I Became a Barbarian's Bride - Chapter 39
The man who had been speaking so softly until just now was now using a voice as cold as ice.
“On the contrary, Roshan should be grateful to you, Princess. If it weren’t for you, all the royals would have been beheaded by now.”
“…Ah.”
“I didn’t want to be hated by you, so I held back a lot.”
At Kagan’s words, Nisha slowly nodded.
“I see… that’s what happened.”
“And straight ahead, that’s the capital of Xieman, Nakra, and the royal palace, Xieman Castle.”
At the man’s words, Nisha lifted her head, and her eyes widened slightly.
Nisha stared at the enormous fortress made entirely of gray stone. It seemed like the entire fortress was covered in iron, as if it were an impregnable stronghold.
“It looks like iron, but it’s just stone. It’s a castle carved from stone. Does it seem shabby compared to Roshan’s palace?”
“No, it’s magnificent. It’s grand.”
Nisha slowly shook her head and spoke her honest thoughts.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“I hope life in Xieman suits you well, Princess.”
Kagan said, with a slight smirk, as he lightly tugged the reins.
The horse started to gallop quickly, and before long, they arrived in front of the fortress.
“Welcome, Kagan.”
Men who were all half-naked or wearing clothes with open fronts, and women in thin, fluttering garments, appeared. The scene was shocking enough to make one question whether they were really dressed at all.
‘…Come to think of it, on the way here…’
Nisha hadn’t realized it due to her nervousness, but all the people of Xieman seemed to be dressed in such loose attire.
Of course, the weather is quite hot now…
“…”
Speechless at the sight of all the bare skin before her, Nisha instinctively lowered her head, but quickly regained her composure and only slightly lifted her gaze.
“Greetings, Katun. Welcome to Xieman.”
“…Ah, yes. Thank you for welcoming me.”
Barely managing to keep her expression in check, she responded to the booming welcome.
The man standing at the front smiled broadly and took a step forward.
He looked like a butler, but his muscles were so well-defined that it was hard to believe he was one.
At least this one was wearing a shirt, albeit half-open, so it was a bit less overwhelming.
“I understand everyone’s curiosity about the new Tun, but as I informed you all beforehand, she is not in good health. She must be quite fatigued, so please allow her to rest.”
Waving away the gathered crowd with a rather annoyed expression, Kagan looked at her.
“Nisha, you can follow them. This is Quattro, the butler in charge of the castle.”
The man took a step forward and bowed.
“If you need anything, tell him, and it will be taken care of immediately without delay.”
“Ah, th-thank you, Kagan.”
She hesitated for a moment but managed to say the words as she was taught. Kagan smiled with satisfaction and kissed her forehead.
“I must go greet my father and mother, so you should rest and recover from the journey first.”
Nisha stiffened at his affectionate behavior but then awkwardly smiled, realizing it was a performance.
“I don’t need to go with you…?”
“A separate time has been arranged for you to meet them.”
Nisha nodded at Kagan’s words.
“Then I’ll rest first.”
“Yes. Take good care of her. Treat her gently, unlike usual, or she’ll break.”
“No, it’s not that…”
As a flustered Nisha tried to explain, Kagan kissed her hand and quickly turned, striding away.
“Oh…”
“Don’t be too disappointed, Katun. Kagan has many responsibilities to attend to.”
“…Ah, yes. He must be busy after being away for so long.”
“I’m Anita. From today, I’ll be your new handmaiden, Katun.”
