Ch.228Chapter 228 – The Final Case (3)

“Issac…”

“……..”

“Don’t be like this…”

As I stare blankly at Adler who has buried his face in the nape of my neck, a cold and slightly trembling voice comes from in front of me.

“I’m Professor Moriarty… Your professor…”

“……”

“Perhaps you’ve forgotten me…?”

Although I don’t know much about her in detail, seeing her speak with a pleading expression creates a sense of cognitive dissonance.

If Holmes or the inspector had seen this, they might have suffered tremendous psychological damage.

“Please stop this…”

“……”

“I just want to be with you now…”

“…Professor.”

While trying to avoid looking at the professor as these thoughts cross my mind, Adler’s voice comes from beside me.

“Professor, you’re good at everything… except for one thing—you can’t act.”

“…Tsk.”

As soon as he finishes speaking, the professor’s seemingly tearful expression instantly changes to a blank one.

“Acting is indeed difficult. I tried to imitate people who begged for their lives in front of me, but I suppose the situation wasn’t quite right?”

“That’s part of it…”

“Are you saying there’s another reason?”

“…I can’t feel any emotion from you at all.”

Was it my imagination that her eyes wavered for a moment?

“You still don’t understand, do you…? About emotions.”

“…I don’t need to understand. I think loving you is enough.”

“But Professor…”

“Don’t you dare bring up that damn eye color theory!”

Somehow, the emotional turbulence that wasn’t apparent earlier begins to show as she suddenly raises her voice.

“I clearly want you. I feel terrible when you’re not by my side. I want to keep you with me always. How is that different from love?”

“……..”

“See? Even you can’t answer that.”

But in my limited understanding, the professor’s argument did have some merit.

The mechanism behind eye color changes was still an unexplored territory, and the same could be said about love.

There was no reason why the feelings the professor harbored couldn’t be called love.

“And that, that woman who suddenly appeared from somewhere…”

As I was staring at the professor while thinking this, Professor Moriarty, who had turned her gaze toward me, suddenly stops speaking.

“……..”

And then, she begins to stare blankly into my eyes.

‘…What’s wrong with her?’

“Well, this is bad timing…”

As I tilt my head wondering if there’s something on my face, Adler scratches his head and mutters beside me.

“Let’s go, Miss Watson.”

“Uh, where…?”

“Where else? You planned the whole kidnapping route, didn’t you? Let’s just follow that.”

“W-wait. The escape funds…”

“There’s no time. I’ll cover the ransom money, so let’s get out of here first.”

Then he starts leading me out of the house by my arm.

“…Let me ask one thing.”

“I’m sorry, Professor. That spell won’t hold you for even three minutes now…”

Though he seemed to be deliberately ignoring the professor who was speaking in a low voice from behind.

“You approached me first, knowing full well what I was like. You were the one who accepted me as I am and promised to make me a queen.”

“…….”

“And now, you’re trying to abandon me…?”

I pause momentarily after hearing those words.

“You changed once the organization became solid and I could control the back alleys on my own. I don’t think it’s merely a coincidence.”

“That’s…”

“Did you plan to abandon me from the beginning…?”

Then Adler starts biting his lip.

‘What’s going on…’

The expression he wore was quite different from what I had seen before.

If his usual demeanor was sly and relaxed, almost like wearing a mask,

His current appearance was like the old Neville…

“Issac…”

As I was glancing at him, lost in thought about his suddenly changed demeanor, a chilling voice escapes from the professor who had been quietly hanging her head.

“…Just so you know, it’s not 3 minutes until the seal breaks, but 3 seconds.”

“”………!!!””

The next moment.

“Damn it…”

“W-wait a second!”

I found myself being dragged by Adler, running at full speed down the street following him.

“Let’s see how well you can escape.”

Leaving behind the professor who was staggering to her feet.

.

.

.

.

.

Thanks to the professor’s fierce pursuit with her temper flaring, after running at full speed for a good 30 minutes, Adler and I eventually had to split up to throw her off.

“Ugh, hmm…”

And several hours later. I, disguised by the magic Adler cast just before we parted, found myself inside the European express train at Victoria Station.

‘That’s strange? I’m sure this is the right compartment…’

He had clearly told me as he ran in the opposite direction. To meet here at this time.

‘There’s only a hunched old man here…’

But sitting there was not Adler but a hunched old man.

When we parted, Adler had transformed into a young journalist, and with such a different body type, it seemed unlikely to be him.

‘Have I… been deceived again?’

Standing there blankly, such a thought crosses my mind.

‘I’ve lost count of how many times now.’

A sense of emptiness washes over me. I had believed him this time. Come to think of it, I don’t know why I trusted someone who had never kept a promise.

“Haah…”

Anyway, having lost the energy to even get off the train, I slumped down in my seat with my head hanging low.

– Click…!

At that moment, the feeling of cold metal against my temple sends a jolt through my sensitized nerves.

“You’re in the way.”

“Ah…”

Turning my eyes to the side, what came into view was a small girl pointing a long air gun at me.

Celestia Moran, was it?

According to Holmes, she was skilled enough to rival Inspector Lestrade, so I shouldn’t be deceived by her small stature.

If that’s true, it would be useless to reach for my coat vest now.

– Click…

“…….”

As I trembled with such thoughts, when the girl muttered in a merciless voice and placed her finger on the trigger, I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Just a bastard with only good looks and a dick…”

As I was mentally preparing myself for the end of my life while cursing Adler,

“Moran.”

“……!”

At that moment, when a low voice echoed from in front, I couldn’t help but open my eyes, feeling tears welling up.

“M-master?”

“…Drawing a gun on a train is impolite.”

The hunched old man had disappeared, and the face of the bastard I knew so well came into view.

“You’ve frightened the passengers.”

“B-but…”

– Snap…!

As he snapped his fingers, the passengers around who had been trembling with pale faces all simultaneously lost consciousness and slumped down.

“Put it down and take a seat.”

At his lowered voice, Moran hesitantly lowered the gun she had been pointing at me and squeezed into the seat next to him, looking dejected.

“”………””

And then came the silence.

“…Sorry for being a bastard with only good looks and a dick.”

“Ahem, hmm.”

In that silence, as Adler whispered with a subtle smile, I quietly cleared my throat and avoided his gaze.

“Oh…”

Thanks to that, I naturally saw the scenery behind the window, and was left speechless.

“””………..”””

From familiar faces like Sharlotte Holmes, Inspector Lestrade, and Arsène Lupin who had appeared from somewhere, to individuals Holmes had warned me about like Lady Clay and Silver Blaze.

The Baskerville hound with a cold expression at the back, and next to it someone presumed to be Gil the Reaper looking slightly intimidated, and even men in suits presumed to be Microny’s attendants.

All those people were blocking just one person.

Yes, surprisingly, Jane Moriarty who had somehow already caught up to us.

– Grrrrrr…

Even then, the professor was more concerned about the numerous gazes of citizens focused on the sudden commotion than the people gathered there.

If this hadn’t been a crowded place where rumors could easily spread, it was obvious what would have happened.

“That was really close…”

As I was quietly sighing in relief, Adler, who had been looking out the window with an equally chilled expression, asks the girl beside him.

“Moran, how did you get on board?”

“People sent me. They said I was the safest person from Master…”

“…What does that mean?”

“I wonder too. I’m quite curious myself.”

Her face as she answers in a cold voice is unsettling.

Is that an expression a 12-year-old can make?

Adler himself seems to have no idea, but the future eight years from now should be quite interesting to see.

“Sigh…”

With that thought, as my tension finally eased a bit, I sighed and asked the bastard in front of me.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“Hmm…”

He tilted his head for a moment, then smiled with his eyes and interlaced his fingers with mine.

“…I’m going to travel the world and seduce a doctor.”

“You’ve got to be kidding…”

The curse slipped out of my mouth instantly, but I couldn’t finish it.

“And at the end, I plan to receive a confession.”

Was it because of the ring on his hand interlaced with mine, identical to the one still on my finger?

“…Haah.”

Or was it because of my eyes reflected in the glass window beside me, now half-tinged with gold?

“I must be crazy, really…”

Perhaps it was both.

“Oh, by the way, Miss Watson’s eye color isn’t due to love but because of the mana mixed in my genes, so it’s not permanent…”

“Shut up, please.”