I Became a Barbarian's Bride - Chapter 104
A life that revives even after death feels that way.
What was a heavy death to others appeared unbearably light to her.
Of course, Nisha still considered the lives of others precious and valuable. But only those of others.
She didn’t particularly think of herself as selfless.
After all, everything was for her own satisfaction.
Nisha slowly inhaled and then exhaled just as slowly.
She picked the well-ripened fruits, uprooted the buds that had yet to bloom, plucked the leaves, and cut away the stems.
To the eye, they were simply beautiful flowers, and to some, plants that could be used for medicine.
Few would know how to combine them into poison instead.
Especially this particular combination, which even Nisha had discovered by accident. There wouldn’t be anyone else who knew of it.
She harvested just the right amount before standing up.
‘I’ll plant new seeds tomorrow in the spots left bare.’
And then she would wait once more for the flowers to bloom.
As Nisha rose from her crouched position, her lips curved into a gentle smile.
She turned her head to look toward the mountains.
A dark shadow stood tall at the peak.
Though it was too far to make out clearly, it struck her that it had the shape of a child.
The shadow appeared a little clearer than it had before.
At that elevated place, with a clear view of Xieman, the shadow, like a smear or a scribble, loomed, its head lowered, watching over the city.
As if sensing Nisha’s gaze, the figure slowly lifted its head and moved.
The moment their eyes met, it melted into the darkness, disappearing as if it had never been there.
‘Red eyes…’
Just before the shadow vanished, Nisha caught a glimpse of color, causing her eyes to widen slightly.
“…So it had a form.”
She muttered softly to herself, before turning back toward the castle and heading inside, unaware that someone was watching her retreating figure.
***
“…What is she doing at this hour?”
Kagan watched quietly from the window as Nisha crouched in the garden, fiddling with something.
She had said she was going to bed, but she had been out there for almost an hour, only sneaking back inside the castle close to midnight.
‘What could she possibly be doing at this time…?’
And what was it that she was carrying so carefully in her arms?
“She really is an unusual princess.”
Perhaps her hobby was growing flowers, it all seemed so natural for her.
‘The spy I sent to Roshan should be reporting back soon…’
Kagan thought, realizing it was taking longer than expected, as he began to walk slowly.
One thing was certain: her so-called “price” could not be as simple as a mere night’s sleep.
Whether she was deceiving him or unaware herself, it had to be something more.
Today, Kagan decided to explore the possibility that Nisha might not fully understand the true price she paid.
After she fell asleep, he planned to visit her room. As he thought about it, he sat lightly clasping his hands, staring idly out the window.
The towering mountain was visible from anywhere in Xieman, so high that it stood out against the sky.
The mountain was barren, with a burning heat that made it dangerous for anyone not from Xieman to climb. Anyone who attempted it would be quickly killed by the toxic sulfur gasses and the searing heat.
Even Sharhu, who had lived in Xieman for quite some time, was not allowed near the mountain because he wasn’t a member of the Xieman clan.
Of course, there wasn’t much to gain from the desolate mountain except for heat-infused rocks, which meant even the people of Xieman rarely climbed it.
Still, those rocks were considered one of Xieman’s specialties.
Tick-. Tick-.
The ticking of the clock’s second hand sounded unusually loud.
Though night had long fallen, it would still be a while before even the beasts vanished and the world held its breath.
Nisha was a peculiar person.
Even when she was by his side, it often felt as though she wasn’t truly there.
There were times when, even while holding her in his arms, he felt as though she might fly away at any moment. Other times, it seemed as though she wasn’t even seeing him.
‘We’re supposed to be married…’
Yet sometimes, she felt even more distant than a stranger.
Kagan quietly turned his head and looked out the window.
‘It’s hard to believe this is Xieman.’
The landscape stretching below the barren mountain gave him that thought.
