She covered her mouth with her hands, “Ugh—” a pain shot through her heart.
It was Charles, that “little monkey,” but he was no longer agile. His frail body lay slumped in a pool of blood, crushed under the fallen wooden rack. His limbs were already stiff, and only his flaxen hair fluttered gently in the breeze.
Khanyi threw herself onto him, crying out, “How could this happen, !” Just last night, he had just celebrated his 16th birthday! How could fate be so cruel! The merciless Grim Reaper swung his black scythe and took away an innocent young life just like that!
She cried out in anguish, her voice shaking everyone present. People stopped being silent and shed tears.
“Everyone, step back.” Captain Jacob had arrived at the scene without her noticing. He wore white gloves and checked the dead boy’s bloodied and muddy mouth and nose. His gray-green eyes trembled slightly. “He died from the fall; it was just an accident.” After saying this, he instructed two soldiers to move the wooden rack and carry away the body. “Everyone, return to work.” Captain Jacob’s tone was somewhat harsh as he dismissed the servants and glanced at her, who was kneeling on the ground.Khanyi didn’t want them to take him away, but she had neither reason nor authority to stop them. She could only kneel on the cold ground, letting her tears freeze in the cold wind.
The evening glow of that day was as fiery red as flames.
The sunset light streamed into the room through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the study, illuminating the black piano and her frail body. She played the piano, the sound so sorrowful that it brought tears to anyone who heard it.
“Clack—clack—” The sound of his military boots echoed on the floor, coming closer. She knew he had arrived, but the sadness enveloped her, making her temporarily forget her fear. She played the piece over and over, using the piano’s voice to mourn his departed soul.
He stood behind her in a black uniform, seemingly there to appreciate her music. He gently walked to the piano, resting his hand lightly on the piano lid.
Her delicate fingers pressed gently on the keys, but the piano responded with such heaviness. She knew his soul must be very light because he was so pure.
He gazed at her porcelain-like face from the side, his dark eyes clear as a spring, long eyelashes occasionally fluttering, glistening with tears. She played for him, cried for him, grieved for him; all her emotions stemmed from that insignificant gardener.
The music was beautiful, as if it could touch the deepest strings of the heart. His hand gently caressed and moved over the exquisitely lacquered and silver-edged piano lid, causing the entire piano to vibrate, including the lid. Suddenly, he slammed the piano lid down…
“Bang—!”
Her fingers couldn’t withdraw in time, and they were crushed under the heavy piano lid. Each key of the ancient piano resonated with a mournful sound as the lid fell, drowning out her voice.
“Ah—!” She let out a piercing scream, her hands immobilized. After a few seconds, the pain surged through her hands, and at the same time, hot tears streamed down from her dark eyes. Her body leaned over the piano, bending forward. It hurt, it hurt so much. As time passed, the pain rapidly expanded, consuming her consciousness…
He slowly lifted the piano lid. Her fingers were already bruised and swollen, quickly filling with blood. Heart and fingers were connected; she looked at her hands but couldn’t move them at all, as if those ten fingers no longer belonged to her. She was almost in so much pain that she couldn’t make a sound.
“Ah—!!” He grasped her hand in his palm, sending another wave of piercing pain through her. He shook his head, squinting his eyes, filled with pity as he said, “You can never play the piano again, these beautiful little hands.”
Khanyi was in unbearable pain, her tears almost blurring her vision, but she saw the raw madness and jealousy in his eyes, and in that moment, she understood the true reason behind the gardener Charles’s death. It was as if the pain in her fingers temporarily receded, replaced by a surge of rage. “You… you killed him? You killed him! What wrong did he commit that warranted his death?”
