I Became a Barbarian's Bride - Chapter 146
“I came to report to the Kagan.”
Nisha quietly studied Arha.
The moment their eyes met, Nisha’s own widened slightly. She sensed something unsettling and displeasing from the woman.
People who had lived their lives navigating subtleties were often quick to notice, though sometimes it proved to be more trouble than it was worth.
Momentarily taken aback by the hostility she hadn’t encountered in a while, Nisha paused, then, as always, allowed a bright smile to form on her lips.
Arha hesitated at that.
“Very well. You must be tired. Go rest.”
Kagan had told Nisha that within this palace, she need not lower herself before anyone except him.
And indeed, no one had scolded her for not speaking formally to others.
In Roshan, she had to use polite speech with everyone, but here, using formal language only made things seem awkward.
“…Well, understood.”
Young Chieftain Arha replied, slowly shrugging her shoulders.
It was just as she was passing Nisha that she suddenly spoke.
“Katun… do you love the Kagan?”
“…What?”
It was such an out-of-the-blue question that, foolishly, Nisha responded in formal speech, not irritation.
Fortunately, Arha didn’t seem to care much about that.
Nisha turned her head slightly, debating whether to glance at the woman, but feeling no desire, she slowly spoke instead.
“Do I need to tell you that, young chieftain?”
There was no need to respond just because a subordinate asked a question, and Nisha’s choice not to answer was the right one.
“… Excuse me.”
“Yes, you are excused.”
She replied a bit firmly.
As long as she was under Kagan’s protection, no one in Xieman would dare treat her disrespectfully.
She pressed down the fluttering feeling in her chest.
“Well, I’m busy, so I’ll be going now.”
With a tone she was still not entirely comfortable using, Nisha resumed her halted steps.
She could feel a gaze lingering heavily on her retreating back, but she stubbornly ignored it.
Nisha walked straight to her destination, arriving at Kagan’s office.
The guards standing at the door seemed surprised to see her, their eyes widening, then they quickly bowed.
“Welcome, Katun. It is an honor to see you. Are you here to meet the Kagan?”
“Yes. Is he inside?”
“Yes, he is currently gathering information. Should I announce your arrival?”
Nisha nodded but then paused.
“Gathering information?”
She had a rough idea that he was taking care of official duties, but gathering information—what did that mean exactly?
Was he organizing intelligence reports or receiving information from some kind of guild?
If that were the case, interrupting him would feel a bit rude.
The guards quickly knocked on the door and announced that Nisha had arrived.
“Wait, the Tun is…?”
A voice filled with surprise came from inside the room.
“Wait!”
Just as Nisha was about to move, she paused, hearing the voice from within.
Suddenly, there was a loud crashing sound, followed by silence.
It was so quiet, not even the sound of an ant could be heard, and then a voice gave permission to enter.
‘…A crash?’
What was dropped?
With a puzzled expression, Nisha stepped through the open door.
Despite the loud noise, the office was surprisingly orderly, aside from the piles of documents scattered around.
What could have fallen?
As she scanned the room, still looking perplexed, Kagan gestured towards the central table.
“Have a seat over here. It’s quite an honor that the Princess has come all the way to see me.”
His clothes were slightly disheveled, though his expression was as immaculate as ever, making Nisha wonder if the noise she had heard was just her imagination.
Still confused, she nodded and plopped down on the sofa.
“Did you… want to see me?”
Nisha hesitated at the unexpected question.
“I got… flowers…”
“Hm?”
“I got the flowers you sent.”
“Ah… I picked a few on my way back from the inspection earlier. I wanted to show them to you, to let you know how beautifully they’ve grown.”
At Kagan’s words, Nisha slightly nodded.
Would it be strange to say that it made her feel quite happy?
