I Became a Barbarian's Bride - Chapter 48
‘Their treatment of me might not be as bad as I feared, but…’
Things could change rapidly at any moment.
Until she knew the internal workings of Xieman and the limits of what was allowed, it was best to be cautious, very cautious.
“I heard the new Katun is a foreigner, so I was worried about various things…”
While Kagan was briefly away, the former king spoke to Nisha, trailing off.
“We brought you here roughly, but I hope you understand. If the situation had allowed, we would have ended it with mutual agreement…”
The former king, standing behind his wife’s chair, gently massaged her shoulders as he continued in a soft voice.
“Roshan didn’t take kindly to Xieman, so we judged that reaching a mutual agreement would be difficult even if we tried to negotiate.”
“…”
“Though you are now in a vassal state, as long as you are here in Xieman, Roshan won’t suffer. We won’t interfere much and will protect it properly.”
Speaking kindly and gently combing his wife’s hair, the former king explained.
He was speaking kindly under the warm sunlight, but his message was clear.
If you are not in Xieman, Roshan will not be safe.
There didn’t seem to be any great malice in his words. It sounded more like a reminder, something to keep in mind.
“Pressing forward with the war was my decision, so I hope you won’t hold too much resentment towards my son who injured your father.”
He added this cautiously, as if worried, but Nisha didn’t care about that at all.
After all, Nisha held no lingering attachment to the royal family.
Whether he lived or died was none of her concern. She could confidently say that even if the generation changed, she wouldn’t shed a single tear at the funeral.
“I don’t harbor any resentment… Besides, no one died.”
It was said that when Xieman waged war, not a single hair of the ruler’s lineage was left in the conquered land. Compared to that, Roshan’s occupation was relatively mild.
They waged war but spared all the royal family. This was a very unusual occurrence for Xieman.
“That aside… I must thank you for healing my wife’s eyes.”
The former king, who had been consistently kind and gentle, now wore a sly smile as he spoke.
“Just once, if you have a wish, I will grant it.”
“…Pardon?”
“Let it be a secret between us, something even my son won’t know about, a promise just between you and me.”
As he said this, he slowly raised his head and flashed a fierce smile.
Just a moment ago, his kind demeanor seemed almost like an illusion, now replaced by the image of a savage predator baring its teeth.
“Even if it’s something against Kagan’s will or against Xieman’s interests, I will grant it once. In other words… even if you want to escape this country.”
Nisha’s eyes widened at the former king’s words.
The tension in the air felt suffocating, and she took a step back in alarm, but he quickly reverted to a genial expression as if nothing had happened.
“Oh dear, I didn’t mean to scare you. It seems the new bride is quite timid.”
Don’t they realize that their behavior isn’t normal?
Suppressing the urge to ask him seriously, she silently watched the former king.
“There is one indulgence given to the king’s predecessor, you see. No matter the crime… unless it’s regicide, treason, or the overthrow of the state, there’s a one-time immunity.”
“You’re saying… you would use that for me?”
Just for awkwardly restoring her sight?
And not even completely.
She couldn’t understand why he would make such a dramatic offer.
“Strictly speaking, it’s for my wife. Ever since she became a Tun and lost her sight, my sole wish has been to see her open her eyes again.”
“….”
“The Katun of Xieman is a special existence. The Khan is the most powerful warrior, but the gods expect the Katun to devote everything, and for that, they always demand a great price. Of course, what follows is a divine power that exceeds human understanding.”
