I Became a Barbarian's Bride - Chapter 72
“Why, it’s not wrong. I told you before—if it’s not with Kagan, I won’t get married. I’ve always said that to my brother, haven’t I?”
‘So, she’s saying she’ll be the official wife?’
Kagan frowned as he looked at her.
‘This is normal here, right?’
If this were Roshan, it would have been a blatant challenge, practically inviting a fight.
But since Xieman allows both polygyny and polyandry, it wasn’t a provocation—more like a greeting, suggesting they should get along.
Nisha figured it was better not to show any signs of discomfort, so she nodded calmly.
“Yes, let’s get along, Lady Rose.”
She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should address her more formally as ‘Princess,’ but remembered what Kagan said about not bowing to anyone, so she opted for a simple yet respectful tone.
As she extended her hand with a serene smile, Princess Rose paused briefly, then smiled confidently and shook it.
“Seems like we’ll understand each other. Let’s get along well.”
“Yes, likewise.”
“Well, I have a lot of people to greet, so I’ll be off. Kagan, brother, see you later.”
Waving lightly, Princess Rose brightly and energetically began to mingle around the hall, moving with a familiarity that suggested she knew the other Xieman nobles well.
‘Now I see why they said I didn’t have to do anything.’
At this point, it was too much to expect Nisha to fully assimilate into this country.
The royal family likely judged that handling internal affairs would be better suited to someone who wasn’t just an outsider, but someone who had known Xieman for a long time and understood it well.
“I apologize, Nisha. My sister was rude.”
“What? No, she wasn’t rude at all.”
Surprised by Rigoran’s apology, Nisha blinked and quickly shook her head.
In fact, she was relieved that Rose hadn’t tried to be sly or pick a fight like the twins often did back in Roshan.
“I thought Roshan was fairly conservative, at least from what I remembered, but it seems my understanding was narrow.”
“It’s not that.”
At his words, Nisha shook her head again.
Thinking the conversation was sufficient, she glanced at Kagan, only to find him glaring at her with an even more unpleasant expression than before.
The moment their eyes met, he quickly looked away, causing Nisha to hold her breath for a moment.
‘Did I do something wrong?’
If she had made a mistake, she wished he would just tell her.
“Since Xieman allows both polygyny and polyandry…”
“Oh, I hope I didn’t offend you.”
Rigoran smiled warmly and straightened from his slight bow, stepping back.
“I would like to speak more, but it seems many are waiting for their turn. I’ll take my leave. I hope we get another chance before I return.”
“Yes, thank you for coming such a long way.”
At Nisha’s response, Rigoran’s eyes widened slightly before he laughed.
“I’m glad my friend’s first partner is someone with a heart as beautiful as yours.”
“Enough nonsense, hurry back.”
Rigoran glanced at him, his gaze sly and meaningful, before stepping back with a smirk.
“Alright, see you later.”
As Nisha watched Rigoran retreat, she rubbed her stiff neck.
“Are you tired?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Ah, I see.”
Kagan’s voice had grown strangely curt, causing Nisha to tilt her head slightly in confusion.
When she tried to catch his expression, she saw him with his arms crossed, looking away and nodding briefly toward the attendant beside him.
More people began to flood in once again, and Nisha forced herself to maintain her smile, though her lips trembled with exhaustion.
Finally, after greeting about half of the nobles, she was able to step back from the gathering.
The banquet was set to last for a week, so there was still plenty of time.
