Chapter 45

“It’s Kim Chui. The woman is Kim Chui. Sylvester, please let them in, please. We can’t leave her out there like that” Desire cried out holding on to Sylvester’s cloth.

Wrapping his arm around her, Sylvester instructed the soldiers, “Open the gate for them and take them to the northern wing of the mansion that we had already provided for them and give them the necessary things they want and also post two soldiers with them. Also, bring the woman who had the cloth to with her to us”

Sylvester explained to Desire that he knew something like that was going to happen so he had prepared for any future unforeseen occurrences.

The gate was opened and unlike what the woman had said, they were only about twenty in numbers including two little girls. They were all directed to the northern wing of the mansion before the soldier instructed the lady with the dress to follow him.

Sylvester had managed to convince Desire to have her breakfast and that Kim Chui will be back to her soon. Desire was glad that she was escape with the condition that she was in.

“She’s here, my lord” The soldier announced. Desire sprang to her feet, ready to hug her friend and tell her about how worried she had been about her and how much she missed her but suddenly stopped when she saw a strange woman looking at her.

“Who are you?” Desire asked.

“She’s the woman with the dress” The soldier replied.

“Where did you get that dress? Who gave it to you? Did you steal it? I want to know right now where you got that dress from” Desire yelled at the young lady.

Sylvester went up to her side and held her tight, “Calm down, Desire”

“Kim Chui gave the dress to me after the Harem was attacked” The lady explained.

“Where is she? Where’s Kim Chui?” Desire asked.

“She’s dead. She was stabbed in the stomach before being dragged away by those animals. They threw her body into the woods, we took her away from there and buried her by the river that flows through the region” The young lady told them with tears running down her eyes.

Desire collapsed into Sylvester’s hand. She couldn’t believe everything this woman had told her. Kim could never die just like that. That girl had gone through so much in life, she didn’t deserve to go just like that. She should’ve lived, she deserves to live.

Desire removed herself from Sylvester and walked into a corner. She burst into tears, wailing for the loss of her friend. She remembered Sylvester’s words about war, they only know the beginning, it is always hard to know the end. The war was not only going to affect the surrounding region, it was going to harm their people, destroy their sources of livelihood and take their loved ones away from them.

Sylvester touched her shoulder lightly after dismissing the woman. When she looked up at him with those tears in her heart, he felt her pain. He felt just how much she hurt from losing her friend. He knew what was like to lose someone special.

“How am I supposed to tell him that she died? How am I supposed to inform him of the death of his woman? He was even ready to go all the way with her despite her being pregnant for another man? He was ready to secure her freedom. How am I even going to start?” Desire cried out making him wonder about who she was talking about.

“What are you talking about, Dove? Who is he?” He asked.

“Ying! Ying is the one I’m talking about. How am I supposed to tell him that the one woman he loved is gone just like that?”

Sylvester never knew Ying was seeing Kim Chui, even though he was getting suspicious of the short trips he had been making to the palace but he had thought it was for his sister. He never knew it was another woman entirely.

“We will find a way to tell him, Desire. I promise he’ll be fine” He kissed her forehead and held her close.

“My lord, Lady Fang wants to leave the mansion with her maids” Sylvester head snapped up at his direction and quickly stood up, leaving Desire at her spot, still wailing.

“Fang, What is this nonsense you’re trying to do?” Sylvester screamed at her on spotting her closer to the door.

“I’m going back home, Sylvester. I can’t keep on staying here. My family would be worried about me and I need to go back”

“That is impossible, Fang. There’s a war going on out there and you want to risk your life. Shouldn’t safety be the first thing you should think of?”

“Why are you trying to make me stay, Sylvester?” she cried out.

“To keep you safe. I still hate you for everything you’d done to me but still, I so much respect your father than to let you go out there and endanger your life”

“It is my life, not yours, Sylvester. I’m going home and nobody can stop me” She screamed back.

“Seal the gates and do not let her out of your sight. Stop this madness and find something better to do” Sylvester replied.

“If I stay, will you love me like before?” She suddenly asked.

Desire had already left the spot she had condemned herself too when she heard the loud argument. She waited for his response as well as everyone out there. Desire knew he could give her a positive response because the way he left her to attend to Fang and how much he’s trying to protect her proves something to them all.

“No, Fang. Whatever that happened between us is over. All I’m doing is out of respect for your father” He finally replied after a long silence.

“The fact that you took so long to reply speaks a thousand words, Sylvester. You’re still in love with me and you’re just fucking her for no reason” She said pointing to Desire.

They all knew Fang was an attention seeker, Lady Nor had worked in that house for so long to know what Fang was capable of. She could play Sylvester like she played her fingers. She could only hope that her words didn’t affect Desire.

“I have no explanation for any of my doings, Fang. It’ll be better if you go back inside before I change my mind” Sylvester roared.

“You cannot stop me from leaving and neither can your men. All they need is my command. I’ll give you a little gift before leaving”

She moved closer to Sylvester, whispered silent words into his ear while her eyes were looking at Desire directly, smirking at her.

“You’ve been played Sylvester, deal with that” Sylvester turned to look at Desire with blazing anger in his eyes.

Gone were the passion he felt for her, all that was left within a minute was hatred.