Chapter 88: Do or Die

Chapter 88: Do or Die

Huh.

When I opened my eyes, the familiar ceiling of the hospital room entered my view.

Ugh

Blinking in a daze, I tried to recall my last memory the sensation of being soaked in blood and the warmth of Lestrades soft body.

Did I lose consciousness in Lestrades arms due to anemia?

Having a rough idea of why I was brought to the hospital, I tried to sit up silently, but for some reason, my body wouldnt budge.

Heh, all your efforts are in vain.

.?

Youll need at least two more days of rest before that battered body of yours can move again.

While I wore a puzzled look on my face, a familiar voice suddenly spoke from beside me.

Princess Clay?

Dont look so surprised. Its unsettling.

Princess Joan Clay, taking on her human form, was sitting right next to me.

What are you doing, not being in your cat doll form and everything?

Ungrateful brat. I have been the one nursing you since you collapsed. Youre such a nuisance

As I cocked my head and asked her a question, Princess Clay frowned and began to mutter irritably.

Ah, um.

Seeing the wet towel in her hand and her swollen fingers, surprisingly, her words seemed to be true.

Dont look at me with those eyes.

If you were to die, it would complicate my position as I am bound to serve you, so I had no choice but to take care of you. So, stop smiling or Ill gouge those eyes out before you can even blink.

As I looked at her with renewed curiosity and flashed a broad smile at her, she immediately reacted with a fierce reaction.

Yes, yes.

Annoying brat.

Ooof.

Muttering so, Princess Clay threw the towel she was holding onto my face and added in a low voice.

Try not to get beaten up so much from now on.

I wanted to remove the towel covering my face immediately to see her expression, but I refrained, fearing she might actually gouge out my eyes.

If you have a subordinate like me, you should keep me by your side, instead of sending me on reconnaissance abruptly

She really was the perfect definition of a tsundere vampire princess.

That annoying smile of yours, you should have shown it to that Moran brat instead of me.

Huh?

When we came back from scouting, you were on the brink of death, struggling for life, and that kid was so upset, that she cried all night; didnt even sleep a wink that girl.

Silently, I smiled at Princess Clay and her cute mannerisms, however, I had no choice but to ask a question, cold sweat pouring down my forehead, upon hearing her words.

Where is she now?

She is probably with that talking animal maid you have, their minds already lost in madness, scouring through the back alleys by mobilizing all the demi-humans she has under her command while swearing to avenge her master you, and screaming that she would join you in death if anything were to happen to you. Or something along those lines, I guess.

Ah

Somehow, I felt a shiver run through my body, feeling as though my karma was accumulating in real-time.

If even those two, who are especially loyal to me, were to go crazy, then truly, there would be no more path left for me.

Ill make sure to talk to them later.

Thank you.

Hmph.

As my complexion darkened without me realizing it, the princess glanced at me, then muttered quietly and turned her head away with a flick.

By the way, you guys were the only ones who came looking for me, right?

Huh? What are you talking about?

As I raised her favorability a few notches in my mind, I asked out of curiosity, and she answered with an incredulous look on her face.

There have been over a dozen people visiting you during the last few days.

What?

Thats excluding the ones I know the identity of, the ones I have witnessed while watching over you in my cat form.

She paused for a moment and then started with a deep breath.

That annoying detective spent the whole of yesterday nursing you with Lestrade before leaving with her head hung low due to a case. Then her assistant snuck into the room like a thieving cat, hit a typewriter for a few times, then left while shaking her head.

Ah

Besides them, there was a mysterious woman who was definitely from Bohemia, Romanian renegades who, for some reason, are still at large in London, the hounds of Mycrony Holmes, Lestrades younger sister, and even Colonel Rose from the back alleys, to whom I once owed a favor

As she started listing the visitors, some of whom I could guess, the cold sweat dripping down my forehead became a torrent.

By the way, I didnt count the silhouette with the silk hat and monocle who appeared briefly at the window late at night and then disappeared, the noblewomen of Londons upper class who once trembled before my authority, and your ex-girlfriends who came with dead eyes and knives hidden in their bosoms, only to be chased away.

Im scared, my lady.

The truly frightening one is none other than you who drove all those people mad.

.

Mr. Adler.

Professor.

An unspecified time passed in between.

I have two concerns at the moment.

Is that so?

After staring into Adlers eyes for seemingly an excruciating eternity, Professor Moriarty silently opened her mouth, and Adler, barely managing to keep his head up, replied with cold sweat seeping out of his forehead.

That sounds quite interesting. But right now, Im a bit sleepy

The first concern is that people around me have been increasingly mocking my age.

Ignoring his attempt to divert the conversation, Professor Moriarty continued with her concerns.

Its quite strange. Im in my twenties. Not even late twenties, but at the perfect age for marriage according to the average for British women.

.

Theres absolutely no reason for me to be ridiculed for my age. Its the ignorant young ones who

Have you been wearing makeup?

Gazing at her blankly, Adler tilted his head and asked in a soft voice.

So thats why youve been looking more youthful lately.

Truth be told, youre cute even without putting anything on, Professor.

Then the professor paused and silently stared at him for a brief moment.

Lets move on to my second concern.

As she easily skipped over her first concern, Adler secretly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

Listen to this.

Yes?

With a sly smile, the professor then took out a miniature phonograph out of her pocket.

It seems about time that I take London into my hands.

Do you realize what youre saying?

As she caressed the magic stone embedded in the center, the phonograph began to softly play out the conversation he had with Lestrade in the secret hideout a few days ago.

Step by step, Ill expand my influence, and eventually, even the cute Professor will be in the palm of my hand. After that, Ill mobilize various criminal organizations simultaneously

That should be good enough.

At the moment the problematic statement played, the magic stone along with the phonograph shattered to pieces due to the overwhelming mana that suddenly flooded out of the professor.

Uh, Professor. That

During this vacation, Ive endured a great deal, Mr. Adler.

..

Youll have to acknowledge it yourself. Havent you seen with your own eyes how far Ive lowered my pride for the sake of my cute little assistant?

The professor, flicking away the smoke rising from her hand, tilted her head from side to side in her characteristic manner, and leaned toward Adler.

Listen.

The system, which had been silent for a long while despite being summoned multiple times by him to clarify the current circumstances, once again appeared in front of Adler.

Ill give you five minutes, Mr. Adler.

Right now, youre at the branching point between the ending and the Hidden Route.

Explain within five minutes why you should not become the victim of my perfect crime curse today.

Beyond the message, Adler gazed at the professor, wearing a frigid smile, and tried to hide the creepiness he felt by forcing a smile of his own.

By the way, the perfect crimes that my curse allows me to commit involve a variety of types, not just murder, Mr. Adler.

Choose wisely.

Then the system message, which had lowered its transparency to naturally obscure the Professors face, sent him one last message before slowly beginning to fade away.

.

.

.

.

.

Ah, and theres something Ive been curious about for a long time.

Yes?

Thanks to the consideration of the system, Adler soon managed to regain some composure.

The messages that youve always been checking, the ones floating in mid-air

Professor Moriartys voice, filled with pure curiosity, burrowed into Adlers ears.

Are those, by any chance, sent by a woman?

Adlers mind, which had been racing, suddenly went blank.

May I have a drink before we talk?

No.