietly pushed the document toward him. He did not move. Dylan’s eyes followed the motion of her pale fingers before finally meeting her gaze.
His eyes slowly traced her arms, which were tightly covered in summer clothing. They moved past her shoulders and collarbone, hidden beneath the fabric, and landed on her calm and unreadable expression.
Her fair skin was slightly flushed from the sunlight pouring in through the window behind him. Her hair was soft and light, like sand on the beach. Her green eyes, brighter and more vivid than usual, stood out.
Even as he looked at her, Dylan turned his head back to the papers without saying a word.
As expected of a high-ranking officer, his gaze was focused and free of emotion.
Mia showed no reaction to Dylan’s cold behavior.
It did not surprise her. He slowly began to read the terms of the contract aloud, as if he wanted to make sure she heard every word.
“Eul will cooperate fully to help end the war with Murad and will provide confidential information from that country to Nation A.
In addition, I will serve faithfully as the substitute for Seydimia, the first princess of the Murad royal family, until the contract ends.”
His calm voice floated through the room, cool enough to ease the heavy heat of summer. But his tone did not match the stillness in Mia’s expression.
“After the war, Gap must find the remains of Eul’s parents, who were killed by Murad, and prepare to return Eul to his hometown, Pilat.”
Dylan’s eyebrows twitched a few times, as if he was not happy with her actions. But his eyes never left the paperwork.
Mia had expected this reaction. Based on how he had behaved before, she knew he would be difficult. Still, she spoke clearly and without hesitation.
“I have followed everything written in the contract. Now it is your responsibility to do the same.”
Scratch. Scratch. His pen moved without pause. He focused on the paperwork in front of him, acting as if he had not heard her at all.
“Dylan.”
Mia called him again, her voice firm.
But Dylan continued writing, refusing to respond.
There was no reply.
A heavy silence followed. It felt even more suffocating because of how perfectly dressed Dylan was. As always, he wore a full uniform, even while working inside his office at the official residence.
Mia felt as though the clothes clinging to her body were suffocating her. The hands gripping the hem of her clothing suddenly tightened with strength.
“It’s been a week since the declaration of war. Please take action to fulfill the contract.”
When there was no reply, she placed the contract on top of the documents Dylan was reviewing. At that moment, his hands, which had been moving gracefully across the pages, froze.
Annoyance clearly showed on Dylan’s face.
“If you hadn’t avoided me for a week, you wouldn’t be here now.”
A quiet sigh slipped from Dylan’s lips when he heard her words.
The silence lifted slightly, but the air grew heavier. He furrowed his brows and slowly raised his head to look at Mia.
His sea-blue eyes stared straight at her.
Dylan looked at her with a strange expression that made it impossible to know what she was thinking.
His suffocating gaze made her forget how to breathe. His slow movements made Mia feel exposed and isolated in the vast office.
The dense air pressing down on her made her feel like she was falling. Yet it seemed she was the only one who felt the weight of the moment.
Unable to endure the sensation of her skin crawling, she turned her eyes away from him.
Dylan, who had been watching her every movement, set down his fountain pen and gave a silent laugh. His voice came out low and quiet.
“I fulfilled the entire contract. Can you take responsibility for that?”
His question forced Mia to reflect on the original reason for the contract and what it meant for her.
Everything began with a war between two nations, Murad and Hippolytus.
To end the twelve-year conflict, Murad proposed a political marriage between Princess Murad, also known as the Goddess, and the prince of Hippolytus. However, the one who actually came to Hippolytus was Mia, raised to serve as the princess’s substitute. While Mia played her role, Murad secretly used the time to prepare for a surprise attack against Hippolytus.
“I told you everything. I promised I would give you all the knowledge, information, and secrets I had. I said I would end the war and bring peace.”
Mia kept that promise without fail.
The war, led by the Murad Dynasty, ended in its downfall. Collateral damage was minimized, and many praised the result, even those unaware of the secret contract between Mia and Dylan.
“I asked if the contract was fully completed.”
“…”
“Yes, I kept everything I promised you.”
Her response came without hesitation.
Dylan let out a soft laugh at her firm words. A faint wrinkle appeared on Mia’s lovely face. Without speaking, Dylan handed her the contract.
Then, without thinking much, he tapped a specific section with his long finger.
Article 4: Duties of spouses and maintenance of external relations
Mia’s eyes naturally followed to where his finger rested.
Her gaze grew doubtful as she carefully read the clause. His finger had stopped at an unexpected place.
“This was added just in case.”
“What’s the problem?”
Dylan calmly read the clause as if answering her question.
“A and B must fulfill their marital duties and maintain their relationship through regular physical intimacy.”
It almost sounded like a joke.
Except for one year during their four-year marriage, Dylan and Mia had not even stayed in the same room. He had been at sea serving as an admiral, while Mia remained at his residence.
It was a condition that had never been possible to meet from the beginning.
Dylan knew that too. Still, he kept reading.
“If you refuse or avoid this, it may be considered a breach of contract.”
He read the words in a calm, emotionless voice, then slowly stood up. With effortless grace, he approached Mia and stopped right in front of her.
They were standing so close that their breaths mixed in the space between them.
A faint, clean scent of grass brushed past Mia’s nose. The smell felt strange on a man who reminded her more of the open sea than the earth.
“Mia Blair, you did not fulfill your contract properly.”
His voice was cold, as if he were making an official judgment.
It was so unbelievable that Mia did not know how to respond. She stared at him, speechless, barely managing to let out a small gasp. Dylan, looking at her with a calm face, continued speaking as though nothing had happened.
“So, I have no reason to keep the contract either.”
His words felt final.
Mia took a slow breath and tried to regain her composure. Once she understood what he meant, she asked in a soft but clear voice.
“The only part I broke was… not sleeping with you?”
It felt ridiculous to say out loud.
But even if she denied it now, would Dylan take back what he had said?
She shook her head slightly. She had not spent much time with him, but she knew what kind of person he was. Her answer was firm.
“If that’s what you want, then fine.”
Her tone suggested she was simply trying to move past the situation.
Dylan tilted his head and smiled faintly in a mocking way. Then he said something she did not expect.
“One year from now.”
“…What?”
“Please fulfill the contract properly until then.”
A year? That was never part of the plan.
Mia stared at Dylan, her eyes dull and lifeless. Her green eyes, which used to shine softly, had faded.
“If I agree, will you fulfill the contract after one year?”
“I will. Gladly.”
Mia hesitated for a moment. His answer had come so easily. Then she opened her trembling lips.
“Please give me time to think.”
“The longer you hesitate, the longer it will take to get what you want.”
She wondered if this was just another one of his cruel games. The thought tickled her throat and made her want to laugh, but she held it in and took a slow breath to calm herself.
Dylan reached out and touched the ends of her hair as she stood silently in front of him. When he loosened his fingers, her hair slipped through them like grains of sand.
Mia froze. The sensation was unexpectedly intense.
She looked down at the fingers resting against her chest. She had been holding her breath without even realizing it. She wanted to ask him to stop, but her lips would not part.
“Breathe.”
His voice was low, almost playful, close to her ear. That was when she realized she had been holding her breath. As she let it out sharply, their lips met.
Warm air and a soft tongue entered her mouth. Her eyes widened in surprise.
Dylan looked directly at her. His calm blue eyes, deep and endless like the sea, showed no emotion at all.
My thoughts were slipping away as he kissed me so deeply.
“Uh… Dill…”
I tried to say his name in that brief moment, but his lips were already on mine again before I could finish.
As Mia tried to pull back, his tongue wrapped around hers. The kiss grew deeper, enough to bring heat to her cheeks.
The once quiet room was now filled with tension.
A soft moan escaped from deep in her throat. Frustrated and flustered, Mia hit Dylan hard on the chest.
Her legs gave out from the overwhelming sensation.
Dylan caught her as she staggered and wrapped his arms around her slender waist. He bit her lower lip hard, as if he were punishing himself. Only then did he pull back slightly.
Her lips were swollen and red. Her pupils trembled as if caught in a wave of confusion.
Dylan, now calm again as if nothing had happened, leaned in and whispered quietly in her ear.
“If you can’t handle this, don’t even think about starting.”
