I Became a Barbarian's Bride - Chapter 151
Nisha swallowed hard, looking into his golden eyes.
“Whenever you feel down or start thinking you’re insignificant, remember this: you hold a monster like me in your hands, and if you wish, you have the absolute power to take anyone’s head.”
It was not something a king of a mere small kingdom would typically say.
There were countless countries in the world, many of them much stronger and larger than this place.
Yet, it was also true that this small nation had once toppled a massive empire rotting from its core.
“No one can look down on you, and no one can dare to oppress you.”
“……”
“The only one gnawing at you is yourself, Princess.”
With that, Kagan withdrew with a light expression, adding that this was something he could not help her with.
“In any case, Princess.”
“…Oh, yes.”
“I told you to speak comfortably. Anyway… just let something in, little by little, even if it’s something small. This place may not be as grand as the imperial palace you used to live in, but I’d like it to feel like your home.”
At Kagan’s words, Nisha’s eyes widened slightly.
Hearing his confident words, she parted her lips as if to respond, then slowly rubbed her face and lowered her head.
She couldn’t find the right words to give back to him.
Nisha slowly blinked, tilting her head. She still didn’t quite understand.
“Alright.”
“Hm?”
“I like it here more than the palace I used to live in. So much more that there’s no comparison.”
At Nisha’s words, Kagan blinked once.
Then, without a word, he lifted the corners of his mouth into a gentle smile and tilted his head slightly.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“That’s good to hear. That you’d prefer here over there.”
Kagan took her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. Nisha’s eyes widened slightly at the gesture.
“Don’t worry, Princess.”
At the sound of his soothing, low voice, she started to look up, then froze.
A fiercely twisted demon stared back at her.
“I’ll make sure they live a life of utter misery.”
“…….”
His blood-red eyes, swallowing up their golden gleam, looked directly at her, like a crimson moon rising.
“Oh, of course, I won’t kill them. I’ll help them live for a long, long time.”
With his eyes curved in a smile, Kagan placed a few lingering kisses on the tips of her fingers, then let out a short sigh.
“Those bastards who stole your will to live… I’ll make sure they carve that feeling into their bones, the agony of living when all you want is death.”
“…!”
At Kagan’s words, Nisha’s eyes widened in shock.
As if he had struck a hidden weakness deep within her heart, she inhaled sharply, and Kagan paused.
“Sorry, did I upset you? Princess.”
“……Ah.”
Kagan enveloped her trembling hand in his large one.
“I’ve lived on the battlefield for a long time, you know. Usually… you learn to tell.”
As he spoke, he raised his free hand to scratch his head.
“You can usually tell whether a person wants to live or not. From the moment we first met, Princess, you… didn’t seem very… alive.”
His words made Nisha’s shoulders tremble visibly.
It was something she had never wanted to reveal.
The fact that she was an empty shell.
Who wouldn’t be?
So, she always smiled on the outside, acted cheerful and fine, showing kindness as if everything was normal.
Nisha… believed she was perfect.
At the very least, she wanted to believe that she didn’t look like someone who didn’t want to live.
In her own way, hadn’t she made an effort to keep going?
Though, in reality, it was more an effort to avoid pain than to truly live.
Kagan quietly observed her.
He wasn’t a fool. He could tell the difference between those who wanted to live and those who didn’t.
Nisha was someone who merely kept living because she couldn’t die.
