The Sand Bride - Chapter 32

“When I go back, I’ll definitely make bookmarks. If you press sarasa flowers between the pages, the petals change color, you know?”

“Yes.”

“And—and I’ll make tea too. Mother loved that tea.”

“Yes. The fragrance was wonderful.”

Esther let out a deep sigh.

“The flowers will wither soon…… I wish I could return before then.”

“Yes.”

Bianca’s voice carried a sigh of her own.

“I wish for that too.”

At those words, Esther nodded silently, her eyes reddening with longing.

If she returned home, the first thing she would do was find her parents, embrace them, and sleep in the same bed. She would indulge in all the affection she had missed. Then, she would read the books left at home and make bookmarks and tea from leaves and wildflowers. Never again would she go near the border—she would live out her days peacefully in Donova…….

As Esther lost herself in this unending vision of the future, she clenched her fists. To make it happen, she had to survive above all else. Then someday—truly, someday—freedom might return to her, and with it, the happiness she once knew.

Those days when family would hold her close, even as the face of the man who had torn her apart that night or the nightmares of Karzhen haunted her.

If she didn’t die, then someday, really…….

Esther tightened her grip on Bianca’s hand. In response, their intertwined fingers, like the roots of a tree, anchored her.

* * *

The air had grown chilly enough to make one shiver even while still. Karzhen, lying half-naked against the bedpost, let out a sluggish yawn. Not because he was sleepy—just bored.

A quiet stillness filled the room where Karzhen and Esther were. The night wind slipped through the gaps in the window curtains, making the flames flicker and the thin beads tremble faintly. Esther lay on one side of the bed, her pale back and waist exposed, as still as death.

Only the irregular rise and fall of her body betrayed that she was still awake.

“How dull.”

Karzhen clicked his tongue softly. He was displeased that she had gone limp after just three rounds. Today, she had collapsed too quickly. Though unsatisfied, he had given up—forcing himself on an exhausted Esther wouldn’t bring the same thrilling reactions as before.

As for ordering her to use her mouth—he had tried that once, commanding her to suck him off after he had finished inside her, only for Esther to vomit onto the bed. The thought killed any lingering desire.

Like most, Esther had a weak stomach—certainly not strong enough to suck a c**k smeared with sticky, whitish s***n and her own slick.

With nothing left to do, he found himself at a loss. It was too early to return to the palace, yet too late to do anything else. Boredom gnawed at him, and soon, the deathly silence grew uncomfortable.

No moans, no lewd sounds—nothing. Esther lay there, awake yet silent, lips sealed.

From what he’d heard from the priests, she chattered plenty with another girl her age—another sacrificial offering like her. It seemed she only clamped her mouth shut around him.

The way she lay there, back turned as if ignoring him, irritated him. Who does this slave think she is?

Given her circumstances, she should be fawning over him by now. Yet she treated him like he wasn’t even there. Karzhen, always the center of attention, wasn’t used to being disregarded.

Then, it struck him—he didn’t even know her name. Not that it mattered, nor was he curious.

But the realization sparked a whim, and he acted on it immediately. Karzhen turned his upper body and lightly kicked Esther’s thigh with his toes.

Her pale body twitched before hesitantly stirring.

Too slow. Too distant.

Karzhen reached out, grabbed her by the armpit and shoulder, and yanked her toward him. Esther staggered from the sudden pull, her face now close to his. He tilted his head.

“Hey. Girl.”

When Esther turned her head away, Karzhen smirked slowly and gripped her chin. Her trembling eyes, forced to meet his, eventually lowered submissively. Her pale lashes, the same color as her hair, looked almost white under the moonlight.

Karzhen licked his lips and asked:

“Come to think of it—what’s your name?”

The unexpected question made Esther’s lips purse slightly. She seemed to deliberate for a moment before her eyes wavered, hesitation plain on her face.