Chapter 104 …
“What on earth happened here?”
Pale smoke rose through the pouring raindrops. Passersby who had been walking along the street gathered in shock, murmuring among themselves at the unexpected disaster.
“Jackie! I told you not to run in the street!”
“Uh, Mom…”
The boy who had made Logan’s heart plummet was sitting on the ground, trembling violently until his mother ran over and pulled him into her arms.
“I–isn’t that Duke Clavern?”
At that moment, a man who had bravely approached the car spoke with a pale face. Everyone widened their eyes and gathered around the vehicle. The Duke of Clavern was the master of Southern. His face had appeared in the newspapers countless times—there was no way they wouldn’t recognize him.
“We—we have to get him to a hospital right now!”
But the man everyone recognized lay half-crushed inside the car, unconscious. Rainwater dripped through the shattered window with soft tapping sounds.
“Move aside!”
Amid the shouting crowd, several people hurried into action. They moved the carriage that was still crushing Logan and calmed the horse that was stomping nervously in agitation.
“Your Grace, can you hear me?”
From the wreckage of the broken vehicle, they carefully pulled Logan’s body out. No matter how many times they called to him, there was no response.
He was completely unconscious.
“Stop any carriage or car passing by—anything! Hurry!”
The men who had laid Logan’s limp body flat on the ground shouted urgently.
“Duke Clavern has been in an accident! We need to get him to the hospital!”
Someone ran into the street and wildly waved down a passing automobile. A nobleman dressed in formal attire stepped out of the car. Upon hearing that Logan had been in an accident, he immediately halted his own journey.
“Quickly—put His Grace in my car!”
But once he saw Logan’s condition, he became certain he had made the right decision. Pointing to his car with a pale face, he helped the others fashion a makeshift stretcher, and together they moved Logan into the vehicle.
Bright red blood flowed down from Logan’s torn scalp, diluted by the rain as it dripped onto the ground.
At the same time, the hand that had been clutching a rain-soaked letter—now so drenched it was impossible to make out even its shape, let alone its words—fell limply to the side.
It was a common tragedy.
* * *
A loud crash rang out, like something heavy slamming violently into another object.
Eleanor, who had been chatting quietly with Usher, instinctively turned around. Several other people also turned their gaze toward the direction of the sound.
“What do you think happened?”
At Eleanor’s question, Usher tilted his head. He had been with her the whole time and had no idea either.
“Would it be alright if I stepped outside to check?”
Eleanor hesitated as she rose slightly from her seat. Usher glanced toward the outside, then back at her.
“Just a moment, Eleanor.”
It had been quite a loud noise. At first glance, it almost sounded like a bomb exploding. But if a bomb had truly gone off in this city, chaos would already be spreading everywhere—and if that were the case, both Usher and Eleanor would likely be running away by now.
“Let’s have someone check.”
If it wasn’t a bomb but something loud enough to be heard from afar, it was most likely a car accident. Automobiles were convenient—but they were also dangerous. Usher worried Eleanor might witness something unpleasant if she went out to investigate herself.
“Please go find out what happened outside.”
At Usher’s request, a servant from the Fitzman Count’s household who had been standing nearby nodded and left. Because of that, Usher ended up holding the bag the servant had been guarding.
“I’m sure it’s nothing serious. Southern is a peaceful neighborhood.”
Usher spoke gently so Eleanor wouldn’t be startled. Eleanor, who had lived here for six years without experiencing any major incidents, nodded calmly.
“It feels like quite some time has passed.”
Yet even after a long while, the servant did not return. Eleanor tilted her head. Usher also frowned slightly as he glanced at the clock, noticing the passing minutes.
Just then, the servant came running breathlessly onto the platform. Bloodstains smeared across his sleeves and shirt.
“Please wait here a moment, Eleanor.”
Usher stood up naturally and stepped forward, blocking her view.
“What happened?”
At Usher’s question, the servant nodded. Even on the fingers scratching his temple, faint traces of blood could be seen.
“Was it a car accident?”
“Yes. But the accident…”
The problem was that it hadn’t been a simple one. The servant sighed quietly, recalling what he had seen and helped deal with moments earlier.
“It involves the Duke of Clavern.”
Lowering his voice so Eleanor couldn’t hear, he whispered the rest only to Usher.
“He caused the accident?”
Usher asked in surprise. Logan did have a driver, but he himself was also skilled at driving. Physical tasks rarely troubled him. So hearing that Logan had caused a car accident was shocking.
“Well… it happened unexpectedly.”
“……”
“It seems he swerved to avoid a child who suddenly ran out of an alley and crashed straight into a building. Then a carriage that was trying to enter the alley couldn’t change direction in time and ran over the car again…”
It was not a small accident.
A chill crept across Usher’s back.
“Is… Logan badly hurt?”
At Usher’s question, the servant nodded twice.
“We helped move him to a nearby hospital, but he never regained consciousness.”
The bloodstains on the servant’s shirt and arms all belonged to Logan.
Realizing that, Usher felt stunned.
This was no ordinary accident.
He unconsciously turned to look at Eleanor. The woman who knew nothing about the situation blinked calmly with a clear expression.
But the moment she heard the news about Logan’s accident, the faint smile on her face would surely disappear.
In fact, it would be fortunate if only her smile disappeared.
Eleanor would forget about leaving altogether and run straight out of the station.
Usher knew the woman he loved very well.
“Usher? What happened?”
Eleanor asked.
Usher moved his lips silently.
Should he tell her? Or not?
The truth was, he didn’t want to.
He didn’t want to lose her.
He didn’t want the woman standing before him to run off, leaving him behind.
Because if that happened, he would lose her forever. There would never again be a chance to remain by her side and slowly find his way back into her heart.
“Usher? Did something serious happen outside?”
Eleanor stood up, as if she might go out and check for herself at any moment.
“…There was a car accident.”
Usher finally answered in a low voice.
“They say the driver crashed while trying to avoid a child who ran out of an alley.”
“Oh…”
Eleanor sighed softly, her brows drawn together in concern.
“Is the child alright?”
“The child is fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
Eleanor let out a small sigh.
But the very next moment, perhaps realizing the oddness of that statement—that the child was fine—she widened her eyes.
“What about the driver?”
Usher hesitated.
He didn’t want to reveal the truth before they reached Wizbet.
If he said nothing, Eleanor wouldn’t know. At least not until they left Southern and arrived in Wizbet. And by the time she heard the news, the situation would likely already be resolved through follow-up reports in the newspapers.
If Logan survived, it would simply pass that way.
“The driver…”
But what if Logan didn’t survive?
What if he died because of this accident?
Usher’s throat tightened.
He imagined the future after Logan’s death became known.
If Eleanor learned about the accident on the day she left Southern—and realized she had been close enough to run to him.
If she discovered that Usher had hidden the truth despite knowing.
“The driver… is not in good condition.”
“Ah…”
“I heard he’s unconscious.”
At Usher’s words, Eleanor lowered her gaze, unsure of what to say.
“The repairs on the train to Wizbet are almost complete!”
At that moment, a station employee walked across the platform, ringing a bell and announcing that boarding would begin shortly.
“We should get ready to board.”
Eleanor said as she stood up.
“I hope the driver regains consciousness safely.”
She was a woman who looked this sorrowful even over the accident of a stranger.
So if she were to hear Logan’s obituary without ever learning about the accident beforehand…
She would never forgive him.
She would never forgive the man who had closed his ears and eyes out of the selfish desire not to lose her.
And she would never forgive herself either—for carelessly letting the explanation slide, for realizing her love too late and causing him pain, and for failing to run to the hospital to see him one last time.
“……”
Her beautiful gray eyes would sink into a dull, lifeless gray—like ashes left after everything had burned away.
After that, she would give him no feelings at all.
She would never smile again.
They would never sparkle with color and vitality the way they once had.
With a rumbling sound, the massive train rolled along the tracks and entered the platform.
At the same time, Eleanor picked up her bag and took a step forward to board the train.
…Could I endure seeing you like that?
The warm summer wind, heavy with humidity, shook Usher where he stood.
