Chapter 96: The Three Garridebs (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 96: The Three Garridebs (3)
- Knock, knock, knock…
A few days had passed since Charlotte Holmes received the message from Adler.
“Who is it?”
“Excuse me.”
“Oh…”
Nathan Garrideb opened the door to the mansion, only to stammer in confusion as a young woman forced her way past the threshold.
“I beg your pardon, but who might you be…?”
“A colleague.”
“What?”
Stopping in her tracks, she spoke with an unmistakable air of authority.
“Did you not receive the prior notice?”
“Ah…”
“Then don’t waste any more of my time. Take me to him.”
“…Very well. Please, follow me.”
Wearing an uncertain expression, Garrideb finally nodded and began leading the girl toward her destination.
“You must understand, I asked for this matter to be handled with the utmost discretion…”
“Two is hardly a crowd.”
“Yes, but given the nature of the work, if the police or a detective were to catch wind of this, it would—”
“You’re quite the chatterbox, aren't you?”
As he continued to voice his dissatisfaction, the girl stopped and narrowed her eyes.
“Would you prefer to handle this alone?”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
“I have no desire for useless bickering. Just. Take. Me. To him.”
Her icy demeanor silenced whatever complaints he had left. Nathan Garrideb frowned, then obediently resumed the walk.
“This way.”
They navigated the meandering hallways of the mansion for some time. Eventually, they stopped in front of a room whose door was marred by deep nail scratches. The girl’s eyes sparkled silently at the sight.
“…Your colleague hasn’t arrived yet, so you should go in first.”
“You may leave now.”
She didn't even look at him as she spoke, proceeding to unlock the heavy chains with the key she had been given. Garrideb watched her with unconcealed apprehension. However, he soon turned away, shaking his head as he decided to withdraw from this dangerous place.
“Be careful. It has been somewhat tame recently, but a monster will always be a monster.”
His parting caution echoed down the hallway, but the girl entered the room without so much as a backward glance.
“You’re early, Mr. Adle—”
“Look at me.”
An instant later, she marched forward, her gaze locked on Neria Garrideb. The other woman was mumbling to herself, head bowed low. Having anticipated a reaction, the girl was unfazed when Neria mistook her for Adler.
“Wh-Who are you?”
“Never mind that. Answer my question.”
Neria Garrideb finally realized that the person standing before her was not Isaac Adler—who had visited her persistently over the past few days—but an unknown girl. She could only nod in a daze.
“What is your relationship with Isaac Adler?”
“Pardon?”
“Did you pledge your love to him? Did you agree to date, or perhaps a secret marriage?”
The girl peered down at her with a sinister glint in her eyes, barraging her with incredulous questions.
“If not that, have you been physically intimate? How far did it go? I hope you’re not going to tell me you’ve been sexually involved, or something of that nature.”
“Uh…!?”
“Do you even love Isaac Adler? That is the most important part. Perhaps you’re just being used…”
It was at that very moment—as the girl’s questions dripped with a clear, obsessive madness and cold sweat began to bead on Neria Garrideb’s pale face—that a voice intervened.
“Miss Holmes, you shouldn’t torment the patient like that.”
From behind them, a familiar voice laced with mischievous laughter rang out.
“Adler.”
“She is not involved with me in the way my past acquaintances have been.”
“…Past being the operative word here.”
“I’m not shameless enough to deny my history.”
“That brazen look on your face certainly doesn’t inspire confidence.”
“…Um, excuse me. He’s telling the truth.”
As Charlotte Holmes turned her head, her sharp gaze meeting Adler’s relaxed expression, Neria Garrideb timidly added her voice to the conversation.
“Are you his lover, by any chance? I’m not sure what misunderstanding you have, but Mr. Adler and I are not in that sort of relationship.”
“So you say…”
Charlotte didn't outright deny being his lover. She scanned Neria with a suspicious look before turning back to Adler.
“The investigation will reveal everything eventually, so if you’re honest n—”
“It’s just… I’ve eaten Mr. Adler a few times. That’s all.”
Charlotte stopped mid-sentence. Her expression froze as the timid voice drifted from behind her.
“It’s a misunderstanding, Miss Holmes…”
“I didn’t eat because I wanted to; I had no choice if I wanted to get paid…”
“…Really, now.”
A heavy, suffocating silence filled the room.
.
.
.
.
.
“…So, you mean to say that she literally bit you?”
“Have you finally figured out what she meant?”
“It’s the worst in a different sense, then.”
A few minutes later, they moved to the mansion’s drawing room to accommodate the guests.
“I had no choice but to follow through with my plan, Miss Holmes.”
“And what is your purpose?”
Leaving Neria Garrideb, who showed signs of another fit, Isaac Adler and Charlotte sat across from each other, their gazes locked.
“To deceive that naive girl with the peculiar surname into believing she would receive an inheritance. To give her the courage to venture outside, and then discreetly eliminate her as per the request of her brother—our client. That was my objective.”
“…You should know by now that such lies won't work on me, right?”
“No, I am speaking the truth. I am certain I will succeed in this endeavor.”
Charlotte couldn’t help but smirk. However, her smile faded when she saw that Adler’s expression remained unchanged.
“If that were your true goal, you wouldn’t have summoned me and spilled the entire plan.”
“Miss Holmes. This is just the kind of bet we’ve been making all along. Whether to solve a case, or let it remain unsolved forever—making it a true mystery.”
“…But now, you’ve gambled with a living person’s life.”
“Did you think I was only ever going to engage in love affairs?”
With that, Adler produced a small bottle and took a swig with relish.
“That’s… alcohol…”
“We’re not playing house anymore, Miss Holmes.”
“………”
“It’s a death race that won’t end until one of us disappears from London forever.”
Charlotte watched him, her eyes darkening.
“What if there’s a way to end this without one of us disappearing?”
“Miss Holmes, I can assure you that there is no such way.”
With a leisurely expression, Adler emptied the bottle. He then plucked a strand of his own hair and handed it to her.
“Sadly, Miss Holmes, no matter how much you try to exploit my genes, what you want will not happen.”
“………..”
“Even if you sneak into my hideout again and rummage through my trash like last time, it’s futile. Your approach is fundamentally flawed. And even if you did find the answer, you would instinctively reject it.”
A fleeting smile appeared on Charlotte’s lips. However, as the tipsiness began to spread through Adler’s body, he swayed, failing to notice her expression.
[That kid… she just smiled at your words.]
“…Mr. Adler.”
He looked puzzled at the system message that suddenly appeared before his eyes.
“Have you forgotten that I love you?”
Charlotte sighed, murmuring as she stared into Adler’s eyes.
“…I genuinely love you, Mr. Adler.”
She rested her chin in her hand, whispering in a soft, gentle voice. Adler’s previously confident eyes started to waver, if only slightly.
“And I know it’s the same for you.”
“………”
“It’s not common, even in a marriage, for two people’s eyes to be dyed in each other’s colors as ours are.”
Charlotte caught that small change and whispered with even more emotion.
“In this London, where we love each other more than anyone else, must we ultimately fight?”
“…That is…”
“Isn’t that such a sad tragedy?”
As Adler quietly bowed his head, Charlotte carefully caressed the back of his hand.
“Why don’t we just end this nonsense? We could move to a quiet spot in the countryside and live together.”
Though she spoke casually, her eyes were filled with absolute sincerity.
“…How about we take up beekeeping as a hobby and live happily ever after?”
“………”
“As for children, we could have a son and a daughter. What do you say?”
A long silence stretched between them.
“…Let’s focus on the case, Miss Holmes.”
“Is that your answer?”
“The reason I called you here is simple. There is a secret in this case that is… difficult to investigate as a mere assistant to a criminal consultant.”
Eventually, Adler shook off the alcohol's haze and spoke in a grave voice.
“So, let me be your assistant for a while…”
“…Don’t regret it later.”
Charlotte, who had been watching Adler with a frosty stare, stood up. As was her habit, she snapped a pair of black handcuffs, connecting Adler’s arm to her own. She whispered in a dark tone:
“This was your last chance.”
“…What chance?”
Adler tilted his head in confusion.
“The chance to agree to a consensual scenario for starting a family.”
Charlotte turned her head and murmured quietly as she moved toward the door.
“Do you still think I don't know?”
“Know what…?”
“…How to make babies.”
That brief phrase was enough to fill Isaac Adler’s mind with pure terror, instantly sobered.
.
.
.
.
.
[Hey…]
“………?”
But that wasn’t the end of it.
[You’re now facing a crisis that will lead to a potential Game Over scenario.]
“…Yes?”
Adler, being dragged away by Charlotte with a stiff expression, saw a sentence far more terrifying appear before his eyes.
[Warning!]
[- Probability of Retiring in this case in place of the protagonist, Isaac Adler —]
“…Gasp?”
Adler’s face turned pale in an instant. He immediately grabbed Charlotte’s arm and pulled her toward him.
“What are you doing?”
“Just stay still.”
“What—what’s the matter? All of a sudden…”
A dismal number had appeared before his eyes.
[95%]
“Did you think I’d get excited if you suddenly played hard to get?”
[Be sure to protect what you desire to keep.]
Adler looked down at Charlotte. Her voice was growing increasingly ominous. He began to sweat profusely.
“…Shall we go now? To the countryside?”
“What?”