The Sand Bride - Chapter 87

Karzhen shouted like a torrent and kicked his horse’s flanks. The well-trained horse quickly galloped across the sand, and soon he reached a distance where he could be certain it was Esther and Bianca. However, before reaching their shadows, the horse screamed and staggered.

Karzhen dismounted before falling. It was a wise choice. Not long after, the horse collapsed, bleeding from its front legs.

Bianca had grabbed another arrow and was now aiming at Karzhen. Karzhen dodged one arrow and drew his sword again. His blood heated up hotly. From his body facing the desired goal, it whispered to kill whatever obstructed him.

“You’d better move carefully.”

Karzhen smiled savagely. The gulping of his dry throat craving blood spread irritably.

“Otherwise, that’ll be the last arrow you shoot.”

“You should move carefully.”

Bianca retorted in a stern tone without yielding.

“Otherwise, you’ll be the last person I kill.”

An arrow flew. Karzhen, who deflected it with his sword, approached calmly. However, Bianca also knew well that she had no chance of winning in close combat.

She kept backing away and changing direction while shooting her bow. Each time, Karzhen narrowed the distance, deflecting Bianca’s arrows with his blade that flashed like an executioner’s axe.

When few arrows remained, Karzhen was already approaching nearby. Bianca threw down her bow and arrows and drew a sword from her waist. But even while drawing it, she held no hope of winning.

Bianca shot her bow as well as Greta, but she wasn’t as strong in close combat as Greta. In contrast, Karzhen was a born Kemut and a strong warrior even among the Kemut, so the outcome was quickly decided.

The blade sliced long across Bianca’s side. As Bianca staggered from the wound extending to her arm, Karzhen brought down his sword again and knocked her to the ground. Ptah. Bianca, who had been struck in the face with the flat of the blade, spat out blood from her torn mouth. Blood flowing from the wounds on her side and forearm also soaked the sand, staining it red.

Karzhen, standing arrogantly before her, lifted Bianca’s chin with his blade. This time it was properly the sharp edge pointing toward her neck. He looked down at Bianca with the mocking face a victor could wear.

“I’ll praise you for being quite troublesome, but now it’s over. I’ll tear out your throat so you can never again bewitch others with that clever tongue of yours.”

“Bewitch? Me?”

Bianca snorted as if she had heard something ridiculous. It was a dignified behavior even with death before her eyes.

“Whether you tear out my throat or cut off my tongue, nothing will change. Why don’t you understand that?”

“…….”

“You shouldn’t have come.”

Bianca glared at Karzhen with eyes mixed with disgust.

“You should have let go when it wasn’t over yet. Don’t you know it’s because of you? Don’t you know what you’ve done?”

“What are you to babble about it being over? Esther is still alive, yet you dare to move your mouth saying she’s finished.”

“What?”

“You don’t need to make me want to tear out your throat like that. I’ll tear it out soon anyway, so shutting up would be less painful.”

Despite Bianca’s reproach, Karzhen smiled arrogantly.

If asked whether he regretted everything he had done to Esther, he could answer yes. However, that was not an emotion stemming from guilt, but because he couldn’t be with Esther in the form he desired due to it. That was why Karzhen had come searching like this instead of letting Esther go.

If he trapped her in those hands again and filled her surroundings only with himself, someday he could have her.

If he poured only good things like beautiful clothes and jewelry, delicious food, and a grand palace, she would eventually have no choice but to come alive in his grasp. Since she was alive, Karzhen believed without doubt that the end had not yet come.

Knowing his inner thoughts, Bianca laughed hollowly as if watching a foolish child insist on the most absurd thing. This man truly believed he could win Esther’s heart and had come all this way.

He didn’t know the end and fear of Esther that he held. Even though he himself had made her appear that way to him. He,

He was ignorant fear.

Bianca burst into laughter filled with disillusionment.

“You cruel and stupid monster. It would be easier to cultivate a forest in this desert than for your wish to come true, wouldn’t it?”

“How many times did I tell you to shut that mouth?”

A low growling sound echoed from deep in Karzhen’s throat. It was the sound of an enraged beast baring its teeth.

Bianca, already detached from death, looked at Karzhen with eyes full of mockery. As he gazed into those eyes that closely resembled his younger sister, Karzhen raised his sword when—

Thunk, something embedded itself in his back. Karzhen, who had staggered, lowered the hand holding his sword.

“Esther…….”

Looking down, Bianca was staring wide-eyed behind Karzhen. There stood Esther, holding a bow. Faithfully maintaining the stance Bianca had taught her.

“You…….”

Even though she was the one who shot the arrow, Esther trembled violently. Her face showed she hadn’t expected to hit even while shooting. Or perhaps she had shot without thinking of what would happen after hitting.

When Karzhen slowly turned to look at Esther, her bow-holding stance instantly crumbled. As she stepped backward, the quiver planted in the sand toppled over, spilling arrows everywhere.

Karzhen calmly reached out, grasped the arrow embedded in his shoulder blade, and pulled it out in one go. It was a leisurely action as if doing something routine.

Moreover, Esther’s weak arrow, shot by someone who had never drawn a bow strongly, didn’t penetrate deeply and only drew blood—by Karzhen’s standards, it was embarrassing to even call it a proper wound. However, his face transparently showed his feelings. His severely contorted face looked like a ghost.

Karzhen ground his teeth. It was strange. The arrow had hit his back, but the pain came toward his chest as if piercing his lungs.

At that moment, Bianca quickly drew a small knife from her waist and stabbed Karzhen’s stomach. The blade was small and didn’t penetrate deeply enough to reach organs due to the thick leather protection, but it was enough to make Karzhen stagger.

“Ugh!”