Chapter 153: The Creeping Man (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 153: The Creeping Man (4)
“Meow…”
“…Haaa.”
Several hours had passed since Isaac Adler, who had gone missing, was found in a dilapidated warehouse.
Lick…
“””………”””
The three girls gathered in the client’s living room were staring at Adler with frigid glares. Seated on the desk, he was wiggling his backside and grooming himself exactly like a common house cat.
“…Where are the client and the professor?”
“They’ve gone to the university for classes. It’s honestly impressive that the professor could attend her lectures after crawling around in that state all night.”
“Hmm. I see…”
Gia Lestrade was the first to break the silence. When Charlotte responded in a relatively calm voice, Lestrade observed her cautiously for a moment before posing another question.
“…But what exactly happened?”
“Purr?”
Adler tilted his head, matching his cat-like tone to a questioning trill as he stared back at the three girls.
“Why has Isaac Adler deteriorated to this extent?”
“…I’m not entirely sure, but the situation seems quite serious.”
Rachel Watson, who had repeatedly tried to restore him to his original state, slumped onto the sofa and murmured in a weary voice.
“I’m a surgeon, not a psychiatrist. There’s nothing I can do about a problem like this.”
“…Indeed, I’ve heard that the status of psychiatry has risen significantly since the development of magic.”
“That’s primarily because magic, mysteries, and bizarre phenomena are causing people to lose their minds. If it were a visible wound, I could at least treat it, but mental issues like this can’t be fixed with magic…”
Silence enveloped the room once more.
Sneak, sneak…
Sensing the tense atmosphere, Adler quickly hopped down to the floor and padded toward the sofa.
“…Meow.”
Jumping up next to Watson—who looked the least pleased of the bunch—he began rubbing his head affectionately against her side.
Purr, purr, purr…
“…Haa.”
Watson, still staring at him with cold eyes, finally sighed and began stroking his chin in response to his persistent nuzzling.
“Um, excuse me…”
“…..?”
Watching the spectacle from the side, Gia Lestrade quietly moved closer to the sofa and squeezed herself in next to Adler.
“Do you… want to play with this?”
“…Meow!”
“Ah…”
Hesitantly, she pulled out a toy mouse from somewhere and waved it in front of him. Adler’s eyes twinkled with delight, and he immediately snatched the toy away from Lestrade.
Thump, thump…
“”……..””
As the girls looked on, Adler began batting the mouse around in a typical feline fashion.
“…Huff.”
“You—you shouldn’t eat that!”
“Bleee…”
Having caught the toy mouse in his mouth, he beamed with a happy smile as if he were about to enjoy a meal. However, when Lestrade reprimanded him, he spat the toy out and lowered his head with a crestfallen look.
Swoosh…
Afterward, coiling up between the two women, he finally closed his eyes and fell asleep.
“Watson.”
“…Yes?”
“Forgive me for being blunt, but Isaac Adler is currently my husband.”
“And?”
Watson, who had been sitting in silence with her head bowed, looked at Lestrade. Her expression demanded to know what the inspector was getting at.
“…I want to be the only one to pet my husband.”
“But this isn’t Adler. It’s just a cat.”
A strange tension began to flow between the two women.
“Is it wrong to pet a cute cat?”
“…Why are you being like this?”
Despite Lestrade’s firm discouragement, Watson continued stroking Adler’s head. She muttered in a subdued voice, a dark expression plastered on her face.
“…His face is just too damn handsome. To hell with it.”
“Miss Watson…”
“Is it because I’ve been rejected so much lately? I hate myself for finding a younger man, coiled up on my lap like a cat, utterly adorable.”
“Do you still insist that Isaac Adler and Neville St. Claire are entirely different beings…?”
“Since it’s come to this, why not just let us take turns looking after him instead of trying to cure him?”
At that calm suggestion, Lestrade rose from her seat, visibly stunned.
“Miss Holmes, I think this place is dangerous. Mr. Adler, Miss Watson… everyone is going crazy, don’t you think?”
“……..”
“There must be a monster here causing mental breakdowns or hallucinations. We need to get out of here quic—”
“Honestly, wouldn’t this be better for you, Inspector?”
Startled by Watson’s still-calm voice, Lestrade trailed off mid-sentence.
“Just think about it. He’s gone from a social menace who makes a living off his face to an entity that doesn’t even glance at other women besides you—and even acts coy sometimes.”
“That—that’s not really it, though. It’s more like… like he’s actually become a cat…”
“That’s the best part. This uncontrollable devil has become harmless and affectionate. Don’t you think it’s a fitting end for such a creature?”
As Watson spoke, not only Lestrade but even Charlotte, who had been quietly staring into the fireplace, seemed shaken.
Swoosh…
Suddenly, Isaac Adler opened his eyes, jumped up, and leapt off the sofa.
Crunch…
“…..Ouch.”
He swiftly moved next to Charlotte, hugged her from behind, and sank his canines into her neck. Rachel Watson’s expression turned icy in an instant.
“Why is he behaving like that all of a sudden? Has he turned into a vampire cat?”
“…That’s just typical feline behavior.”
“Behavior? What do you mean…”
Lestrade looked perplexed. On the other hand, Watson, with a dark sheen in her eyes, silently watched the scene unfold before replying in a dangerously low voice.
“Male cats bite the scruff of the female they intend to mate with.”
A chilling atmosphere spread through the living room.
“Let’s stop this nonsense and focus, everyone. I’m going to explain the plan now…”
Creak…
“…Ah.”
Trying to maintain her composure, Charlotte let out a soft moan as Adler’s teeth sank deeper into her nape.
“…I’ll explain the plan.”
“In that state?”
Charlotte briefly bit her finger and winced, then glanced back at Adler, who was still nibbling on her neck, before continuing.
“Initially, I thought this case was related to the recent trend of the elixir of immortality.”
“…Immortality?”
“When Dr. Frankenstein was arrested, documents found in her lab were leaked. From what I hear, it’s become all the rage in the back alleys lately.”
“Hmm…”
Ignoring Adler, who was squirming behind Charlotte, Lestrade and Watson nodded in agreement.
“The method is simple. It involves injecting a certain amount of serum derived from animals like dogs, cats, or monkeys into the body.”
“Does that really work…?”
“I’ve only heard rumors, so I’m not sure. There are a few records stating it has been used since ancient times as an aphrodisiac or to restore skin elasticity…”
“…It does seem plausible.”
Upon hearing the explanation, Watson interjected with an intrigued expression.
“I read a few papers on this during my university days. There was speculation that injecting small amounts of animal serum could indeed produce such medical effects…”
“…Then you know about the side effects too, right?”
“Ah, well… yes. It was a very interesting paper…”
At Charlotte’s question, Watson began recalling the information, falling silent for a moment.
“One of the side effects is that… for a few hours, you might behave like the animal whose serum was used… wait…..”
Her eyes widened immediately.
“Could it be?”
“Yes, that’s what I thought for a while. Given the professor’s insane actions toward the dog, she likely injected herself with the serum of a monkey or a canine.”
Charlotte murmured, stroking her chin.
“There is quite a bit of evidence to back that up. The professor headed to Bohemia, where the drug trade has recently surged. Not to mention, she became furious when her son touched the experimental equipment. And crucially, the bizarre behavior she displayed yesterday was different from any drug-induced hallucination or sleepwalking…”
“Right, the professor is set to be remarried. That explains why she would use a youth-restoring drug.”
“So… the mystery is solved, right? And Adler should be back to his usual self in a few hours… so the case is closed?”
“…No.”
To Lestrade’s hopeful inquiry, Charlotte shook her head firmly.
“Why not?”
“Because there were no injection marks anywhere on Isaac Adler’s body.”
Charlotte narrowed her eyes.
“And besides, do you really think a being called the King of Vampires would suffer side effects from mere animal serum?”
“You—how do you know there are no needle marks on Adler’s body…?”
“Did you strip him naked?”
“That’s not the point.”
She brushed off Watson and Lestrade’s sharp questions and continued.
“Finally, even if Adler somehow injected himself with the serum, it would be strange for him to experience side effects immediately after the first dose.”
“………”
“If that’s the case, perhaps we need to change our perspective?”
As she spoke, she picked up the detective coat she had laid aside and began giving instructions.
“Watson. Get me those papers on the serum immediately. I need to scrutinize their credibility.”
“Eh? Hmm, alright…”
“And Inspector, come with me.”
“Uh, where?”
At the inspector’s puzzled voice, Charlotte pointed toward a building faintly visible through the window.
“Cambridge.”
“Ah…”
“I need to see the professor’s fiancé with my own eyes.”
At that very moment, Adler, who had been fully focused on Charlotte’s nape, suddenly looked up with a quiet gleam in his eyes.
“…….?”
“What is it?”
“…It’s nothing.”
.
.
.
.
.
“Hey, Mr. Adler, it’s time to let go.”
As Charlotte prepared to leave for her investigation, she sighed and reached behind her to free herself from Adler’s bite.
Prrrrr…
“Ah…”
However, as Adler applied even more pressure, Charlotte lost her balance and fell to the floor.
“Haah…!”
“……..”
Adler naturally pinned her down, growling softly into her ear as if to keep her still.
Crunch…
“…Ugh.”
As he bit into the nape of her neck again, Charlotte, who was trying to push herself up, froze in place.
“One can’t really argue with a cat…”
“…I guess I really should just kill him.”
“Meow!”
Adler, busy burying his head in Charlotte’s hair, was soon subdued by Watson and Lestrade, who each grabbed his arms and legs.
“Please stay here quietly.”
“Meow?”
“Um, just in case, I’ll put a bowl of milk right here for you. And some toys…”
Tied to the sofa with a leash, Adler watched Charlotte and Watson leave while Lestrade sneakily approached him and whispered.
Lick…
“Don’t drink it all at once…”
Staring down at the milk bowl, Adler began to lap it up, burying his face in the warm liquid.
“…Purr.”
“Ah.”
Lifting his head and licking the milk off his lips, Adler squinted his eyes and let out a pleased sound, causing Lestrade’s gaze to waver.
“…He really is cute.”
“Meow?”
“Oh, anyway! Don’t go anywhere and stay right here!”
Shaking her head, Lestrade stood up with a flushed face.
“It is said that only this much is considered normal and should be maintained daily…”
“Meow~”
“Getting distracted every now and then is a separate matter, though.”
With a momentarily subdued gaze, Lestrade stroked Adler’s chin and moved toward the exit. Adler rubbed his cheek against her hand with a cheerful expression.
“…If you stay out of mischief, I might really consider getting married for real.”
With those words, the mansion’s door closed, and a long silence enveloped the living room.
.
.
.
.
.
“…Hmm.”
The one who broke the stifling silence was Adler. He sat up on the sofa like a normal human, despite the leash around his neck.
“Is this why it’s called The Creeping Man?”
He had momentarily prevented the probability collapse with a cat act that went entirely against his nature. Now, he needed to create a plausible ending before they returned to the mansion.
Meow~
“…I feel like killing myself, damn it.”