A Quiet Life Denied

Franz slept.

The chaos of the previous night had eventually dissolved into a heavy, dreamless sleep. Hours before, his apartment had been a storm of drunken chaos—two girls pounding on his door at ungodly hours, slurring about heartbreak, justice, and raccoons. Now it was quiet, finally. A silence that seeped into the cracks of his walls and into the knots of his bones.

He woke to the soft, grey light of morning filtering through his blinds, a sense of calm so foreign it was almost unsettling.

He stepped out of his bedroom barefoot, running a hand back through damp, disheveled hair.

On the couch, Emphera and Lena were still there.

Two bodies tangled up in blankets, breathing softly, the faintest snores breaking the stillness. For once, both looked peaceful. Emphera's usually animated face was slack with sleep, her arm thrown dramatically across her forehead like she'd passed out in the middle of a soliloquy. Lena, curled smaller, clutched a pillow against her chest as if it were the last safe thing in the world.

Franz stood there for a moment, expression unreadable. Then he moved forward and crouched down, brushing his hand lightly against Lena's shoulder.

"Wake up," he said, voice low, steady.

Lena stirred, eyes fluttering open, pupils hazy. A groan escaped her lips. "…Ahhh. My head hurts." She blinked, looked around, then froze. "Wait. Where—where are we?"

Emphera rolled over and cracked one eye open. Her eyeliner had smudged into faint bruises around her lids, her lipstick faded to an uneven smear. "Ugh… who's yelling? My brain's ringing…"

"You're both in my home," Franz replied simply, pushing himself back to his feet. His tone was casual, as though this was the most natural thing in the world. "You came banging on my door in the middle of the night. Now wake up quickly. We need to go to the college—the results are going to be out soon."

He moved toward the kitchen without another word, opening a cabinet and pulling out a pan with practiced ease. The faint sizzle of oil soon replaced the silence.

Lena's mind, fogged by alcohol, began piecing itself back together. And when it did, every memory of the night before came rushing in like a tidal wave. Her eyes widened. She remembered the knocking. The shouting. Her desperate rambling. Mimicking his voice. The things she said.

Oh god.

Her face turned crimson as she grabbed the nearest pillow and buried her entire head in it. "I wish the world would end," she groaned, her voice muffled but loud enough to fill the room.

Emphera, still half-asleep, smacked her lips. "Mmh… coffee."

"Go freshen up," Franz called from the kitchen, not even turning around. "I'll make something for your hangovers."

The smell of garlic and eggs began to fill the apartment.

But before they could move, the bell rang.

BRRRRING.

The girls flinched in unison, clutching their temples. Franz lowered the flame, stepping out from behind the counter.

The bell rang again. Longer. Louder. More demanding.

The sound echoed through the apartment like a warning.

Franz opened the door.

Two men stood in the sterile light of the hallway. Both were tall, imposing, their crisp blue uniforms stretched tight across broad frames. The older one, a man with a thick mustache and stern eyes, lowered his hand from the buzzer. His presence was sharp, almost military. The other stood slightly behind him, younger, leaner, but his stare was just as cutting—colder, more suspicious.

"Morning," the mustached officer said. His voice was deep, authoritative. "We're looking for Lena Baumaut. This was her last mobile location."

Franz's expression didn't shift. He tilted his head slightly. "Yes. She's here. Wait a moment."

Turning his head, he called back into the apartment. "Lena. Did you get into trouble last night? There's police here."

There was a scrambling sound, then hurried footsteps. Lena rushed forward, still in yesterday's clothes, her hair a chaotic mess, lipstick smudged. Her face went pale the second she saw the mustached officer.

"…Uncle Rob?"

The officer's stern expression cracked slightly, softening with familiarity. "There you are."

Then his eyes flicked past her, toward Franz. And the moment softened no more.

Robb's gaze took in everything at once—the sweat still clinging to Franz's bare chest, the tousled black hair, Lena's disheveled condition. Her smudged makeup. The faint redness of her lips.

His brow furrowed.

"I'll ask you the same question," Robb said slowly, carefully. "What are you doing? Staying overnight and not informing your father. The chief was worried sick about you. Especially now, with crimes increasing in the city."

Lena's face turned the color of ripe strawberries. "Uncle! No—it's not like that! He's just a friend!"

Robb crossed his arms, unimpressed. "You don't have to hide anything from me. I was young once too."

"Stop embarrassing me!" Lena yelped, covering her face with both hands.

Franz, silent all the while, felt the other officer's eyes drilling into him. Unlike Robb's teasing, the man's stare was sharp, hostile. Judging him. Accusing him of something he hadn't done.

His thoughts flicked inward. What did I do?

Before the tension could snap, another voice drifted from the living room.

"…Why's it so loud?"

Emphera stumbled out, yawning, her hair a bird's nest, eyeliner smeared worse than Lena's. She looked around, blinking at the scene. "Wait. Police? What's happening?"

For a moment, silence.

Then Robb's brows rose. His eyes flicked between Lena's flushed face, Emphera's equally disheveled state, and Franz.

"…I see," he said at last, voice grave.

"No—no, no no no!" Lena stammered, face burning hotter. "Don't even think that!"

Robb's expression softened into a smirk. "Don't worry. Everyone experiments a little in college. I just didn't think you'd…" He trailed off meaningfully. "…after just three days."

"UNCLE!" Lena shouted, nearly collapsing into the floor from embarrassment.

The other officer's stare intensified, his jaw tightening as if he wanted to lunge forward and drag Franz out by the throat.

Then Robb chuckled. "Relax. I'm just messing with you."

From the kitchen, Franz's calm voice cut across the tension. "The food will burn." He turned and walked back, unbothered.

The smell of sizzling eggs filled the air again.

Robb's nose twitched. He smiled faintly. "Smells delicious. Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Franz opened his mouth to reply, but Emphera beat him to it, her face lighting up. "Of course! Come in!" She waved her arms dramatically. "He makes the most delicious food! Make yourself at home!"

Both officers stepped inside. Robb moved with relaxed ease, while his partner stayed tense, his cold stare never leaving Franz.

As Robb settled onto the couch, Emphera leaned close to Franz and whispered, her words slurred with residual hangover. "See? I'm helping. Reconciling for last night. Building connections!"

She winked exaggeratedly, then skipped back to Lena.

Franz's lips barely moved. Fuck.

[Quiet Life System: Let's just hope she doesn't accidentally start showing them your stash of illegal money and your gun collection.]

Franz turned the eggs, his expression unreadable, the sound of sizzling food filling the apartment over the sound of Lena's frantic protests and Emphera's tipsy scheming.

Thanks for reading the chapter! Please keep commenting; it really helps. I'm also thinking of changing the cover, and I'm looking for a character illustration of Franz. If you have any ideas for his design, I'd love to hear them.

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Thanks for reading the chapter! Please keep commenting; it really helps. I'm also thinking of changing the cover, and I'm looking for a character illustration of Franz. If you have any ideas for his design, I'd love to hear them.Thanks for reading the chapter! Please keep commenting; it really helps. I'm also thinking of changing the cover, and I'm looking for a character illustration of Franz. If you have any ideas for his design, I'd love to hear them.Thanks for reading the chapter! Please keep commenting; it really helps. I'm also thinking of changing the cover, and I'm looking for a character illustration of Franz. If you have any ideas for his design, I'd love to hear them.Thanks for reading the chapter! Please keep commenting; it really helps. I'm also thinking of changing the cover, and I'm looking for a character illustration of Franz. If you have any ideas for his design, I'd love to hear them.

Thanks for reading the chapter! Please keep commenting; it really helps. I'm also thinking of changing the cover, and I'm looking for a character illustration of Franzr a character illustration of Franz