Chapter 60: Deception and Love
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 60: Deception and Love
“…It’s a miracle you’re even alive.”
Rachel Watson, who had kept her hand pressed over Adler’s heart for a long, long time, finally averted her gaze as she spoke.
“Setting aside the fact that the nerves and mana circuits in one of your arms are completely scorched, the circuits throughout the rest of your body are a tangled, wretched mess.”
“So, it’s just as I suspected.”
“You must have known. At this point, it’s safe to say your life as a mage is over. If you even attempt to stir the slightest spark of mana, excruciating pain will rack your entire body.”
Hearing this, Adler merely smirked and nodded in agreement.
“To use magic, you would have no choice but to force mana through blocked pathways. Naturally, that would put a massive strain on your physical form.”
“………”
“Therefore, if you intend to use magic at all, you must use a mana amplifier. Actually, it would be best if you didn’t use it at all…”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Wait, I’m not finished yet.”
Rachel Watson’s expression grew even darker as she continued.
“The entanglement of your mana circuits is only a fraction of your problems.”
“I see.”
“I’d like to explain the current state of your body in detail, but if I did, we’d be here until sunset at the earliest.”
Her voice dropped, becoming subdued.
“Fixing one thing won’t solve the problem. From the congenital defects you were born with to the acquired damage I can’t even begin to fathom…”
“………”
“I wanted to give you some hope, but as a doctor, I cannot lie.”
She paused, looking at Adler. She hesitated, finally closing her eyes as she delivered her verdict.
“…With modern medicine, your body cannot be fixed.”
A heavy silence followed.
“If you had come a little earlier, perhaps I could have tried something.”
“……..”
“But your body has weakened so much recently that there is nothing left to be done.”
Watson, who had kept her eyes shut because she couldn't bear to see Adler’s resigned expression, finally opened them.
“What on earth have you been doing these past few months?”
Isaac Adler replied with a wry smile.
“…I did the most meaningful work of my life.”
For some reason, his expression seemed far removed from those of other patients Watson had seen receive a terminal prognosis.
“Excuse me…”
Watson, who had been quietly observing him, hesitated before asking with a worried look, “Did you already know?”
“………”
“That you were terminally ill?”
At that question, Adler gave a quiet nod.
“…Since when?”
“To put it bluntly, from the very beginning, I suppose.”
It was an answer that left no room for doubt. Even the most obtuse person would have guessed, given the extent of his deterioration, that his days were numbered.
“I see…”
Suddenly, the harsh words Watson had thrown at him earlier flashed through her mind.
“So… that’s why you behaved that way…”
Thinking back, she had uttered similar insults even during their very first meeting. Only now did she realize the reason behind the bitter smile Isaac Adler often wore. Watson desperately wished she could take those words back.
“Isn’t it ironic? A boy whom countless people desperately want to kill is actually dying anyway.”
But before she could offer an apology, Adler’s somber voice interjected.
“…Come to think of it, my life itself feels like a joke.”
The look in Adler’s eyes turned melancholic.
“People always approach me, yet I can never open my heart to anyone. Isn’t that the worst?”
Faced with such a confession, Rachel Watson was taken aback, lost for words.
“Except, of course, for Charlotte Holmes. I fell for her the moment I saw her.”
“…What?”
“Even though I don’t have much time left, I’ve decided to devote what remains to her.”
Watson’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You’re in love too, so you understand, don’t you?”
Adler took her hand in his, speaking with an expression of profound sincerity.
“How foolishly a person blinded by love can act…!”
“…Oh.”
“Sacrificing half of my remaining life to become a vampire might seem like a foolish act, but for someone like me, who is already on borrowed time, it wasn't a hard decision to make.”
Watson’s face turned pale.
“You…”
“In a few years, a great threat will descend upon London.”
Looking directly into her eyes, Isaac Adler continued, “It’s quiet now, but it won’t be long before a series of bizarre incidents occur one after another.”
“………”
“The existence of Jill the Ripper, who is already impossible to trace through magical means, proves this clearly.”
His voice grew more urgent.
“Miss Watson, please tell me.”
“What is it…?”
“How much time do I have left in this body?”
Rachel Watson’s pupils quivered at the serenity in his voice.
“To make Charlotte Holmes the hope of London before that time comes, I need to know my exact deadline.”
“………”
“Please, Miss Watson.”
After what felt like an eternity, Watson spoke in a trembling voice, her eyes filled with immense guilt.
“The time you have left is… about a year at most.”
A heavy atmosphere settled over the room.
“That is the current prognosis, but as time goes by, your condition will likely deteriorate further…”
“I see…”
“Personally, I would recommend long-term hospitalization…”
“That’s problematic.”
In the heavy silence, Isaac Adler scratched his head and mumbled, “I need at least three years; five would be ideal.”
“Listen…”
“We’ll have to find a way. One year is simply not enough. Fortunately, I have a few methods in mind…”
“Excuse me!”
Rachel Watson interrupted him, her voice urgent.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but please stop.”
“…Why?”
“Extending one’s predetermined lifespan comes with a terrible price.” Her face contorted with worry. “Your soul will rot. Do you truly wish to fall into eternal pain because of a wrong choice?”
“…Yes.”
At Adler’s immediate response, Watson went numb with shock.
“Since I ruined her with my own hands, it’s my responsibility, isn’t it?”
“………”
“Until now, I’ve only treated that girl harshly and pressured her. I’ve never truly nurtured her. Now, I intend to focus on the latter.”
Adler’s soft voice echoed in the room.
“Regardless, I will not die until I’ve made that inexperienced girl the Hope of London. There are still ways for me to survive, after all.”
“How can you go to such lengths?” Watson asked, her voice heavy.
“Because she’s my favorite…”
Adler’s response was lighter than anything she could have guessed.
“…Technically, there are two of them, but regardless.”
He murmured something else under his breath, but Watson couldn’t catch it; her mind was already in chaos.
I had such a ridiculous misunderstanding.
Sympathy for the boy sitting before her surged in Watson’s heart.
“I should go now…”
“Wait, just a moment…!”
Ignoring her, Adler nonchalantly stood up.
“Wait, Isaac Adler!”
Watson quickly rose and followed him toward the exit.
“I’ll help you. I am a doctor, after all. You don’t have to resort to such extreme measures…”
“You said it yourself. There’s no way to treat my condition with modern medicine.”
“…At the very least, I can prevent it from getting worse.”
But Adler merely shook his head and began descending the stairs.
“I’ll treat you for free. Consider it an apology for my earlier words.”
“It’s an honor, but I must decline.”
“Don’t be like that, Mr. Adler.”
Hurrying after him, Watson grabbed his arm just as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
“…I realize now that I’ve misunderstood you all this time.”
She led him to a corner on the first floor, lowering her gaze as she whispered softly.
“Now I understand why you could never accept the feelings of other women, yet opened your heart to Charlotte.”
“………”
“Please, let me help you.”
Adler looked at her with a wry smile.
“I’m busy with hospital work, but I can spare time once a week…”
“…If that’s the case, please accept this.”
With a sigh, Isaac Adler pulled something from his coat.
“What’s this…?”
“A contract.”
As Watson tilted her head in confusion, he explained, “I can’t bear the thought of a doctor of your stature working for free.”
“……..”
“Be compensated fairly. I’ll make sure you’re paid handsomely for your assistance.”
Upon taking the contract, Watson’s expression softened considerably.
“So this is the kind of person you really are.”
“No, I’m not that great of a person.”
“…I’m ashamed of my past self.”
A moment later, her signature adorned the bottom of the contract.
“I’ll make time this weekend to start your treatment.”
“……..”
“The contract says once a week, but I think I can manage two days if necessary.”
She returned the pen to Adler, bowing her head with a polite smile.
“Well, I’m counting on you…”
.
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- Buzzzz…
“…Eek!?”
Suddenly feeling a surge of heat from below, Watson clutched her stomach and staggered, collapsing onto the stairs.
“What… what’s happening?”
Beneath her clothes, her abdomen was glowing with a brilliant golden hue.
“What is this…?”
Lifting her shirt with trembling hands, Watson stared, dazed, at what she saw.
“I told you I wasn’t a good person, didn’t I, Miss Watson?”
“………”
“You should have checked the contract more thoroughly before signing.”
Adler’s golden seal was vividly engraved on her abdomen, shining brightly.
“That’s impossible. I checked it from beginning to end…!”
“Altering a few words the moment you sign is child’s play for me.”
“That’s a violation of contract magic! There’s no way such a trick is possible…!”
“Shush. No matter how soundproof this place is, people outside might hear you if you scream.”
Pale as a ghost, Rachel Watson looked up with trembling eyes, her mouth hanging open in horror.
“Starting next weekend, once your hospital duties are over, report directly to my secret hideout.”
“But… on that day… I have plans with Neville…”
“Does that really matter anymore?”
Adler began to gently stroke her cheek. Using an inexplicable force to immobilize her body, he whispered softly into her ear.
“You belong to me now, not him.”
“…Son of a bitch.”
“Answer me.”
Realizing she had been utterly deceived, Watson glared at Adler with unadulterated hatred, gritting her teeth.
“Die. Just die—”
“…Answer.”
However, when Adler gently prodded the engraved seal on her abdomen, Watson let out a choked cry, as if struck by lightning.
“…Understood.”
At that moment, a message appeared before Adler’s eyes.
[Rachel Watson is now under your subordination!]
“…I’m sorry, Neville.”
As Watson’s tearful voice echoed while she bit her lip in resignation, Adler murmured with a detached expression.
“That’s just how it is.”
Adler’s plan was progressing more smoothly than anticipated.
.
.
.
.
.
.
“After doing something like this, do you think you can live with yourself…?”
“…Without you, it would definitely be impossible.”
“You fucking bastard…”
As he gently stroked her head, tears formed in Watson’s eyes. She growled, “I curse you, asshole.”
“Thank you.”
“Tch…”
She spat on his leg.
“No matter what, you can’t have me.”
“But I already do, don’t I?”
“Shut up!”
As he scratched his head, Watson exclaimed in a ringing voice, showing him the back of her hand—where her commitment to another remained.
“No matter what you do, this mark won’t fade.”
“……….”
“Truly… what a pity. Mr. Screwed-Up—”
However, her voice started to tremble, losing its confidence.
“Let’s see about that.”
As Adler leaned in closer and whispered coldly, Watson’s eyes went wide, and she began to quiver violently.
“Let’s see if that mark fades or not.”
He wanted to sound more threatening, but his posture felt a bit ridiculous, so he stopped. Because of the height difference, even with Watson kneeling, they were almost eye-to-eye, which ruined his attempt to look imposing.
- Press…
“Ughhhh…”
Instead, when he lightly pressed the seal on Watson’s abdomen, she clenched her eyes shut and collapsed to the floor, her body convulsing once more.
“Neville…”
Given Neville’s status, he and Watson were certainly meant to be a couple, so it couldn’t be helped…
Just as he began to feel a pang of guilt at her pitiful voice…
- Ding!
An unexpected message appeared before his eyes.
『Hidden Route — ???』
– Progress: 50% → 80%
That message instantly cleared the fog in his mind, sweeping away thoughts of extending his lifespan or subduing the game's remaining characters.
[Charlotte Holmes is in love with you.]
“……Ah.”
The content was so shocking that his mind went utterly blank, unable to think of anything else.