The Sand Bride - Chapter 46

If possible, she wanted to face him directly and tell him in person. Esther wished her father would embrace her and pat her back like he did when she was a child. Or perhaps she wanted to embrace him instead.

How much pain must he be in? Remembering her father’s appearance—clearly marked by hardship even from afar—Esther sniffled. Just recalling that sight made her chest ache as if being torn apart.

As she pressed her teary eyes against her shoulder for a moment, the sound of curtain beads scattering came from the entrance.

“What’s wrong with you crying all the time?”

It was Karzhen.

Esther jerked her head up to look at him. Karzhen scanned her reddened eyes and clicked his tongue in displeasure. Before Esther could rise, he strode forward and picked up the blank paper before her. Seeing the empty page, he clicked his tongue again.

“What have you been doing to leave it blank until now?”

“I was thinking about what to write…….”

Esther hesitated before speaking.

“I was troubled…….”

“You saying you don’t want to write? Then just quit.”

“No!”

At Karzhen’s casual remark, Esther loudly denied it and hastily shook her head.

“I-I can finish writing today. Really.”

Stealing glances at Karzhen’s expression, Esther timidly picked up the quill and sat down. Her small voice carried unexpected determination.

Unlike before, Esther now looked at the paper with a serious expression, no longer overwhelmed by emotion—yet still couldn’t write a single word. This time, for a different reason. Karzhen was staring holes into her.

“Um…….”

His gaze was so intense she could feel it even when looking away. Esther slightly lifted her eyes from the paper to glance at Karzhen. Her barely raised line of sight stopped around his chin as she tried to discern his intentions.

“Did you… have something to say……?”

Though she mustered the courage to speak, even her voice trailed off uncertainly.

Normally timid and cautious, Esther was even more so now. She feared Karzhen might break his promise about delivering the letter to her father.

While he had flatly refused to let her meet her father even from a distance, he had agreed to at least deliver a letter. But since Esther had persistently begged for this concession, and his nod had seemed reluctant, she remained constantly anxious.

As Esther worried her lip in hesitation—

“…….”

Karzhen was unusually quiet. Normally he would’ve said something by now—this was strange.

Esther rolled her eyes. Her gaze wandered aimlessly from the paper to Karzhen and back. As time passed, her anxiety grew.

While she could never detect positive emotions in Karzhen’s words, his silence was equally unsettling. To her, “Karzhen” was a word synonymous with the opposite of tranquility—he made her uneasy even when not tormenting her.

Watching Esther hesitate uncertainly, Karzhen approached until he stood right beside her chair.

His large hand reached out before she could react, firmly grasping her cheek. Esther reflexively squeezed her eyes shut, but instead of pain, warmth met her face.

Karzhen lifted Esther’s head to make her meet his gaze. Though he slightly bent his waist, their heights still didn’t match, forcing Esther to awkwardly straighten up.

“Ah…….”

Her lips were pressed together—then Karzhen suddenly parted his and pushed between them. Esther faintly furrowed her brow. Karzhen’s kisses always left her feeling strange no matter how many times they repeated.

The thick, large tongue freely roaming her mouth felt excessively hot, and Karzhen’s breath by her ear was oppressive. Sometimes his kisses—as if trying to devour her tongue and mouth—even frightened her.

But this time was slightly different. His tongue carefully licked inside her lips before venturing deeper to gently rub against hers. The slow movements made everything feel vividly clear.

The hand holding Esther’s quill trembled. Karzhen alternately pressed and rubbed the roof of her mouth and tender inner flesh as if exploring. Each time, their tongues brushed in her narrow mouth.

Esther awkwardly lost track of when to breathe. As her breath grew stifled, she tried to pull her limp tongue back—only to lick the tip of Karzhen’s tongue instead. When this seemed like reciprocating the kiss, Esther flushed and tried to pull away.

“Ah~~!”

Karzhen roughly yanked her head back by her hair. Through the gap, his tongue fiercely mingled with hers as he swallowed her lips. At the suddenly rough kiss, the quill in Esther’s hand fell and rolled across the floor.

The chair creaked as it was pushed back. Leaning on Karzhen’s hand in an awkward position, Esther reached up to grab his wrist holding her face—but he didn’t budge.

Even when Esther briefly bit his tongue with her lower teeth in protest, he only paused momentarily before continuing.

“Haa… Mm…….”

The kiss only stopped when she thought she might truly suffocate.

Karzhen slowly pulled his lips away. His tongue slightly protruded before licking his lower lip and retreating. Esther panted through saliva-slick lips. Karzhen slid his thumb into her mouth and rubbed her lower teeth.