Chapter 109: Proposal (2)  

“Excuse me, but what is… this?”

“Neville.”

There had been very little contact between Watson and Neville in recent times. Hence, to avoid any sort of suspicion Watson may have due to the infrequent meetings, Isaac Adler complied with the request to meet up with her today and entered her office in the guise of Neville.

“You tell me… What does all this look like to you?”

“Hmm, well…”

He couldn’t help but tilt his head in doubt, his gaze blank as he stared at the flowers and candles scattered about on the office floor.

“This is…”

From the exit to where Watson sat, there was a long path made of candles stretching and connecting the two points. And at the very end of the long path, a giant heart made of flowers could be seen placed on the floor.

Anyone with the slightest interest in romance or celebrations would immediately understand what this represented.

“Preparing for a colleague doctor’s birthday party, perhaps?”

“……..”

“Isn’t it?”

Sadly, Adler, who had never received a normal proposal or confession in his entire life, could merely ask such a nonsensical question with a bright and innocent smile on his face.

“”……….””

A brief period of silence ensued between the two.

“You’ve been like that… always. Since the first time we met till now, you haven’t changed.”

Watson, watching her fiancé who was tilting his head innocently in the silence, shook her head and sighed as she rose from her seat.

“Oblivious, lacking common sense, and no matter how many obvious signals I send your way, you just always hold my hand with your characteristic innocent and cheery smile…”

“……..?”

“I thought you had improved a bit recently, but you’re still the same old Neville.”

Speaking those words with a sigh, she moved across the decorations she had made with amateurish skill while sweating endlessly and headed towards her beloved standing before her.

“… That’s why I love you.”

“Uh, uh-huh…”

As she took out a small box from her pocket, Adler, finally realizing the situation he got himself into, started sweating profusely all over.

“What? Did you intend to give the wedding ring too?”

“That’s… I mean…..”

“Ay, that would be too shameless of me. I might not seem like it, but I still am an elite-class doctor, you know.”

However, before he could even react… Rachel Watson had already reached his front, slowly kneeling on one knee as she looked up at him with clear love and determination in her eyes.

“… I can at least provide for you on my own.”

Adler’s mind went blank as a sheet of paper as he saw the sparkling, clearly expensive diamond ring inside the box Rachel Watson held in her hands.

“There’s no need to do dangerous work like before, Neville.”

“………”

“It’s fine if you just play the role of a househusband, you don’t even need to do anything. I’ll take care of everything…”

However, whether she knew about the turmoil of his heart or not, Watson began pushing down the ring onto his finger, having taken it out of the box in the meantime.

“I’ve already looked at some houses for us. We can’t live in a boarding house after getting married now, can we? A mansion in the suburbs of London will likely be our newlywed home. Of course, I’ll be buying it, so you just need to show up.”

“Uh…”

“We’re engaged already, so the marriage process will be quite simple. Just show this mark on the back of your hand a……..”

As she murmured and stroked the back of his hand, Watson’s voice trailed off and her eyes widened in disbelief.

“……….”

In the next moment, her gaze turned frighteningly cold.

“Neville…..”

“Why, what’s wrong, Rachel?”

“… What is this?”

Taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor, Adler wore a puzzled expression on his face, not understanding the reason for her change. However, realization soon dawned in his mind and he looked down on his hand.

“What is this, Neville?”

“………..”

As Watson’s hand touched a specific spot of his hand, the engagement mark that had been carved there a few months ago slowly surfaced— its ruined form tainted with a grey, dismal huefully exposed now for all to see.

“Ah…”

Adler sighed softly, finally recalling that the mark had been ruthlessly destroyed by Professor Moriarty the day after their engagement.

“………..”

Meanwhile, Watson, with a grave expression marring her face, wordlessly stared at the destroyed mark for some time before rising from her seat and heading back to her desk.

Not soon after, she pulled out her favorite piston and silently started loading it with bullets.

“Now, wait a minute…”

“Just wait here, Neville. It’ll be over soon.”

“Wait!!”

As she was about to leave the room with clear madness in her eyes, a flustered Adler quickly grabbed her shoulder, stopping her.

“… Why?”

“I have something to confess.”

Hesitating for a brief instant, Adler finally opened his mouth while looking Watson straight in the eyes.

“I’ve been keeping a secret from you.”

“… A secret?”

“I intended to keep it hidden, but now I feel that it’s time to finally tell you about it.”

Hearing his words, Watson silently turned to look at Adler, her gaze steady and motionless.

『Lady of London』

– Description:Complete one sham marriage with Watson. (Chapter 1 completed)

– Progress:???

Just at that moment, a system message appeared before Adler’s eyes.

If you do not complete the mission, it will lead to a bad ending.

Are you okay with that?

“….”

Swiping away the message, Adler began muttering inwardly with a rather cold expression.

‘So what happens after it’s achieved?’

That is…

‘After I die, what happens to Watson? What will happen to this woman who married and devoted herself to me, huh?’

The translucent window remained silent, not displaying any further messages.

‘… Since I’m already doomed to get a bad ending, does it really matter if I don’t complete this mission?’

Coldly, Adler pushed away the window once more, briefly glancing at the system window that had turned upside down in the air, and then turned his gaze back to Watson.

‘It’s time to end the deception.’

Are you really going to reveal your true identity?

You could be killed on the spot.

The system message, flipping itself back to its normal state, hurriedly flew to him and warned in a blood-red font.

‘… I have a plan, so don’t worry.’

Delivering those words, Adler blocked the messages completely and began whispering to Watson in a wistful voice as she directed a perplexed gaze toward him.

“Honestly, haven’t you already noticed?”

“… What?”

“That I’ve been hiding a secret.”

“………”

Then, Watson opened her mouth after a moment of silence.

“Every time it’s crucial, I can’t contact you. And it’s not like you contact me frequently either, and your complexion keeps getting paler and paler…”

“………”

“You’ve really been full of mysteries.”

Watson murmured, her voice tinged with a hint of resentment and grief, and then displayed a bright smile all of a sudden.

“The love that you and I share is real, isn’t it?”

“………”

“That’s why I can accept anything.”

As Adler’s gaze wavered at those words, Watson added in a slightly playful voice.

“Unless it turns out that you’re Isaac Adler in disguise.”

“……..”

“I think I’d find it unacceptable and shoot you on the spot if that were to be the case.”

Sensing the genuine intent and threat hidden beneath her playful tone, Adler felt a chill run down his spine and began to mutter with his eyes cast down.

“It’s not that… but there is a reason I cannot accept your proposal.”

“Tell me. I’ll listen and then judge.”

“You’ll regret it. Do you still want to know?”

“It’s fine, just go ahead.”

Watson pressed Adler for an answer, leaning in eagerly, and finally, Adler let out a deep sigh and began to speak.

“I hope that you’ll find it in you to forgive me.”

A tense silence began to fill the room, and Adler’s quiet voice softly echoed in the somber silence.

“… The truth is, I was seducing you under orders from Professor Moriarty.”

Muttering those words, Adler continued, glancing at Watson who was quietly looking down at him.

“You must be aware of what kind of person Professor Jane Moriarty is, having heard plenty from your partner, Charlotte Holmes.”

“……..”

“As for my true identity— I’m a long-standing confidant of Professor.”

The height difference between him and Rachel Watson, who was now looking down at him with dark eyes, somehow stood out more than ever today.

“By now, you should already get the picture, right? Professor Moriarty’s greatest enemy, Charlotte Holmes, and her assistant and partner, Rachel Watson. The reason why the professor’s long-standing confidant would approach her… it should be quite clear by now.”

“……….”

“… My mission was to seduce you, to separate you from Charlotte.”

In the tense atmosphere, Adler murmured in a small and hesitant voice, avoiding Watson’s gaze.

“And to gradually corrupt you, ultimately bringing you under the professor’s control.”

After saying till that point and taking a moment to catch his breath, Adler finally sighed deeply and met her gaze.

“Do you understand now? The love we shared was a lie. From the beginning until now, it was nothing but my one-sided deception.”

“Now that you know, let’s end this relationship.”

Seeing the sincerity in his gaze, Watson’s hands began trembling hard. And Adler gently turned away at that moment, his voice cold and unfeeling as he muttered.

“The Neville you loved never existed from the very start.”

As he moved towards the exit of the room, Adler finished his piece in a low and subdued voice.

“… Just think of it as a midsummer night’s dream.”

“I don’t understand.”

However, just as he was about to turn the doorknob, a trembling voice came from behind.

“If that was your goal, weren’t you just on the brink of success?”

“……..”

“Why reveal the truth when you were so close to completing your mission?”

Still holding the doorknob, Adler leaked a bitter smile and opened his mouth to respond.

“I can no longer deceit you unilaterally.”

“Why?”

“… It’s a very simple yet childish story.”

Then, from his lips, a sorrowful whisper flowed.

“A cliché… the childish tale where a relationship that started with deception and lies ends up becoming sincere and genuine.”

“Ah…”

Watson murmured, looking like she had been struck by a hammer on the back of her head as she realized the meaning behind his words.

“Come to think of it, your attitude changed suddenly a few months ago…”

“… Rachel Watson.”

Turning back, Adler showed her a dark smile.

“I can no longer deceive you.”

“Neville…”

“That’s why I can no longer maintain this relationship.”

Hearing his speech, her trembling hands had now become still and motionless; her complexion darkened like never before as though it would be impossible to darken further.

“I belong to the professor. Since that deceit has now turned into sincerity, I can’t stay by your side any longer.”

“……..”

“Don’t bother looking for me. In a few days, I might as well be someone who doesn’t even exist in this world.”

Contrastingly, Adler’s figure, bathed in the sunlight coming in from the window, shimmered faintly in a dazzling hue.

“Rachel Watson.”

After quietly observing her for a moment, Adler turned his head again and began speaking out his heartfelt goodbyes to his lover.

“Try to gamble a bit less, okay?”

His face, as he turned away, was filled with a peculiar emotion. Even though he had no need to act any longer, he still couldn’t help expressing those ambiguous feelings.

“… I enjoyed our time together.”

However, he quietly shook his head at the next moment, suppressing his feelings. Taking hold of the doorknob once more, Adler silently turned it to open the door.

.

.

.

.

.

“Huh?”

However, for some reason, no matter how much force he applied and turned, the door wouldn’t open.

“Why won’t this open…”

With a bewildered expression, Adler continued to turn the doorknob but to no avail. Soon, however, he was able to notice a shadow cast over him and slowly lifted his gaze upward.

“Huh?”

“……..”

Rachel Watson, who had quietly approached him from behind without his knowledge, had placed her right hand on the door, preventing it from opening as she silently looked down at him.

“… Rachel?”

Just when Adler’s body naturally reacted to that all-too-familiar dark gaze, a system message slowly emerged before his eyes.

I still can’t tell if you’re smart or stupid.

The next moment, without any time to react, Adler’s field of vision was flipped 180.

“What!?”

Dazed for a moment, he then realized that he was now lying on the floor; his body now pinned down by Rachel Watson, he cautiously opened his mouth to speak.

“Huh?”

However, before he could say anything, Watson – her eyes gazing at his pinned figure in silence – abruptly took off her top, revealing her pale and smooth skin. Her abrupt and ludicrous actions caused Adler’s expression to morph into a blend of confusion and bewilderment.

Why do you never consider the possibility of beingdevouredwhen you act?

“….. Ah?”

Just then, as the system tactfully obscured Watson’s upper body, sending a message as if to express its pity…

Adler’s belt was undone by Rachel Watson’s rough hands and fell to the floor.

.

.

.

.

.

“That’s odd.”

Meanwhile, at that time…

“Dad said he was going to the bathroom.”

Celestia Moran had been standing quietly right in front of Watson’s office, murmuring to herself with a cold expression.

“Then why is he creating a new stepmother right now?”

“… Indeed.”

But then, from beside her, came a voice so calm and cold that could send shivers down one’s spine could be heard.

“Who are you?”

“…Your one and only, genuine stepmother.”

Charlotte Holmes, who had returned from the court earlier than expected, answered the question and quietly walked past Moran toward the door of Watson’s room.