The Sand Bride - Chapter 59

The f*****g only ended after Karzhen had c****d four times.

Esther, tossed and turned, her body relentlessly driven, felt like her lower back was about to give out. But not having achieved her full objective yet, she gently shook Karzhen, who was now lying back contentedly, holding her close. When his puzzled amber eyes returned to her, Esther whispered softly,

“Uh, Lord Karzhen. When Father is fully recovered…… will I be able to see him then?”

She truly hadn’t begged for a letter, just as she’d promised.

“…….”

Goddammit. Karzhen cursed inwardly at Esther’s persistence, then shut his mouth again. When Esther showed no sign of giving up and reached out to shake him again, he felt the need to change the subject.

Even if Esther, with her narrow shoulders and weak arms, shook him, it wouldn’t even make him dizzy, let alone shake the bed more than it already had. But it was still annoying.

There was always the option of threatening her into silence again, but if he did that too, it might arouse suspicion. Karzhen grabbed Esther’s slender forearm, intending to stop her.

“Bianca.”

Then, quite suddenly, he recalled a woman. Not in a romantic sense, as when he recalled Esther.

As if reviewing objects and backgrounds, Karzhen pondered Bianca from a completely observational standpoint. Her tall stature, her dignified physique unlike that of a typical southeastern woman, even her blue eyes that gazed straight ahead without being overwhelmed by the attention on her.

As Esther reached out to shake him, Karzhen abruptly blurted out,

“Don’t you want to see her?”

“Huh? Who?”

“The woman named Bianca. You used to stick together often, didn’t you?”

“Ah…….”

Esther blinked. Before that, her mind had been so consumed by thoughts of her father that nothing else registered, but hearing Karzhen’s words, she felt a shameful longing to see Bianca, whom she had momentarily forgotten due to her father’s situation.

She was worried that the fierce and terrifying king might have subjected her to something terrible.

Esther still hadn’t forgotten Greta’s eyes, which had grabbed her hair and looked down at her as if she were an object, not a person. Those eyes, though the same color as Bianca’s, held a completely opposite aura.

“I want to see her……. Can I… see her?”

“I brought it up because I intended to let you see her.”

Karzhen chuckled lightly and readily agreed to let her meet Bianca. For him, showing her the healthy Bianca was better than showing her dying father.

However, a condition was attached: they had to meet only in the garden and only in front of the servants. Esther didn’t mind.

Since meeting Karzhen, almost everything had been restricted, so that much was no big deal. Besides, Bianca already knew that Esther had told Karzhen her name was Eder, so there would be no problem if Karzhen found out about their conversation.

Thus, on the promised date, Esther came out to the garden immediately after lunch and waited for Bianca. When she saw the dazzling silver hair and tall figure in the distance, she sprang up from her seat in delight.

“Bianca!”

Bianca, when they met again, was wearing a beautiful blue royal servant’s uniform. It was the formal attire of a servant who attended royalty, not slaves. When Bianca, who was similar in height and build to the other Kemut tribe servants, wore it, the uniform fit perfectly, neither too long nor too large.

Holding each other’s hands, Esther smiled softly and looked at Bianca. Her cheeks were flushed with vitality, and her lips were a vivid color. Seeing her formerly clouded teal eyes now gleaming, Bianca gazed at Esther’s newfound vibrancy with a complex expression.

Bianca gently stroked the back of Esther’s hand, then opened her mouth with difficulty.

“I’m glad you look better than before.”

Bianca, knowing the full story, couldn’t bring herself to say “you look good.” Esther, perhaps understanding this, her face clouded for a moment but then softened.

“Yes. Actually, Bianca, Father…….”

Esther paused, as if merely speaking the words was overwhelming.

“Father, he’s here.”

“What? You found your father?”

“Yes.”

Judging by Esther’s face, it seemed certain. Bianca closed her mouth and looked at Esther’s face. Her bewildered expression soon became tinged with complex emotions. The end of her words trembled slightly.

“That’s truly wonderful. But how……?”

“I went out with that man, and by chance…… H-he’s very sick, but I was promised that he’d be given a doctor and medicine. So he’ll get better soon.”

Her words were rambling. In front of Bianca, who was like a living witness to what Karzhen and he had done to her, Esther seemed to feel ashamed of her happiness over the privileges he had granted her. So Esther timidly finished her sentence.

“And I can receive letters too…….”

“That’s good.”

When Esther finished speaking, Bianca finally smiled. Her blue eyes glinted in the sunlight with relief and affection. Esther felt a strange sensation looking into those eyes. She didn’t think it was the look a friend would give.

“That’s really good.”

“Yes……. Thank you so much… for saying that.”

But as Bianca congratulated her again, Esther pushed aside her inner thoughts and accepted the congratulations.

The two walked in the garden for a while, and Esther asked many questions. She was particularly curious about whether the king named Greta treated Bianca well, if he was unkind to her, and what Bianca was doing.

Bianca always smiled with an ambiguous expression and avoided answering. Instead, she turned the questions back to Esther, asking if she was leading a better life than before and how she felt.

After some time had passed, the servants standing near the garden glanced at the two. Esther knew it was time to go back. Karzhen disliked waiting for Esther and loved for her to wait for him.

Esther was afraid of displeasing Karzhen. Before, it was for her own safety, but now it was for her father. Esther hesitated and told Bianca it was time to part.

“I think I should go now. …Bianca. Can we see each other again sometime……?”