The Sand Bride

“Is there anything you want to eat?”

Esther, who had been quietly listening, glanced up at Karzhen at his last words. Oh? So she does want something to eat. Karzhen smirked unconsciously and rubbed Esther’s cheek.

“Your expression says you do. Tell me, what is it?”

“…….”

“You’re not going to say?”

Esther, who had been silent for a while, shook her head cautiously as Karzhen pressed her.

“N-no……. I, I do……”

“What is it?”

“It’s……”

Seeing Karzhen’s interested expression, Esther realized there was hope. Although she was afraid of what he might demand in exchange for food, if this plan succeeded, she could live without having to endure such things ever again.

Esther stammered nervously as she spoke, her mind racing to think of a food she could choose herself.

“Fruit……. Fr-fruit, please.”

“Fruit?”

Karzhen repeated after hearing Esther’s words.

“What kind of fruit?”

“Just… anything……. Dried ones are fine too, but… if you allow me, I’d like to ch, choose myself.”

Karzhen’s eyes narrowed. Esther prayed that he would nod. Of course, not to God—Esther hadn’t prayed to God since that night. Instead, she silently begged her late grandparents, whom she had lost in her childhood, to help her.

“Fine, then.”

The reply came in a light tone. Esther blinked in disbelief for a moment, even though she had gotten the answer she wanted. Karzhen had allowed her to enter the storage tent and choose the fruit herself.

Startled, Esther stared directly at Karzhen for the first time before quickly averting her gaze. She crouched down, unsure whether it was joy or tension, and pressed a hand against her pounding chest. Her cheeks flushed with excitement.

Karzhen looked down at her with a subtle expression, then let out a hollow laugh for some reason. He reached out and absentmindedly stroked Esther’s head a few times before leaving the tent.

As soon as he was gone, Esther hurriedly grabbed her clothes and dressed. She checked the packet of medicine once more before stepping outside.

If she could mix the medicine, she would be free……. The captives’ fervent gazes seemed to seep into Esther. Freedom—she could finally return home. She wouldn’t have to worry about being sold as a slave in the capital.

For the first time since the attack, Esther began to imagine her future. If she found her father, she would hug him and cry. They would return together to her mother, who was waiting for them.

If only she could succeed……. Esther’s breathing grew ragged. With trembling steps, she walked toward the tent where the food was stored. There were guards standing watch, but when she mentioned that Karzhen had given her permission, they exchanged glances and looked toward Karzhen, who was standing nearby.

Esther worried that he might change his mind at the last moment, but Karzhen waved his hand dismissively, signaling for them to let her in. The guards stepped aside, and Esther entered the tent with shaky steps.

The tent flap closed behind her. Inside, there were piles of food, jars of alcohol, and leather water containers—whether they were looted or originally stocked, Esther couldn’t tell. She hesitated for a moment before loosening the strings of the alcohol jars and carefully dividing the medicine into them.

From what she had observed while in Karzhen’s company, the bandits would drink about three jars of alcohol during their nightly gatherings. She estimated that the amount of medicine she had would be enough to knock them all out.

Without any measuring tools or precise calculations, Esther knew they would likely wake up with splitting headaches, but she couldn’t care less.

Without hesitation, Esther poured the medicine into the jars, tied the strings back, and arranged the jars neatly. She then grabbed a few pieces of dried fruit and quickly left the tent.

Even though Esther was carrying dried fruit, the guards exchanged glances but didn’t stop her, as if they had guessed Karzhen’s intentions.

This time, Esther didn’t care what they thought. Her heart raced at the thought of escaping tonight, once the bandits drank the drugged alcohol and fell asleep. Hope, hope. She began to imagine her future again. Yes, if she could just get through tonight…….

Tears welled up in her eyes, but this time they were tears of hope. Blinking back the tears, Esther hurriedly walked away from the tent. Of course, she had nowhere to go.

If she went to the captives, she might raise suspicions, and she had no desire to return to Karzhen’s tent.

Moreover, she couldn’t enter his tent when he wasn’t there. So, as usual, she found a quiet spot to sit down and looked around.

The surroundings were calm, as if the terrifying sandstorm had never happened. The weather was perfect for their journey, which would resume soon.

Esther tightened the cloth wrapped around her head and paused to stare at the sand, which sparkled under the gradually brightening sunlight. It was the same color as her hair.

With newfound hope, the desert landscape looked different to Esther. Unlike her hometown, the scorching, dry sunlight and the fine grains of sand that tickled her toes inside her shoes were now part of her reality.

The sunlight stung her eyes as she walked, and the sand, as fine as flour, always found its way into her hair no matter how tightly she wrapped her head. When she untied the cloth and shook her hair, the sand would gently fall to the ground.

“Just like sand.”