Chapter 48: Gia Lestrade (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 48: Gia Lestrade (2)
“Why so suddenly…?”
“…Have you lost your mind, Lestrade?”
Isaac Adler and Charlotte Holmes spoke simultaneously, their voices thick with astonishment as they stared at Gia Lestrade.
“I am perfectly sane,” she replied, her tone ice-cold. She lifted her coffee cup with an expressionless face.
“If you’re sane, then why on earth—”
Crunch…
While Adler watched Lestrade with a puzzled look, Charlotte Holmes, who had been quietly biting her nails, finally spoke up.
“…This man is scum, Lestrade.”
“Miss Holmes?”
“Countless women have been ruined because of him. You’ll likely end up the same way.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Lestrade didn't even blink. She kept her gaze fixed on Isaac Adler, her eyes devoid of emotion.
“From this day forward, I will be dating Isaac Adler.”
Charlotte’s eyes darkened at the declaration.
“This is the most logical solution I have reached after careful deliberation.”
As the atmosphere turned frigid, Lestrade took a slow sip of her coffee before continuing.
“Mr. Isaac Adler.”
“…Yes.”
“As Miss Holmes said, you are utter scum.”
Adler flinched slightly at the blunt, unfeeling delivery.
“Many women have cried, suffered, and ultimately met tragic ends because of you.”
“That’s…”
“Yet, there is no legal way for me to punish you for it.”
“………”
“Instead, the women whose lives you ruined ended up in prison for trying to harm you.”
Lestrade’s gaze was as sharp as frost.
“I’ve spent the past month trailing you, hoping to catch even a hint of illegal activity, but it was fruitless.”
“…That is the expected outcome, of course.”
“Therefore, I have reached a single conclusion.”
Ignoring Adler’s muttering, she set her coffee cup back on the desk.
“I will like you.”
A chilling silence descended upon the room.
“And I will date you.”
“”………””
“So, do not touch another woman from this moment on.”
Lestrade’s voice echoed softly in the heavy silence.
“I will be your only lover. I ask that you be satisfied with me alone.”
“Uh, well…”
“No matter how I look at it, this is the only way to break the vicious cycle created by your inhumane actions.”
Adler blinked, looking utterly lost. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Charlotte’s expression.
“Miss Lestrade, I understand what you’re saying. It’s a decision that is… very much like you, I suppose?”
Charlotte, having realized the true intent behind Lestrade's words, spoke up hastily.
“But are you truly okay with this? How can you tell someone you like them when you feel nothing? How can you hold their hand or engage in physical intimacy? How is that sustainable?”
Lestrade stared intently at Charlotte for a moment before replying with her usual stoicism.
“Justice and the public interest are more important than my personal feelings.”
“But…”
“From now on, I will look only at Isaac Adler and express my love for him. This decision is final.”
Cold sweat began to bead on Charlotte’s forehead.
“…What if someone else took on that role?”
“Who else could do it?”
“Well, for example…” Charlotte mumbled, watching Adler’s reaction closely. “Maybe me…”
“I cannot allow you to bear such a burden.”
“N-no. Now that I think about it, I’m actually more—”
“Does Miss Charlotte Holmes like Isaac Adler?”
Charlotte froze at Lestrade’s piercing question.
“…Uh, ah, um.”
She tried to force the words out, but her face turned bright red and her lips refused to cooperate.
“See? You’re overextending yourself.”
“No, it’s not that…”
“I love you, Mr. Isaac Adler.”
“………”
“One should at least be able to say that much to date him, shouldn't they?”
As Charlotte Holmes fell silent in shock, Isaac Adler stood up from his seat, a puzzled expression on his face.
“Can you take responsibility for what you just said?”
“…Yes.”
With his signature lopsided smirk, Adler tilted his head toward Lestrade.
“If you truly love me, you should naturally be able to handle this much intimacy, right?”
He reached out and gently stroked Lestrade’s silver-grey hair. She met his touch with a gaze as cold as ice.
“…In that case, can you also kiss me?”
Before she knew it, Adler’s face was inches from hers, his nose nearly touching hers as he locked eyes with her.
“Can you use your tongue while holding my hands? Can you stay still while I hold your head and pull you into my arms?”
As Adler spoke, he brushed back the hair he had been stroking. Lestrade’s icy expression began to falter.
“Love is no joke, Miss Lestrade.”
Seeing her reaction, Adler whispered with a smug smirk.
“If you understand, then let’s forget what you said and—”
“…I’ll do it.”
“Pardon?”
Lestrade, despite her wavering expression, spoke with an undaunted voice.
“I will use my tongue. I will kiss you. And I will oblige most of your requests.”
Feeling her breath on his skin, Adler’s eyes widened. He was at a complete loss for words.
“Since I have declared that I like you, there is no helping it, is there?”
“Wait, wait a moment!”
Charlotte hastily shoved herself between them, separating Adler from Lestrade.
“Mr. Adler, what about you?” She stared intently at him, her voice chilling as she carefully stretched her foot out toward his leg. “Do you like Miss Lestrade?”
“…Hmm.”
Adler lowered his head, his expression trembling slightly.
“This is an ideal arrangement for you, Mr. Adler,” Lestrade added with a cold sigh. “If we date, the time we spend together will naturally increase. You will be much safer than you are now.”
“………”
“You’ve been threatened not just by Jill the Ripper, but by numerous others, haven't you? From that perspective, it is a condition you should accept.”
Adler twitched in his seat but remained silent.
“Furthermore, you are currently in trouble due to the scandal involving Silver Blaze, the people's idol.”
Lestrade glared at him, a chilling glow in her eyes.
“By publicly declaring our relationship, you can bury that scandal as well.”
“………”
“…Do you still hate the idea?”
Just as she sounded like she was about to give up on a reply…
『Freeze!』
Chapter 2 – Begin
A sudden system message appeared before Adler’s eyes.
“If you truly dislike it, then there’s nothing I can do. I also—”
“Let’s date.”
Isaac Adler, who had been staring at the message with a pained expression, finally spoke with a relieved smile.
“…I like you too, Miss Lestrade.”
A heavy, freezing atmosphere permeated the coffee shop.
“I knew you would say that,” Lestrade murmured, her lips pursed as she reached out her hand to him.
“Haha…”
Noticing that Charlotte now looked just as expressionless as Lestrade, Adler made a show of intertwining his fingers with Lestrade’s.
“You don’t need to interlock fingers. A casual hold is enough, isn't it?”
“Ah, that’s…”
“…It’s fine.”
The moment their hands locked, Lestrade’s expression distorted momentarily, but she quickly closed her eyes and whispered, “Because I like you now… so it’s fine…”
Her fingers gently squeezed the back of Adler’s hand.
Swish…
Lestrade reached over and swiftly pulled the curtain cord by the window. Adler’s gaze followed the movement, and his eyes widened in utter shock.
“That is why I called the reporters in advance.”
Outside the shop, journalists swarmed like a hive of bees, their cameras already aimed at the window.
Click, click!!
The rapid-fire sound of shutters echoed from the street. The image of Lestrade and Adler, hand in hand, was perfectly captured.
“Let’s go to the press conference, Mr. Adler.”
Lestrade took one last sip of her drink, hooked her arm through Adler’s, and pulled him from his seat.
“…Gulp.”
In this twisted world, Isaac Adler had just gained his first official girlfriend.
*
“Hahaha…”
“Why are you laughing?”
The press conference had lasted less than thirty minutes, but to me, it felt like an eternity.
Warning!
– Probability of Assassination – 1% → 33%
“Now I might get death threats from the men, too…”
“Huh?”
“…It’s nothing.”
Having seen the consequences of meddling with two of England’s darlings, I left the press conference murmuring in a detached voice. Lestrade and I began walking through the bustling streets of London, heading back to the shop where Charlotte Holmes was waiting.
“I’ve noticed someone following us,” Lestrade whispered.
“I know…” I nodded blankly.
“Excuse me, could you step aside for a moment?”
“It’s a woman…”
“…Give me a moment to settle this, will you?”
Lestrade nodded coldly and unfolded her arms. As she waved and headed down a side street, I watched her silhouette disappear before turning around.
“M-Mr. Adler.”
The stalker removed her low-hanging hat, revealing unique Demi-Human ears.
“…I… I saw the press conference.”
Silver Blaze stood there, her ears and tail drooping, looking up at me with a dark, devastated expression.
“Did you now?”
I was slowly becoming accustomed to these kinds of incidents.
*
“…Please forgive me.”
“Huh?”
“I know you are facing so much trouble because of me.”
Silver Blaze watched my reaction with dark, trembling eyes.
“If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had to endure such pain… I know you wouldn't have had to reveal your secret relationship either.”
“………”
“Please, can you give me another punishment?”
She staggered toward me.
“Do you expect me to forget you and live as I wish? I won't be able to—”
“Miss Blaze…”
“Don’t say it…!”
She raised her voice instinctively, then quickly bowed her head in fear.
“Mr. Adler…”
Tears began to stream down her face.
“I’ve quit horse racing.”
My eyes widened in genuine disbelief. “…Why?”
“To show my loyalty to you.”
Silver Blaze collapsed to her knees before me.
“I always wanted freedom for Demi-Humans because we have been domesticated by humans our entire lives. But you were different… different from all other humans.”
“………”
“If it’s you—the one who saved us—I can entrust you with my dreams, my goals, and my very body and soul…”
Her delicate hand grasped my sleeve.
“…So please, accept the freedom I offer you.”
Tears stained her cheeks.
“Please don’t abandon me…”
From a distant alley, Lestrade watched the scene with a chilling gaze. She took out her notebook and murmured to herself.
“The ‘Push and Pull.’ A classic Adler tactic mentioned in numerous testimonies.”
To Lestrade, it was obvious what would happen next. Adler would deliver a devastating blow—a cold rejection. He would mock the poor Demi-Human to his heart’s content. Even after gaining her freedom, she had become so dependent on him that she was trying to give it back.
He would likely watch her degrade herself for his amusement and then disappear from her life forever. Another victim added to the list.
“…This is the worst.”
Lestrade, certain of the outcome based on her long investigation, turned her gaze away in disgust.
“To think she loves such a man…”
“All right.”
But then, a soft voice reached her ears, rattling her composure.
“I won’t abandon you.”
Isaac Adler’s voice was gentle.
“From today on, I’ll take care of you, Miss Blaze.”
He gently embraced the sobbing girl, patting her back as he murmured in a dreamy tone.
“…By the way, you smell lovely today as well.”
“W-waahh… uwaaa!”
As Silver Blaze let out a tearful, happy cry, Lestrade’s gaze turned utterly blank.
‘…What?’
It was the moment her deduction, as always, had completely missed the mark.