I Became a Barbarian's Bride - Chapter 0
※This work contains scenes that involve gruesome and violent acts and depictions. Please be advised of this as you read.
“UGH!”
Swish-.
The man whose arm suddenly was severed by a flying sword screamed, and then he fainted. His pants were soaked and wet the floor.
“AHHHH!”
Screamed the people who witnessed the scene, the sound echoed through the banquet hall. The orchestra’s delicate music, being played under a gorgeous chandelier, abruptly stopped.
“Volaf!”
The emperor, blinking in shock, screamed as he saw his son, missing arm.
The attacker had merely thrown a sword. Yet his son lost an arm and fainted making a disgraceful scene.
The emperor, with his mouth agape, stood, frozen, seemingly unable to comprehend the situation.
“Wha-What is this madness!!”
“Oh, I threw it as a warning for he dared to glance at my wife-to-be. I didn’t expect him to fail at dodging it. Should I have used a knife?”
“W-What did you just say…?”
“I should have known that the men of Roshan were weaker than paper… It’s a relief that I didn’t aim for his neck. You almost had to produce a new heir at your age, Emperor.”
“……….”
The man with sun-darkened skin casually tipped his glass and tapped a dinner knife with his finger tips, he spoke with a leisurely tone.
Contrary to the tone that conveyed regret, a faint smile lingered at the corners of his mouth.
The emperor could only gape, unable to utter a word. For good reason as well, as he was in no position to speak.
No sooner had the dark-skinned man’s words ended than the banquet hall was filled with cheerful laughter.
“Hahaha!!”
“Hahahahahahaha!!”
“Kagan! Even a knife is too much for these pale Roshans! A toothpick would suit them better!”
One of the people of the delegation shouted while he heartily tore into his meat.
“Ah, that wouldn’t be bad either.”
The beastly man called Kagan chuckled as he narrowed his red eyes.
The carefree conversation paled the faces of the Roshan Empire nobles, including the emperor, who were attending forcibly by Xieman’s command, who had won the war.
They were little more than extras.
Naturally, they couldn’t touch the food and were just there to watch the Xiemans enjoy their feast.
The emperor, too, was unable to move in the face of the inhumane scene unfolding before his eyes.
“Why are you just standing there? Hurry and treat the crown prince! Move quickly!!” He couldn’t even protest. All he could do was berate his subordinates to quickly summon the physicians.
The recent actions made it clear how little their lives meant to the enemy.
In their own country, all the royals and nobles stood, while those seated were the king and the delegation from Xieman.
The crown prince, the carefully raised heir to the Roshan throne, had become one-armed in the blink of an eye.
Yet, none of those responsible for the act seemed surprised.
No, rather than being surprised, they showed no hint of remorse or intention to apologize, despite calling it a mistake.
They laughed and tore into the meat as if watching an amusing play.
The sight was chilling, like watching wild animals.
The woman sitting next to the man with red eyes, was frozen in place, surrounded by the sight of blood and the sound of hearty laughter.
Her inability to breathe properly reflected her fragile nature.
‘It’ll be a problem if she gets shaken like this over something so small.’
The king of Xieman, named ‘Kagan,’ who was leisurely looking at her, his head propped up by his hand, smiled with a peculiar expression and set his glass down.
“What’s the matter, princess? You look terribly unamused. This is a banquet celebrating your departure, so please, enjoy it.”
The man downed his liquor in one swig and spoke as he cut into the meat that was dripping in blood.
She took a beat and realized that the words were directed at her, and slowly opened her mouth.
“… I do not take pleasure in mocking the injured.”
Her pleasant, yet solemn voice touched their ears. It was a clear yet delicate voice, seemingly ready to crack at any moment.
She seemed shocked at her statement, but instead of turning tail like the others, she responded curtly and then kept her mouth firmly shut.
At the very least, she was not as cowardly as those who couldn’t even look him in the eye, or say what they really wanted to say.
“Oh dear, it seems my princess isn’t enjoying herself much.”
He leans toward her bringing his lips close to her ear. He whispers.
“Wasn’t that the hand that dared to grope my future wife? I expected you to be happier and praise me more.”
“How… How did you…?”
“Or was he more to your taste?”
“Of course not…!”
She yelled, startled by this teasing voice, she held her breath.
He chuckled softly as he straightened his body and continued to speak.
“For a princess that was raised so delicately, this must have been a bit too stimulating. My lack of education has left me with poor manners, I’m afraid.”
“………..”
Despite his insincere apology and honey-coated words, she remained silent, with a stone-faced expression.
A splash of red blood stained her pale face, yet there was no wound.
The man, watching her while chewing the blood-soaked meat, smirked as he reached out his hand.
Whether he noticed if the woman flinched or not, he continued to reach his hand out and brush her cheek with his thumb.
The bloodstain on her cheek was hidden beneath his large hand.
The man quietly observed where he placed his thumb, then slowly rubbed it against her cheek as if to wipe the blood away.
After repeating the action on both cheeks he let out a small chuckle.
“Now you look more like one of us, princess.”
Kagan, the king of Xieman and the man who had overwhelmingly defeated the Empire, forcing all its people to their knees, said lazily.
Confused by his words and actions, the woman lowered her head, and saw her reflection on a glass of water.
On each of her cheeks, like the geometric red patterns drawn on the bodies of barbarians, two lines were symmetrically drawn, resembling cat whiskers.
The sticky, dark-red blood was unpleasant.
“Cough…”
As she struggled to hide her discomfort, she suddenly coughed, hiding her mouth behind her hands in surprise.
“Cough, cough!”
The coughing fit caught her off guard, she frowned and quickly reached for her water glass, tilting it to drink.
The Xiemans at the table all turned their heads to her.
Embarrassed by the attention, her face turned crimson, but even after drinking the entire glass of water, her coughing did not cease.
At that moment, a maid, who was standing in line, approached the woman with something for her, the maid’s face was pale with worry.
‘… That’s the woman who was with the princess back then.’
Kagan pondered, recognizing the familiar face.
The young maid with freckles dotting her cheeks approached the woman resolutely, despite the intense stares from the barbarians, and handed the princess a jug of warm water.
Only after drinking the water did the princess manage to calm down a bit.
Kagan noticed the familiarity between the two, and he furrowed his brow.
‘I heard she was frail, but…’
He hadn’t thought it would be this bad.
‘Does it matter?’
After all, she was just a normal woman, taken because of a prophecy, the first one in almost a century.
“This banquet was prepared for us by Roshan, so enjoy yourselves to the fullest today.”
Kagan glanced at her condition once more, then raised his glass and spoke.
The woman sitting next to him, Nisha Roshan, the princess of Roshan, clenched her fist tightly under the table.
‘How did it come to this?’
She was trying to find a way to escape…
“To Kagan!”
“To Xieman!”
As the loud toasts and cheers erupted, she closed her eyes tightly, recalling the events of a few days ago, and bit her lower lip hard.
