I Became a Barbarian's Bride - Chapter 167
He clenched his teeth and swallowed a breath.
His vision blurred for a moment, and then—
Slowly, a scene began to paint itself beneath his eyelids.
It was the Shaman Territory, lush and green in every direction.
In the midst of the verdant landscape, Ulbach was smiling, and between it all, Kagan and Nisha were walking together at an unhurried pace.
He didn’t know when this memory was from…
“……”
Villagers passed between them as they walked beneath that vibrant sky.
As Nisha wandered slowly through the scene, she suddenly turned around.
And just then, her gaze met Kagan’s, who happened to be looking straight at her.
“…Gan…”
“……”
“Kagan!”
“…!”
He gasped, sucking in a sharp breath, and blinked rapidly.
The elegant face of an older noblewoman, still smiling brightly beneath her slightly wrinkled white hair, overlapped in an instant with Nisha’s.
“…Nisha?”
“Are you okay…?”
At her words, Kagan finally pressed a palm against his eye, unable to stop the heat and ache pulsing behind his eyelids.
“Is your eye hurting?”
“…No, I’m fine.”
It didn’t seem like he was fine at all.
Nisha narrowed her eyes, watching Kagan closely, then carefully reached out and took his hand, lowered it, and replaced it with her own.
Her skin, cooler than most, brushed against his eyelid, drawing a quiet exhale from him.
Nisha gently used her power.
A soft white light sank into his eyelid in an instant, soothing the pain beneath.
As soon as he felt it, Kagan hurriedly pulled her hand away.
“You…!”
“…Just a little bit. You looked like you were in pain.”
She raised a finger slightly as she spoke.
“Just a little,” she said, her voice light and wispy. Kagan forced down a sigh.
He hadn’t wanted her to use her ability on him.
When he pressed his lips together in frustration, Nisha lowered her gaze and quietly dropped her hand.
“…Thank you.”
It had come from kindness, after all. So Kagan offered his thanks.
“…Yeah.”
“But you don’t have to do that next time. I’m used to things like this. There are other ways.”
“…Okay.”
Nisha, who hadn’t seen a reason not to use the power she had, gave an awkward smile and hesitated.
But as Kagan’s eyes narrowed, she gave a small nod.
“You two suit each other well,” Ulbach said gently.
“It feels as though Adin himself sent someone to the Kagan whom he truly needed.”
“…B*llsh*t.”
Kagan clicked his tongue and straightened his posture.
Nisha glanced at him cautiously, then scratched her cheek.
“There’s nothing else to see today, right?”
“If there’s nowhere else you’re curious about, then yes. This greenhouse was the final stop.”
Nisha curled her hand into a light fist, then released it.
The land wasn’t exactly brimming with vitality, but it seemed like she might be able to infuse it with enough life force to function normally.
“Could you tell me where the nearest field or crop-growing area is?”
“Nisha.”
“I just want to try once, with what strength I have left. Just in case.”
“……”
“I won’t collapse.”
The reason she had collapsed before was because she hadn’t been used to the sensation of something suddenly being pulled out of her body.
Kagan stared at her, visibly displeased, then slowly nodded.
“Let her do what she wants, Ulbach.”
“Yes.”
Ulbach replied simply, turning to face Nisha.
“The closest field would be the one we visited last. May I guide you there?”
“Ah, yes.”
Recalling the place she saw at the end, Nisha nodded.
Ulbach took the lead again.
Nisha followed behind, casting a sideways glance at the unusually quiet Kagan.
Nisha watched the man who had turned his head away in silence, clearly upset, then cautiously reached out and took his hand.
Kagan’s shoulder gave a visible jolt.
“Are you mad?”
“…I’m not.”
He averted his gaze slightly as he answered.
When Nisha gently started to let go of his fingers, thinking he might be uncomfortable, Kagan clasped her hand properly, interlocking their fingers.
“Why are you letting go?”
“…Ah, I thought it might be uncomfortable for you.”
“It’s not. And even if it was, you should still hold on and not let go. I’m your one and only husband, remember?”
Kagan muttered in a gruff tone.
Nisha blinked a couple of times, tilting her head slightly.
She didn’t quite understand what being her husband had to do with insisting on holding her hand even if she felt awkward.
Sensing her confusion, Kagan sighed deeply and just ended the topic with a vague “anyway.”
