Chapter 235: The Professor's Sorrow (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 235: The Professor's Sorrow (2)
It had been a year since Charlotte arrived at the professor’s study, prepared to end everything once and for all, only to depart without a single word.
Since then, the professor—who had spent that year wandering aimlessly without purpose—finally focused all of her formidable attention on a singular objective.
The Complete Encyclopedia of Pregnancy and Childbirth: A Beginner’s Guide for New Mothers
Parenting Without Scolding
An Exploration of Newborn Behavior: Principles and Values
The heavier her belly grew, the higher the books stacked up in her study. Even the occasional papers she reviewed during her leave were no longer about magic or mystery; they were all about children and parenting.
Absorbing such a vast amount of information was not exactly difficult for her, as it filled the one void of knowledge in the professor’s otherwise peerless intellect. However, while the task was neither boring nor tedious, it wasn't enjoyable either.
If anything, what she craved now was closer to death than life, leaving no room for joy to surface.
And yet, there was one reason she could not allow herself to die.
The quiet tolerance of Charlotte and the other women—who had left the professor to wander in her weakened state—wasn’t born out of mercy or indifference.
If she were to seek eternal rest now, the bloodline of that man they all loved would be severed forever.
Despite trembling with anger at the thought, none of them could bring themselves to harm the child—a being created from the blood of the one they hated more than anything else in the world... coupled with the blood of the sole person they loved and cherished above all else.
“…So a crying child shouldn’t always be comforted immediately?”
And so, the professor, wearing a blank, emotionless mask to avoid negatively affecting the unborn child, absorbed parenting knowledge with ritualistic devotion, following the books to the letter.
“The most important thing is…”
But by the sixth month of her pregnancy, even the professor had to stop.
“…The connection with the parents, particularly the mother.”
She had realized that no matter how much effort she put in, she simply would not be able to raise the child properly.
“That’s… beyond me.”
Even Adler, whom she had desperately wanted to keep by her side—even going as far as to offer her body to him—now left her doubting whether she had truly loved him at all.
“I can’t… I can’t feel the emotions necessary for that.”
Whenever she caught her reflection in the glass, her dull grey eyes stared back at her—eyes so far removed from the brilliant golden gaze that haunted her dreams.
Surely, even if she gave birth, the child would inherit those same dull, lifeless eyes.
“…Hah.”
Surrounded by a roomful of baby clothes, bottles, and the finest parenting supplies money could buy, Moriarty let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes.
“………”
It was often said that pregnant women developed sudden cravings for specific foods, but no such signs manifested for the professor. In fact, even sugar—something she once consumed by the crate—now elicited such a violent rejection that she couldn't bear the taste of it on her tongue.
It’s only natural.
Deep down, the professor knew why. Ever since that incident, there had only been one thing she truly desired.
However…
As the detective once told her, the very notion of yearning for such a thing while her eyes remained utterly devoid of color gnawed away at her from within.
“Hah…”
Click—
Fully aware that such dark thoughts could affect the child, the professor quietly reached out and turned on some classical music.
♩♪♫
“……..”
Leaning back in her chair, she tried to calm herself as her mind wandered into rueful thoughts.
Four more months.
Four months left until the reason she clung to life would disappear.
To anyone else, that might seem like the epitome of nihilism, but to the professor, it was her only comfort. It was that thought alone that granted her respite from the relentless nightmares and despair.
Do devils go to hell when they die?
There was a small solace in knowing that, having committed far too many atrocities in life, she would undoubtedly end up there if hell existed.
…What if I go to purgatory?
♩♪♫♪
Or worse, what if I simply vanish, without going anywhere at all?
Occasionally, such thoughts would surge alongside an unfamiliar sense of fear that seized her body.
“……”
Nevertheless, even those fears were eventually washed away like grains of sand swept by the tide, leaving only resignation behind.
“…I’ve never felt time pass so slowly in all of my long existence.”
And so, the days of repetitive thoughts and endless monotony began anew, stretching out into an eternity of dull agony.
*
The day of delivery finally arrived.
“Um, uh… E-Excuse me, miss.”
“…….”
“It’s time to wake up now…”
“…Mmh.”
At the call of the attendants—hired at a steep price to ensure the birth went perfectly—the exhausted professor slowly opened her eyes.
“What happened…?”
“You fainted right after it was over. It was a grueling labor…”
“Just watching it had our hearts in our throats…”
“…The children?”
The professor, her gaze blankly fixed on the attendants’ sweat-drenched faces, quickly snapped back to reality.
“Thankfully, both babies were delivered safely!”
“Congratulations! A boy and a girl—you’ve had twins!”
As if on cue, the attendants smiled brightly and placed the swaddled infants into her arms.
“Oh…”
“They’re sleeping now, so try not to overstimulate them, alright?”
The professor stared blankly at the tiny, peacefully breathing children nestled in her arms for what felt like an eternity before finally speaking in a trembling voice.
“Are these children… truly mine?”
“Of course! We delivered them ourselves…”
“Your son’s hair is golden, and his eyes are grey. The daughter is the opposite.”
“The father must have had golden hair and eyes, right?”
The attendants replied kindly to the professor’s seemingly innocent question.
“…Indeed.”
Nodding absentmindedly, the professor gazed at the infants, her expression unreadable.
“Umm?”
“Hmm?”
“……!”
As if sensing her gaze, the babies slowly opened their eyes.
“”……..?””
“O-Oh…”
When the little ones bobbed their heads from side to side, inspecting her just as she might have done habitually, the professor’s initial surprise softened into a faint smile. A tender whisper leaked from her lips.
“I’m your mother.”
“”………””
The two babies stared at her for a moment, eyes opened unnaturally wide.
“Kyaa~”
“Kkyaak~”
“Oh my, what adorable babies!”
“They already recognize their mother? And they’re not even crying—how remarkable!”
As the children broke into giggles and smiled back at her, the attendants clapped their hands, fussing over the scene.
“……..”
Meanwhile, the professor’s face went momentarily blank amidst the commotion.
Squeeze…
“Kyah?”
“Hmph?”
Closing her eyes tightly, Moriarty pulled the babies close to her chest. The infants, looking slightly confused, nuzzled into her embrace.
“Yes… you’re my children…”
“Uh, ma’am, if you hold them that tightly—”
“No one else’s… but mine…”
It was at that precise moment that Professor Moriarty’s retirement plans were completely overturned.
*
A few weeks later, in the professor’s study.
“This… this isn’t what we agreed upon!”
“Exactly! You—you can’t do this!”
The once-quiet study was now filled with the furious voices of Princess Clay and Silver Blaze.
“If you step forward like this, then we’ll have to—!”
“Lower your voices.”
The icy voice of the professor, reminiscent of the old days, filled the room for the first time in a long while, silencing the two women instantly.
“You’ll scare the children.”
“…Ha.”
“……”
Their eyes fell on the two infants cradled protectively in the professor’s arms. Their angry expressions twisted further, their bodies trembling with suppressed rage.
“…I don’t care what anyone says.”
Moriarty’s voice dropped to a low, calm tone as she addressed them, her gaze unwavering.
“I will not give up these children.”
Her firm declaration hung in the air as she shifted her focus to Celestia Moran, who had grown noticeably since their last meeting, standing silently between the two women.
“From today onward, I plan to rebuild the organization.”
“……..”
“So, you will join me. Without you, it will be difficult to run the operations.”
Moran responded with a cold, sharp look.
“And if we refuse?”
“…Then I’ll have no choice but to hold you accountable for letting go of Adler’s hand when it mattered most.”
The professor’s venomous whisper sent a visible shiver through Moran. Her face instantly paled as she lowered her head.
“”……..””
Silence hung thick in the room for a long moment.
“…Just remember one thing.”
Breaking the quiet, Princess Clay stepped forward and gripped Moran’s shoulder. Her voice was sharp, her pointed teeth bared as she addressed the professor.
“We don’t serve you out of loyalty.”
She cast a fleeting glance at the infants nestled in Moriarty’s arms before turning on her heel, leading the now-muted Moran and the still-fuming Silver Blaze out of the study without another word.
“…..Ha.”
“Ahng?”
“Hnng?”
“Ah, it’s nothing, my dears.”
The professor, who had been glaring icily at their retreating figures, softened immediately when her children looked up at her with worried eyes. She smiled warmly and nuzzled their tiny cheeks.
“Hnnng…”
“Waaah…”
“…Hmm. Perhaps I should have read more about this.”
Sensing the children’s displeasure, the professor averted her gaze, a sheepish look on her face.
“I haven’t thrown it away… it must still be somewhere… hmm?”
With a sudden thought, she began rummaging through the belongings she had brought from her private library.
“This is…”
Among the books and baby supplies, her hand landed on a familiar object—the gift Adler had left behind. She froze, staring at it blankly.
“………”
For a long while, she simply gazed at the package, her thoughts swirling. Then, almost unconsciously, her hand reached out and grasped the ribbon.
Shhh…
Her hands trembled as though possessed, yet they moved steadily, unraveling the ribbon that seemed as though it would never come loose.
“……..”
After an unknown amount of time, the professor found herself staring at the small, dust-covered object inside the box. Her words faltered.
In memory of our first meeting.
Alongside a short note, scrawled with a painfully nostalgic doodle of a devil, was—
From your eternal assistant.
—None other than the item Adler had nervously fidgeted with in his pocket during their very first personal meeting.
At the time, Adler likely hadn’t known, but the item was nothing more than an ordinary mana accumulator, devoid of any trace of mana within it.
“……..”
The professor gazed at the relic for a long time, her expression unreadable.
“……..?”
Suddenly, she noticed something trickling down her face. Confused, she tilted her head toward the mirror.
“Ah…”
Frozen in place, she stared at her reflection.
Drip…
From her eyes, now colored in the golden hue she had longed for so desperately, tears were falling incessantly.
“Ah… Aaaaaaagggghh….”
These weren’t just biological tears—they were born of raw emotion, the only thing that could have saved her beloved Adler.
“Ah, agh… Agggghhh…”
“Hnng?”
“Hmmp?”
As the professor bowed her head and let out a heart-wrenching wail, realizing it was far too late, the babies in her arms began to pout and tear up, sensing their mother’s grief.
“I miss you… dearest Adler…”
Even so, the immortal, who had realized far too late what love truly was, could not stop crying.
“…Just once. Even just once would be enough.”
“Waaahhh…”
“Hwaaaahhh…”
“I want to see you again, my beloved Adler…”
The professor’s study, now a sea of tears, remained tightly shut for days afterward, its mournful silence speaking louder than any words.