Unsure of whether it was a hallucination or an actual memory, I could not believe what I had just seen.
‘Was that really my memory?’
Or was it just an illusion created to confuse me?
Either way, I don’t know why the name ‘Moriarty’ was mentioned.
Why Moriarty…?
‘Perhaps…James’ parents’ death…?’
If Moriarty refers to James Moriarty’s parents-
“Moriarty…”
The moment I opened my eyes while muttering involuntarily, a terrifyingly beautiful face filled my vision.
It was James Moriarty with a playful gaze, smiling at me.
“…Did you call me?”
I was so startled that when I took in a breath, my lips rose slowly.
“You were sleeping restlessly. Did you not get enough sleep last night?”
I told myself to calm down and looked around, forgetting James’ question.
I was lying on the long sofa in the drawing room.
‘To briefly summarize this situation…’
I died after meeting Glaaki, going back in time. And now–
“What time is it?”
Frowning at the faint headache coming up, I looked at James who stepped back and glanced at the clock.
“It’s around 3:30.”
So, it was before James and Jimmy had approached the cellar.
As he sat down on the sofa beside me, James’ eyes, with exceptionally small pupils, stared at me tenaciously.
“I came back from a late lunch and found you were asleep, so I waited for you to wake up. …I never thought you would mumble my name while sleeping.”
“…I? When did I do that?”
Maybe he heard me muttering ‘Moriarty’.
A burning sensation rose on my face.
James stood up, his smile widening even more.
“I asked you to call me James, so it’s a bit disappointing that you used my last name…”
He grinned and continued.
“Well, it doesn’t really matter what you call me, as long as I can visit you in your dreams.”
“That…!!”
He seemed to have misunderstood this situation.
While I was silent for a moment, not knowing what to say, James suddenly sat down next to me again.
“Emily, do you know how red your cheeks are?”
As he slowly closened the distance between us, the scent of his body caught on.
At that moment, I jumped at the sensual and incredibly addicting scent of roses.
“You’re very attractive, but…”
James’ face grew closer.
“It’s the first time I’ve blushed like this, so it’s a new feeling.”
A low-pitched voice that seemed to stimulate the depths of my heart entered my head.
I shook my head, hiding my nervous expression.
“Don’t joke like that. Were you about to explore the mansion?”
James nodded at my words.
Before my return in time, He had entered the cellar with Jimmy around 4 or 5 o’clock and suffered a disastrous injury.
“That Barry is smarter than I expected. We’ve already got the key from the servants.”
So that’s how far everything’s come till now.
Now that I understood the situation, I announced the change of operation.
“Please don’t go to the cellar.”
“Why not?”
I returned the words he used back then to him, who had a serious expression.
“There is something sinister hidden in the basement, so terrifying that even imagination fails to construct it.”
“However—”
“And this time,
I continued speaking, interrupting a puzzled James.
“It’s not going to end simply with a shock.”
“…Did you receive a revelation?”
James, who believed I was descended from druids, asked this question. I nodded lightly.
“Yes, something similar.”
“Oh, if that’s the case then…”
James shrugged his shoulders.
“Then what will we do? Ms Blavatsky also failed to meet Sir Bridle.”
“We won’t need Sir Bridle.”
I said firmly.
He stared at me as if trying to read my thoughts from my eyes.
“Please leave it to me.”
…That was all I could say.
His expressionless face softened and one corner of his mouth rose playfully.
“It’s very reassuring, hearing you say that.”
James gently patted me on the shoulder and headed to the door.
Just before leaving, he turned to me and added.
“Before, I was just curious, but now I’m really eager to know.”
“Eager to know what?”
The moment I looked up, my eyes met James Moriarty’s.
With gorgeous blue eyes that seemed to be staring at my mind, he said:
“Why… Emily, why do I want to be beside you?”
Contrary to the usual casual tone, his voice had an unknown tremor.
Or was it because of that strange expression that looked at me?
“Until I figure out the answer…I want to stay by your side.”
I looked away, feeling an unknown feeling fill me.
James left without waiting for my answer, and only after hearing the door click shut did I breathe a sigh of relief.
‘Fortunately, he hasn’t noticed anything suspicious about me yet.’
I sat on the sofa and calmly reflected on what had happened before my return.
‘I’ve prevented James and Jimmy’s death and the stopped the madness from unfolding.’
… And Glaaki, who is living in the pond.
“Ugh…”
Just trying to recall its appearance gave me a headache and made me feel uneasy.
However, I know from experience that it is better not to dig up underlying memories.
Furthermore,
‘The foreign being, Glaaki, wasn’t something that I can fight with my own strength anyway.’
If so, there was only one way to do it.
If his minions in the cellar could be disposed of, and creatures that could become Glaaki’s hosts were blocked from access, I could weaken it.
The problem was how to do all that. First, I had to deal with those living corpses.
‘Are there any cards I can use in such a case?’
After making up my mind, I called an employee.
“How may I help you, madam?”
“Please guide me to the phone.”
After Alexander Bell patented it in 1876, the phone quickly spread everywhere.
During the 1890s, the era in which I live, it had already been commercialized to some extent.
The employee took me to the butler’s place, and the butler sat me in front of a desk with a box-shaped phone on it.
“Where may I connect you to?”
The answer rang clear in my mind.
“Scotland Yard, please.”
Tut, tut, tut
A dial tone followed, and the phone was connected with a click.
“Hello, who is this?”
I smiled as I recognised the voice.
“Uncle, it’s been a while. How have you been?”
His voice, which had been stern at first, soon turned bright.
“Perhaps…It can’t be Emily, can it?”
“Yes, it is me. You haven’t forgotten me already, right, uncle?”
“Of course not!”
The last card I had was this man.
The famous character that appeared as a police officer in the London Police Department and the assistant to Sherlock Holmes:
It was Inspector Lestrade.
“Emily, do you know how much I missed you?”
He was also my father’s dear friend.
* * *
The next morning, I was sitting facing an elderly man.
“It’s been a while, Uncle Greg.”
Greg Lestrade.
He was a police officer belonging to the Metropolitan Police Department, the so-called ‘Scotland Yard’, and was responsible for solving numerous unsolved cases with the help of detective Sherlock Holmes.
Although he was over 50, he had a detective-like appearance that boasted of a solid body without a single fat.
“How long has it been, Emily?”
Inspector Lestrade looked at me with his warm, grey eyes.
“I haven’t been able to contact you for a while.”
Like most fictional characters living in this world, Lestrade also has a different setting from his original character.
My father, who was a professor at a university, was friends with Uncle Greg, his neighbour. He had frequented visits since my childhood.
Thanks to this, I had been close to Inspector Lestrade since I was a child, calling him ‘Uncle Greg’.
This relationship continued after my aunt took over after my father passed away, and even after I married Randolph.
“No, you’ve been through a lot. But I haven’t been able to help you at all… I’ve heard from Marilyn from time to time.”
So Uncle Greg kept in touch with Aunt Marilyn.
As I nodded quietly, the inspector spoke with a serious expression on his face.
“I am aware of the general situation.”
Uncle’s summary was similar to what I knew.
There were a lot of ugly rumours about this Brichester mansion, such as disappearances of young women, so even the Police Department was paying special attention.
However, a search warrant could not be issued because there was no clear evidence. Sir Bridle kept a strong watch on what information got out and what didn’t.
“I’m glad you’re aware of the circumstances.”
“I was able to come in today as your guest, so I caught up on all the information. By the way…”
Inspector Lestrade’s sharp gaze turned towards the door.
“The person who recently left this room looked like Baron Moriarty if I’m not mistaken…?”
“That’s right, it was the baron. How did you know?
The Inspector continued without erasing the vigilant look.
“Ah, I just recognized him. I’m curious how you ended up with someone like that.”
“What do you mean, ’someone like that’?”
When I asked innocently as if I didn’t know anything, Inspector Lestrade quietly confided his thoughts.
“In the social world he is known only as a young, tasteful aristocrat, but Baron Moriarty is quite a famous figure in our police department.”
Apparently, a cult case was recently resolved with the help of Baron Moriarty.
The Inspector told me that he was involved in all kinds of events where people died.
“Many people believe that the case was resolved thanks to the Baron’s cooperation with the investigation, but I have a different view. I feel he’s hiding several suspicious things.”
The Inspector spoke after hesitating for a moment.
“Emily, have you ever heard of ‘Sherlock Holmes’?”
Sherlock Holmes.
How could I possibly not know one of the most famous characters in human history and a legendary detective who was known by almost everyone?
In my previous life, while I wasn’t obsessed with his stories, I was an avid reader who read all the works in which he appeared.
‘Even though I’ve never met him here.’
Sherlock Holmes existed in this world, but after I found out that Uncle Greg was acquainted with him, I had no intention of meeting him.
Since Sherlock Holmes here wasn’t as famous as he was in my previous life, it would raise suspicion if I asked to be introduced.
So, considering my image, this answer would be appropriate.
“No, who is that?”
— — —
TL note: Hello again after a long break! Updates will be biweekly from now on.
