The Sand Bride - Chapter 62

Esther, secretly observing Karzhen with furtive glances, felt relieved that, at any rate, Karzhen didn’t seem to be tired of her.

When Karzhen finished eating, the servants quickly retreated from the room with the table and leftover food, just as they had prepared for the meal. Esther submitted to the man’s hand stroking her waist and rested her head on his chest.

His large hand swept down her side, and as his lips approached, Esther closed her eyes. Her arms hesitantly wrapped around his neck.

Her lightly clinging arms drove Karzhen wild. Though it wasn’t intentional, Esther’s clumsy responsiveness seemed to tease him, giving and withholding, causing Karzhen to instinctively lunge at her every time.

“Mmm…….”

Karzhen kissed her roughly, sucking on her lips and tangling his tongue with hers. Esther, though flustered, docilely yielded her mouth. Her eyes squeezed shut in what seemed like endurance, and her eyelids twitched when Karzhen curled his tongue around the root of hers. Yet, she didn’t release the arms wrapped around his neck, just as he commanded.

Even with just a kiss, in each moment, Karzhen’s chest swelled with a profound fullness.

It was a feeling similar to the satisfaction of winning his first sword sparring match as a child, but unlike then, where he’d wanted to show off this triumphant scene to others, he also wanted to close all the doors and windows, send the servants away, and have her all to himself.

It doesn’t matter if I really do that.

Karzhen smiled contentedly as he stripped Esther’s clothes off. It was true. It didn’t matter if he held the woman in front of others, showing her off as his most glorious trophy, or if he hid her away deep in the inner palace, enjoying her all to himself.

At any rate, Karzhen had been in an exceptionally good mood recently. The boredom that had dominated his life was now completely gone, leaving only pleasure. He laid Esther on the bed with eyes narrowed like a sated beast. Her gasps, as she inhaled deeply, were pleasing to his ears.

* * *

The young servant trembled, pacing the inner palace corridor. His hand, scratching the back of his own pale hand with his fingernails, was bloodless. Hakan had ordered him to deliver the news of her parents’ passing to Esther today. He had also told him not to worry about meeting Esther, who was in the deep rooms of the inner palace, as he would handle it.

As the time Hakan had specified drew nearer, the young servant gripped the paper in his hand so tightly it crumpled.

He now held two letters: one was from Esther’s father, his last letter written before his death. It wasn’t from Karzhen’s messenger but from the young servant himself, who had visited Esther’s father to receive what could be considered his will.

The other was brought by Hakan’s subordinate, who had gone to the Kingdom of Donova, and it was a letter written by Esther’s relative. It contained the news of her mother’s death.

Since it wasn’t good news, he couldn’t help but feel nervous, but as time passed, the young servant felt even this hesitation was a luxury.

No matter how powerful he was, the time Hakan could spend in the inner palace of the central palace, Sayar’s domain, was very short. Within that time, the young servant had to abandon his hesitation and do what he needed to do.

Finally, he cautiously opened the door and walked down the short passage connecting the corridor and the room. He pushed aside the long curtains in front of him and looked at the room’s owner beyond.

“Ah…….”

What the young servant first saw were bright, sandy-colored hair and teal eyes, wide with surprise at the appearance of a man other than Karzhen.

A woman with the typical small, delicate frame of a southeastern woman and slightly downcast eyes that made her appear docile, was sitting on the bed, now frozen stiff, staring at him.

The young servant’s parched lips parted, and before the startled woman could scream and call for someone, he hastily blurted out what he had to say. He offered a slight bow and said,

“Shhh, quiet. I have something to tell you about your parents.”

At those words, the woman rose from her seat. Her gleaming eyes, perhaps having seen the letters in the servant’s hand, were filled with expectation, but the young servant, thinking of Hakan and his orders, handed over the letters and began to speak.

With every word that spilled from his tongue, the woman stumbled and collapsed. Finally, having delivered all he had to say, the young servant left the room in a hurry, leaving Esther collapsed on the floor.

He couldn’t stay any longer. If he didn’t leave quickly, this secret meeting would be exposed, as the woman would surely cry out.

For he had perfectly carried out the King’s command.