Chapter 31: The Troubles of a Reluctant Secretary

Fran sat on his bed, his mind a tangled mess.

He hugged his knees, sighing, an indescribable feeling swirling within him.

How could he describe it? Was it indignation? Pity? Or perhaps regret?

He couldn’t quite pinpoint it; maybe it was a bit of everything.

In short…

Yuli had truly bullied him.

He turned his head to the mirror beside him. The sorrowful expression on the boy’s face reflected there made him look like a virtuous woman whose innocence had been sullied, with faint tear tracks still lingering at the corners of his eyes.

Fran sniffled, offering a wry smile. ‘Honestly…’

‘What exactly am I feeling so wronged about?’

‘So what if I was bullied?’

‘I’m not even a real girl.’

‘Besides… being bullied by Yuli is certainly better than by anyone else…’

He sighed, shaking his head. ‘I’m thinking strange things again.’

‘Ugh~’

‘Never mind, time to get ready.’

Fran adjusted his clothes once more before standing up. He walked to the wardrobe and opened it, revealing numerous hanging women’s garments.

Fran took a quick glance, noting the truly comprehensive collection. From military uniforms to casual wear and evening gowns, everything was available, with at least five or six pieces prepared for each style.

As a boy, Fran could never have imagined such an array. He was an impoverished youth; where would he ever get so many clothes?

‘Hmm… should I call Yuli, that silly woman, thoughtful and considerate?’ he wondered. ‘Or perhaps extravagant and wasteful? Or… is it just that my own perspective is too narrow, and I’m simply unaccustomed to such luxury?’

Fran offered another wry smile. ‘Where did I ever have such favorable conditions before?’ he mused. ‘When I first arrived in Purburg, I slept on my teacher’s small, hard bed frame, and I only had two outfits to rotate between.’

‘Just when things started looking up a little, I was suddenly assigned to this place, and my living conditions soared overnight…’

‘Heh.’

Yet, Fran understood clearly that no matter how fine these clothes were, they were nothing more than Yuli’s charity.

If he were to truly indulge in them, then he would be a genuine fool.

‘Moreover, these clothes… well… they’re all women’s attire,’ he thought. ‘I’m not that fond of wearing women’s clothes.’

‘Actually, having so many women’s clothes to rotate through is both a luxury and a torment for a boy like me.’

‘What does that silly woman intend by getting so many women’s outfits?!’

He didn’t want to feel grateful to Yuli for anything, but…

As he lifted the clothes one by one, Fran finally noticed that they weren’t all women’s garments.

At least, there were one or two unisex outfits, including a small suit jacket and a proper military uniform—the same uniform worn by the Teuton soldiers standing guard outside. There were also a few casual shirts.

‘Hmm…’

He selected a white shirt, removed his maid outfit, changed into his chosen clothes, and put on his shoes, observing the sky outside as it gradually darkened.

‘Right…’

He nodded, resolving to go out.

He had already achieved significant progress, and it was time to contact his teacher. His own experience was still shallow; he needed his teacher’s assistance.

But…

Was it appropriate to simply walk out of the mansion so openly?

His Teuton was still halting and broken. Most of the servants and staff in the mansion were Teutons and likely wouldn’t speak Francian.

Fran now worried: what if he went out rashly and couldn’t make himself understood to the guards at the mansion’s main gate? Would they control who entered and exited?

If it were any familiar staff member from inside the mansion, the guards might not question them, but he was different. After all, he was a new face.

If communication failed and Yuli was called over, that silly woman would undoubtedly ask where he was going. This would implicitly create more trouble, and Yuli might even insist on accompanying him.

If he forcefully refused her, it would only arouse suspicion.

‘Ah…’

‘What a troublesome situation.’

‘My lack of Teuton makes even leaving the mansion so difficult now. What will I do in the future?’

‘Continuing like this will only unnecessarily delay my efficiency.’

Fran ran a hand through his hair in frustration. ‘No, I can’t keep delaying.’

‘I must master Teuton completely and quickly, otherwise staying here like this is meaningless.’

Yet…

After much deliberation, Fran still decided to try. What if no one actually noticed him?

He pushed open his door, cautiously peeking out and glancing left and right.

‘Phew… no one on this floor.’

The young man slipped out, closing the door behind him, then tiptoed furtively down the hall. Although he moved stealthily, fortunately, not many people seemed to be paying attention to him.

Most of the mansion’s servants were busy with household chores. Other staff members were in their respective offices, and the reception room was empty. Neither Yuli nor the other two men were present.

‘Whew~’

‘Everything is ready. Now I just need to get out.’ He hoped the guards wouldn’t stop him. ‘If worst comes to worst, I’ll just be firm and force my way out.’

He certainly knew how to say “get lost” in Teuton.

He took a step.

Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder!

****

“Yuli, could you explain to me why Fran, the person you brought back, has suddenly become your secretary?”

Lyon stared at Yuli, a dark expression on his face, demanding an explanation with his hands on his hips. Yuli, not one to back down, pouted and mumbled:

“Well, Quidar asked, didn’t he? What was I supposed to say? That Fran is my maid? Who travels with a maid when they go out and come home? Besides, I was already planning to have Fran help me organize documents; I can’t manage it all myself, and he’s meticulous.”

“Sigh—” Lyon let out a sigh. He finally understood that Yuli simply didn’t care for or listen to his previous arguments. He had to try a different approach—the most direct and forceful one.

“But… Fran isn’t even very fluent in Teuton, is he? He understands even less when listening, and he knows nothing about intelligence work. Can he truly be competent as your secretary?”

“Oh, come on…” Yuli retorted defiantly. “Then you can teach him! I don’t know much about intelligence either, but I still do my job, don’t I?”

“That’s different!”

Lyon pinched the bridge of his nose, his face etched with worry. Yuli, growing impatient, pushed back at him:

“Alright, alright, fine. The child’s language training and skill development are all entrusted to you, Agent Lyon. Take him under your wing; I believe he’s very clever!”

“Sigh—” Lyon nodded helplessly. A commander’s orders were not to be defied, and he truly had no other recourse.

“Also, stop with your little tricks and doubting Fran, alright? You need to trust him. He’s a very good child, and I’m sure you two can become friends.”

Yuli continued to persuade him patiently. Lyon nodded in resignation, feeling tired and having given up trying to argue. He then left the room.

As he walked towards the living room, he suddenly spotted Fran being stopped by a short, silver-haired, red-eyed girl.

“Hello… my name is Liz, and I am a maid here at the mansion. Are you planning to go out now?”

The maid in front of him spoke words Fran couldn’t understand, her tone carrying a hint of interrogation. Fran’s heart tightened. Although he could only grasp a few individual words, still…

There was no doubt she was trying to stop him.

But that wasn’t the most important thing. It was that… the man named Lyon was also walking towards them.

“Uh…” Fran glanced left and right, sensing trouble. With quick reflexes, he grabbed a paper cup, filled it with a little water, pretended he had just come out for a drink, and then swiftly dashed back into his room.

Lyon walked closer, observing Fran’s fleeing figure, a glint of coldness appearing in his eyes.

He turned to the maid and instructed, “Keep a close eye on him, and report to me as appropriate!”

The maid, Liz, nodded, a hint of her shark-like teeth showing as she smirked, her gaze fixed on the direction Fran had fled.

“Yes.”