I Became a Barbarian’s Bride

“Then… as long as I don’t cause any trouble, I can stay here?”

“Trouble? What trouble? As long as you don’t assassinate any royals, there won’t be a problem.”

Kagan grinned as he spoke.

Nisha’s eyes widened slightly before she slowly exhaled.

‘I thought if I lost my value as a hostage, I’d be sent away or face something worse…’

Surprisingly, that wasn’t the case, and the realization made her heart slowly settle. Since arriving here, she had felt uneasy, as if she were sitting on a bed of thorns… but that one sentence put her at ease.

“…I see.”

Nisha murmured softly.

“Why would you think that? Did I make you feel uneasy?”

“No, it’s just… since I’m an outsider, I thought once the task from the oracle was complete, I’d be sent off to some quiet place after handing over my duties to the official wife…”

Nisha’s words made Kagan grimace in confusion.

“What…?”

“I heard that Xieman is known for being a very tight-knit group…”

“That’s true, but that doesn’t mean we treat someone harshly just because they came from another country to be my consort. Once you became the Tun, you’re also part of me and part of Xieman. Nisha Xieman.”

Nisha’s eyes widened in surprise at his words, her expression clearly showing that she hadn’t expected to hear something like that.

Kagan’s expression softened as he heard something unexpected from her.

“Have you been thinking that way all this time?”

“…”

“Don’t tell me, when you said you wouldn’t like it or something like that…”

“Oh, that was sincere. I won’t bother you or make things difficult for you…”

Nisha’s calm and composed words made Kagan’s lips twitch slightly.

“I don’t like that, Princess.”

His fingers leisurely trailed down Nisha’s back.

As if playing a piano, his fingers traced her spine, causing her body to tense slightly.

“I have no intention of bringing anyone else in. It’s exhausting to have to care about everyone.”

Nisha hesitated at Kagan’s words.

He gently took her hand, placing a soft kiss on the back of it, his gaze never leaving hers.

“In other words, we need to get used to each other.”

Kagan’s lips brushed against hers as his fingers pressed into her wrist, rubbing in slow, deliberate circles.

Every spot he touched seemed to ignite with a warm sensation, making her pulse quicken.

His golden eyes, so close to hers, captured her entirely within his gaze.

“I want you to fulfill both your role as my consort and as the Queen of Xieman,” he said softly, his voice filled with a quiet intensity.

Nisha looked at him blankly for a moment, taking in his words.

“You’re the only one I have,”

The hint of sincerity in his tone that made her ears flush slightly.

She wasn’t sure how to respond to such a straightforward statement.

“Of course, I know I used forceful means, so you probably don’t feel comfortable with me. Even if it was war, I know what I did to the emperor was unforgivable.”

Nisha considered telling him that she didn’t hold it against him, but instead, she chose to remain silent. She didn’t dislike him. She didn’t hate him.

“Do you need me?” she asked quietly.

“Enough to go to war,” he replied.

“I see…”

She knew there was no place for her anywhere.

In Roshan, she had been an outcast, called a sewer rat, and here, she was a foreigner, always standing apart.

That’s why she was so desperate to carve out a place for herself. If her existence, deemed useless from birth, could be of value here…

If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be alright to give everything she had here?

Even if it was just for the sake of the one man who needed her.

She slowly turned her head.

The land of Xieman was vast and barren. There were likely many more lands that needed to be revived.

She didn’t know why a foreign god, whose nature was unknown, had chosen her to be this country’s queen.

Surely, there were others who loved Xieman more.

But… ever since that time, when she learned the whole truth, she had desired only one thing, and here, in this place, Nisha felt like she had finally glimpsed the shadow of it.

The Queen of Xieman was destined to lose something.