Shattered Rose He Held On Tight novel Chapter 399

399 Extra: Frederick’s Story (Part One)

Helena Bennett had been quietly watching that handsome professor from Dracovia named Frederick for quite a while.

The team of entomologists ran their field project right next to her village. Every now and then, she and her friends would drop by, chatting with them under the guise of delivering local specialties.

He always stood off to the side in his gold–rimmed glasses. His striking eyes shone with a gentle clarity–he was distant, yet somehow kind.

Her friends would tease him every now and then, but he only ever responded with a faint, polite smile.

Everyone said Frederick was a genuinely good person. He never acted arrogantly or lectured people, and even if someone broke something, he just gently reminded them to be careful next time.

Even the older researchers on the team admired and respected this young, determined professor.

He looked perfect from the outside.

But Helena knew his secret.

He hated people.

She’d seen him carefully rescuing a butterfly with a broken wing from the muck, unbothered by mud or filth.

She’d also watched him catch a girl who tripped while running. He smiled and told her to be careful, but after that, he spent seven or eight minutes scrubbing his hands in the water.

It was clear that, for Frederick, insects were more his kind than humans.

He loved those small creatures, spending countless hours by a roaring waterfall just to watch a cicada breathe.

He would never spend a single moment caring about someone else’s happiness or sorrow.

Most of the researchers on his team would receive letters and care packages from their families every so often.

1/3

But Frederick was the only one who never received anything.

People said his mother was sick and his father was keeping her company.

But couldn’t they find a little time to send him something to show they cared?

Helena couldn’t understand it.

Her own parents loved her deeply. If she so much as lingered an extra hour in the jungle, they’d gather her siblings and come looking for her.

Helena’s curiosity about the mysterious Frederick only grew.

One day, she finally managed to strike up a conversation.

The team wanted to track an orchid mantis that resembled a flower petal deep in the jungle. Helena, a bit bored, volunteered to be their guide.

The other team members kept getting sidetracked by other creatures, until eventually only Helena and Frederick were left together.

Just then, the weather changed in an instant.

Before they knew it, rain poured down without warning.

Helena had just gotten over a cold, and she dreaded of getting another one.

When she saw Frederick calmly pull out an umbrella, she stared at him in surprise. “Frederick, you’re so lucky.”

Frederick gave her a soft, almost indifferent smile. “It’s not luck. I just got used to carrying an umbrella with me.”

“Why?” she blurted out without thinking.

His expression softened, gaze distant as he looked up at the rain. “A long time ago, I missed my chance to bring an umbrella to a girl.”

“Can’t

you give her one next time?” she asked, puzzled.

Frederick smiled gently, but there was a tinge of regret in it.

For the first time, Helena saw that clever, confident Frederick look so helpless. “When I saw her again, someone else was already holding an umbrella for her.”

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify