Chapter 54: Fait Accompli
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 54: Fait Accompli
"M-Miss Holmes?"
"........"
"Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?"
Isaac Adler’s voice, thick with astonishment, echoed through the room.
Drip...
Right in front of him, Charlotte Holmes remained on her knees, tears streaming down her face like falling pearls.
"Ugh..."
As a 'Game Over' warning flashed before his eyes, cold sweat began to bead on Adler’s forehead.
Rustle...
"Calm down."
After a moment’s hesitation, Adler gently pulled Charlotte into an embrace.
"...It’s because of me that you’re dying, isn’t it?"
Charlotte’s voice, somber and broken, whispered directly into his ear.
"What are you even talking about...?"
"Every time you’re with me, you seem to grow weaker..."
Caught off guard by her words, Adler’s face paled.
"Every time I solve a case, I can see you wasting away."
"It’s just a coincidence."
"Then how do you explain the blood just now?"
"That was..."
"How do you explain the state of your body? You're getting sicker by the day."
Adler found himself momentarily lost for words, trapped by the overwhelming misunderstanding she was harboring. Charlotte’s voice pressed on relentlessly.
"I’m scared to fight alongside you any longer."
"........!"
Then, she finally voiced the sentiment she had been harboring.
"Ever since I was born, I’ve lived in a state of total apathy."
"Miss Holmes..."
"Whenever an incident occurred, I could momentarily escape that boredom, but that was all."
Nestled in Adler’s embrace, Charlotte continued her story in a trembling voice.
"After every case ended, it was just an endless series of days filled with debilitating lethargy."
"........."
"The problem is, unlike my sister, my apathy could only be overcome with extreme stimulation."
Lost in her words, Adler began to rhythmically stroke her back before he even realized it.
"Cigarette addiction, Mana Poisoning... it was only a matter of time before I fell apart."
"........."
"That was... until you appeared, Mr. Adler."
The shivers running through her body were transmitted clearly through Adler’s touch.
"I’ll be honest with you. I can’t live without you anymore."
With tear-filled eyes, Charlotte Holmes looked up at him.
"I’ve already been consumed by you."
"That’s..."
"No stimulus, no incident, no drug can ever replace you."
There was a twisted, haunting look in her eyes.
"You are the very definition of stimulation for me now..."
"........"
"If you were to disappear, how could I even go on living?"
Adler opened his mouth to speak, but ultimately chose to remain silent.
"What if I were to surpass you?" Charlotte asked, leaning in closer. "What if I destroy the kingdom that you and the Professor are trying to build? What if I put you both in prison?"
"........"
"Then, what would be left for me?"
Adler offered no response.
"I’m scared," Charlotte whispered. "I’m so afraid..."
The greatest detective in London was nowhere to be found. All that stood before him was a young girl paralyzed by unbridled fear.
"..........."
A heavy silence filled the room.
"...Miss Holmes."
After contemplating for a long moment, Adler looked down at the quivering woman in his arms and spoke softly.
"No matter what happens, I won’t leave you."
Charlotte gazed at him intently.
"I swear it."
"How can I trust you?"
In response, Adler snapped his fingers. A contract written in shimmering golden letters manifested out of thin air.
"When it comes to Contract Magic, I am more confident than anyone in the world."
"........."
"So please, sign it, Miss Holmes."
Charlotte accepted the contract, staring at it blankly.
"I will be with you forever."
Shhh...
As if mesmerized by those tantalizing words, her hand moved to inscribe her signature.
"...Now, you can be at ease."
Observing this, Adler gently patted her back, a warm smile spreading across his face.
"...Yes. I feel safe now."
And at that exact moment—
Sizzle!
"Huh?"
On Adler’s lower abdomen, a black seal made of ominous mana began to burn itself into his skin.
"I almost got caught just now."
"What?"
Charlotte looked down at the golden seal imprinting on her own abdomen. Her voice was suddenly, unnervingly clear—completely different from the broken tone she had used moments ago. It was as if... as if everything had been a lie.
"Wait, what?"
The 'Game Over' warning vanished from Adler's sight.
"...I took the liberty of omitting the vague and unnecessary clauses on the back of the contract."
She presented the document to the bewildered Adler.
Tsssss...
Charlotte’s black mana had already incinerated every single escape clause Adler had hidden on the back of the parchment.
"Miss Holmes."
"........"
"...How...!?"
His mouth agape, Adler stared at the altered contract he had personally created. He shifted his gaze back to Charlotte.
"For a long time now, you would often stare into the void, your eyes losing focus..." Charlotte began, her eyes sharper than they had ever been. "I thought it was a coincidence at first, but your pupils always contracted the exact moment something was about to happen."
"That’s..."
"And most decisively, after observing you while you were confined last night, I was able to confirm my suspicions."
Her whisper pierced Adler’s ear, reverberating through his mind.
"Your curse... it forces you to do things against your will, doesn't it?"
"........."
"And the tasks you must perform appear before you in the form of text, don't they?"
Adler’s eyes quivered. Her deduction was perfect.
"...Every curse comes with an ability that others would envy."
Seeing his reaction, Charlotte tilted her head slightly, a small smirk playing on her lips.
"So, what exactly is your ability?"
She leaned in even closer.
"What are you talking about?" Adler stammered.
"I tried to intensify my emotions earlier just to test a theory. I’m quite confident in my acting skills, you know..." Her brain was working at a terrifying speed. "Seeing you so flustered—which is unlike you—makes me wonder. Is it mind-reading?"
"Um..."
"Or is it an ability to grasp the current situation through some other means?"
"Miss Holmes..."
"Or perhaps... can you see the potential futures ahead of you?"
"........."
As Adler fumbled for words, Charlotte brought her lips to his ear and whispered softly.
"Or... is it all of the above?"
Silence followed.
"...Well, whatever it may be..."
Charlotte’s hot breath against his ear sent a shiver down Adler’s spine.
"I’ve started to understand you a bit."
"What...?"
"You’ve broken a few commands for my sake, haven’t you?"
Her voice carried a hint of a mock apology.
"...You don’t need to resist or struggle anymore."
She began to gently stroke Adler’s hair.
"Because I can’t stand by and watch your life force diminish any further..."
Charlotte looked at Adler—who was still coughing up blood—with a look of possessive anxiety. She wrapped an arm around his waist.
"...And because you love me so much."
"......."
"Far more than a lousy Professor who can’t even make such simple deductions."
Then, her tone sharpened.
"Right?"
"Huh?"
"I said, right...?"
"...Yes."
As Adler gave his hesitant answer, Charlotte’s dissatisfied gaze softened into a smile.
"Well, with this contract in hand, the conclusion is already set in stone."
She lowered her head, tapping the contract she held against her chest.
"But I really should make things a bit more certain, shouldn't I?"
The very next moment—
Bite!
"...Huh!?"
Charlotte’s teeth sank into the soft flesh of Adler’s neck.
Crunch...
"...? ...???"
Baffled as she began to draw blood, Adler’s expression twisted in confusion.
"M-Miss Holmes!"
"...Phew."
"Have you... have you become a vampire?" Adler asked, urgently pushing her back.
"No."
"Then why...?"
"I’ve reached a conclusion."
Charlotte gazed at him, lost in thought.
No matter how much I ponder, there is only one conclusion.
Isaac Adler was her enemy. He was an entity she should never be entangled with as a detective. But at the same time, he was the only essential part of her life.
"...Charlotte?"
The life of this being was fading because of her. And even if it wasn't, their struggle would eventually have to end.
Was there no way to keep him by her side forever? If not that, could she at least retain his essence within her?
After a series of cold, rational deductions, there was only one answer.
"I’ll devour you."
Having reached her decision, Charlotte wiped the blood from her lips with a finger and consumed every drop.
"...This isn't about me being tainted by you."
She reached out and touched Adler’s head.
"It’s about me tainting you."
Carefully plucking a single strand of his hair, she placed it in her mouth.
"...Mmm."
She began to chew thoughtfully, resting her chin on her hand as she stared intently at him.
Gulp.
Moments later, she swallowed and flashed a bright smile.
"Having done this much, we should have some good news soon."
"...Pardon?"
"Watson informed me."
Adler, already uneasy, froze at her next words.
"To establish a fait accompli, genetic material is required."
Charlotte wiped her mouth with her sleeve and pointed to the golden seal glowing on her lower abdomen.
"...Just wait a few days."
At that moment, Adler finally understood.
『Hidden Route — ???』
– Progress: 20% → 50%
The moment Charlotte’s knowledge became complete, he could sense the shift in reality.
Warning!
– Probability of ??? — 60% → 70%
"...Ah."
The messages appearing before his eyes foreshadowed the inevitable event that was about to transpire.