Chapter 24: Fran’s Revelation

“Fran…”

Yuli pondered for a moment, then voiced her doubts to the person before her.

Despite her apprehension, she knew this might make Fran dislike her.

“I have something I want to ask you. It’s about… you.”

Fran was startled after hearing Yuli’s words. He slowly turned his head away, no longer looking in her direction. After a prolonged silence, he sighed, a note of resignation in his voice.

“Haven’t you investigated me thoroughly enough? Do you really need to trouble Sister Yuli to come and ask personally?”

“Uh…” Yuli was startled, blinking in disbelief.

‘This guy… Fran knew Lyon had investigated him?’

“You… you knew all of it?”

Yuli, flustered, began to explain. “That… it’s not what you imagine. This is merely routine, and…”

“And I shouldn’t know, right?” Fran sneered.

“Heh, I wasn’t entirely certain, but it wasn’t hard to guess. You people, you commit all sorts of dirty deeds yourselves, yet you’re perpetually worried about others harming you. The moment you encounter a stranger, you feel compelled to investigate them thoroughly, as if everyone in the world is out to get you.”

Yuli fell silent, recognizing the surge of anger in Fran’s voice. She had clearly upset him, but…

She sighed, then, bracing herself, continued speaking.

“I believe you, Fran, but I also hope that we can be sincere with each other. So… I’m going to ask you some questions now. This isn’t an investigation; let’s just consider it a conversation between us, a way of getting to know each other, sharing confidences… alright?”

Fran still seemed a little unhappy. Turning his head away, he grunted, “Fine, you pretty much know everything anyway.”

Yuli said, “Fran, first, I want to ask you: Are you truly from a small village in southern Francis, having come to Purburg? Do you still remember the name of your hometown?”

She finished her question, a hint of nervousness in her voice. However, Fran, still lying on the bed, remained silent for a prolonged period. Yuli sat beside him, a strange feeling stirring within her.

She could sense it: it seemed Fran was beginning to lose his patience.

‘No way, did I step on a landmine with my very first question?’

Yuli didn’t dare wait any longer. ‘Let’s just leave it at that,’ she thought, ‘this question isn’t that important anyway.’

“I still remember the name, but… that was just a small village. There’s no point in you investigating that place, and I don’t want to bring it up.”

Just as she was about to change the subject, Fran abruptly uttered these words, causing Yuli to nod awkwardly.

‘Better change the topic quickly…’

“Then… next, Alina, the doctor who brought you to Purburg, how was she to you? Was she connected with certain Francis political groups? And… does she still have contact with you now?”

“Sigh… Yuli, you have so many questions.” Fran looked impatient. He punched the bed, then spoke irritably.

“I was merely an apprentice under Alina. What good is an apprenticeship? Every day consisted of nothing but criticism and menial chores.”

“As for anything political… Sister Yuli, you must understand that her consultation fees were exorbitant. Most people who sought her treatment were wealthy, and many politicians were naturally among them! There’s nothing strange about that.”

“As for current contact… when I ran away, I considered myself to have ‘graduated.’ I haven’t been in touch for a while.”

“I see…” Yuli felt truly embarrassed to press further. Fran’s quick and candid answers helped her relax slightly. She had initially intended to inquire about his time at the pub, but she reasoned that he was merely an employee there.

‘Forget it,’ she decided, ‘I’ll just ask the most crucial question directly.’

Yuli pondered for a long time, allowing Fran a moment to compose himself. She understood that a barrage of questions would overwhelm anyone.

After a moment, she finally spoke.

“There’s one more thing I want to ask you. Do you know… Mr. Raif? He was a former congressman. Some time ago, his body was inexplicably discovered at the bottom of a cliff. His car was wrecked, and he had multiple gunshot wounds.”

For some reason, upon hearing the name “Mr. Raif,” Fran’s body suddenly trembled. It was a very obvious tremor, clearly a shiver running through him.

Yuli held her breath, her focus sharpening. ‘No,’ she thought, ‘Fran’s reaction is far too suspicious. That’s clearly a manifestation of extreme nervousness.’

His words began to falter, becoming disjointed. Yuli stood and leaned closer to Fran’s face, noticing the beads of cold sweat already forming on his brow.

“I-I-I… I don’t know… I don’t know him…”

Fran stammered out a clumsy explanation, but his nervous demeanor had already revealed far too much. Yuli’s heart tightened once more.

‘What’s going on?’

Yuli sighed, then slowly spoke.

“But my information shows that, Fran, you not only knew this Mr. Raif, but you also worked as a caregiver in his home, responsible for looking after his father.”

“Ah…”

Fran’s eyes narrowed, and his face turned ashen. It was an expression born of extreme fear, a precursor to a complete mental breakdown.

Yuli firmly believed she was close to the truth. Yet, she hesitated to press further, unwilling to push her Fran to the brink of a mental breakdown. Such tactics were reserved for interrogating criminals.

But this young man’s psychological resilience seemed remarkably fragile. She had barely spoken, merely exposing one of his lies, and he was already completely flustered.

Yuli watched as tears streamed from the corners of Fran’s eyes. He seemed to have been scared to tears.

Yuli gently cradled his head, patting it softly. She felt her chest dampen slightly with Fran’s tears. The young woman lowered her voice, speaking gently, coaxing him as a mother would soothe a newborn infant.

“It’s alright, Fran. Just tell me the truth, and I won’t blame you. I promise, you’ll still be my little sweetheart, okay?”

“R-really?” Fran asked, sobbing. He seemed to be clutching at a last straw, his voice laced with a desperate plea.

Yuli gently rubbed her cheek against his head, then said softly, “Yes, really.”

Fran sighed, tears still flowing, and with a wronged expression, began to recount his story.

“I… do you remember the night I met you for the second time? That day… I caused a huge problem. I didn’t watch Mr. Councillor’s father properly. That paralyzed old man, I don’t know what got into him, ran out into the street and fainted. I was terrified… terrified that Mr. Councillor would take his anger out on me when he found out about his father.”

“So, I rushed to the highway from the suburbs to the city center, blocking his path. I knew he usually took that road home. I encountered him and asked for my wages, intending to take the money and flee. Mr. Councillor gave me the money and even offered me a ride. Thinking that walking back to the city from the suburbs would be too much trouble, I accepted the ride, planning to get off in the city and make my escape.”

“But… Mr. Councillor didn’t drive into the city. Instead, after tricking me into his car, he began to grope me, and then drove us to a desolate wilderness…”