I Became a Barbarian's Bride - Chapter 24
With great effort, she managed to lift her heavy eyelids, and the sky was already dark. Pressing down on the aching area between her legs and her lower abdomen, she took a slow breath.
The events of the previous night flashed through her mind, and it was hard to believe it was still night. It felt like she had slept deeply.
“You’re awake.”
At the sudden sound of his voice, Nisha flinched and took a sharp breath.
Turning her head slowly, she saw the shirtless man striding toward her.
“It seems my princess is more fragile than I imagined. You passed out before we even finished, so I had to entertain myself with my right hand for a while,” he said with a chuckle.
As Nisha tilted her head in confusion, his hand made a rather suggestive motion, mimicking a gripping and sliding action. Realizing what he meant, her face flushed deeply.
“…”
“You were out for three days after just one time,” he added, though he didn’t mention that even that one time hadn’t been fully completed.
“…Three days?”
Nisha’s mouth fell open in shock at Kagan’s words. It was hard to believe she had been unconscious for three days straight.
“In the meantime, the arrangements for the diplomatic marriage documents are finished. They only need our signatures.”
“Oh, I see.”
“I plan to hold a proper ceremony and a grand festival back in Xieman… Is that alright with you? If you prefer, we can have the ceremony in the Roshan style.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s a diplomatic marriage anyway.”
Though it was termed a diplomatic marriage, it was by no means an equal union. Nisha was merely a hostage and a pawn, one of little value to Roshan. If necessary, they would discard her and betray Xieman without hesitation.
No, knowing the Emperor, he definitely would. He was not one to accept defeat. Nisha slowly exhaled.
‘I must not be underestimated.’
Nisha had to maintain the dignity of a high-born princess. Roshan would not want to reveal that she was a discarded pawn.
‘That’s the only way to survive.’
The moment they realized she was useless, her position would plummet. Who knew what they might do to her? Being ignored and ridiculed was one thing, but the thought of suffering even worse fates made her shudder.
‘Before that…’
Before that, she hoped her life would end.
“When we return, I’ll assign Xieman’s royal physician to you.”
“…I’m not that weak.”
“You might not even survive the winter.”
He spoke with a voice tinged with laughter, leisurely approaching and sitting on the bed.
“We’ll depart in three days. Considering your health, we’ll travel slowly, and it should take about a month or two.”
She thought of saying she was fine but remembered she was a princess raised with great care.
‘The twins would surely think it natural.’
Nisha, who was about to shake her head, nodded slightly.
“Is there anything you need from Roshan? Anything you want to bring?”
“I’m not sure.”
After a brief contemplation, Nisha shook her head.
“No, nothing.”
“Is there anyone from Roshan you want to take with you?”
“If I say I want to bring someone, can I really bring them?”
“They might need to be monitored for a while, but I’ll make sure it’s not too inconvenient.”
At first, she had thought of him as a beastly man, but he was surprisingly consistently polite.
When they had been together three days ago… he was certainly beast-like then. Even now, her legs still felt numb.
‘Now that I think about it, today his eyes are golden.’
She was sure they had been red when they were together. And on the day she first tried to escape, when he had warned her, they were red then too.
