I Became a Barbarian's Bride - Chapter 98
“……”
Nisha woke up as the sun was rising through the window. She found that her body was stiff, barely moving at all, which wasn’t exactly a pleasant feeling.
Recently, she had noticed that the stiffness was getting worse, and as she lay there with her eyes closed, she slowly began to move the tips of her fingers.
Yesterday, she had finally infused life force into the entire capital’s land.
Every time she had done so before, she had fainted, but by the fourth time, it seemed she had gotten used to it, as she managed to return to the castle in her right mind.
Of course, Kagan had been beside her, insisting it was fine if she slept.
‘Even sensations like this become familiar, huh.’
The sensation of having every last drop of blood drained from her body.
For Nisha, becoming accustomed to something wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
It meant her tolerance was increasing, just like how she now swallowed her medicine without a second thought.
‘I’m bored.’
Being unable to move even a little turned out to be surprisingly tiring.
As she casually thought about it, her hands began to move more freely, and she slowly propped herself up from the bed.
In truth, reviving the land wasn’t a terrible feeling. The citizens of Xieman treated her like a hero, calling out to her with awe-filled voices, as if she were a divine representative sent down from the heavens.
Hearing their cheers and voices filled with amazement, she couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of fulfillment.
So, she thought, it wouldn’t be so bad to keep doing this.
After struggling for a while, she managed to get up and tried to stand.
Based on her past experiences, she had realized that soaking in hot water after waking up like this was quite effective.
Even though she had lost 24 hours, it didn’t feel like much of a waste.
By now, everyone in the capital was praising her.
‘Where should I go next?’
She had heard that the land of Xieman was composed of twenty-six large and small territories.
And she had heard that there were chieftains managing those places like lords.
Most of them were either the size of the capital or much larger.
She had heard that the small village at the end of Xieman was the only exception.
Groaning, Nisha got up and looked out the window. The capital, which had once been barren, now looked lush and green.
With the sudden appearance of farmlands and countless vibrant green trees, Kagan has been quite busy lately.
He had been considering expanding the territory, and she had told him to feel free to do so.
Xieman, as it stood now, was scattered in such a way that it seemed a bit incomplete as a nation.
Of course, she understood that this was a strategy to leave some power in reserve in case of emergencies.
Nisha turned on the hot water, undressed, and sat down in the bathtub before it had even fully filled, watching the water rise.
The water rushed in, quickly covering her ankles.
The sensation was unbearably hot, but for Nisha, whose whole body felt stiff, it was just right.
She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, tilting her head slightly.
“Not bad.”
This kind of life wasn’t so bad.
A life where she was praised, worshiped, and exalted.
Her lips twitched, eventually curling into a soft smile.
Look, no one condemned her, no one called her useless or a waste of space.
On the contrary, they were all trying to feed her more, eager to help.
‘So, this is what it feels like to be helpful, to be alive.’
Nisha thought as she let the water rise to her neck, then slid down until her face was submerged just beneath her nose.
The sense of security in this foreign land wasn’t so bad after all.
After all, Kagan cherished her, held her as if he loved her at times, and their bodies intertwined.
Outside, everyone praised her, and no one ignored the landscape she had transformed.
Recently, even Mary had returned with a more resolute expression, she had seen Rad training among the knights, and Mash, despite looking stern, seemed to be studying under a good teacher.
Everything was perfect, as if it had been drawn from a dream.
So perfect that it was hard to believe she was merely a hostage.
Nisha slid down further.
As her face sank entirely into the bathwater, the world became silent.
“… Hey!”
‘Even if I stay like this, I’ll probably survive.’
Her breathing gradually tightened, and her lungs and heart screamed as if they were shrinking.
It was as if she had become addicted to the familiar sensation, trying to endure it to the very edge of her limit.
Just then—
Splashhhhh──!!
The sound of water pouring rang out, followed by a voice filled with shock.
“Nisha!!”
