༺ Order ༻
That night, at the mansion of Caroline Augustus Milverton…
“Hmm…”
“… What’s wrong?”
“It’s really strange, you know.”
Watson, hiding in the nearby bushes, squinted her eyes and spoke to Adler who was crouching beside her.
“What is?”
“The moment I sent the message, a notification sound rang out in the quiet and secluded coffee house, right?”
“… Not that story again.”
Chuckling slightly, Adler replied to Watson; his voice lowered to a whisper.
“Miss Watson, I’m not the only one who can use communication magic. It’s practically a basic skill for all mages these days.”
“Hmm…”
“The moment you sent your message, a mage nearby could have coincidentally received a message of their own which resulted in you hearing the sound.”
However, seeing Watson still gazing at him with half-closed eyes, filled with suspicion and skepticism, Adler couldn’t help but sigh and add.
“Besides, you’ve tried sending messages several times over already, haven’t you?”
“… That’s true.”
“And since then, I haven’t even received a single message in this body of mine. So let’s put aside these strange misunderstandings already.”
After Adler spoke those words and looked intently at Watson, she finally averted her gaze to the side.
“Of course, that couldn’t be.”
“Why? What were you thinking?”
“Let’s just move on. Look ahead.”
Hearing her words, Adler turned his head forward and leaked a slight sigh of relief, oddly enough.
“I thought the time had finally come to use this gun again…”
“Erm…”
However, due to the chilling words leaking out of Watson’s mouth from beside him, Adler couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat, forcing himself to smile to brush off the nervousness he was feeling.
“So, what do you think we should do now?”
“What?”
Suddenly, Watson made a challenging, almost dubious, inquiry, leading Adler to swivel his head hastily toward her; his mind startled and eyes opened wide in shock and needless apprehension.
“Didn’t you leave that maid, you’ve been seducing for the past few days with great effort, behind as we got here? You talked so grandiosely about breaking into Milverton’s house, but all we’re doing now is loitering around in the bushes outside.”
“There’s a reason for everything.”
“Could you at least explain the reason?”
Hearing her stern inquiry, Adler, with a composed expression, began explaining.
“I got close to the maid to learn about the layout of the mansion and Caroline’s daily habits.”
“Really?”
“Spending the last few days with her, I’ve figured out a rough infiltration route and when Caroline usually falls asleep.”
“Hmm.”
“It was a bonus to find out that once Caroline falls asleep, she doesn’t wake up no matter what happens. Which generally leads to the servants having a hard time to rouse her awake.”
As he spoke those words with clear pride, Watson couldn’t help but display a slightly incredulous expression on her face.
“How on earth did you extract such information from that devoted maid who seemed no less than Milverton’s right arm?”
“Actually, she’s not just any maid. In the back alleys, she’s extremely renowned as a capable and dangerous assassin.”
“What!?”
“That’s why I prevented her from following us. It’s better to exclude such a dangerous variable altogether than to bring it along.”
“………”
“Well, in the end, that worked out to our advantage since we’ve gotten rid of a rather dangerous gatekeeper, don’t you think?”
Hearing his ensuing remark, Watson’s eyes grew utterly blank; her mind shocked beyond belief.
“We still have some time before Miss Caroline falls asleep. So…”
“… Let’s have a little chat then.”
Her gaze abruptly sharpened.
“You’re the one initiating the conversation? That’s quite unexpected.”
“… I have many questions regarding you, Isaac Adler.”
Hearing his remark, she leaned her head ever so slightly towards Adler and began to whisper in a lowered voice.
“What might that be?”
“Well, you are an enigma.”
Her eyes quietly glowed in the dark.
“Judging by your recent actions, which have changed somewhat from your usual self, you appear to be quite a good person. This is also supported by the testimony of the lady we met during the Blue Carbuncle incident. And your usual innocent and cheerful expression is also a bonus.”
“Thank you… I guess?”
“But there’s clearly a duality to you.”
Watson’s face tensed up ever so slightly as she spoke those words.
“Sometimes, you look like the scariest mastermind in the world. Especially when you smile with those eyes of yours.”
“… Like this?”
“Ugh.”
Seeing Adler deliberately smile with his eyes, Watson shuddered in veritable disgust.
“Let’s just say, you’re someone who wouldn’t hesitate to act immorally if necessary.”
“… Have I done something like that?”
“Honestly, the fact that you’ve managed to get both Charlotte and the professor seriously involved in such an absurd bet speaks volumes of your means, doesn’t it?”
At her statement that pierced the core of the matter, Adler, who had been smiling with his eyes, quietly closed his lips.
“It’s as if you’re seated perfectly in the center between good and evil, in absolute neutrality.”
“………”
“I’m still unsure which side of you is the real you.”
And with that remark, silence ensued between the two.
“It seems, Miss Watson, that you have quite the analytical power, not unlike Holmes, in fact. Perhaps that is a trait you have acquired due to your extensive experience with people.”
“Anyone could see that! It’s just that they’re all too dazzled by your appearance and usually ignore it.”
Adler broke the brief silence, a forced smile tugging his lips, which was met by Watson baring her cute fangs with a subdued bestial growl.
“You’re too suspicious. Even your personal life and past are so obscure.”
“Have you been investigating my background?”
“It wasn’t me, but my poor partner who fell head over heels for you. Surprisingly, even Holmes is still floundering to gather information about you.”
“That is a bit frightening…”
Adler, feeling a chill at her words, wrapped his arms around himself.
“Tell me honestly, do you even have any friends?”
“… Excuse me?”
Glancing at him sideways, the corners of her mouth raised into a mocking smirk, Watson posed the question to Adler.
“Even Charlotte has at least one friend, me. But you don’t seem to have even that basic level of relationship.”
“I have a girlfriend.”
“Not that. I mean a platonic relationship, one built on friendship.”
Then, Adler, with all traces of his smile gone, began scratching his head awkwardly.
“It doesn’t seem like you have any…”
“… I do have them. About three actually.”
“What kind of people are they?”
“They’re all fellows I used to hang out with during my school days.”
“… School days? You barely even attended August Academy after enrolling.”
“I went to primary school before attending August Academy.”
At Watson’s puzzled voice, he quickly changed the subject.
“Do you really have friends?”
“… One of them enjoyed giving counsel to others.”
“Counseling, that’s nice. Although I’m not well-versed in psychiatry, for patients…”
“He liked murder games a bit too much, which was a problem though.”
“… What?”
Watson nodded quietly at first at his distant voice, however, her expression turned to one of confusion once she heard his subsequent remarks.
“And there was also a guy who was obsessed with a strange hardcore game that had neither dreams nor hopes.”
“……..”
“Moreover, as surprising as it may be, I was friends with a girl who had absolutely no romantic interest in me.”
“Really?”
“Would you believe me if I said the reason for that was because she was madly in love with characters that appeared in superhero comics?”
Watson, wearing a blank expression for a moment due to her confusion, furrowed her brows and couldn’t help but ask.
“Hardcore… something like murder, and superhero comics? What even are those?”
“… Ah.”
“It’s a telltale sign of delusional disorder to use terms that nobody else understands.”
Saying so, Watson looked at Adler with an expression of pity and muttered under her breath.
“… I thought I was about to learn some undiscovered information about Isaac Adler, something that even Holmes was unable to unearth, but I’ve just realized you might be slightly cracked in the head.”
Blankly, Adler gazed at her for some time and then, slowly spoke in a soft whisper.
“Do you want to know?”
“About what?”
“My past.”
At his words, Watson’s eyes couldn’t help but widen as she looked at Adler.
“Not that expression again…”
As Adler started to smile with his eyes once more, Watson turned her gaze away with clear disgust written on her face. However, she paused midway and gazed tentatively at his eyes once more.
“………”
Because there was a faint, unmistakable trace of melancholy lingering in those smiling eyes of his.
“Well, I’m not too keen to hear about it, but…”
“Is that so…”
Watson watched him for some time more, then quietly lowered her gaze.
“… Since there’s nothing to do while we wait, I might as well listen.”
“Ah.”
As she spoke with feigned indifference, Adler’s expression noticeably brightened.
“Then, where should I start…”
‘… He really does remind me a bit of Neville.’
Quietly, Watson contemplated as she gazed at Adler, tilting his head to the side, an expression of excitement peeking out through his usual smile.
‘Could it be…’
“Alright then.”
Just as her gaze sharpened once more,
“Let’s start with the love square I created at the neighborhood playground when I was five years old.”
Adler’s voice leaked out, cheerful and bright.
‘… Yeah, no.’
With a gaze that dulled abruptly, Watson silently murmured to herself as she gazed at Adler.
“There was only one guy, me.”
‘That thing can’t be Neville…’
The moon hanging in the night sky was gradually becoming brighter and brighter.
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.
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“So, that’s when I started getting interested in programming… no, magic.”
“……..”
“Fortunately, I had a good aptitude for it, and I quickly became proficient. With that, I managed to scrape by until I stumbled upon the company that led to all this… no, I mean, I got admitted into the August Academy.”
An unknown amount of time had passed since Adler began his recollection.
“That’s the unremarkable story of my life.”
“Uh, um…”
“… Why do you look so perplexed?”
Having finished his story, Adler asked Watson with unadulterated curiosity in his eyes, to which she replied with a contemplative expression on her face.
“You, just what kind of life have you lived?”
“Well? To be honest, I don’t really understand it myself.”
“Now, I think I am beginning to understand, just a bit though, why you treat women the way you do…”
“Hmm, I used to have a phobia of women, you know? Haha…”
Keenly, she observed Adler’s calm expression for a moment, eventually murmuring in a subdued voice.
“Still, I can’t understand such shameless behavior.”
With an expression as cold as frigid ice, Rachel Watson revealed her lower abdomen to Adler, muttering her indignance.
“… I did what I did because I wanted to have a normal relationship with you.”
“What did you say?”
An awkward smile manifested on Adler’s face as he gazed at the softly glowing seal in the darkness of the bushes, and he couldn’t help but hastily blurt out some excuses.
“Minus the fact that you have a severe thrill addiction, to the point that it made you follow me here tonight, you, Miss Watson, are the most normal person I am acquainted with.”
“What… what in hell are you saying?”
“Your fondness for gambling is a slight negative trait, true, but that’s a flaw just about anyone could have, so let’s just accept that as is.”
Flustered, Watson tried to retort, however, Adler continued his speech without so much as a hint of a pause.
“You’re perfect as a friend. It is sad, but I have to be lovers with Miss Gia Lestrade, even though she hates me far more than you do.”
“……….”
“If I were to approach you normally, I’m afraid that things would have gotten twisted, as it always does when it comes to me.”
“What are you even talking…”
“I too would like to have a normal friend, Miss Watson. You’ve already heard my past, so you know why I don’t like getting close to men.”
Hearing the slight notes of sadness in his disheartened voice, Watson’s eyes softened ever so slightly.
“… So, you did all this for that reason?”
“It would ensure you hate me, well, at least from a rational perspective, wouldn’t it?”
“You really are the worst.”
“I’ve heard that plenty of times before.”
Despite her remark, Isaac Adler responded with a toothy grin.
“Miss Watson.”
“… Yes?”
“You’re the only one who knows about my past.”
As he slowly leaned in, Rachel Watson, flustered due to his sudden approach, started stepping back.
“Not even Charlotte knows about it, nor does Professor Jane Moriarty. Even Miss Gia Lestrade, my official girlfriend, is unaware of my past.”
“Excuse me…?”
Adler continued to lean forward, a teasing smile tugging his lips.
“Only you…”
“Stop!”
Without even realizing it, Watson raised her voice to stop Adler’s approach and couldn’t help but cover her mouth, looking around, to make sure no one heard her sudden shout.
“… Now I see, you’re not pitiable at all. I can somewhat understand why you’ve lived such an accursed life.”
“What?”
“Everyone loses their mind because you act so overly friendly and unrestrained without giving it much thought.”
Watson sighed out loud and began scolding Adler, her tone icy cold.
“What did I even do?”
“… Don’t you remember the expression you just made and the words you said as you leaned in without any sense of personal space?”
“Why does that even matter?”
“I’m going to lose my mind, really.”
Frustrated by his severe lack of understanding, Watson couldn’t help but hold her head and shake it like a lunatic. She was really about to lose it.
“Anyway, please be mindful of that behavior.”
“………..”
“… Just, go away.”
When Adler casually extended his hand towards her, Watson swatted it away with a sour look on her face.
“You’ll just blindside me at the last minute like last time, thinking that nobody will know, won’t you? Who do you think you’re fooling, huh?”
“Ha ha…”
“I almost fell for it again…”
Watson murmured quietly, but her voice trailed off when she saw Adler’s awkward smile fade into a sulk, his shoulders slumped.
“I’ve said it many times already, but I have Neville. Moreover, Charlotte, who harbors feelings for you, is my best friend.”
“… I see.”
Once again, a voice of frigid ice began to echo through the bushes.
“So… let’s draw the line on just being friends.”
“……!”
However, the sullen expression on Adler’s face brightened immediately upon hearing her slightly relaxed tone.
“I don’t have any other intentions. I’m just doing this because I feel sorry for you…”
“Hehehe.”
“Please, don’t smile like that.”
As Isaac Adler flashed her a carefree smile, Rachel Watson turned her gaze away, mumbling coldly.
“It’s so annoying.”
“I feel it’s nice though.”
“Hmph.”
Just as a strange atmosphere was beginning to settle between them for some reason…
“Ah, it’s time now.”
Adler suddenly stood up, his eyes beginning to sparkle.
“It’s time to head inside the mansion.”
“Uh-huh.”
Hearing his words, Watson, while looking down, started fidgeting with the gun she had taken out of her pocket.
“Miss Watson, I’ve been thinking,”
“…….?”
Adler, a serious look on his face, suddenly spoke up to her.
“I think it’s time for me to stop being so indecisive.”
“What are you on about?”
“If I don’t act more manly, my ownership might fall to one side, and that will surely start a war in London.”
“That’s insanely arrogant…”
Watson frowned at his words and was about to argue, but then she paused midway, ruminating deeply on his words.
“… No, now that I think about it, it’s not…”
Finally, she nodded slowly, acknowledging that Adler was speaking clear facts.
“That’s why I’ve made that decision.”
Beside her, Adler spoke with a look of relief on his face.
“What decision?”
“Joining in on the wager.”
Saying so, Adler began rummaging through his belongings.
“Now that you have mentioned it, why did you even join the bet?”
“Because it seemed like the right time to put things in order.”
He then took out a small bottle of liquor, his eyes shining faintly in the dark.
“I’ll also charm Caroline while I’m at it.”
“…….”
“Just watch. My perfect solution.”
And with that, he opened the bottle and downed all of its contents in one go.
“The worst friend ever.”
Watson watched on, a gloomy look marring her face, shaking her head from side to side as she examined her gun.
“Is being handsome everything?”
Then a slight blush appeared on Watson’s face as she muttered in a low voice,
“… I still prefer Neville, after all.”
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About 10 minutes later…
– Bang!
A gunshot echoed from the mansion of Caroline Augustus Milverton.
“… Cough.”
Then, the sound of someone choking on their breath began to emerge from the same spot.
“You… what are you doing here?”
For some reason, Caroline, who was bleeding from the leg and had collapsed on the floor, looked towards the source of the coughing sound with a pale look on her face and spoke in a trembling voice.
“… Putting things in order.”
Isaac Adler, who had intercepted the intruder who had broken into Milverton’s home, lay fallen to the side, a cheerful voice leaking out of his face even as his chest had been punctured by a bullet hole.
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