As she spoke, Fran took out a clear, paper-box-packaged capsule from the medical kit she carried with her.
"Hmm… Your mental state is very poor. Coincidentally, I have some medication here that can soothe the nerves. Please, you must give it a try. It will make you feel better."
"Please don't worry. The drug's components are very mild. Generally, it's only used internally within our Secrets-Hunter Cult for members who need mental recuperation."
Fran appeared very amiable, her sincere smile making one instinctively lean towards trusting her.
Watching Fran begin to recommend medication to Solani, Haida couldn't help but narrow her eyes, licking her lips somewhat dryly.
What does she mean, "our Secrets-Hunter Cult"? We're just in a routine employer-employee relationship… Why does her tone sound so natural?
But at this point, that was hard to say out loud. After all, Haida had hired Fran under the title of "Medical Examiner," and hearing that term would likely cause Solani to faint on the spot.
"Is that so? Thank you for your kindness, Doctor Miss…"
Solani seemed a bit uncertain and glanced at Haida beside her. Only after Haida gave a slight nod of approval did she accept the capsule.
"I'll… give it a try." Though there was a hint of concern in her words, she didn't hesitate much. She soon went to pour a glass of water and took the medication.
Watching Solani take the medicine, Haida picked up the porcelain cup on the table and took a sip of black tea, slightly alleviating her growing sense of unease.
Fran's medical skills were superb and refined, there was no doubt about that. Haida had personally experienced it.
But at the same time, the techniques she mastered were hard to describe as normal. It wouldn't be strange for any strange side effects to appear.
However, Solani was an ordinary person. Fran probably wouldn't cause trouble for her. It should be fine…
Haida could only comfort herself slightly with this thought.
Although the General Affairs Division's written response clearly indicated Fran was a "friendly" individual, Haida still felt wary of her morality, which was clearly different from the norm…
"Ah, it's… sweet?"
After taking the medicine, Solani was somewhat surprised by the fresh sweetness of the drug. However, her tightly furrowed brows unconsciously relaxed.
Fran clasped her fingers together and nodded with a smile. Following the doctor's instructions and taking medicine promptly was a sign of respect for the doctor. Clearly, she was very satisfied with Solani's speed in taking the medicine. Even her gaze carried a hint of appreciation.
"Sugar is an effective placebo. Of course, the active ingredients in the medication aren't just sugar."
"Now you should be able to feel your blood warming, your spirit as if immersed in warm water. The fear and sense of unreality are gradually weakening. Everything in the world is becoming peaceful and calm…"
Fran's voice was soothing and unhurried, like calming a child from a nightmare, patiently telling them a bedtime fairy tale.
She even took out an exquisite, antique-looking brass pocket watch and rhythmically swayed it in front of Solani.
Without saying a word, Solani's gaze was firmly captured by the swaying pocket watch. In moments, Solani closed her eyes and leaned back on the sofa, falling into a deep sleep.
Watching Fran so brazenly hypnotize the reporter's wife right in front of her, Haida couldn't help but begin to question her decision to hire her in the first place…
"A sedative?" she inquired.
"No. The drug's effect is to calm the nerves and, to a certain extent, repair mental trauma."
Fran wagged her index finger slightly, clearly dissatisfied with Haida's suggestion. She always prescribed according to the illness. Simply using sleeping pills to fool a patient went against her medical principles.
"The drug itself doesn't have a sleep-inducing effect. So, you hypnotized her after she took the medicine to maximize the elimination of possible interfering factors?"
Haida felt she roughly understood Fran's line of thinking. Though the method was strange, her overall approach should still be to help with the investigation.
"A very professional guess. As expected of a professional from the Secrets-Hunter Cult."
Fran applauded lightly, praising her, essentially acknowledging the speculation.
In reality, she was entirely acting on a sudden itch to use her skills.
After taking the medicine, Solani would be in a state of extreme mental relaxation, with her subconscious completely open and defenseless. Not playing a hand of hypnosis in such a situation felt like a waste…
"Go investigate the rooms, dear Sister Haida. Time isn't plentiful. She'll only sleep for thirty minutes. I set a timer while doing the hypnosis."
You can even set a timer for something like that? Then why not set it longer? Relying on her solid mental fortitude, Haida suppressed the question that almost blurted out.
She didn't converse further with Fran. Instead, she centered on the living room and began quickly searching the rooms for any possible anomalies.
Haida's expression became solemn and focused. Her hazel-gray eyes swiftly scanned every corner of the room.
As the most outstanding Burial Attendant of her cohort, whether it was confronting Evil Spawn or investigating mysterious incidents, she possessed impeccable professionalism.
She noticed one thing: there were many small decorative items in the room. Mostly Attilan-style crafts, likely because Mr. Logan had been managing the branch office in the Sand-Flow Nation recently, so he brought back souvenirs every time he came home.
Mrs. Solani's house was quite spacious. Searching it completely within thirty minutes would be very difficult.
Haida couldn't help but feel perplexed. Clearly, Mrs. Solani had agreed to the house search; she could have explored openly and honestly. So why, after Fran hypnotized her, did she feel like she was sneaking around like a thief? And now she had to search for clues within a time limit…
The stray thought only flashed through Haida's mind for a moment before she dismissed and dispersed it herself…
She returned to absolute focus.
Around twenty minutes later, Haida had completed a thorough, carpet-like search of the entire house.
She had systematically studied architecture. She could judge if there were secret passages or hidden rooms by the structural relationships of the rooms. Generally, nothing would be missed.
Her conclusion was… this house was normal. While there were indeed rooms like a basement, it was actually a private wine cellar. Apart from the expensive wines stored there, there was nothing abnormal.
"Mostly just traces of daily life. No scent of Evil Spawn in the house either…"
Haida was now in Mrs. Solani's bedroom, standing before the wooden dressing table filled with various cosmetics.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, her expression meticulous, carrying a solemn, almost reverent intensity.
The next moment, the frost-like expression on Haida's face quickly softened.
It was like the warm sun in winter, gentle and heartwarming. It was hard to imagine such an expression appearing on her face at this moment.
Her demeanor and movements seemed like she had become a different person, as if she were completely familiar with this room. Every action exuded ease and naturalness.
Haida reached out and placed an imaginary coat on the coat rack, then walked gracefully to Solani's dressing table and sat down.
Every one of her movements seemed harmonious, as if she were the true mistress of this bedroom.
Haida casually picked up Solani's wooden comb and gently ran it through her hair.
Looking at the family portrait of the Logan family placed on the dressing table, her gaze softened, carrying a hint of tenderness and deep longing.
Profiling, also known as psychological profiling.
This is a psychological technique for speculating about another person's psyche. At this moment, Haida had temporarily set aside her "self," immersing herself wholeheartedly into a virtual personality named Solani.
She had received information about Solani's family before the mission. And after meeting Solani in person, her understanding of her had deepened. This was enough to construct a profiling model.
This was Haida's talent and the reason she consistently performed almost perfectly in investigative tests.
She lowered her gaze and happened to see a white square-cup holy emblem on the dressing table.
This was the symbol of one of the Four Major Orthodox Cults, the "White Cup." The White Cup represented wisdom and enlightenment. The revolutionary wave of the electrical age in Norlington City was even first initiated by them.
"Solani and Logan are both followers of the White Cup…"
Haida had known this from the start; it was almost public information. She hadn't delved deeper into it before, as followers of the White Cup weren't uncommon. Logan was a young entrepreneur running an electric company. Solani came from the rising aristocratic class. This family itself was among the biggest beneficiaries of the technological revolution.
For those who had witnessed tall buildings rise from the ground and cables traverse the seas… choosing the White Cup as their faith was perfectly normal.
After recreating a segment of Solani's life trajectory, Haida dissolved the personality simulation of Solani. The warm, gentle expression on her face vanished instantly.
Suddenly, her nostrils twitched slightly as she sniffed the air with some surprise.
"Hmm, what's that smell?"
The scent of seared meat—it seemed to be beef… and rosemary, pepper, and the special aroma of alcohol esterification after cooking with wine. Even the expensive foreign incense burning in the room couldn't mask it at all.
"Seems Dr. Fran said she would make dinner right at the reporter's house…"
Haida had thought it was an offhand joke at the time, but now it seemed she was serious.
"Did she specifically hypnotize Mrs. Solani just to cook in her house?" Somewhat absurdly, this thought flashed through Haida's mind.
But for some reason, she now had a strong premonition that this was probably the truth.
….
Haida followed the scent to the kitchen. This was the first place she had investigated.
A place like the kitchen was not only full of sharp tools but also densely packed with drainage pipes for waste disposal, a high-incidence area for crimes. Naturally, she couldn't have overlooked it.
Fran was now carefully cooking a steak in a small skillet, her expression focused and serious, as if performing a highly difficult, precise surgery.
The quality of the meat was high. Even after searing, one could see the beautiful marbling where muscle and fat blended, like intricate frost patterns.
It was evident she had considerable expertise and skill in selecting and handling meat…
"Thankfully, the White Cup sect has already invented the gas stove. Saved me a lot of time… Technology truly is the primary productive force."
Fran remarked thankfully, meticulously cutting the cooked beef into several pieces and arranging them neatly on a plate.
"Sister Haida, care to try my cooking?"
As she spoke, Fran deftly picked up a still-hot piece of beef with two fingers and put it in her mouth, nodding in satisfaction.
It was a gesture not quite in line with etiquette, but her movements were agile and natural, as if everything was as it should be and perfectly reasonable.
Yes, of course, there's no problem with the cook sampling the food.
"No, thank you for the offer. It's still investigation time, and I had something to eat before leaving the Cult."
Though the aroma of roasted meat and fat was very tempting, Haida relied on her solid professionalism to resist the temptation and declined Fran's invitation.
"A rare opportunity. Have a taste. Ordinary people don't get this treatment, you know. How can you investigate properly if you don't eat well?"
Fran didn't give up because of Haida's refusal.
Not only that, she single-handedly held the plate and approached Haida, like a waiter ready to serve someone, maintaining that service-oriented familiarity and enthusiasm.
As she spoke, Fran picked up a fork, skewered a piece of rosemary-scented beef, and held it before Haida. Her movements were very measured, maintaining a polite distance, not actually pushing it towards Haida's face.
"This…"
Haida didn't understand why Fran was so insistent on her eating. Was it simply to satisfy a desire to share, or was there a deeper meaning?
"Alright."
Finding it hard to refuse such earnestness again, she accepted.
Haida took the fork from Fran's hand, placed the piece of beef in her mouth, chewed it briefly, and swallowed.
The doneness, temperature, meat quality, and flavoring were all perfect, approaching the pinnacle.
Haida's long eyelashes fluttered, and she couldn't help but squint her eyes…
Fran's culinary skills stemmed from her deep understanding of human taste organs. The stimulation of the senses was unparalleled, even capable of inducing a sense of happiness at a physiological level.
"…It's delicious."
Out of honesty, Haida truthfully praised Fran's cooking.
"Just a trivial little hobby. I'm glad Sister Haida likes it."
Though she said that, hearing Haida's sincere praise, the ever-present smile at the corner of Fran's lips still warmed slightly.
"Counting the time, Mrs. Solani should be waking up soon. She probably hasn't been eating properly these past few days. I'm sure she'll like this dish."
Fran took out the brass pocket watch from her white coat pocket and checked the time.
Haida didn't reply, but she finally understood why Fran had set a timer for Solani's hypnosis.
By the time the thirty-minute limit was up, she would have roughly searched the house, Mrs. Solani would have just woken up, and Fran would have found time amidst her busyness to cook…
This way, she could naturally recommend the dish to both her and Mrs. Solani.
A precise calculation, but somewhat pointless.
Going through so many twists and turns just to get Mrs. Solani and herself to eat something?
But given Dr. Fran's personality… this kind of unreasonable and illogical thing was something she would indeed do.
——
Solani woke up groggily. Her once deep dark circles had now turned into a recovery-phase reddish-brown, and her brows were no longer perpetually furrowed.
The panic and anxiety in her mind had been greatly alleviated. Even her breathing felt lighter and easier.
+++
T/N: Hey readers~! New Translator here! Before I say anything, I'd first like to thank the original author for creating this wonderful story. Without them, I wouldn't have the chance to share this adventure with you. I hope my translation does justice to their work, and that together, we can enjoy this story.
With that said, I'm happy to let you know I'll be uploading daily chapters. And for those who wish to support my work and gain early access, I've set up a Patreon where advanced chapters will be available.
[email protected]/PeakTL