Chapter 216: The Sign of Four (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 216: The Sign of Four (5)
Bang—!
“…Hmm?”
Early dawn. As the sun began to peek over the horizon, light filtered into an antique house tucked away in London.
“Ah… my back is killing me.”
In the center of the living room, a loud thud echoed, followed by a groggy, pained voice.
“Wait, where am I…? I was at the races just a moment ago…”
The voice belonged to Rachel Watson—the woman who had signed the most expensive contract in London under the mistaken impression it was a betting slip.
“Ah… is this a police station…?”
“”………””
“Inspector L-Lestrade… you know me… I’m not a weirdo, and I’m definitely not homeless…”
By signing that paper, she had secured the final slot to compete for Adler. It didn’t take long for the doctor to notice the inspector sitting right next to her, and she immediately began stammering in a panic.
“I am… an elite… a young, capable… elite doctor…”
Suddenly, three pairs of icy gazes pierced through her. Watson promptly slumped back onto the table, shrinking under the pressure.
“So, this woman is the last one.”
“How interesting.”
“…Do you all find this amusing?”
Professor Moriarty, Charlotte Holmes, and Gia Lestrade were seated around a rectangular table, engaged in a tense conversation.
“No, not particularly. I’m simply wondering what Adler was thinking to bring about this conclusion.”
“Indeed. What exactly has our Mr. Adler been plotting lately?”
With those words, their gazes shifted simultaneously.
“………”
At the end of their stares was Adler. Drenched in sweat and bound tightly, he dangled from a rope fixed to the ceiling, slowly spinning like a macabre chandelier above the dining table.
“W-W-W-W-Well…”
An indeterminate amount of time passed in that awkward silence.
“E-E-E-E-Everything… went exactly according to plan…” Adler muttered, his face pale as he trembled while hanging mid-air. “I anticipated this ending from the very beginning. Ha… ha, ha…”
“…Perhaps the last signatory was intended to be that loyal hound?”
“If so, it’s utterly ridiculous. She must look like nothing more than a dog in his eyes.”
“This is the worst. Suddenly, I feel like getting a divorce.”
The women threw probing questions at him, their eyes filled with doubt.
“What are you all talking about? Poppy is a puppy.”
“””………”””
“I’ll admit I’m a villain… but I’m not a psychopath who would do that with a cute little puppy.”
Adler’s response to their scrutiny was as dead serious as it could be.
“Looking at your eyes, it doesn’t seem like you’re lying.”
“Sometimes you seem to be selectively oblivious. Is it just me?”
“…….?”
Professor Moriarty muttered to herself with a puzzled expression, while Charlotte Holmes simply stared Adler down.
“Get a grip! That creature isn’t a puppy, it’s a human…” Lestrade shouted, her voice laced with irritation. “Or was your intention to pretend this whole incident never happened?”
“It’s not just a possibility; it’s a fact. Adler never intended to sincerely fulfill this contract from the start.”
“…..What?”
Following Moriarty’s sharp analysis, Lestrade paused, listening intently to the professor’s deduction.
“Did you fear your end was coming sooner than expected? Is that why you tried to solve the problem proactively? But even so, you couldn’t bring yourself to choose just one of us. That is why you brought in insurance. You included a wildcard—a player strong enough to keep all three of us in check. After our attempt failed, you intended to use the ‘hound’ to create a sense of crisis. It’s a move to ensure we can’t act recklessly toward you in the future. Well? Any flaws in my speculation?”
Silence followed Moriarty’s words.
Hic…
In the quiet, Adler blinked blankly before a stray hiccup escaped him.
“…..Ha.”
Lestrade let out a sharp breath, her cold gaze desperately trying to hide the sense of betrayal she felt.
“You acted so enthusiastic before, but now you’re just trying to look good in front of other women…”
She cut herself off, closing her mouth as regret clouded her face.
“…Well, it doesn’t matter anymore, does it?”
“That’s right. It’s irrelevant now.”
With murderous glints in their eyes, Charlotte and Moriarty glared at the cowering Adler before summarizing the situation.
“All four signatures have been collected. The contract took effect minutes ago.”
“Unless it is shredded and sunk to the bottom of the Thames, Adler is bound by its terms. He must…”
“Choose one of us to be his eternal companion within three months. Is that correct?”
“…Er, pardon?”
Anxiety flooded Adler’s eyes as he listened.
“From this moment on, I intend to do my absolute best to be the winner. What about the rest of you?”
“Of course you’d say that. You’re the only one whose eyes haven’t been dyed in his color yet, and yet your obsessive desire to possess him is as overwhelming as ever.”
“Miss Holmes, it seems you didn’t quite grasp what I was saying…”
Ignoring the frantic Adler, the women continued their exchange. A dark, chilling undercurrent filled the room as they eyed each other with open hostility.
“…Three months from now, if I am the only one left alive among those gathered here…”
“Then Adler must choose the Professor. Is that it?”
“Since you understand, there is no need for further explanation.”
“Hahaha! Professor, oh Professor…” Charlotte burst into scornful laughter, her face twisted with derision. “Why have you become like this? So disgraceful, so unbecoming.”
“……..”
“Oh, well. A decrepit lizard reeking of a chicken coop can hardly compete with fresh, young girls like us…”
“…Look, I feel you have been laboring under a misunderstanding for a long time.” Professor Moriarty’s voice dropped into a low growl. “I am still in my twenties.”
“There’s a saying for that, you know? Something like: Foolishness is a terminal disease.”
“…How disgraceful.”
“No matter what you say, it’s useless. The truth remains the truth.”
Coming to her own absurd conclusion, Professor Moriarty stood up.
“And I don’t see what is so disgraceful about doing whatever it takes to firmly grasp what one desires. If you think it looks disgraceful, then by all means, wait comfortably for three months without making any preparations.”
“”………””
“…In any case, I know exactly what is going on here.” She whispered in a chillingly low voice to Charlotte and Lestrade, who were both frowning deeply. “You act as if Adler has no choice but to choose you, while inwardly plotting all sorts of schemes.”
Charlotte and Lestrade both opened their mouths to retort, but clamped them shut simultaneously at the professor’s words.
“…And I am already a step ahead in that game.”
“Do you think that arrogance makes you appealing?”
“Well, do try your best.”
Leaving them behind, Professor Moriarty walked out of the room with silent, predatory steps.
“…Try to survive until the three months are up.”
“”……….””
“Of course, if you cherish your lives, you can always give up halfway.”
She left them with an ominous declaration of war, essentially condemning them to death.
“…So, what will you do?”
“What… are you talking about?”
In the silence that followed the professor’s departure, Charlotte focused on the inspector sitting next to her, asking subtly, “Do you believe you can handle the professor on your own?”
“…….”
“If we join forces, we might be able to eliminate her…”
“Hey, Miss Holmes.” Lestrade stared at her for a long moment before tilting her head and throwing back a counter-question. “Are you scared?”
“………”
The final battle, blurring the lines between good and evil, had begun.
.
.
.
.
.
“…You’ll regret this, Officer.”
Leaving those ominous words behind, Charlotte departed as well.
“I’m already regretting it. I regret everything.”
Gia Lestrade glanced back at Adler and muttered softly as she, too, exited the room.
“…But I’ve already fallen for him. My hands are tied.”
As silence finally descended on the room, the bound Adler, still spinning from the ceiling, whispered into the empty air.
“Could someone please untie me before you leave…?”
Just then,
[Given the outcome, why not just plan in reverse from the start?]
Sarcastic text appeared in front of his eyes.
[How is it that not a single one of your plans ever goes right?]
“…Miss System.”
Seeing the system interface that had ignored his calls for a while, Adler let out a brief, relieved sigh before smirking. “Trying to take advantage of my situation, are we?”
[Please, just go die.]
“It’s a joke, just a joke, haha.”
The system’s response was unusually cold, prompting Adler to quickly murmur an apology to dissuade its anger.
“Actually, this time, it really did go according to plan.”
[Really?]
“From start to finish.”
[Lies.]
Despite the skeptical response, the hovering screen remained in front of Adler.
“I needed to involve Watson as the final signatory for my plan.”
[……?]
“That’s why I sent the Hound of the Baskervilles. No one could handle it except the Professor herself. But if Watson is anything like the original, she was the only one who could definitely defeat it.”
Still skeptical, the system seemed to contemplate his words as the screen spun.
“So, Miss System. Let’s make a deal.” Adler’s lips curled into a smirk.
[What deal?]
“Well…”
.
.
.
.
.
“Hey.”
Just as the world’s most secretive deal was about to commence in the Professor’s living room…
“Who are you?”
“Ah.”
Regrettably, the clandestine exchange was postponed. Watson had finally raised her head after being sprawled across the dining table.
“I’ve seen you somewhere before…”
“…Ah, I’m Isaac Adler.”
As she staggered to her feet and approached him with lidded, hazy eyes, Adler began to sweat profusely, hurriedly trying to make an excuse.
“Nonsense.”
Watson leaned in close, whispering in a voice more chilling than anything he had ever heard from her.
“…You’re Neville, you idiot.”
“Eeeek…!”
As her cold hand began to slide beneath his clothes, eventually gripping his throat, a trembling Adler began to scream for the other signatories who had just stepped outside.
“Hey, guys!!! A little help over here—!”
Mmph—!
“….Ugh.”
Not only his pitiful scream but all subsequent cries were muffled as Watson’s lips crushed against his, her weight sinking into his stomach.
“Neville… you are Neville…”
“….! …..!!!!”
“Just stay still, you man-whore…!”
“………”