NTR: Barbarian Harem Conquest

Chapter 126: Mistake

Kane turned slowly, breaking the embrace just enough to look down into her eyes.

Golden rings swirled in Misha’s gaze, reflecting the cheerful fires of the lower city.

Her white hair caught the moonlight, framing a face that always seemed too serene for the bloody world they inhabited.

"Aren’t you angry?"

Misha tilted her head, a flicker of genuine confusion crossing her delicate features.

"Angry for what?"

"How your mother just handed you to me," Kane said, resting his hands loosely on her waist.

"The Northern Empress tossed her own daughter to a gladiator just to secure a border alliance. She treated you like a sack of grain being traded at the market. What if I were just another monster? What if I forced myself on you the first night we met?"

Misha held his gaze without blinking.

No fear surfaced in her expression, only a quiet certainty that defied her fragile appearance.

"It would be a shame," Misha replied, her dual-tone voice unwavering.

"I would have cursed you to the lowest hells and killed myself before morning."

’She actually means it,’ Kane realized, feeling a profound surge of respect for the white-haired oracle.

’Beneath all that quiet obedience, she possesses a spine made of steel. She would rather die than let someone break her soul.’

"If you have that kind of resolve," Kane questioned, brushing a thumb gently over her cheekbone, "why can’t you show that resistance to your mother? Why let her use you as a political bargaining chip without fighting back?"

"I was born with a purpose, husband," Misha answered, turning her head to look out over the balcony railing.

"The seraphic blessing is not just a fancy title. It is a divine duty to protect my homeland by seeing the threads of fate. It is not easy for me to waive that responsibility just so I can enjoy my own life."

"Enjoying life is also a purpose, Misha," Kane countered, stepping closer to block the cold wind from chilling her skin.

"You cannot spend your whole existence bleeding for people who do not even bother to ask how your day went."

Misha lowered her eyes.

"I never really thought about it," she admitted, her fingers tracing the worn leather straps of his harness.

"Even with my weak heart, my failing vessel, I always wanted to fulfill my duty. I thought surviving long enough to help Milfheim was enough."

’They brainwashed her since birth,’ Kane deduced, a spark of protective anger flaring in his chest.

’They convinced a girl with a fragile heart that she was only worth what she could sacrifice for the crown.’

"Do you want revenge?" Kane asked, the question slipping out laced with lethal intent.

Misha’s eyes locked onto his, widening slightly at the sincerity in his tone.

"Revenge?"

"Yes," Kane confirmed.

"Say the word, and I can bring Milfheim down. I will burn the palaces to the ground and drag your mother off her throne. I already have a score to settle with them anyway, back when their royal guards bullied me in a border village. We can march the army north tomorrow morning. You are my wife now. I can do anything for you."

Silence stretched between them.

Misha stood still, lost in thought for a long time.

She stared into Kane’s eyes, seeing the genuine promise of a continent-spanning war offered as a simple, casual gift.

She knew he wasn’t bluffing.

If she asked, he would paint the northern place red.

Finally, a graceful sigh escaped her lips.

"I don’t think revenge is what I need," Misha decided, a rare smile warming her usually analytical expression.

"Shattering my homeland will not fix my heart, Kane. It will only empty yours. Bloodshed cannot heal the past."

Kane nodded, instantly understanding her perspective.

He respected her choice without pushing for a war she didn’t want.

"Your choice," Kane agreed, relaxing his shoulders.

"Then get used to the other women here. They will treat you better than your royal family ever did. You are one of us now, and the Bloodfang protects its own."

She nodded, stepping forward to wrap her arms around his chest again.

Hugging him tight, she buried her face against his collarbone, seeking his warmth.

"I like Thora," Misha mumbled against his skin, her voice carrying a hint of sisterly fondness. freeweɓnøvel.com

"She is loud, and she curses too much, but her spirit is honest."

"Thora is different," Kane sighed, a note of vulnerability creeping into his tone.

He stared out over the city, ghosts of past mistakes hovering in the shadows of his mind.

"She was mature enough to accept me, although I forced myself on her in the beginning. I claimed her like a prize just to break a rival’s pride. If there is one thing I truly regret in this, it is that I used her to prove a point. And I regret it every single day."

’I shouldn’t have treated her like a game character,’ Kane reflected, feeling the weight of his past actions settling over him.

’I was just a feral brute back then, fighting for scraps and rewards. She forgave me, but I still carry the debt. I owe her more than just apologies.’

"Then ask her for forgiveness," Misha suggested, looking up at him with bright eyes.

"A warrior can admit when he was wrong. It makes him stronger, not weaker."

"I will," Kane promised, meaning every word.

"And I will make her my queen. She earned a crown a hundred times over, bleeding right beside me in the vanguard."

Hearing this, Misha pulled back slightly.

She puffed her cheeks out, forming an adorable pout that caught Kane completely off guard.

"Then what about your wife?" Misha asked, crossing her delicate arms over her chest in a mock display of jealousy.

"Am I just a political oracle now?"

Kane let out a genuine laugh that echoed off the marble walls.

The joyful sound startled a few night birds from the nearby garden courtyards.

"There are seven empires, Misha," Kane grinned, his ambition blazing brighter than the city fires below.

"I figure I can conquer enough thrones to have at least seven of you wearing a crown. Nobody gets left behind in my kingdom."

Pulling her back into his arms, Kane hugged her carefully.

He adjusted his grip, making sure his chest did not press too hard against her fragile ribs, ensuring her weak heart never ached under his touch.

Standing together on the high balcony, Kane breathed in the night air.

’How long has it been since I thought about anything other than blood?’

Watching the vibrant city stretch out beneath the stars, Menual was the first place where he truly felt in control of his own destiny.

Now, it’s time for him to make him destiny greater.