The Sand Bride - Chapter 65

Karzhen’s impatience had long since turned into rage, fueled by Esther’s accusations and her declaration of leaving.

“Agh……!”

Whack! Karzhen grabbed Esther’s hair and strode purposefully somewhere. His grip was so brutally strong that her scalp felt like it was being ripped raw.

Even as she was dragged, Esther screamed, pounding and pinching Karzhen’s hand gripping her hair, but he didn’t flinch.

Dragging Esther, Karzhen arrived in front of a building that looked like a tall tower. It was a tower with a space too small to discern its purpose, yet a gatekeeper guarded its entrance.

The gatekeeper, who had been at a loss for what to do since he saw Karzhen in the distance, frantically unlocked the tower door when ordered to open it. The tightly sealed door swung open, and an eerie atmosphere spread from within. Esther shivered at the cold, somewhat sinister air.

A warning to not go there spread instinctively throughout her body. Before Karzhen could step inside, Esther twisted her head and bit Karzhen’s arm, sinking her teeth in.

“Ugh……!”

With a short groan, Karzhen loosened his grip on her hair, and Esther hastily tried to flee. Regardless of what happened after escaping, she absolutely did not want to go inside that place. But Karzhen only faltered for a moment before seizing Esther’s nape again.

As soon as she was caught, Esther fiercely resisted, kicking and scratching this time. Karzhen’s face, which had been incredulous, twisted into a savage grimace, but Esther didn’t stop.

Smack! It was at that moment a sharp tearing sound was heard from a swinging hand.

Esther flinched and cringed. Karzhen stood stiff, his head turned. There was a faint but distinct red mark on his cheek.

Realizing what had happened, Esther gasped, swallowing her breath as she looked at Karzhen’s face. When she realized she had not only bitten Karzhen but also slapped him, a fear faster than being dragged underground froze her.

Esther thought she might be beaten by Karzhen. No, considering his personality that she knew, this time he would surely break her neck and kill her. Even the soldier who had opened the door seemed to think so, staring at Karzhen with a pale face.

However, instead of hitting or choking Esther, Karzhen dragged her, stiff with terror, past the door and down the stairs, heading to the bottom of the tower. Midway, Esther, regaining her senses, stumbled and tried to resist, but the sounds coming from below stiffened her entire body.

Chilling sounds. The raw, vivid cries of human pain, deep from their throats, echoed throughout.

But that wasn’t the end. The further down she went, the more Esther felt like she would lose her mind. Screams came from everywhere, and terrible sounds she didn’t want to know were heard. And it wasn’t just sounds. A gruesome smell of blood and rotting corpses permeated the air.

The scent of ancient death and freshly blossoming death mingled, stinging her nose and reeling her head.

Karzhen dragged Esther along a corridor-like area. On both sides of the narrow corridor were iron-barred cells. Karzhen threw Esther into one of the empty cells.

Esther, sprawled on the ground, stumbled as she rose, but burst into tears at Karzhen’s shadow, which seemed to press down on her.

Even with Esther’s crying, Karzhen’s face was cold. It wasn’t the annoyed, bothersome, or awkward expression he’d worn before. Esther knew from that face alone that Karzhen was incredibly angry.

“Quiet. Won’t you shut your mouth?”

Of course, it wasn’t a realization that helped her stop crying.

“Listen, Eder…… No, wait.”

Karzhen, who had habitually called her by her fake name towards the cowering Esther, let out a hollow laugh. Esther hesitantly raised her eyes. Her visibly anxious gaze scanned Karzhen, then stiffened at his next words.

“Esther.”

“……!”

“Not once, but twice, you pull this kind of s**t? You find it amusing to treat me like a f*****g idiot?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Esther’s face turned not just white, but utterly blue. He knows. The tips of her fingers, resting on her knees, trembled.

She was terrified that he knew her lie, but at the same time, the fact felt utterly unfair. Finally, Esther, like a fish out of water, gaped her lips for a long time before managing to gasp out a single phrase.

“B-but y-you…….”

It’s all because of you, isn’t what you did worse than me lying about my name? Esther wanted to protest in her injustice, but her tongue, stiff with terror, wouldn’t obey her.

She was still stammering, trying to rekindle her fading rage, when a desperate scream, as if to tear the soul of anyone who heard it, spread. Esther flinched and recoiled. It was a man’s scream. And somehow familiar…….

As the frightened Esther shut her mouth and looked around nervously, Karzhen demonstratively walked out of the cell.