I Became a Barbarian's Bride - Chapter 5
The Emperor had a bad habit of taking out his stress on the weak.
While the timid Empress was alive, he kept this habit in check, but it resurfaced immediately after her death.
The matter with Xieman was also a result of one of his stress explosions, encouraged by the greedy nobles around him.
Succumbing to the whispers of the nobles who were busy filling their own bellies, the Emperor of Roshan provoked a sleeping beast and suffered a humiliating defeat.
Roshan conscripted its citizens for the war. Among them were those who joined the army just to avoid starving to death.
However, they had no patriotism to protect the country, only a desire to survive, and their nutritional status was poor.
As a result, they all lost limbs, lives, and died in vain.
With the treasury emptied by the war’s defeat, it was certain that taxes would increase.
It was obvious that the remaining citizens would also die off.
With almost only children, the elderly, or the sick left, it was only a matter of time before the country fell.
Nisha was never treated as royalty, but she always felt indebted to the people.
No matter how much they scorned her as the sewer-rat princess, while they fought and died, she was safe within the imperial palace.
So she secretly took clothes, jewelry, and decorations from the palace, and stole rotting food to distribute secretly.
So her clothes were always shabby and plain.
“Didn’t they say the delegation from Xieman is coming tomorrow?”
Nisha, who had been lost in thought with her face buried in the pillow, suddenly muttered softly.
Then, instinctively, she realized that the time had come to act on something she had always thought about.
“Let’s escape.”
When the delegation arrived tomorrow, the surveillance in the imperial palace would become even tighter, and she would lose her freedom.
So today, when the entire palace was in chaos, was her only chance.
There were no maids assigned to watch over her, indicating that the entire palace staff had been mobilized for the visit of the cruel invaders.
It made sense; the Roshan Empire was now essentially a vassal state and had to welcome their masters without a single flaw.
‘This will be the last red night….’
Nisha muttered softly as she curled up, clutching the sheets as another bout of coughing began.
As she lay dazed under the blanket, the sun gradually set, and night fell.
Once it was dark, Nisha took advantage of the guards’ brief rest to gather supplies from the food storehouse and hide them deeper in the bushes.
‘Since this is the last time, I should take as much as possible….’
She had thought about escaping many times.
Countless plans had formed and faded in her mind.
But what held her back was the thought of the imperial citizens who would remain in hell if she left.
Nisha was not a great champion of justice, but she knew the agony of hunger.
Though she lacked the courage to stand up and advocate for her situation, she knew what it felt like to be on the brink of death.
Because of this knowledge, and her feeble conscience, she couldn’t leave.
But if today was to be the last of everything, then today was her chance.
‘Tonight is also the night of the red moon….’
Returning to her room, Nisha checked the time and quietly took a small white vial from her nightstand drawer.
When she tilted the bottle over her palm, white pills tumbled out.
She grabbed a handful without counting, and with a detached expression, she swallowed them, gulping down water from the kettle before lying down on her bed.
Soon, her body began to convulse violently.
Her pupils dilated as she clutched her chest, groaning in pain. The spasms gradually subsided until her hand fell limply off the bed.
The small room quickly lost its warmth, turning cold in an instant.
An eerie silence fell over the room, with not even the sound of breathing to break it.
Diiiing— Doooong—.
How much time had passed?
As the bell marking midnight rang, Nisha’s fingers twitched.
Not long after, her faint breaths began to break the stillness that had filled the chilly room.
