I Became a Barbarian's Bride - Chapter 161

But whenever his face got that close, her heart would start racing too fast.

It meant that whenever he came right up to her, a scream would come out on its own.

“You’re just so handsome that when you come that close… it’s really surprising, so I’d like it if you warned me first.”

“…”

With her cheeks flushed, she looked away and spoke the most blindsiding words imaginable.

What was she even saying?

Kagan was struck dumb, his face slowly starting to turn red as he covered his mouth and looked away.

“…Really?”

“Yeah.”

“I see…”

When he turned his head, Ulbach was giving him a look that said, “What is this nonsense?”

Suddenly overcome, Kagan raised his palm and smacked Ulbach on the back of the head.

“Quit staring.”

“Yes, yes.”

Ulbach rubbed the back of his head with a sigh.

‘Some people don’t even have time to meet others because of their research, while some of us are practically swimming in love…’

Not that it was even just dating.

They were already married, living a sweet newlywed life.

“Anyway, I was curious who managed to grow something in this land, and it turns out you’re really amazing.”

At Nisha’s words, Ulbach froze and his eyes widened.

“…You know?”

The words were so blunt that Nisha hesitated a bit, then gave a small nod.

“Yeah. Xieman’s land is so barren, there’s barely any life at all, so growing anything here is already an incredible feat.”

Unless there was relentless patience and constant care, there was no way anything would sprout and bear fruit in such soil.

She could understand just how much effort Ulbach must have put in.

It was probably thanks to generations of that care that things grew here a little better than in other parts of Xieman.

“You have no idea how hard I worked to keep that alive…!”

“Mm.”

“If you just plant the seeds and leave them, they’ll never sprout! You have to check on them every single day, feed them fertilizer, and practically slave away to finally get them to crack through that hard ground and sprout…!”

Ulbach clenched his fists, his face so close to hers in his excitement.

‘Does everyone here like getting right up in my face?’

Nisha thought, but she just smiled and nodded.

“At first, it didn’t work out well. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get things to grow like my father or grandfather. Especially since I was always this huge from birth…”

Ulbach’s voice turned rather melancholy as he spoke.

‘Isn’t it stranger not to be born a big baby in this country…’

Nisha thought this, but still nodded her head.

“So when I finally saw the first sprout, I was so happy…”

Ulbach’s face lit up with the broadest smile she’d ever seen.

Nisha’s eyes widened for a moment.

She could see just how much he loved plants. Nisha blinked a couple of times, then let out a small laugh.

“You really do love plants, don’t you?”

“Yes. Taking care of them makes me feel at peace.”

“Ah, I get that. I… sometimes found myself going out to the garden often for the same reason.”

It wasn’t like plants gave off warmth or shared any sort of comfort, but just breathing in that scent of greenery made her feel at ease.

So she’d often go out and tend to her garden.

“I hope this land becomes a place where you can spread your dreams even further.”

At her words, Ulbach’s eyes widened slightly.

“That’s… kind of amazing to hear.”

“What is?”

“Usually, people start by saying, ‘What’s a man of your size doing as a botanist?’ They always say it doesn’t suit me…”

“Ah…”

Nisha scratched her cheek.

She’d thought something similar at first, too.

Seeing his size, it was natural to assume he’d be more suited for fighting than for gardening. But it wasn’t because she thought he didn’t suit being a botanist… it was just the first thing that came to mind.

‘Well, I guess for him it’s all the same.’

Thinking this, Nisha opened her mouth.

“Everyone carries some prejudice, right?”

There were far fewer people without any prejudice at all.

After all, everyone had their own experiences and what they’d seen and felt in life. Not having any bias would be stranger.

“And it’s also up to people to break those prejudices, isn’t it?”

Nisha smiled lightly as she spoke, then turned her gaze back to the window.

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