Ch.238Chapter 238 – The Detective’s Sorrow (3)

“…please leave this place.”

After a long silence in the office, it was Professor Moriarty who first broke the quiet, hiding the children in her arms while looking at Sharlotte and Watson with dark eyes.

“Outsiders entering carelessly could harm the children.”

– Gritting teeth…

“Please leave on your own before I have to use force.”

As she said this while averting her gaze, Sharlotte glared at the professor, grinding her teeth.

“You wouldn’t want Adler’s child to get hurt either, would you?”

“…….”

But upon hearing those words, Sharlotte stopped and stared blankly at the adorable children.

“I have… one condition.”

“…What is it?”

“Even if just for a moment… let me see the children up close.”

“No.”

Though she made the proposal with an entranced expression, the professor’s cold response came immediately.

“How would I know what you might do…!”

“…You should accept my offer.”

“……..”

“As you said… I don’t want his children to get hurt either.”

But as Sharlotte began to emit an intense killing intent while appearing half-dazed, the professor glared at her through gritted teeth.

“Are you serious?”

“…Do I not look serious?”

Having something more precious than herself for the first time in her life, the professor’s face grew bewildered as sweat began to form on her brow from being “threatened” for the first time.

“Only for a very brief moment.”

After some time passed, the professor finally yielded to Sharlotte’s proposal, clenching her fist.

“If you try anything… you won’t leave this place alive today.”

Sharlotte nodded quietly at the professor’s threat filled with killing intent, then stepped forward.

“Ing?”

“Huing?”

Toward the beings whose faces she had only seen in photos and dreams, with faint traces still remaining.

“…Hello.”

Having reached right in front of the professor’s desk, she hesitated for a moment before greeting the children.

– Swoosh…

Without realizing it, Sharlotte unconsciously reached out her hand toward the children’s cheeks.

– Bzzzzzzt!

But before her hand could touch the children’s cheeks, a complex magical array appeared out of thin air and shocked her hand.

“Don’t… touch my child…”

One of the many protective spells the professor had cast using all her magical knowledge, taking a full week to complete, had activated.

“……..”

With her paralyzed hand trembling, Sharlotte glared at the professor, then quietly gritted her teeth at her unyielding expression and turned her gaze back to the children.

“Gyaooo…!”

“Kyao~!”

The children then threatened Sharlotte by making sounds that Issac Adler often made, as if recognizing her as an enemy.

“……..!”

At this sight, Sharlotte’s pupils began to quietly tremble.

“Children…”

But without showing her emotions, she lowered her head further and began to take in the sight of Adler’s children.

“Hing?”

“Wuing?”

But when the children started tilting their heads side to side, imitating Professor Moriarty’s habit, Sharlotte’s expression darkened rapidly.

“Ugh.”

Eventually, with a pale face, she suddenly covered her mouth.

“Urgh…!”

“”………?””

She then rushed out of the professor’s office, leaving behind the puzzled-looking children.

“”………””

And then came a brief silence.

“…So, what are you planning to do now?”

In that silence, Watson, who had been standing still without a word, glared at the professor with cold eyes and asked a question.

“Now that you have children you love so dearly, will you retire from the criminal world?”

“…….”

“Are you planning to hide that cruel side and become an ordinary professor?”

After staring at Watson for a while, the professor spoke.

“If I return to an ordinary life, would my children be able to live happily?”

“……..”

“…With dozens of people targeting my life, including that youngster and you?”

She began to answer, her eyes flashing ominously.

“From today, I will strengthen my kingdom even more. For my children’s sake.”

“Ha…”

“So that no one can touch my children… I will reign at the top forever.”

Watson looked at the professor with cold eyes and spoke.

“That’s quite the admirable maternal love.”

“…….”

“Though it’s twisted to an absurd degree.”

“…Get out.”

At her mockery, the professor immediately pointed to the door and growled.

“If you disappear now, I won’t hold you accountable for that insult just now.”

Watson glared at her for a moment before turning to leave.

“Even the love you’ve barely discovered is twisted. You really are pitiful.”

“…At least I’m less pitiful than those who don’t even have memories of that child.”

With those words, Watson left the office, leaving behind the professor who had retorted while sending gentle glances at the whimpering children.

“Ugh… Uwegh…”

“…..Holmes.”

As soon as she came outside, Watson saw Sharlotte sitting in the hallway, vomiting gastric juices.

“Wats’n…”

With tears and mucus mixing on her face, she gasped for breath and began to mutter in a trembling voice to Watson, who was staring blankly at her.

“I… I see the face of the woman I hate most in the world… on the face I love so much…”

“……..”

“They’re so lovely… I want to hold them in my arms… but I can’t look them in the eyes…”

Watson silently looked down at her as her trauma resurfaced again.

“I, I… what should I do…”

“Let’s go…”

She then forcibly helped Sharlotte up and began to walk.

“…Adler.”

“Haah…”

That day, London’s sky was particularly gloomy.

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“……”

A few days later. 221B Baker Street.

– Knock knock knock…

“……..?”

Following Watson’s advice, Sharlotte had quit drugs and cigarettes, but for days she had been sitting in her armchair staring out the window without eating anything.

“…Who is it.”

Her head turned toward the door where the knocking sound came from, for the first time in a very long while.

– It’s me, Holmes.

“…Come in.”

Upon hearing Watson’s voice, Sharlotte muttered weakly.

– Creeak…

A moment later, it wasn’t just Watson who had answered earlier that entered through the slowly opening door.

“……..”

Inspector Zia Lestrade, wearing a uniform with a black flower, accompanied Watson, her expression so haggard it was hard to believe it was her.

“…Why are you here?”

But showing no interest whatsoever, Sharlotte asked in a dry tone.

“…Are you aware that unsolved cases have started occurring again in London recently?”

“No. It’s been a while since I read a newspaper.”

“You… who used to memorize entire newspapers?”

“…Nothing interests me anymore.”

At her dry response, the inspector frowned and began to speak.

“The professor’s shadow is covering London again. There’s various evidence that her organization has resumed activities recently…”

“…I don’t care.”

But Sharlotte cut her off mid-sentence.

“Whatever happens in the world… whatever the professor is plotting… it’s no longer my business.”

“Then… what are you going to do now?”

“…Go to the countryside to keep bees, then commit suicide before long.”

At her dark response, the inspector carefully glanced at Watson.

“It seems… we have no choice but this method.”

“…Indeed.”

After briefly discussing something between themselves, the two adopted determined expressions.

“But Miss Holmes, listen. What if…”

“…I don’t care.”

It seemed Sharlotte would dismiss Inspector Lestrade’s words again, but.

“What if there was a final puzzle left by Issac Adler… how would you feel?”

“……..!”

Despite everything, when that name came from the inspector’s mouth as she persisted, Sharlotte’s pupils dilated greatly.

“His… final puzzle?”

“Yes. Miss Watson will explain the details.”

At once, Sharlotte’s gaze shifted to Watson.

“…A few days before that incident, I heard directly from Adler’s mouth.”

“What did you…?”

“The name of the culprit behind the now-vanished ‘strange phenomena.’ That culprit’s name.”

At those words, Sharlotte’s eyebrows began to twitch.

“Adler sacrificed himself to stop the strange phenomena occurring worldwide. And that means…”

“The actual culprit who killed Adler was that being.”

The inspector cut in, grinding her teeth in front of Sharlotte.

“We’ve vowed to catch that being no matter what.”

“……..”

“…Are you still not interested, Miss Holmes?”

At her provocation, Sharlotte’s eyes, which had been extinguished for a while, began to burn fiercely.

“What’s that bastard’s name…?”

“But there’s something we need to resolve first.”

Watson began to whisper to her in a low voice.

“According to Adler, the professor and that culprit must not become aware of each other’s existence.”

“…….”

“So, we need to completely end the professor who has resumed her activities first…”

But before she could finish, Sharlotte rose from her seat.

“…It doesn’t matter.”

“”………””

“The professor, that bastard… I’ll destroy them all.”

As she changed into outdoor clothes for the first time in days, Sharlotte asked again with a chilling expression.

“…So what’s that bastard’s name?”

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Meanwhile, at that moment.

“…Hwaak!”

Adler, who had been tossing and turning in bed with cold sweat all over his body, suddenly screamed and sat up.

“………”

For about a year and a half, without fail, he had been having vivid nightmares about the women he left behind in London living terribly desolate lives.

“…This shouldn’t be happening.”