Chapter 59: The Terminally Ill Boy
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 59: The Terminally Ill Boy
The day after little Moran—someone I didn’t even realize I’d made a promise to—showed up at my mansion...
"Munch, gulp..."
"........"
I sat casually on the sofa in my hideout, lost in thought as I watched Moran hurriedly stuff a sandwich into her mouth.
I was taken aback when I first saw her, but... the more I think about it, the better this situation is for me.
Excluding Professor Moriarty, the game’s final boss, Celestia Moran was a powerhouse on par with Inspector Lestrade.
Even setting aside the silent air sniper she used in the original story, her sniping skills were beyond human comprehension. Among the game’s many protagonists, only a select few could even hope to counter her.
"...Hiccup."
She was a formidable monster in the making... and yet, here she was, glancing at me warily while shoving bread into her face and hiccuping uncontrollably.
Even now, when I had grown accustomed to the most absurd sights, this scene felt oddly amusing.
-Swish...
"....!"
As I reached out toward her, Moran’s eyes widened in shock. Her entire body froze on the spot.
Given the harsh treatment she’d endured throughout her life, perhaps it was trauma? It would explain why she froze like a startled rabbit whenever something unexpected happened.
-Pat...
For some reason, a twinge of genuine affection stirred deep in my heart. I offered a soft smile and gently placed my hand on her messy hair, which was currently veiling her beautiful eyes.
".......?"
As I stroked her head, Moran looked up at me with a bewildered expression, her mouth hanging slightly open in confusion.
"A hunting dog needs to eat well to hunt efficiently."
Perhaps she wasn't used to such warmth; an awkward expression crossed her face before she went back to munching on her sandwich.
"So, from now on, if you leave any food behind, you’ll be punished. Understood?"
My heart had almost softened at her pitiable state, but I quickly pulled myself together and whispered those dark words in a low voice.
"When you grow up, you’ll have to protect me."
This girl would eventually become the second most dangerous woman in London, surpassed only by Professor Moriarty herself.
I have to make her completely obedient to me.
If I didn’t firmly establish the hierarchy now, she would undoubtedly devour me in the end.
"Answer me..."
"...Understood."
I gently tilted the chin of the girl as she chewed. Moran replied with a blank, dazed expression.
"Good."
"........."
With a cold smile, I stroked her head once more. Moran sat quietly, eventually closing her eyes and accepting my touch.
...Maybe I actually have a knack for this?
"Pfft..."
Seeing her submissive demeanor made me feel like a composed animal trainer. But just as I was basking in self-satisfaction, a mocking chuckle sounded from beside me.
"...What are you laughing at?"
"No, it’s just... it’s too funny."
Princess Clay, who had been cleaning the floor as instructed, responded with a voice dripping with amusement.
"How can I not laugh? The man who confidently claimed he would tame the girl is failing miserably at it every single day."
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Why not just leave her to me?"
While I bristled at the insinuation that I was doing a poor job, Joan Clay leaned in and whispered with a dark smile.
"Just give me a week. I can make her kneel perfectly before you..."
"I’ll pass."
"Fine then. Keep living like that and die quickly, I suppose."
Suspecting something sinister behind her offer, I immediately shook my head. She heaved a deep sigh and went back to her cleaning, muttering to herself.
"...Anyway, it seems he doesn't want my goodwill. Oh well..."
She pouted as she grumbled. It might have looked cute to an outsider, but I knew better than to be fooled.
She was, after all, the fourth smartest woman in London.
If I carelessly entrusted Moran to her, she’d likely turn the girl against me before the week was out.
There’s still a long way to go...
Sighing at a situation where I couldn't afford to relax for even a second, I pulled my hand away from Moran’s head and lay back on the sofa with my eyes closed.
-Tickle, tickle...
".......?"
I felt a sudden tingling sensation against my ear.
"Miss Blaze?"
Before I realized it, Silver Blaze had taken the seat next to me. She was nibbling on my ear, her tail wagging rhythmically from side to side.
"Hehe."
When I gave her a puzzled look, she shyly covered my face with her tail.
"...You still smell the same, Miss Blaze."
"But I washed very diligently with shampoo?" she asked in a surprised tone, gently brushing her tail aside.
"I prefer your natural scent over shampoo."
-Swish...
Since Silver Blaze was already completely obedient, showing her a little tenderness wasn't a problem.
As I offered the soft compliment—something she had likely rarely experienced in her life—her ears and tail drooped in pure delight.
-Swoosh...
She lowered her head and gently rubbed her cheek against my chest.
"I’m happy, Master."
A soft voice drifted up from my embrace. It was Blaze.
"I never knew a life of enslavement could be this blissful."
"...Is that so?"
"I want so desperately to share this joy with the people of London and my fellow demi-humans."
"Oh."
I felt a flicker of alarm at her potentially dangerous remark, but Silver Blaze suddenly raised her head to gaze intently at me.
"...But at the same time, I’m a bit anxious."
"Why?"
Unease was written all over her face. I couldn't quite put my finger on the reason for her sudden shift in mood...
"Do you feel unwell, Master?" she asked, scrutinizing my expression.
"What do you mean..."
"I’ve lived my entire life in back alleys and on racetracks. I’ve witnessed countless deaths."
Her gaze was darker than usual.
"I hope I’m mistaken, but right now, Master, you..."
"........."
As she spoke, Princess Clay stopped cleaning and listened intently.
"...Are you really okay?"
Worried that she might have noticed my precarious state, I hastily cut her off.
"A devil has infinite ways to survive. Don't worry..."
"...That’s a relief."
With a soft whisper, her expression finally relaxed.
"What made you so worried?"
"I almost lost my will to live for a second there... I'm so glad..."
"........"
"Please live a long life, Master."
I had asked in a calm tone, but her response was heavy.
"Because you are the reason for my existence."
Stunned by her intensity, I watched as she gently pressed her cheek to mine before standing up.
"Little lady~"
"...Y-Yes?"
"If you’re done eating, let’s take a bath together~"
Silver Blaze took the hand of Moran—who had been watching me with a subtle, unreadable gaze—and led her toward the bathroom.
".........."
A heavy silence followed.
"...You."
"........."
"Are you alright?"
I ignored Princess Clay’s question as my mind raced.
I definitely need a thorough examination.
A significant system message from the previous day flashed in my mind.
[Ending 04]
– Description: Flowers in Your Arms.
– Condition: Subdue all main characters within the time limit.
At the time, I had been overwhelmed with joy, thinking I’d found a way to escape the fate of being confined and "tamed" by the dangerous women surrounding me.
However, once the excitement settled, anxiety took its place. Setting aside the fact that the difficulty level was devastating—even if I had ten copies of myself—one phrase stuck in my throat.
"...Within the time limit."
What did the "time limit" refer to? Could it be the limit of this very body?
"Hmm..."
It didn't seem like I would simply die when the time ran out. This body was already practically dead and had transitioned into that of a vampire.
However, what if my vitality depleted to the point where I couldn't even move?
When that time came, wouldn't a fate of confinement and "taming"—disguised as caregiving—be exactly what awaited me?
...I need to know for sure.
I couldn't just sit idly by. I had to undergo a thorough examination to find out how much longer this body could last.
The problem was that I couldn't go to just any doctor.
They had to be highly skilled, in a social position I could somewhat control, and possess enough of a conscience to keep my condition a secret. If word of my state leaked out, it would be a massive headache.
"...Huh? Where are you going?"
As I stood up, Princess Clay questioned me with a slight frown.
"I’m going to see my fiancée."
As I replied to her concern-laced words, her face turned cold in an instant.
"...Trash."
"Haha."
The time for a proper explanation had long since passed. All I could do was accept her judgment.
*
A few hours later, in front of 221B Baker Street—
"You... Why are you here?"
"It’s just a coincidence, Miss Watson."
Rachel Watson, who was quietly trying to enter her boarding house, furrowed her brows as she saw Isaac Adler approaching.
"Why have you come at this hour?"
Her demeanor turned as cold as ice.
"Do you have any idea what Charlotte has been like lately because of you?"
"..........."
"After the Reigate case, she’s become a total recluse. Well, more of one than usual..."
Isaac Adler tried to speak, but Watson’s sharp voice cut him off.
"The only reason I stayed silent this long was because Holmes’ condition actually seemed to improve when she was with you. As a doctor who saw her through her addiction to drugs and mana stones, I couldn't deny that."
"........"
"But now, even without the drugs or the poisoning, her condition is dire. It’s as if..."
Watson trailed off, seemingly at a loss for words. The two entered the boarding house in a state of high tension.
"...Miss Watson."
"What?"
"Do you think I’m ruining Charlotte Holmes, too?"
As Watson ascended the stairs, she offered a sardonic smile over her shoulder.
"Didn't you already know that?"
"........"
"To her, you are more stimulating and more harmful than any drug in existence."
Her gaze was filled with deep disgust.
"And it’s not just her. You’re even getting in the way of my love life."
"That’s..."
"It’s not something a proper lady of London—or a doctor—should say, but..."
Her voice turned frigid.
"I wish you would just die from a terminal illness."
"........."
"...If you understand, then leave. Don't bother us anymore."
Despite the venom, Adler followed her into her room with a bitter smile. Watson’s eyes blazed with wrath.
"If you’re looking for Holmes, you’re out of luck. She’s not in her room; she must be out."
"...Is that so?"
"It’s for the best. For the past few days, she’s done nothing but sit blankly in her armchair. She must have finally had a change of heart and gone out."
Watson began rummaging through a drawer.
"Anyway, this is your last warning."
She pulled out a gleaming black pistol and pointed it directly at Adler.
"If you don't leave right now..."
"I didn't come here to see Charlotte."
"What?"
"I came to see you."
Watson tilted her head, her eyes narrowing in confusion.
"What are you talking about?"
"I want a thorough examination. As a patient."
"...What?"
Seeing the dead-serious expression on Adler’s face, a look of profound distrust spread across hers.
"Do you have any idea how many doctors there are in London?"
"There aren't many as skilled as you."
"I don't know what you're plotting, but you should just leave—"
"...You’re the only one I can trust right now."
Adler’s eyes were filled with genuine desperation.
"I’ve been examined several times before and nearly got assassinated in the process. Right now, you’re the only one I can trust to look at me."
"...And you think I wouldn't do the same?"
"I believe I can entrust myself to Miss Watson."
A palpable silence filled the room.
"...You really are quite pitiful."
After a long moment of contemplation, Watson finally lowered her pistol and sighed deeply.
"Living a life where you can't even get a medical exam without fear. Well, it’s all your own karma."
"........."
"...But as a doctor, I can't just ignore a patient."
Her voice mellowed slightly.
"Sit over there. This isn't a hospital, so I can't do a full workup, but I can at least check your general mana circuit and blood flow."
"...Thank you."
"But once this is over, never come back here again," she added, glaring at him as she pulled her medical coat and stethoscope from her bag. "If you have this much spare time, stop bothering Holmes and pester someone else."
"........."
"Don't you think you should be doing something productive with your long life?"
Adler responded only with a quiet, self-deprecating smile.
*
As Rachel Watson’s examination began—
"..........."
Charlotte, hiding in the closet across the room, watched the scene through a narrow gap in the door.
"...What are all these wounds on your body?"
"Please, don't mind them..."
Why was she doing this? The moment Charlotte had heard Adler’s voice downstairs, she had instinctively crawled into the closet with lightning speed.
"Close your eyes and let your mana resonate."
"Like this?"
"Yes, just like that..."
Was it because she couldn't forget her humiliating behavior during their last encounter? Was it the shame of her fatal mistakes as a detective? Or was she simply avoiding Adler because she didn't understand the emotions swirling inside her?
"...Huh?"
"What’s wrong?"
Charlotte didn't understand her own actions. She just huddled pitifully in the dark, watching Adler through the sliver of light.
"Uh... um..."
Cold sweat began to trickle down Watson’s face as she continued the examination.
"Um, there..."
"........."
"...Please, can you stop joking and do it properly?" Watson asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"I am doing it properly," Adler responded with a quiet smile. "Is the result that bad?"
"Well, that’s... I mean... um..."
Rachel Watson’s face went pale. She stammered, likely recalling the harsh words she’d spat at him earlier.
"It’s alright. I know my body best."
Adler’s tone was gentle as he tried to reassure her. Then, he asked the question.
"I’m just curious about how much time I have left."
Watson’s eyes wavered.
"Is it two years?"
"........."
"One year? Or perhaps... six months?"
Adler’s voice sounded hauntingly innocent.
"How long do I have?"
""...........""
"Oh, and by the way... keep this a secret from Miss Holmes, okay?"
In that moment, a dizzying sensation washed over both women—each for a very different reason.