Chapter 144: A Case of Identity (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 144: A Case of Identity (7)
“… Holmes?”
Upon hearing the groaning coming from the floor above, Watson, her gun at the ready, hurried up the stairs. Once she reached her destination, however, she froze, staring at the scene before her with a dazed expression.
“Why are you here…?”
The cause of her confusion? For reasons she couldn’t fathom, her colleague and partner—Charlotte Holmes—was standing right there. Not only that, but her face was flushed, and she was suspiciously wiping her mouth with her sleeve.
“Watson, this… this is…”
“Ahem.”
On the other hand, her fiancé, Adler—currently disguised as Neville—stood beside Holmes with his head bowed, his body trembling ever so slightly. Again, the reason for his behavior eluded her, just as much as Charlotte’s presence did.
“What on earth were you two doing in here?”
As he avoided her gaze with a nervous expression, a layer of suspicion began to cloud Watson’s eyes.
“How did Holmes know about this place? Why is she even in this room? And… just what happened to make you sweat so much?”
“……..”
“Answer me!”
Just as her suspicion was about to boil over into aggression—
“She volunteered to be a witness for the wedding.”
“… Huh?”
The calm voice of the nun resounded from behind Watson.
“So there is no need to be so wary.”
“…….!?”
“I-is that so?”
Adler lifted his head, looking at the calmly muttering nun with a bewildered expression. Meanwhile, Watson could only blink in confusion.
“B-but… we already brought a witness with us.”
“You mean the person tied to the pillar, muttering to themselves like a lunatic? I apologize, but such a person cannot be recognized as a legal witness for a wedding.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“At such a time, this woman, who claimed to be your acquaintance, visited the church and readily agreed to stand as your witness. Isn’t it better for both of you to have a legally certified person as a witness?”
“Indeed…”
Her mind still caught in a haze, Watson eventually nodded in agreement with the nun’s flawless logic.
“…The nun is right. Since you were busy choosing a dress, I was just trying to ease the tension of the man who is to be your husband.”
“Holmes. If that was the case, you should have given me a heads-up. I was seriously startled.”
At last, a moderately relaxed smile stretched across Watson’s lips as she spoke to Charlotte.
“But then, what was that strange groaning sound I heard?”
“I was giving him a massage. I learned the technique back in India; there’s nothing more effective for relieving tension.”
“I see. But I saw you wiping your mouth with your sleeve the moment I entered…”
A faint flicker of suspicion still remained in her eyes.
“…You didn’t happen to give Neville a massage with your mouth, did you?”
“Watson. Judging by that rude comment, it seems you’ve been reading too many obscene books lately.”
As Watson inquired about the scandalous detail in a low whisper, Charlotte immediately scolded her with a stern look.
“Due to giving your loving fiancé a rather… intense massage, I ended up working up a sweat. I was merely wiping my face with my sleeve when you saw me.”
“Is that… so?”
“Yes. Honestly, I’m quite offended by your behavior. Shouldn’t you apologize to me?”
“Ugh, uh-huh…”
Faced with Charlotte's stern attitude, Watson hesitated before eventually bowing her head in apology.
“Sorry, Holmes. I’ve been through a lot recently, so I’m a bit on edge these days…”
“Sorry, but don’t call me Holmes. That name has been appearing in my dreams far too often lately.”
“Huh?”
“…It’s nothing.”
At the sincere apology, Charlotte subtly flinched and muttered something incoherent under her breath. Soon, however, she cleared her throat and spoke up.
“Anyway, that’s enough. You must be sensitive given the circumstances, so I’m sorry for barging in unannounced…”
“Oh, no, Holmes! Rather, I’m delighted to have you here!”
When Charlotte muttered with a slightly sullen look, Watson hastily waved her hands in a panic.
“If not you, then who else would attend my wedding? It ended up being such a modest ceremony, but with you here, it finally feels complete!”
“…..I guess.”
At that cheerful voice, Charlotte quietly averted her gaze and nodded.
“But, is it alright?”
“Huh? What is?”
“Showing the groom the wedding dress already?”
“…Ah.”
With that question, Rachel Watson froze in shock as realization hit her.
“F-forget what you saw!!”
Hastily using the nun as a human shield to hide her dress, she finally bolted out of the room, shouting at the top of her lungs.
“…I-I’ll be waiting on the first floor!”
And with that, silence fell over the room.
“Your disguise skills are quite impressive.”
Charlotte, standing quietly in the room, addressed the nun in a frosty tone once she realized the woman hadn't followed Watson down.
“…To think you could disguise yourself so perfectly as someone you’ve only seen for a few seconds.”
“Haha…”
The nun scratched her head with an awkward smile.
“But if the nun disappears, the wedding will be canceled, right…?”
“…….”
“You see, from the perspective of someone who finds life’s meaning in taking things away, that would be a bit problematic.”
For a moment, Lupin’s true voice leaked out from the disguised nun. She smirked subtly before muttering:
“…Although, I must say, I have no sympathy for someone who can’t even keep their own puppy under control.”
“………”
“Well then, I’ll be waiting for you two on the first floor.”
Smiling at Charlotte, who was now glaring at her with a chilling gaze, Lupin began to descend the stairs.
“I don’t know what kind of scheme you have in mind by acting as a witness for the wedding of someone you like.”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s none of your business anyway…”
“Don’t get too cocky just because you’ve had a little taste.”
Leaving those words behind, she disappeared down to the first floor.
“…I’ve heard that half the women in London already know that ‘taste.’”
“…….”
Silence settled between the two remaining on the second floor.
“…I thought you said it was your first time?”
“Y-yes, it is.”
“You’re going to lie until the very end, huh…”
For some reason, the light began to fade from Charlotte’s eyes as she stared at Adler—his body staggering momentarily from the sudden loss of mana.
“It seems I’ll be making another mistake today.”
“P-please spare me…”
They finally returned to the first floor just as Watson was about to climb the stairs again, having heard the irrepressible moans echoing from above once more.
.
.
.
.
.
“Darling, if you liked massages so much, why didn’t you say so earlier…?”
“Yes, haha…”
“From now on, I’ll do it for you every day.”
Seeing him descend the stairs alongside Charlotte, Rachel Watson hurriedly snatched her fiancé away, pulling him close. Noticing that he seemed significantly weaker than before, she whispered in his ear as they walked side by side.
“…But what about the dress?”
“Yes, the nun hid it with magic for a moment. She said it would be best to show my most beautiful self at the perfect moment.”
“Ah…”
Adler nodded with a slightly guilt-ridden expression as he watched her.
“The day has finally come…”
Whether Watson sensed his inner turmoil or not, she simply continued chattering excitedly.
“Let’s go to America for our honeymoon, darling.”
“…….”
“I’ve already prepared the transport. You just need to come along.”
However, Adler was in no position to pay attention to her words.
“………”
He had just realized that Professor Jane Moriarty, who had been tied to a pillar with a leash this entire time, was now staring at him with an utterly emotionless gaze.
…I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorrrrrrrrrrrry.
Releasing her now would surely cause problems for the wedding-related quest, but he deeply feared the consequences of leaving her bound. He was trapped in a nightmare of a dilemma.
“Darling, where are you looking?”
“Uh.”
When he stared at the professor for a beat too long, his mind muddled by indecision, Watson grabbed his cheeks and forced his head back toward her.
“From now on, you should only look at me.”
“……..”
“If you look elsewhere, I’ll shoot you, okay?”
Her words, whispered shyly, sounded almost cute given her innocent appearance.
“…I took first place in marksmanship when I was a soldier.”
“Uh, hmm.”
“Have I ever told you about the time I caught an enemy scout at night with only a pistol?”
Perhaps… if the speaker hadn’t been a former military medic decorated with medals, it might have sounded even cuter.
“So, don’t think about running away this time, understand?”
“………”
“If you run, I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth. Is that clear?”
And with that, Watson’s bittersweet warning came to an end.
“Bride and groom, please enter.”
Lupin, still dressed as the nun, squinted at the scene before raising her voice clearly.
“Shall we begin the ceremony?”
“Ah…”
Immediately, Watson’s nonstop chattering ceased, replaced by a look of extreme nervousness.
“What should I do, darling…?”
“……?”
“I’m so nervous…”
As she began to literally shiver with anxiety, Adler—who only knew one way to calm a woman—subtly glanced at his surroundings.
…Oh well.
“””………..”””
Whatever happens, happens.
Ignoring the burning stares of Charlotte, Lupin, and the Professor, he rose onto his toes.
- Smooch…
“…….!”
As he kissed her on the cheek, Watson stopped trembling and stared down at Adler.
“Relax, Rachel,” Adler whispered to her with an innocent smile.
『London's Casanova』
– Description: Have Rachel Watson uncover the sham marriage
– Progress: 0% → 20%
“…What?”
However, an unwelcome system message popped up before his eyes at that exact moment.
Warning!
– Probability of being Shot — 50%
“……???”
.
.
.
.
.
As Adler stood there with a bewildered expression, caught between the sudden quest progress and the terrifying probability rates—
“……..?”
Watson, who had been staring down at her fiancé with a loving gaze after the kiss, noticed something that shouldn’t have been visible.
…A tail?
Indeed, protruding from the back of her fiancé’s trousers and swaying gently was a tail—a tail that looked oddly familiar to her.