Chapter 66: The Blooming Detective (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 66: The Blooming Detective (4)
The deep crimson of the London sunset was gradually fading into the dark of night.
Within minutes, a dense fog began to roll in, threatening to swallow the streets. Residents hurried home one by one, eager to escape the inexplicable mist and the outlaws who lurked within it.
Clomp, clomp…
Amidst the encroaching gloom, a woman strolled down Baker Street with quiet, confident steps.
Click…
Thanks to the presence of the renowned child prodigy, Charlotte Holmes, Baker Street had recently earned a reputation as one of the safest areas in London.
Nevertheless, the streets were noticeably quieter than they had been years ago. Strange incidents were cropping up sporadically across the city, and rumors of a serial killer—one even Charlotte Holmes couldn't capture—kept people behind locked doors during the late hours.
“…Sigh.”
As if such stories were beneath her notice, the woman pulled a small flask from her belongings, shook out a sugar cube, and popped it into her mouth.
“Mm~”
She continued forward, munching on the sugar with a contented smile. Her long, grayish hair flowed behind her, and her eyes shimmered in the deepening twilight.
“Is this the place?”
221B Baker Street.
“…It’s my first time visiting.”
Her features were a strange blend of adorable—almost like a small lizard—and shrewd. She tilted her head from side to side, blinking habitually, until her gaze settled on the sign—a symbol of hope that had saved countless victims of crime.
Creeeak…
She took in the address one last time and pushed the door open. Inside the boarding house, the atmosphere was heavy and stifling.
“Is anyone there?”
She adjusted her clothes and called out softly for the caretaker, but no one responded.
“…Well then, excuse me.”
Murmuring to herself, she began to ascend the stairs.
Squeak…
The door at the top of the landing, worn from the constant traffic of visitors, stood slightly ajar.
“Hmm.”
She stood still for a moment, a cold smile playing on her lips, before gently pushing the door open.
“…Is that you, Moriarty?”
A voice, thin and frail as a dying girl’s, reached her ears.
“Charlotte Holmes.”
“Ah, I didn’t expect you to actually come.”
“You certainly look… quite something, don’t you?”
The visitor, Professor Jane Moriarty, looked on with an expression of pure curiosity.
“Who contacted you…?” Charlotte Holmes asked, her voice nearly lifeless. She lay in bed, drenched in a cold sweat.
“I simply came to visit my cherished student. Is there a problem?” Jane Moriarty replied, her voice tinged with a mock sorrow, her eyes filled with pity.
“…The thing is, there is a bit of an issue.”
“What do you mean?”
“No one knows I’ve ended up like this yet…”
A faint, ridiculing smirk crossed the Professor’s face.
“So, you’re still making deductions even in this state?”
“………”
“You don’t think I’m the one behind this, do you?”
Moriarty’s expression shifted to one of feigned concern as she sat on the edge of the bed.
“Sorry to disappoint, but I was informed of the situation by Isaac Adler a few days ago.”
“That’s strange… Adler hasn’t left my side for days…”
“Are you suggesting you even handled your physiological needs in that bed? He clearly sent the message during a moment you were occupied, likely to avoid provoking someone as unhinged as you.”
“…Why would he do that?”
Moriarty’s eyes glinted coldly.
“Well, probably because your paranoia is quite severe.”
“………”
“If you had caught Adler writing to me, you would have assumed we were plotting some dark conspiracy to seize the world and stabbed him in the back.”
Cough, cough…
Charlotte furrowed her brow and broke into a light fit of coughing.
“…I want to argue, but the pain is so great I can’t even think straight.”
“There is some rather unethical research suggesting that when delusional patients experience physical pain, their symptoms lessen. It seems there’s truth to it.”
“You know, Professor…”
Ignoring the sarcasm, Charlotte reached out a trembling hand.
“…Please, save me.”
A brief, heavy silence filled the room.
“I know you planned this whole thing.”
Charlotte’s hand waved weakly in the air, slick with sweat.
“I’ll destroy all the evidence I’ve gathered. I’ll act as if I know nothing. Just, please…”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“The ivory box. You intercepted it, didn’t you?”
Her frail grip managed to snag Moriarty’s sleeve.
“You knew I was investigating Clarissa Smith for illegal sorcery, didn’t you?”
“Spare me your baseless delusions.”
“You used that as leverage. You approached Clarissa Smith, intimidated her, and orchestrated this crime.”
“I’m starting to miss your once-brilliant mind, Charlotte.”
“Killing with a borrowed knife. If someone wanted to get rid of me while hiding behind the guise of a crime consultant, they would naturally choose that method.”
The hand clutching Moriarty’s arm began to tremble violently.
“Otherwise, there’s no way such horrendous sorcery would be inside the box containing the ring meant for Adler.”
“That is your weakness…”
Jane Moriarty leaned in, coldly brushing Charlotte’s hand away to whisper in her ear.
“You are intelligent, yes, but you let your emotions cloud your judgment and ruin everything.”
“So, it really was you…”
“I am not the one behind this. But if I were, I would have told you exactly that.”
The corner of Moriarty’s mouth curled into a subtle sneer.
“A detective, so blinded by love that she didn’t even notice herself sinking into a quagmire.”
Silence returned to the room.
“…Water.”
“Hmm?”
“Please… give me some water…”
Moriarty chuckled as she watched Charlotte Holmes—the girl who didn't even have the strength to argue, only to blink her sunken eyes and beg for help. The Professor stood up.
“It seems it’s already too late for a constructive conversation.”
Jane Moriarty picked up the kettle from the table and began pouring.
“Coffee? Or tea?”
“Just… cold water…”
“Yes, that is best for quenching thirst.”
As she moved to hand the cup to Charlotte, her gaze shifted toward the empty space behind the bed.
“…Truly disappointing.”
Moriarty smirked and offered the water.
“Hmm…”
“If it were me, I would have hidden someone in the space behind the bed.”
“Pff…”
“A trap should at least be that sophisticated if you want it to be secure.”
Moriarty watched Charlotte gulp down the water, then suddenly raised her hand.
Fwoosh!
The dark gas lamp on the desk flared to life, enveloped in a thick coat of grayish mana.
“I tried to brighten the room since it was so dark, but unfortunately, the lamp isn't made of mana stones.”
“………”
“Anyway, is there anything else you need?”
“Well…”
Charlotte, who had been quietly observing Moriarty’s annoyed expression, suddenly sat up. She mimicked the very smirk the Professor had been wearing moments ago.
“I’m quite satisfied just having tricked someone who looked down on me, thinking I was below their expectations.”
“…You seem quite at ease for someone whose emergency communication lines have been destroyed,” Moriarty remarked, her aura turning chilly.
“Oh my, such a terrifying threat doesn't sound like something a righteous citizen would say.”
Charlotte mocked her, regaining her composure instantly. She pointed behind the Professor.
“Please hand me the matches and cigarettes over there. Not the needle.”
“………”
“On second thought, never mind. I don’t need them.”
Charlotte Holmes smiled softly and gently caressed her lower abdomen.
“I’m carrying his child, so I should refrain for a while.”
Jane Moriarty took a step forward. Her voice was a whisper, colder than the London fog.
“Where is Isaac Adler?”
“Don’t you feel anything? Even after being fooled by me?”
“Not at all. I was never fooled. I merely played along.”
“For all that talk, the look of disgrace on your face was quite vivid, wasn't it?”
“You aren't the only one who can act, Charlotte.”
A chilling mental standoff began.
“From the moment I received that hasty message, I suspected things would turn out this way.”
“Just consider it one of the possibilities. If you’re embarrassed, have the courage to admit it.”
“I am done arguing with you,” Moriarty said, her aura becoming fearsome. “You are holding Isaac Adler without authorization.”
“Didn’t you say it yourself, Professor? A claim without evidence is just nonsense.”
“Otherwise—”
“You aren't about to say you’ve lost contact with him over the last few days, are you?”
Charlotte’s sharp question met a wall of silence.
“But if you make that claim, you can't explain why you're here. After all, you came because you were contacted by Isaac Adler.”
“You should know when to stop.”
“That’s exactly what I want to say to you… Jane Moriarty.”
Charlotte’s expression turned ice-cold.
“Do you really not know where Isaac Adler is, even now?”
“………”
“I’m disappointed. And I pity you.”
Her voice, a mix of mockery and anger, echoed through the room.
“…What are you talking about?”
“You mock me for being blinded by love, but I pity you for that very reason.”
Jane Moriarty tilted her head silently.
“It’s actually you, not me, who doesn't understand what love is. Am I right?”
“………”
“And yet, you pretend to love Isaac Adler. Even though you don’t know the sensation of a heart fluttering or pounding against your chest.”
Moriarty’s face distorted as Charlotte continued.
“…Take back what you said.”
“Just a monster mimicking emotions.”
“Take it back.”
Jane Moriarty’s hand began to tremble ever so slightly.
“I love Isaac Adler.”
Charlotte’s clear voice cut through the tension.
“That’s the conclusion I’ve reached. Thanks to you, I found my way after wandering for so long. I even managed to grow stronger.”
“………”
“All thanks to you. You’re the one who got caught this time… trapped in your own snare, making a foolish mistake just like I did in Reigate.”
Jane Moriarty clenched her teeth.
“But if there’s a difference between us, it’s that you can never grow the way I have.”
“…Why?”
“Because even now, at this very instant, you don’t understand what love is. You can’t…”
“………”
“You’re just driven by a desire to possess, to monopolize, to dominate. Like a dragon hoarding treasures in its lair.”
“…You’re wrong.”
Moriarty lowered her head, her fists clenched.
“I love Isaac Adler as much as you d—”
“Pfft… haha!”
Charlotte Holmes burst into a fit of mocking laughter.
“…Before you tell such lies, maybe you should do something about those grey eyes of yours, don't you think?”
Only then did Professor Moriarty notice the permanently golden hue of Charlotte’s eyes, contrasting sharply with her own grey ones.
“It’s because of my unique constitution.”
“Or maybe your love is fake. I’d bet on the latter.”
“Watch your tongue…!”
“Why? Because you’ve failed to kill me so many times that you want to do it with your own hands now?”
The Professor glared at her, biting her lip. Charlotte covered her mouth, her mockery intensifying.
“I might have failed to make you confess with words, but this could be a good opportunity to get you imprisoned.”
“I told you to shut your mouth.”
“You should shut that vile mouth of yours instead, Jane Moriarty.”
The tension in the room reached a breaking point.
“No matter how a monster like you mimics love, Isaac Adler loves only m—”
“…It would be best if you stopped right there!”
In the next instant, Jane Moriarty’s grey mana detonated like a bomb.
“…No matter what you mumble, nothing will change.”
Before her mana could tear the room apart, Moriarty reeled it back. She leaned over the bed, whispering with a chilling intensity.
“No matter how much you claim to love Isaac Adler, the person he loves is me.”
“…Is that really the case?”
“I don’t need to prove it to you.”
With a violent jerk, Moriarty yanked away the blanket Charlotte had been using to cover herself.
“We can just ask him directly…”
“Yes, it would be good to confirm the color of his eyes as well…”
However, the triumphant smiles on both women’s faces froze instantly.
“…Mr. Adler.”
There, lying quietly next to Charlotte Holmes under the blanket, was Isaac Adler. His cheeks were flushed, and he was grimacing as if in intense pain.
“”………….””
A heavy, suffocating silence ensued.
As they stared down at him, two very different trains of thought raced through their minds.
‘…Did I fall for Charlotte Holmes’ scheme?’
In Moriarty’s mind, the logical assumption was that Charlotte had deduced her plan and coerced Adler into opening the box, turning him into a hostage.
‘His already limited lifespan has been reduced further because of the Professor.’
In Charlotte’s mind, the reasonable deduction was that Isaac’s sudden deterioration—when he had been peacefully asleep moments ago—could only be attributed to Jane Moriarty’s arrival.
“”………..””
It didn’t take long for these deductions to lead to action.
Swish…
Their eyes met, and simultaneously, both Charlotte and Moriarty reached into their pockets.
.
.
.
.
.
‘…Is this enough?’
When I woke up under the blanket, a tense standoff was already unfolding between Charlotte Holmes and Professor Jane Moriarty.
Not only that, but my system was flooded with a hoard of messages containing spine-chilling possibilities.
‘This can’t continue.’
The decision was clear.
Crunch…
I bit down on a magic capsule I had prepared as a precaution before leaving the Smith mansion.
“”………..””
If I—the cause of the conflict—was in pain, this confrontation (which was rapidly approaching a Game Over scenario) would likely be diffused.
Lost in thought and lying still, I slowly opened my eyes.
“…Huh.”
I couldn't hide my stunned expression.
“Hand over Isaac Adler right now.”
“Sorry, but unlike you, we share a loving relationship.”
Professor Jane Moriarty and Charlotte Holmes were pointing guns at each other’s heads, both wearing chilling smiles.
“Will you be able to speak like that with a bullet hole in your skull?”
“A duel, then? Shall we draft a contract? The loser forfeits Adler in death, and the victor…”
“…Hic.”
Witnessing this ominous scene, I inadvertently hiccupped. Both of their intense gazes snapped toward me.
“Adler.”
“Mr. Adler.”
The women whispered simultaneously, their eyes locked onto mine.
“Wait just a little longer. I’ll save you from this detestable girl.”
“It’ll be over soon. This time, I’ll save you from this crazy murderer.”
At that moment, a series of disturbing messages flared before my eyes.
Warning! Warning! Warning!
- Probability of being Imprisoned — Error
- Probability of being Tamed — Error
- Probability of ??? — Error
“………Uh, well.”
I trembled at the bizarre system errors. The two women, fingers tensing on their triggers, tilted their heads and asked me another question.
“Do you, who are exclusively my assistant, desire that too?”
“Surely, my beloved Mr. Adler, you want it as well, right?”
For some reason, I felt as if a black dividing line was being drawn down the center of my body. I instinctively closed my eyes, pretending to lose consciousness again. Faint whispers reached my ears.
“Adler?”
“Mr. Adler?”
Come to think of it, perhaps just dying in pain right here and now wouldn't be such a terrible option.
“…First, let’s administer first aid.”
“That sounds good.”
Fucking shit…