Ch.97Chapter 97 – The Adventure of the Three Garydeb (4)

“…what exactly are you doing right now?”

As Sharlotte exits the guest reception room and quietly walks down the mansion’s corridor, she suddenly frowns and speaks.

“Hey, Mr. Adler. Don’t pretend you can’t hear me.”

“……….”

“Don’t you think this is going a bit too far?”

She mutters this while glaring up at Adler, who is quietly walking while holding her wrapped in his coat.

“This is really frustrating, seriously…”

*Squeeze…*

“Ugh…”

But as Adler ignores her and holds her more tightly, Sharlotte closes her eyes in feigned surrender and speaks in a grumpy voice.

“…You usually act like you have no interest in me, so why are you suddenly being so aggressive?”

“……….”

“Just go back to how you were before. You’re annoying me…”

Despite her words, Issac Adler simply stares down at Sharlotte nestled in his arms without saying anything.

“…Seriously, what’s gotten into you?”

Sharlotte stares at his eyes, which are the same lifeless black as her hair, then slowly averts her gaze and begins to mutter.

“Do you think I’ll like it if you suddenly act like this…?”

“……….”

“Unlike those foolish women who are enchanted by you, I’m not some easy woman who gets excited just because you hold me in your arms.”

However, contrary to her words, a faint blush appears on her cheeks.

“So let me go…”

*Squeeze…*

“You’re interfering with the investigation, Mr. Potential Criminal.”

From the moment her eyes were also colored with Adler’s hair color, her claim wasn’t very credible.

“I said let go…”

*Thump, thump…*

Additionally, as Sharlotte’s rapidly beating heart was clearly transmitted to Adler’s body while she struggled, whatever credibility remained completely disappeared.

“……Hmph.”

Knowing these facts better than anyone, Sharlotte finally gives up resisting and quietly surrenders herself to him.

“Why did I fall in love with such a strange man?”

She sighs quietly and mutters in a low voice.

“I think I’m more insane now than when I was drowning in drugs and magic stone side effects…”

“…Miss Holmes.”

Finally, Issac Adler slowly opens his mouth.

“Can we pretend this case never happened?”

“What?”

“If you get hurt, I think my heart would be too devastated.”

Hearing his sincere voice, Sharlotte meets Adler’s eyes, which are looking at her with an unusually possessive gaze.

“What are you plotting? Weren’t you the one who called me here?”

“That’s true. But thinking about it now, this case is too dangerous. It was my misjudgment.”

“What do you…”

“I don’t want to see Miss Holmes get hurt. So, let’s just back away this time.”

Under that intense gaze, Sharlotte unconsciously swallows.

“If I turn away from danger, what kind of detective would I be?”

“…I may not die even if I’m butchered, but you’re different, Sharlotte Holmes.”

“Now you’re even speaking informally.”

As he caresses the small knife mark on Sharlotte’s cheek from her previous encounter with Gil the Reaper, she squirms at the ticklish feeling but asks with a deliberately calm expression.

“So I am important to you?”

“…I love you, of course I do.”

“Your professor would be quite hurt if she heard that, wouldn’t she?”

“You’re not as strong as she is.”

“I can tolerate many things, but that comment I cannot…”

“Sharlotte!”

She looks with slightly surprised eyes at Adler, who unconsciously raises his voice and pushes her against the wall.

“Listen to me.”

Grabbing both her arms and leaning in, Adler exhales roughly and mutters in a low voice.

“This case is truly dangerous…”

And then silence falls.

“…I’m sorry.”

Only after seeing Sharlotte’s trembling eyes staring blankly at him does Adler come to his senses, returning to his usual self and releasing his grip on her arms.

“I don’t know if it’s stress, but lately I can’t control my emotions well. I’m sorry if I startled you.”

“…It felt like a dog that usually wags its tail happily suddenly bared its teeth, bit my neck, and pounced on me.”

“That’s quite a comparison.”

“Is that your true nature?”

She tilts her head and asks the question while quietly staring at the marks left on her arms.

“It’s actually the opposite.”

“The opposite?”

“I only get like this when I look at you or the profess… no, just when I look at you. It’s quite strange.”

Sharlotte glares coldly at Adler, who hastily changed his words, then narrows her eyes and whispers.

“Do you like me, or do you like the professor?”

“…You, Miss Holmes.”

“Your answer was slow?”

“You’re mistaken. Probably.”

Still with half-closed eyes, Sharlotte Holmes tilts her head.

“Now that I look closely, your right eye seems somewhat lighter?”

“……….”

“It looks somewhat grayish?”

Just as her voice grows darker as she quietly caresses Adler’s eyes.

“Is this also my imagination, Mr. Adler…?”

“Of course it’s not imagination.”

A mocking voice comes from right behind them.

“…Oh, really.”

Sharlotte Holmes turns around and mutters with a deeply furrowed brow.

“That eye is being colored with my color.”

Professor Moriarty reveals herself to them, hands behind her back, nodding her head side to side, her eyes gleaming.

.

.

.

.

.

“I thought I smelled an old maid scent for a while…”

“No matter how much you spread such fake information, the fact that Adler’s eyes are gradually changing to my color remains unchanged.”

“…Mr. Adler. Let’s go. If we’re not careful, the smell might stick to us.”

Sharlotte Holmes looks at Professor Moriarty with disgusted eyes, then quietly grabs Adler’s sleeve and steps forward.

“…….”

“Mr. Adler?”

But for some reason, Issac Adler remains motionless.

“What are you doing?”

As Sharlotte Holmes asks with a puzzled expression, Issac Adler, standing still, opens his mouth in a low voice.

“Actually, I’m the one who called Professor Moriarty here.”

“What?”

“That’s right, isn’t it, Professor?”

At his sudden call, Jane Moriarty stares at her assistant with a question mark on her face for a moment.

“…That’s right.”

“Then, do you also know why?”

As she quietly nods and confirms his words, Adler asks another question.

“I’m not quite sure about that.”

“Well then, come here.”

He takes her hand and pulls her to where he is.

“Shake hands with each other.”

“……..?”

As he holds both Sharlotte’s and the professor’s hands, making them shake hands while moving them up and down with a bright smile, both women look at Adler with incredulous expressions.

“This is a temporary alliance, just this once.”

“What do you…”

“This mansion is actually really, really dangerous.”

But ignoring their looks completely, Issac Adler continues with a goofy smile.

“There are many hidden secrets too. So since we’re here anyway, let’s not fight among ourselves and uncover the secrets hidden in this case.”

“Mr. Adler…”

“Adler. That’s…”

“Shh.”

He covers the mouths of Sharlotte and the professor as they try to speak and gives them an eye-smile.

“…Will you do it?”

“…………”

But after briefly staring at each other with cold gazes, the two women mutter coldly.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t see how someone significantly below my level could help uncover any secrets.”

“And I’m reluctant because the old maid smell might stick to my coat…”

“A slight age difference is better than a cursed figure that couldn’t even nurse a baby.”

“Babies would prefer fresher milk than milk from someone with that ‘slight age difference,’ don’t you think?”

Just as their argument was about to intensify.

“…If you do it, I was going to give each of you one wish.”

Issac Adler mutters while looking down, swinging his foot in circles.

“…………”

About a minute later, the two women, having dramatically reached a compromise, began walking down the mansion’s corridor side by side with Adler.

“…Everyone?”

With gray and black chains starting to wrap tightly around his body.

.

.

.

.

.

“Um…”

“Bear with it. Compared to the impulsive things you’ve done so far, this is quite lenient treatment.”

“Be thankful we’re not neutralizing you and carrying you in a bag.”

Except for being bound in chains and having his freedom of movement taken away by being held on both sides, he thought the situation had improved somewhat.

He convinced himself that with Professor Moriarty joining him and Sharlotte, nothing dangerous would happen.

[Excuse me.]

But that was just my delusion.

[Probability of protagonist sacrificing instead of Issac Adler: 99.99%]

The horrifying probability that had increased appeared before my eyes as I was firmly bound by the mana of the two women.

*Creeeeak…*

“…Huh?”

And with a faint creaking sound, a door that was slightly ajar—a room that was supposedly unused—began to glow from inside.

“Wait…”

To make matters worse, there was an unknown gleam that seemed visible only to me.

[Probability of being eaten: 100%]

[I’ll try to do something about it, so please wait.]

“….Hiccup.”

I’m glad I’ve been summoning the system every night to keep it company.