"Oh!"
Ayla lost her balance and staggered as if her legs had become loose at the sudden force.
At the same time, Theon's strong arms wrapped around Ayla's slender waist.
Ayla's face lit up in an instant as she suddenly appeared to have climbed on top of him.
"L-Let me go."
She struggled to get out of his arms; but the more she tried, the stronger Theon's hand, which was holding her waist, became.
As she had her hands on his broad shoulders, Ayla's blue eyes, looking down at Theon, fluttered like waves.
Theon's gray eyes, which were filled with Ayla, were also trembling.
Ayla was worried that he might hear the sound of her heart pounding incessantly at the strange atmosphere flowing between the two of them.
Facing his deep eyes, she couldn't think of anything else except for this moment.
Was he thinking the same?
At the same time as the hand that was holding her waist tightened, Theon raised his other hand and slowly traced her jawline with his fingertips.
Ayla's eyes naturally opened at the tickling feeling from his soft touch.
Ayla's blue eyes were filled with Theon's image.
Looking at him, who had a thirsty expression as if he were longing for something, Ayla evened her rough breath. At the same time, Theon's anxious gaze kept Ayla from escaping.
The silence that flowed between the two of them, who were exchanging glances for a while, was broken by her languid voice.
"Did something Happen?"
"I had a nightmare last night."
"It must have been very scary."
"A little."
The corners of Ayla's lips rose softly at the sight of him rubbing his head against her chest and acting like a baby.
She wanted to put off the argument with him for a while and just do what her heart told her to do for now.
Whether he had read her mind, Theon, who had raised his head while keeping his gloomy gaze, slowly pulled Ayla's body.
Ayla, who had been standing in an awkward position, bent her knees and found herself between Theon's wide legs.
Theon pulled Ayla's slender body, which had slid down with her hands around his neck, into his arms.
Ayla's body stiffened with tension at the hot breath he was exhaling even though it was early in the morning.
Theon, who was sweeping down Ayla's back as if to reassure her, raised his large hand and caressed Ayla's cheek, which had turned red.
"I'm sorry."
Her pounding heart spurred even more at his soft whisper.
Theon, who was caressing Ayla's face, looked down at the white scarf around her neck.
"Why are you wearing this?"
Theon narrowed his eyes and tilted his head.
She had no choice but to regain her reason at his low voice. Moving the arm that was placed over Theon's shoulder, Ayla fiddled with the scarf.
Wondering if the red marks on her neck would get discovered, Ayla moved her eyes left and right as she touched the area around her neck.
"I think I need an explanation."
Contrary to Ayla's hope, she could not escape Theon's sharp eyes.
Theon's voice, which was already low and hoarse, became even lower and exuded a cold energy.
Theon's expression hardened in an instant as he lowered the scarf wrapped around Ayla's slender neck with his fingertips.
Little by little, anger began to rise in Theon's eyes as he looked at Ayla, who was fidgeting, unable to answer.
There were obvious signs of strangling.
As if trying to control the emotions that were overwhelming him, Theon, who had been looking at Ayla's neck area, turned his eyes away and adjusted his breathing slowly.
"Ha"
He sighed deeply at Ayla, who remained silent as if she had become a criminal.
Even though she hadn't done anything wrong, he wasn't happy with Ayla, who had a submissive attitude at times like this, but he couldn't be hard on her.
Theon's expression, which had maintained a cold gaze, turned blank as if he knew it without saying anything.
"Was it Kyle?"
" I'm fi"
"If you were going to say you are fine, don't. You don't look fine at all."
""
Contrary to his cold voice, Theon's delicate touch was brushing through the brightly engraved traces on Ayla's body.
"Then why did you leave me? I was needlessly caught, so my neck suffered a lot."
"Yeah. I didn't mean to leave you"
Ayla glanced at Theon and spoke bluntly, as if trying to change the sinking atmosphere.
The quick-witted Theon seemed to have understood her intentions, raised the corners of his mouth while messing with Ayla's hair. While keeping a sad gaze.
"It's my fault."
"Correct. Even if Your Highness did something wrong, you did it for a long time. Speaking of which, I need you to do me a favor."