I Became a Barbarian's Bride - Chapter 78
“Good morning, Princess.”
The low, husky voice close to her ear made Nisha instinctively stiffen. Her gaze fell on the firm chest in front of her, and she took a deep breath.
“…Yes.”
Her eyes flickered toward the strong arms holding her close. Those tanned, muscular arms were impressively thick, a sight she could never quite get used to.
There was no comparison to her slender arms. And his broad chest, expanding and contracting with each breath…
“And were you warm enough today?”
“It was warm.”
It had to be warm, after all—sleeping wrapped in his arms under a thick blanket. If she felt cold in this situation, then perhaps her time had already come.
From the day she had fallen ill, Kagan had suddenly decided to start sharing the bed with her, declaring that with the banquet beginning, they should now sleep together. Every night since then, he would hold her close and lie down under the blankets.
“You seem to sleep well.”
“Yes.”
She slept so soundly it had become a problem.
Even while wrapped in his arms, she acted like someone completely unaffected by desire, merely saying things like, “Ah,” “Yes,” or “Goodnight,” before falling asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.
Knowing his advances went unnoticed drained his energy.
If he had known it would be like this, he wondered if he should have made their first meeting more romantic.
But what more could he have done for a woman who had run away from marriage? It was obvious that had he not pressured her, she would have escaped again.
“What would you like for breakfast this morning?”
As he interlaced their fingers, her small hand was easily caught in his. Startled, her neck and earlobes flushed red as she lowered her head and took a deep breath.
‘So it’s not like she doesn’t react at all…’
Yet, it was difficult to tell whether she was merely unfamiliar with such things or if there was something more.
“Anything is fine, I’m not picky.”
“I’d like you to tell me, though.”
Kagan whispered softly into her ear. Not too forward, but close enough that she couldn’t possibly ignore him.
“I… I don’t want meat…”
When Nisha barely managed to murmur that meat didn’t go down well in the morning, Kagan Xieman let out a low chuckle.
“Alright, so it’s best to keep breakfast light, is it?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll make sure to meet my princess’s wishes.”
As Nisha watched him step away and rise from the bed, she finally let out a long breath.
“Today, we’ll be taking a look around the capital. Are you up for it?”
“Ah, yes!”
Nisha, suddenly filled with energy, jumped out of bed but immediately winced.
Rising too quickly had caused her vision to spin and a ringing in her ears, making her pause.
“Oh dear, I told you to get up slowly.”
Kagan, without hesitation, gently lifted her and laid her back down, speaking softly.
‘…It feels like we’ve gotten closer somehow.’
The way he touched her now, the subtle tenderness—everything felt different, softer, in a way she didn’t fully understand.
Feeling a strange sensation whirl inside her, Nisha slowly began to relax her stiff body.
“Should I call for the doctor?”
“No, it’s fine. I’m sorry for troubling you.”
Nisha, still a bit tense, shook her head as she spoke.
“It’s no trouble at all.”
His constant presence over the past days, except for one when she’d needed to recharge her life force, still felt unfamiliar to her.
‘He seemed angry back then…’
He’d said there was something he wanted to talk about, yet he hadn’t spoken a word until now.
‘I don’t understand why he’s being so kind.’
Nisha let out a sigh, her eyes darting around in confusion.
She had no idea how she was supposed to react.
She couldn’t grasp why he had suddenly become so unexpectedly friendly. Was he playing with her like one might toy with an ant, or was there something else he had in mind?
As she carefully gauged his mood, she took a short breath and fidgeted with her fingers.
‘Anyway, as long as I’m useful.’
People tend not to discard something that benefits them.
There’s no reason to throw away something that can be put to good use, especially in such a barren land.
