CH-091

91 The Hypocrite

Now Yvonne and Casca both knew she was putting on an act.

It must be said, Veronica's inexplicable onset of illness, coupled with this performance, was indeed enough to fool people. At the very least, Yvonne and Casca both believed that another soul might reside within her.

Shu Li could not tell if she felt embarrassed or angry. In response to his question, she chose to evade by lowering her head.

If he were Veronica, having been exposed, he would simply throw caution to the wind and start questioning directly—did he know Dr. Matthew or not?

He would play the victim, act pitiful, seek sympathy, and demonstrate his own hardships, thereby indirectly achieving his goal.

But he was not Veronica; he was only himself.

Therefore, from a different standpoint, even if Shu Li were truly faced with such a tearful drama, he would pretend not to understand, to remain in the dark.

Was he supposed to say—

How he encountered Matthew?

How Matthew kidnapped Finnian?

That if Shu Li had not arrived at the scene in time, Matthew might have killed Finnian's family in search of the blueprint?

That if Shu Li had not prioritized seizing Matthew's weapon, he might have been silenced by Matthew long ago? At the time, it was simply because Shu Li posed a mental threat to him, so he settled for the next best thing and tried to curry favor instead.

Why couldn't Shu Li save him then?

That the one who fired the gun was Duke Claude of the Northern Territory?

Which of these heavy truths could be laid upon a fifteen-year-old girl?

Should he let her go assassinate Claude, or seek revenge on Leslie, Kevin, and Seamus?

Putting aside the question of whether she could succeed.

For the sake of basic campus safety, and to ensure the smooth operation of this school, Shu Li certainly would not allow his partner Claude to be eliminated either.

In summary, analyzing from every angle, Shu Li would not soften his heart and tell her anything.

This secret would undoubtedly rot in his stomach, unless Veronica's protagonist halo allowed her to discover it on her own.

Shu Li saw that her emotions were unstable and knew that hastily intervening psychologically might backfire, so he did not attempt to guide her further with words.

He instead walked to the side and silently poured her a cup of hot water.

Ever since the basic concept of boiling water for sterilization had been popularized in the diocese, the drinking habits here had become extremely meticulous. People were accustomed to boiling water first, then letting it cool before drinking it slowly; or, like Shu Li, they drank hot water directly, while some chose to brew hot tea daily.

Shu Li believed the reason this practice had taken root was multifaceted and not solely due to the spread of scientific knowledge.

Economically, since the promotion of heated brick beds, fuel had been saved significantly. Thus, boiling water for tea was no longer a major expense for them.

Health-wise, those who consistently drank boiled water were indeed healthier and less prone to illness than those who drank untreated water directly.

Psychologically, there was an imitative effect within the diocese—the residents inexplicably trusted him deeply and took Shu Li's living habits as a model to emulate.

All in all, the habit of drinking hot water had been smoothly sustained. However, Finnian mentioned that while his classmates followed this practice within the diocese, once they returned home, many families lacked this custom. It was only at school that they could maintain it consistently.

This reminded Shu Li that the "parent-teacher conference system" needed to be promoted as well. Parents needed to understand how their children learned, what they were learning, and how it could benefit their families.

After all, education was not solely the school's responsibility; families had to share in it to truly integrate the knowledge and skills learned into daily life.

But that would have to come later.

Because for many students' parents, traveling to the Diocese of Savoy was no easy task; they could not leave their land unattended. Yet they were the ones who most desperately needed education.

The cost of learning for nobles and wealthy merchants was trivial; a mere word from their lips ensured that everything was taken care of for them.

But for poor farmers, merely surviving consumed all their strength; how could they spare the energy to support their children's studies? Simply sending them here to learn was already a tremendous feat. The atmosphere for pursuing education here simply could not compare to that in the East.

Everything required long-term planning.

Returning to the infirmary.

The room was always stocked with hot water, primarily for the convenience of daily cleaning and disinfecting medical instruments, and incidentally for quenching the thirst of patients.

Besides, Yvonne herself enjoyed hot tea.

Shu Li said nothing more. He simply walked to Veronica's bedside and handed her the cup.

The next second, the cup was pushed away.

"Mind your own business."

A splash of hot water flew from the rim, splattering onto the back of Shu Li's hand.

"Ah—" He frowned slightly, instinctively withdrawing his hand. Droplets slid down his knuckles, and the skin rapidly flushed red.

Witnessing this, Casca exclaimed, "Bishop Alice, are you alright?"

Shu Li first glanced down at the bedsheet to confirm none had spilled on Veronica, then casually replied, "It's nothing." His voice was calm as usual, but the angry red burn on his hand clearly betrayed the truth.

Veronica stared at that patch of red, her lips quivering slightly, a flicker of guilt passing through her eyes, yet...

Shu Li noticed her subtle reaction and understood she was still teetering on the edge of intense emotion.

He did not rush to reclaim her trust. Instead, he said gently, "Your emotions are unstable right now. You should rest well. I won't disturb you further."

The words were gentle, yet firm.

After a pause, Shu Li looked at Casca and said, "Casca, you stay here with her."

No sooner had he spoken than Veronica retorted stiffly, as if erecting a final barrier, "I don't need that."

Casca's gaze shifted to Shu Li. She nervously spoke up in Veronica's defense, "Bishop Alice, Sister Veronica didn't mean it... She's not usually like this."

Shu Li did not respond to the plea.

Veronica lowered her head amidst Shu Li's voice, her lips barely moving as she practically muttered to herself, "...Hypocrite."

The words were exceedingly faint and soft, yet they landed with the sharpness of static electricity jolting through one's fingertips, like a fine needle piercing flesh—cold and thin, enough to make one's scalp tighten and blood run chill.

In that instant, the silence within the infirmary seemed amplified countless times over.

The expressions on Yvonne and Casca's faces froze as well.

But Shu Li's expression remained utterly undisturbed, as if he had heard nothing. With fluid motion, he refilled the cup to eighty percent capacity, not a single drop spilling. Then, he placed the cup back on the bedside table and spoke to Yvonne in a gentle tone. "When classes end, perhaps you could let her friends visit her. Perhaps there has been too much happening lately, and her mental strain is too great. She needs more rest, and we must observe her condition carefully."

Yvonne could not discern whether Shu Li had actually heard the girl's remark.

He even continued speaking to the girl softly. "Veronica, rest well."

Shu Li's concern for the patient neither increased deliberately nor decreased; it remained perfectly measured.

Yvonne began to doubt whether he had heard at all. Had the sound of pouring water drowned it out?

She stood to the side, saying nothing. "..."

At that moment, Shu Li turned back to Casca and nodded slightly. "You need to go to class. Your teacher has likely been waiting for some time. You can come back to the infirmary after class."

Casca could not help but glance at Veronica once more, her eyes still filled with worry and lingering fear, hoping desperately that Shu Li had not heard Veronica's deeply disrespectful words.

Not wanting to keep Shu Li waiting, Casca followed him out.

Not long after they left, the infirmary fell completely silent.

Yvonne glanced lightly at Veronica, noticing her eyes remained downcast, as if suppressing many words that never found their way out.

Thus, Yvonne returned to writing her report.

The room was so quiet that only the slow ticking of the clock on the wall could be heard.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Veronica decided to get out of bed and put on her school coat. Her movements were cautious and silent.

Just as she reached the door and was about to push it open, Yvonne's indifferent voice suddenly came from behind her. "Returning to the classroom?"

Veronica did not respond.

Yvonne did not move. She merely looked quietly at the report in her hands, her tone unhurried. "Having been here a long time, I know that students of the Theology College are all the same. If they do not wish to lie, they choose silence."

Veronica's steps halted, but she still did not turn around.

"You've been searching for someone, haven't you?" Yvonne's tone was not gentle; it struck directly at the heart of the matter. "Four years ago, when you first came to Savoy, you inquired discreetly. Unfortunately, you learned nothing. It wasn't until recently that you realized the reason you couldn't find any information was that many residents who knew what happened had relocated to Carson back then. And here... someone died."

The air suddenly grew heavy.

"You suspect that person was someone you knew."

Yvonne finally lifted her eyes, turning her head to look at Veronica's back, her gaze calm and direct.

Veronica did not turn around. She stood by the doorway, pressing her lips together, her voice taut. "What are you trying to say?"

Yvonne replied, "For sixteen years, I have been in the Diocese of Savoy. I know everything that has happened here very clearly, perhaps even more so than the Bishop. You may ask me."

"..." Veronica's hand rested on the door frame. She remained motionless, growing wary of Yvonne's identity.

Indeed, five years ago, she had heard that her uncle, Martyat, had been dispatched to the Northern Territory on a clerical mission and that there had been no word from him for many years.

Her family had long suspected something had happened to him.

The Church's Cardinal Kyle provided no formal response either.

Thus, the moment Veronica seized an opportunity to come to the Northern Territory, she spared no effort in investigating her uncle's trail, following it northward all the way to the Diocese of Savoy.

Because of the figure of Bishop Alice, she had always possessed an intuition that the answer lay within this very diocese.

Naturally, Veronica's guardedness might also have stemmed from the coldness in Yvonne's voice, making her sense that the female physician would not speak kindly.

Yet Veronica did not leave; she waited for Yvonne to continue.

Yvonne paid no heed to the change in her expression. "The one who died four years ago was a thief, a kidnapper, a murderer, and a military fugitive."

Hearing these unfamiliar and jarring labels, Veronica's pupils contracted sharply, and her face involuntarily paled.

Yvonne's voice remained calm. "If you believe that is the person you are looking for, then continue your investigation. And while you're at it, make sure you clearly understand the deeds he committed."

Veronica stood rooted to the spot, her eyes filled with bewilderment. It was as if the entire world's workings had derailed, leaving her dizzy, uncomfortable, and utterly unable to adapt.

Her uncle was a holy knight!

But Yvonne gave her no chance to digest this information. "If it is not him, then do not stir up trouble here in the Diocese of Savoy. This is a school, not a playground for your adventure games."

Veronica walked out of the infirmary in a daze. As soon as she turned the corner, someone grabbed her by the collar.

She instinctively looked back and met Leslie's shadow-cast gaze.

Her heart hammered wildly.

His expression was cold. He did not ask if she regretted hurting anyone, nor did he question what she had done in the infirmary. He simply leaned down close to her ear, his tone low and steady.

"If you are unwilling to show even the most basic respect, and choose instead to wallow in your own obsession, even at the cost of harming others... then don't blame others for not showing you any grace."

His tone was not harsh, and his pace was slow, as though he was accustomed to delivering such words to many people. Yet Veronica felt her collar tightening, so tight she could scarcely breathe.

"That faith of yours from the Theology College—if it serves only to justify yourself, it is, in essence, no different from blasphemy."

Veronica's expression changed instantly, but she could utter not a single word. She stared at him unconsciously, as if struggling to recognize the person before her. How could he say such a thing? When had he become so cold and severe?

But Leslie did not care.

He never cared whether he appeared gentle or polite in the eyes of others, except when it came to Shu Li. He did not even deign to maintain a facade.

The final warning was uttered almost directly against her ear, laced with a faint chill.

"Do not cause any more trouble for Bishop Alice. Should it happen again, you will learn the reason why certain individuals have voluntarily withdrawn from school over the past four years."

Having said this, his gaze swept faintly over her face. There was no anger in his eyes, only a cold distaste.

He looked at her as though dealing with some piece of equipment that repeatedly malfunctioned.

Only when he was certain she had taken his words to heart did Leslie release his grip, resume his usual posture, and turn to leave.

Veronica stood frozen in place, as if the very life had been drained out of her.

Once his footsteps had faded into the distance, the taut string of her nerves finally snapped. Her fingers loosened, and she collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath, her fingertips trembling slightly.

*

After escorting Casca back, Shu Li shed his professional role and returned to his office alone. Only then did he finally begin to chew over the words Veronica had spoken in the infirmary—

"Hypocrite."

That was too hurtful...

Shu Li fell into a delayed spiral of internal friction.

As he sat down, his mind replayed the situation over and over again. The expression on his face shifted from indifference, to bewilderment, to discontent, and finally to a sense of righteous indignation.

Though he had never claimed to be a great saint, he certainly hadn't done anything wicked!

Being cursed at so directly was utterly outrageous.

Inwardly seething with retorts, Shu Li pulled open a drawer and took out his personal jar of honey candies, twisting the lid open with noticeably more force than usual.

Teenagers going through puberty were truly difficult to manage lately.

In any case, he was not the sort of person who, when treated coldly and scornfully, would compromise and then start trying to curry favor to change the other party's attitude!

Shu Li steeled himself; his words and actions must be equally resolute.

"Cannot admit defeat."

Just as he finished telling himself this, another thought suddenly struck him. He had spent so much time with Veronica and knew she was not the type to wound others with words.

That phrase could not have simply sprung from her own mind unbidden.

It must have been learned, word for word, from someone close to her or someone she trusted.

That was how she could mimic both the emotion and the verbal attack.

Shu Li's expression gradually cooled.

Someone was deliberately influencing her.

And that person was very likely targeting him.

Was that person currently in the diocese?

What would they do?

A flicker of anxiety stirred within Shu Li. He promptly popped another candy into his mouth.