Ch.39Chapter 39 – The Case of the Missing Silver Blaze

A few minutes after the sudden incident where Issac Adler appeared and pounced on Sharlotte Holmes.

“…Why did you have to show up now of all times.”

Watson, who had entered the racetrack, was quietly muttering while glaring at Sharlotte and Adler following behind her.

“Now Neville won’t be able to come…”

With Issac Adler’s appearance, she couldn’t allow her fiancé to join them.

After all, his current condition was clearly Issac Adler’s fault.

So Watson, who had urgently sent a telegram through her fiancé’s palm to prevent him from joining, was in quite a low mood.

“Holmes, do you really need to hold onto him?”

“…Yes.”

It would have been better if Sharlotte had considered the situation and dealt with Adler appropriately.

“Even with those ominous handcuffs?”

“………”

But she had gone so far as to create black mana handcuffs binding Adler’s arm to her own.

“Watson, this is to prevent any accidents before they happen.”

When Watson glared at her with half-closed eyes, Sharlotte Holmes quietly averted her gaze and began making excuses.

“The reason Adler appeared here is clearly because an incident is about to occur. So keeping him under close surveillance is the natural course of action.”

“Then why did you ask me to come along…”

“Don’t you remember what I said earlier?”

In response to Sharlotte’s suddenly friendly tone—based on who-knows-what criteria—Watson sighed.

“…The three of us, together.”

“Yes, the current situation might be an extension of the case I’ve been investigating.”

Then, quietly looking at Adler, Sharlotte added:

“Perhaps you might even be at the center of this case.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“…You don’t need to know.”

She said with a deliberately serious expression.

“Anyway, this action is absolutely necessary for your safety and everyone else’s.”

“………”

Logically, Sharlotte was right. Even Watson thought there was nothing wrong with what she had said.

“…Sharlotte.”

“Yes.”

“Stop letting him suck your blood.”

But when Adler, who had been leaning on Sharlotte’s shoulder, once again made his eyes glow red and started biting her neck, Watson decided she didn’t care about any of that anymore.

“Ugh.”

“Don’t make noise.”

“…It hurts.”

Except for the fact that, for some reason, unlike usual, Adler was being aggressive and Sharlotte defensive, they just looked like a couple engaged in an affectionate act.

“…Your hair smells nice, Sharlotte.”

“Don’t say such things out loud.”

“You’ve changed to a lighter perfume too. And you’re getting better at makeup.”

“Shut up.”

As Adler whispered, ignoring the piercing gazes from people around them, Sharlotte quietly turned her gaze aside and stepped on his foot.

“You look pretty when you dress up.”

But despite this, Adler whispered to her with a smile that seemed excited.

“But who are you dressing up for?”

“Adler, don’t misunderstand.”

Momentarily speechless, Sharlotte turned her head to the side and spoke in a cold voice.

“I don’t love you. I just…”

“Just?”

She hesitated for a moment.

“…just want to win.”

“Hmm.”

“I’m just using any means necessary to win. So stop with these delusions.”

In response to her cold words, Adler replied with a voice tinged with laughter.

“I’ve never had any delusions.”

“…What?”

“I’m the one using any means necessary because I like you.”

“………”

“Unrequited love is hard indeed.”

Then he quietly rested his head against her cheek.

“…Get away from me.”

“Will you remove these then?”

“Haa.”

Sharlotte tried to push him away with a cold expression, but Adler showed her the handcuffed arm and instead clung to her even more.

“So this is what it feels like to pounce on someone, Sharlotte.”

“Shut up.”

The atmosphere was as if Adler was making advances and Sharlotte was disgusted.

But Watson, watching from a distance, could clearly see.

Despite being in a situation where anyone could see she could easily push Adler away, Sharlotte Holmes was gritting her teeth and pretending she couldn’t.

‘…She’s rubbing it in my face.’

The small blush on her cheeks was just a bonus.

“Sigh.”

What could she possibly see in such a garbage man? He seemed like someone who would make her skin crawl at the slightest touch, let alone skinship.

If she were in Sharlotte Holmes’ position, even if Adler offered her billions, she wouldn’t be able to smile at him.

‘…Just looking at his face irritates me.’

Thinking this while coldly glaring at Issac Adler, who had no redeeming qualities except his face, Watson slumped her shoulders and turned her gaze to the racetrack.

‘I should just watch the race.’

It was to clear her mind, which had become unsettled for some reason after seeing Sharlotte and Adler doing exactly what she had been doing with Neville.

“…….Hmm?”

But a moment later, Rachel Watson tilted her head.

“Why isn’t it starting?”

For some reason, despite a considerable amount of time having passed, there was no sign of the race beginning.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“Why isn’t the race starting?”

After scratching her head for a moment, she asked a staff member who was looking anxious in the distance.

“Well, you see…”

The moment she heard the staff member’s answer.

“Silver Blaze, who was scheduled to compete today, has suddenly disappeared…”

From behind, Adler’s eyes, which had naturally interlaced his fingers with Sharlotte’s, quietly began to glow.

“…Stop it.”

In those eyes was reflected the youthful face of Sharlotte Holmes, who was pinching his hand but still not letting go of his fingers.

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“…Sharlotte.”

“………?”

Sharlotte Holmes, who had been looking down with a flushed face, quietly raised her head at the low voice in her ear.

“Did you enjoy the brief entertainment?”

“What are you talking about?”

She stared intently at Adler’s eyes for a moment, then unconsciously turned her gaze aside.

“It seems you enjoyed it quite a bit.”

“……..”

It was strange. Until a few days ago, she had been completely fine, but now she found herself automatically averting her gaze whenever she met his eyes.

“If you’re going to keep saying incomprehensible things…”

“But you’re not someone who can be satisfied with such childish games, are you?”

Looking down at her with loving eyes, Adler continued.

“…So now, it’s time for a puzzle.”

At those words, Sharlotte’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s.

“A puzzle…”

Before she knew it, her heart had started pounding.

“…So there was a reason you came here even though your disguise was revealed?”

“Perhaps.”

“What kind of case is it this time? Kidnapping? Murder? A crime of passion?”

As Sharlotte’s eyes lit up with an expression mixed with excitement and anticipation, Adler, who had been watching her with an appreciative look, reached out his hand.

“You’re too excited.”

Then he gently began to stroke Sharlotte’s hair.

“But well done. If you don’t want to be swallowed whole by me, keep working hard like that.”

“…Ah.”

Sharlotte, who had been quietly receiving his stroking with a strange feeling, suddenly showed a slightly confused expression.

“What… are you doing?”

For some reason, her body wasn’t listening to her.

“It wouldn’t be fun if you knew the answer from the beginning, would it?”

Adler whispered to her with a smile.

“…Wait there for a moment.”

Somehow, even the handcuffs she had placed on his arm were broken and dangling from Sharlotte’s arm.

“Little detective.”

“Wait…”

With that, Issac Adler smoothly disappeared into the crowd, leaving Sharlotte reaching out her hand.

“……….”

She stared blankly until his back disappeared, then quietly lowered her hand.

“I feel like a dog that drools when the bell rings.”

She muttered self-deprecatingly.

“…This is the worst.”

But contrary to those words, her heart was still pounding.

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If one were to pick the most popular entertainment in London recently, most people would choose the exotic horse racing where Werebeasts compete instead of horses.

And if asked who was the number one contributor to the success of this massive business, they would all undoubtedly point to one athlete.

That would be the Werebeast girl from Wessex, ‘Silver Blaze’.

With the speed and stamina unique to horse Werebeasts, a physique specialized for racing, and overwhelming skill built through painful effort.

She is truly worthy of being called the strongest, and is currently London’s hottest gossip topic.

Long flowing hair mixed with gray and dark brown, the sturdy physique characteristic of Werebeasts, and beautiful looks that harmonize with all these elements.

All these factors were enough to elevate her to a hot topic figure almost as much as that ‘Issac Adler’.

“Ah……”

But unlike her usual diligent participation in races, she had suddenly disappeared without competing in the scheduled race.

“No…..”

For some reason, she was in a secluded warehouse near the waiting room, clutching her head with an expression of despair.

– Drip…

Silver Blaze’s trainer, John Straker. He lay collapsed on the floor in front of her, bleeding from his head.

“I didn’t mean to kill him…”

“……..”

“I just… I was in so much pain that I pushed him without thinking…”

For some reason, she was in a terrible state, covered in whip marks and wounds, looking down at him with empty eyes.

“…but.”

Then she helplessly hung her head.

“………..”

Pearl-like tears began to fall from her eyes.

“Hic… hiccup… huu…”

Everything she had achieved with the sole belief in improving the treatment of Werebeasts was crumbling in an instant.

– Rustle…

After trembling for a long time, she quietly raised her bleeding body and was heading toward the window when.

“Found you.”

Suddenly, someone grabbed her shoulder.

“……..!!!”

Silver Blaze turned her head in shock, then froze in place.

“A new puzzle.”

“Who… who are you?”

Adler, who had been watching her with gleaming eyes, gently embraced the still trembling girl and answered her question.

“…I’m a passing criminal consultant.”

It was the beginning of the Silver Blaze disappearance case that would shake London the next day.