I Became a Barbarian's Bride - Chapter 26
“Princess, may I ask what the cost is? Your body seems unusually fragile, like it might break at a touch. Is that it?”
Nisha hesitated at Kagan’s question.
“My body is weak, but it won’t break at a touch.”
Nisha’s pride seemed hurt as she spoke, her lips set in a firm line. Kagan tapped a nearby table. With a loud crack, the table split in half and collapsed noisily.
“It might break…”
Nisha quickly adapted to reality.
Kagan let out a low laugh and spoke.
“So, there’s another cost. I’d like to know what it is.”
Nisha swallowed and took a slow, steady breath.
‘Anyway, the healing ability will be useful.’
This man had mentioned frequent phantom pains.
If she was useful, she wouldn’t be easily disposed of or mistreated. Even if it was later discovered that she had no value as a hostage.
After a brief hesitation, Nisha spoke.
“It’s more of a recharge but with a condition.”
“A conditional recharge?”
“It’s not infinite. Once charged, the healing power is stored. When it’s used up, the ability can’t be used again until it’s recharged.”
Nisha lowered her gaze, trying to avoid eye contact as she spoke naturally.
“Then, how do you recharge that healing power?”
“When I sleep, it has to be in a completely dark place without any interruptions. If anyone enters the room or light gets in, it strangely doesn’t recharge.”
Kagan’s eyes narrowed at Nisha’s words.
“That’s quite… a peculiar condition. If your weak physical state is part of it, then it’s a complex cost you’ve been given?”
“….”
Speaking almost to himself, Kagan seemed convinced that Nisha’s frailty was the price of her ability. Or rather, he wanted to believe it.
“I used up all the charge this time. I had more than half of it left before I healed your eye…”
Nisha trailed off, and Kagan chuckled.
“No wonder the effect was so good…”
Kagan murmured, rubbing his eye lightly before continuing.
“That the princess has such an incredible ability is quite an unexpected blessing for Xieman. At least you won’t die of any trivial illness.”
“…It’s not an unlimited power, so I won’t use it all the time.”
“Of course.”
Nisha glanced at him cautiously. The true cost of her ability was different, after all. Yes, her ability wasn’t ‘healing power’ but ‘life force,’ and it required not just deep sleep but death itself.
If anyone found out, they might kill her on purpose or use her as a test subject, so she had to hide the details as much as possible.
An immortal body.
Immortality.
A dream many desire, a state many yearn for.
Being immortal means no matter what happens to you, there’s no end.
You could be poisoned, beheaded, stabbed in the heart, and yet, you’d come back to life countless times, allowing for endless experiments and countless healings.
“Let’s go have a meal, my princess.”
He spoke briefly, smiling broadly as he stood and offered his hand.
She placed her hand in his without a word.
Receiving the unfamiliar escort, she made an effort to keep her expression neutral.
She had to remain the dignified and precious princess.
That was all she could be.
***
“Because of you… you…!”
The next day, the Crown Prince, looking somehow despondent, grabbed her by the collar and slammed her against the wall.
“Ugh-!”
Her throat was squeezed, and Nisha let out a strangled cry.
“Because of you…!”
“It hurts…”
Nisha, with her pale skin, struggled, but even with one arm, the man trained with a sword was too strong to overcome.
“Cough… cough…”
Her airway was blocked.
Nisha felt a surge of fear, wondering if her neck might snap.
If her neck broke here and she still survived, her secret would be exposed.
