HIFH | Chapter 58

Episode 58

‘How foolish.’

Returning home after parting ways with Sharan, Lu sank into the sofa and murmured.

‘Truly foolish.’

There was no way he would say such a thing to Sharan unless he had lost his mind.

— Honestly…. want to marry you.

Why had he said something like that?

Lu couldn’t understand himself.

Fortunately, Sharan seemed to have taken it as a joke.

That must be why she had reacted so casually and hadn’t given it any further thought.

‘Or maybe not.’

Had the atmosphere been a little strange?

Honestly, he wasn’t sure.

After seeing Sharan in a wedding dress, Lu hadn’t exactly been in his right mind.

He hadn’t had the presence of mind to read the mood.

‘She was beautiful, though.’

He recalled Sharan—

Standing awkwardly in a pure white dress, yet smiling brightly at him.

Thump.

His heart trembled.

Unconsciously, Lu placed a hand on his chest.

His heartbeat pounded, asserting its presence.

Why was this happening?

‘Truly foolish.’

Lu tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

Once again, he thought of Sharan.

— You have a talent for saying nonsense as if it’s completely reasonable. Hey, impressive.

— Just one hit. Let me hit you just once. That’s my wish!

Hmm. Not that.

— It’s only natural for people to help each other.

Yes. That was the kind of person Sharan was.

— I hate it when people die. I hate it when they get hurt, too.

Sharan had been born kind and compassionate.

It meant she had never questioned why she should help others.

Unlike him.

And that—he hated.

He had to make an effort to appear kind, while Sharan was naturally that way.

She helped others without hesitation, without reluctance.

She accomplished things he couldn’t even dream of.

That’s why he hated it.

But…

— We’re friends now, right?

When he heard those words—

When he realized that maybe, just maybe, Sharan genuinely liked him as a person—

How had he felt?

‘Happy.’

And… he had liked it.

Lu let out a small, breathy laugh.

Yes. They were good friends and comrades.

No longer disliking each other, but liking each other.

So—

‘When Sharan comes back, I’ll just say it was a joke.’

That should be enough to calm this complicated, inexplicable feeling.

‘When will she return?’

Lou muttered as he gazed at the slanting sun.

And then—

“L-Lord! Lord!”

The door burst open, and a pale-faced butler rushed in.

Lu tilted his head in confusion. The butler was someone who always maintained perfect decorum.

Why now?

Lu, still standing stiffly by his desk, looked at the butler.

“What is it? You’re sweating so much…”

“M-My Lady! My Lady!”

If he was saying My Lady, then he must mean Sharan.

What about Sharan?

She went on an outing with the young ladies, didn’t she?

She should be having a good time right about now, so why was he bringing her up—

“There was an explosion at the racetrack!”

What?

“A-And the young lady…”

At that moment, Lu’s vision went black.

It felt as if everything beneath him had collapsed.

Like he had lost gravity—floating for a moment before crashing down mercilessly.

A sharp ringing filled his ears.

“T-They said her guardian needs to come immediately. You must go at once.”

Lu staggered, gripping the desk as he gasped for breath.

Then, he looked at the butler again—

At his ashen, stricken face.

“Is… Charles badly injured?”

And—

Could she be—dead?

But he couldn’t bring himself to ask that.

Because if he heard the answer he feared—

If she was really…

He…

***

— Lady Charles ran into the lake while holding the bomb.

Lu looked down at Sharan.

Her face was deathly pale.

The dark bruises like scars and the bandages wrapped tightly around her limbs made it clear how badly she had been hurt.

— No one at the racetrack even realized what was happening until the bomb exploded in the lake.

The girl who usually wore a mischievous, teasing expression—

Now lying so eerily still—

It felt unnatural. And terrifying.

— Even then… Lady Charles didn’t hesitate. She must not have wanted anyone to get hurt.

Why?

Why do you always live by exhausting yourself?

“……”

Lu looked down at Sharan again.

Her breaths were faint and fragile, as if they might vanish at any moment.

A sudden fear gripped him.

His hands trembled.

“L-Lord Vansen.”

Just then, the doctor examining Sharan approached.

“Thankfully, there are no visibly severe external injuries, but Lady Charles suffered immense shock from the explosion.”

Lu slowly turned his head.

He looked at the doctor, who stood with an uneasy expression.

“As you know, Lady Charles was never in the best of health. It would be best to keep her hospitalized and monitor her condition.”

“Are you saying… she might not wake up?”

The doctor hesitated, glancing at Lu’s face.

“She will wake up. But we can’t say when. That’s why we need to wait and see—”

“That’s exactly what I’m asking.”

Lu could hear the anxiety laced in his own voice.

But he couldn’t stop speaking.

“My fiancée is lying here, unconscious, and all you can say is, ‘Hmm, well, let’s just wait and see’? Is that it?”

“N-No, that’s not what I meant…”

The doctor fidgeted, gauging Lu’s reaction.

A surge of frustration climbed up Lu’s throat—

Then dissipated.

He exhaled sharply and shook his head.

“…I apologize. My nerves are frayed.”

Lashing out at the doctor wouldn’t solve anything.

Lu continued, steadying his voice.

“Please help move Charles as soon as possible. I will take care of her at home.”

“Y-Yes, understood.”

Perhaps afraid of receiving more scolding, the doctor quickly left.

Lu scanned the now-empty hospital room before turning back to Sharan.

“…Sharan.”

But there was no answer.

Clenching his fists, Lu strode toward her.

Then, he leaned over her—

As if trying to feel her warmth.

As if making sure she was still here.

She was still alive.

Lu let out a breath of relief and sank into a chair.

He gripped the bed’s railing and hung his head low.

Not once had he imagined it—

A world without Sharan.

A life where he existed alone, without her.

But today had shown him—

That such a thing could happen at any moment.

And so, Lu felt restless. Afraid. Uncertain.

“If you disappear…”

His hands trembled as he muttered,

“What am I supposed to do?”

Could he live alone in a world without her?

Could he bury her in his heart and move on?

Could he even manage that?

No.

It seemed impossible.

“…I don’t want to imagine a life without you.”

Lu’s faint voice filled the hospital room.