Chapter 157: The Crawling Human (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 157: The Crawling Human (8)
“Ki-Kitty…”
“Meow…”
Sensing the sudden chill that had settled over the room, Gia Lestrade excused herself under the pretext of needing to use the washroom.
“You should have chosen one of them, not me…”
Taking a moment to catch her breath, she whispered to the kitten cradled against her chest in a hushed tone.
“Weren’t you being raised by one of them? Why on earth did you pick me?”
“Mreowww…”
Of course, the cat hadn’t made the choice at all. Although the small feline wanted to express its displeasure and protest, only pathetic cat noises spilled out of its mouth. A sullen, dejected look washed over the little creature as a result.
“… Hmm.”
Seeing the vulnerable, almost pitiful expression on the adorable kitten’s face, Lestrade’s heart began to soften.
“Well, neither of them are particularly sane. Was it tough for you, too?”
“… Mreeeow!”
“I see…”
After seeing the kitten’s intense reaction, she fell into quiet thought.
“I hadn’t planned on keeping a cat, but…”
Ruminating on the idea, she did a quick sweep of her surroundings before reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a small notebook from her uniform and swiftly ducked into a stall.
“I remember reading that it’s not a great idea to keep pets during the honeymoon phase…”
“……..”
“S-Still, Isaac and I make a decent living, so maybe it won’t be a problem? And my siblings can take care of the kitty when we’re out, so…”
Crouching down, she thumbed through the densely packed notes in her notebook while mumbling to herself.
“The kitten looks gentle enough, so it’s safe to assume it won’t attack my siblings. Still, I should probably train it beforehand, just in case…”
“Meow?”
“… Hold on.”
Lestrade bit her nails, pondering seriously. The observing cat gave her a confused look and a questioning meow.
“What if the baby has an allergic reaction?”
Lestrade reviewed the scribbles in her notebook, voicing her inner concerns without thinking.
“……….”
A heavy silence settled in the washroom.
“… I’ve gone mad.”
She remained crouched in stunned silence, ruminating on the absurd things she had just muttered. She followed this with a vigorous shake of her head and a few sharp slaps to her own cheeks to snap herself out of it.
“I’m not even married… It’s just a contract marriage he forced on me by taking advantage of my honor and values… A baby? What baby?!”
“Mr-Mreeow.”
“Get a grip, Lestrade. You’ve been overworking lately, and it’s making you lose your mind.”
Her cheeks turned bright red from the harsh slaps she’d inflicted on herself. However, for some reason, even her ears had reddened, despite remaining untouched.
“Yes, it does seem you’ve gone a bit mad.”
“… Eek!?”
Just then, a nonchalant voice echoed from right in front of her.
“What—what—what is it, Miss Holmes?!”
“You’re going to pass out at this rate, Inspector.”
“You just wanted to startle me, didn’t you…?”
“I didn’t do anything. You were the one scaring yourself, Inspector.”
“… Well, that’s true, I suppose.”
Standing up with a start, Lestrade could only offer an embarrassed face at Charlotte’s blunt words, avoiding her gaze.
“We don’t have time to stand around.”
“What?”
“Let’s leave.”
Abruptly, Charlotte grabbed Lestrade’s arm and began dragging her away, urging her to get out of the lab.
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Why? Weren’t you the one who wanted to leave this place quickly, Inspector?”
“That’s true, but still…”
As visible discomfort marred Lestrade’s face, a sigh leaked from Charlotte’s lips. She tried her best to explain her stance to the inspector.
“We have no reason to be considerate toward Professor Moriarty, do we? She’s our enemy at the moment. The less time we spend on farewells, the less time she has to make her next move.”
“What about the cat?”
“Let’s take it. After all, that ancient magic already told us the Professor isn’t its owner.”
Saying so, Charlotte casually reached out toward the cat.
— Bzztttz!
“Ouch.”
At that moment, a sharp spark lashed out from the cat’s body. Charlotte quickly pulled her hand back.
“… Ah, this must also be part of the magic.”
“………”
“But it’s strange, isn’t it? Why it would recognize you as its owner, and not me or the Professor…”
For a long time, Charlotte just stared at the small cat nestled in Lestrade’s arms with empty eyes.
“It seems the ancient designer of this magic had a very rigid way of thinking.”
“Is that so? Well, if you say so…”
“… Meowww.”
“Eek!?”
Lestrade nodded innocently, not thinking much of Charlotte’s expression. Abruptly, a moan escaped her lips and her body shuddered as the cat somehow found its way inside her clothes, eliciting a frosty glare from Charlotte.
“Y-You can’t! You can’t do this kind of thing, little guy…”
“Haaa…”
Watching the scene with a twisted expression, Charlotte eventually turned away.
“Do you really want to live like that forever?”
“… What?”
“Never mind.”
With a cold voice and muffled whispers, she finally exited the washroom.
“Behave yourself.”
“…….?”
Gia only gave Charlotte a puzzled look, but she soon followed behind. Seeing the cat shiver all of a sudden, she gently stroked its head, a look of sympathy in her eyes.
“Is this what they call maternal instinct?”
“Meow…?”
“No, why am I spouting so much nonsense today…”
.
.
.
.
.
“………”
“Excuse me, Miss Holmes?”
After leaving the research lab, Charlotte and Lestrade had been walking the streets of London for some time.
“Why does it feel like we’re going back the way we came?”
“Well, because we are quite literally going back the way we came.”
“What?”
Lestrade silently followed behind Charlotte, stroking the cat as its head peeked out from her uniform. Suddenly feeling a sense of déjà vu, she cautiously posed a question to the detective. In response, Charlotte stopped in her tracks and answered in a subdued tone.
“I have a general idea of what really happened. I know where we need to go next.”
“But the police station is the opposite way. We’re running out of time to get backup before we lose track of Professor Presbury’s fiancé…”
“What if we already know where he’s going?”
Immediately, a puzzled look marred Lestrade’s face.
“But… is that possible?”
“Professor Moriarty and my sister gave us subtle hints. It would be strange not to notice.”
“… When did they give us hints?”
Glancing toward her continuously wriggling top, Charlotte sighed before explaining.
“I’m certain Professor Moriarty made Gregory Freud flee the lab before we arrived.”
“Yes, I know that too.”
“But the Professor herself—and even my sister, who seems to have lost her sanity—said that the Professor committed no crime.”
Lestrade nodded, remaining silent.
“They moved the person we were chasing at a crucial moment, yet there’s no way to charge them with concealment of evidence. That means Gregory Freud isn’t running away.”
“Then…?”
“He’s not moving to a location unrelated to the case to avoid the situation. Rather, he’s moving somewhere vital to the case with a distinct purpose.”
Finally, a light bulb went off in Lestrade’s head.
“Could it be… Gregory Freud is heading to Professor Presbury’s mansion?”
“Your deduction skills have improved lately, Inspector Lestrade. I must commend you on that.”
“But why would he…?”
“There are many possibilities. For instance, if we assume he’s the culprit, he could be on his way to hide or destroy evidence.”
Hearing this, a grave look appeared on Lestrade’s face.
“Or he might be aiming to go further. Commit a murder, even? He could be hiding in the mansion, just waiting for the Professor to return so he can do the deed.”
“That would be disastrous!!”
The moment Charlotte laid out her predictions, Lestrade cried out in a thundering voice.
“Let’s catch a carriage now!! No, jump on my back! I’m confident I can get us there faster than a carriage if I run with all my might!!”
“Calm down.”
“How can I calm down after hearing that?!”
An air of urgency exuded from every pore of her body; she looked ready to sprint to the mansion right then and there. However, when she heard Charlotte’s nonchalant voice urging her to be calm, her voice grew heated.
“Isaac is in that mansion, damn it!”
“………”
“His mental state isn’t normal, and he’s even tied up, isn’t he? There’s no telling what might happen to him if we leave him there alone…”
“… In the end, Isaac Adler has become someone important to you too, hasn’t he?”
Her words caused Lestrade to pause, unable to find her words for a moment.
“… We are just using each other. There are no personal feelings involved.”
“… You call him by his first name and even mumble about having a baby with him.”
“That—that’s a misunderstanding!”
Charlotte pressed on, making her blush and stutter as she avoided the detective's gaze.
“The baby plan is just a last resort! In case Adler gets out of control!”
“………”
“That’s why, even if I were to have a baby with him, I won’t fall in love with Adler! I’ll only love my offspring…!”
Charlotte could only look at her with an incredulous expression, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Let’s hurry along. Time is really running out.”
“So, are you going to the mansion to stop him?”
“That’s the plan, but…”
Suddenly, Charlotte’s steps veered to the side.
“I need to make a stop somewhere first.”
“… What?”
.
.
.
.
.
“We’re already short on time, just where do you want to stop…?”
“To end this childish farce, there’s someone I must bring along.”
Meanwhile…
“Meow…?”
Huddled between Lestrade’s chest and stomach inside her clothing, Isaac Adler—who had been overhearing the conversation with a burning blush—started looking forward with a panicked gaze.
Warning!
Erosion Rate — 40% → 45%
Warning!
Erosion Rate — 45% → 50%
Warning!
Erosion Rate — 50% → 55%
He had thought his noble(?) sacrifice would be enough to resolve the situation. But the flood of system messages made him realize that was a massive misconception.
“Wait a minute. The cat is suddenly shivering again…”
“… Does it really matter?”
…I’m fucking screwed!