Stop trying to control me, Miss Moriarty!

Chapter 12 Consultation Fees

The faint moonlight and the glow of the magical streetlights intermingled, dividing the night streets into a boundary between light and darkness.

There are few pedestrians on the roads near Kaningholm Palace, and even when they do come and go, they are mostly palace servants or low-ranking officials.

Therefore, Erin's maid outfit went completely unnoticed.

After confirming that no one was following him, he turned into a small alley and dragged out a package he had hidden in advance from a secluded corner.

This alley is filled with a lot of empty wooden boxes and other waste, making it an ideal place to hide and change clothes.

"You killed the prince, and now you're just going to leave like this?" An unexpected female voice came from deep within.

Erin instantly became alert, gripping the dagger beneath her skirt with her right hand.

The guy in the room?

Time was of the essence, the other party didn't seem to have any ill intentions, and I wasn't sure if I could win, so I simply pretended not to notice.

But now, she has actually caught up with us and even appeared here first.

"Okay, don't be so nervous."

In the blink of an eye, the unidentified guy appeared right in front of them!

Before Erin could even swing his dagger, cool fingers had already pinched his cheek and started rubbing it: "You're so cute like this, even I'm starting to feel a little flutter in my heart."

Even at such close range, in the dim light, he could clearly see the beautiful long golden hair and the sparkling purple eyes.

"……professor?"

Erin's face felt hot.

He was a pragmatist; disguising himself as a new maid would avoid a lot of trouble and allow him to carry out the assassination efficiently, so he didn't mind.

But if someone you know sees it...

As expected, I still felt ashamed.

"Good evening, Adler," Jessia said with a smile. "What, are you surprised?"

"Shouldn't you...besides be in London?" Erin's voice was somewhat muffled as he tilted his head. "Also, could you...let me go first?"

Jessia then released her grip, took a half-step back, and pointed to the pendant on her ear: "Communicators can't transmit information across hundreds of miles. To ensure the smooth running of this 'crime consultation,' I had no choice but to come in person."

As she spoke, gray magic danced at her fingertips, almost instantly weaving and constructing a complete spell in the air—"Purification Magic".

The magical aura expanded, and the expanding spell covered Erin's entire body.

However, the anticipated scene of the disguise being removed did not occur.

Jessia tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with curiosity: "You can even resist my magic?"

He moved even closer, almost face to face with Erin: "Not only that, I can't even sense the fluctuations of your magical energy. How did you manage that?"

Her tone became excited, like a little girl discovering something unknown.

"Considering the target location and the people involved, continuously using disguise magic would be as conspicuous as carrying a torch in the dark. So, I simply disguised myself."

As Erin explained, he took a half step back to create some distance between himself and Moriarty: "Hair can be treated with magic beforehand; appropriate makeup can make one appear more youthful."

He hunched over and demonstrated: "By hunching over like this and wearing an ill-fitting long skirt, you can visually reduce your height."

"I see. They're all disguises in a physical sense." Jessie's interest vanished instantly.

But that's quite normal; for someone like her, how could she possibly be interested in makeup techniques?

Erin took out the clothes from the package, hesitated for a moment, and turned to look at Moriarty, who was still standing there: "...Could you please stop staring at me?"

"Oh dear, you've been blushing since earlier. Are you shy?" Jessia laughed lightly. "It's a pity I didn't bring my camera. Otherwise, I could have captured this precious moment and auctioned it off in a London salon later. I'd definitely make a fortune."

"……professor."

"Okay, I understand."

.

.

.

Erin had cut his hair short, changed back into men's clothing, and walked with Moriarty on the streets of Stockholm.

Just two blocks away, the scenery was completely different. This place is located on the edge of the port area, and the roadside buildings are mostly old shacks.

A ragged beggar sat under the eaves, gazing blankly at the harbor.

Gold and silver coins jingled as they passed through the merchant's hands, while in the beggar's tattered bowl lay only a few bronze crowns, their color dull and lifeless.

Erin knelt down and put a gold coin into the broken bowl, earning a surprised and grateful "thank you" in return.

He felt once again that the world was full of injustice.

Moriarty led him into a café.

There were few customers in the café, mostly workers from the nearby docks, who all cast curious glances their way.

Erin and Moriarty's attire wasn't exactly luxurious, but it still seemed somewhat out of place.

A few kerosene lamps provided a dim, yellowish light, and the air was filled with the aroma of roasted coffee beans, which mixed with the smells of old wood, cheap leather, sweat, and other things, creating an unpleasant odor.

"Two black coffees." After ordering, Jessia casually found an empty table and sat down.

"Professor, is there something you need from bringing me here?"

Erin sat down opposite Moriarty, looking at her with a slightly bewildered expression.

Jessia took a hard-sided train ticket from her coat pocket and gently pushed it across the table: "The train to London departs in an hour and a half. We can't just wander the streets of Stockholm like two unemployed people."

Erin glanced at the clock on the wall: "If I remember the schedule correctly, there seems to be a train back to London in half an hour?"

"That's right," Jessia narrowed her eyes, "but I have some questions for you. For example, how did it feel to kill a prince with your own hands?"

Erin tensed up instantly. Even if there were only a few people around, was it really appropriate to discuss this kind of issue in public...?

No, Moriarty would never do such a stupid thing.

—In other words, magic that interferes with cognition or blocks sound.

When was it released? I didn't even realize it.

"What's wrong?"

"...It's nothing."

Erin recalled the experience from not long ago, and it felt as if the sensation of cutting fat still lingered on his hands.

He answered truthfully: "I felt a little bit of a sense of accomplishment in completing the plan, but it wasn't as satisfying as I had imagined... Now that I think about it, I also feel a bit scared and physically nauseous."

"...I see." Jessia was somewhat disappointed.

She was once again certain that Erin Adler was not one of her kind.

The next moment, she raised her eyes.

Those violet eyes became incredibly deep, like a bottomless abyss beneath the polar ice cap:

"The first time I personally ended someone's life..."

She spoke lightly, recalling a beautiful afternoon: "It was an unprecedented pleasure. From my fingertips to my spine, every inch of my body was cheering and trembling, completely out of control. It's a real shame you can't experience this feeling."

Erin felt a familiar chill, as if he were being stared at by a venomous snake.

Although Moriarty in this world has the appearance of an elegant and charming young girl, she still has the blood of a criminal flowing through her veins and is an out-and-out abnormal.

At that moment, the waiter walked to the table with a tray: "Gentlemen, your coffee is ready. Please enjoy."

"Thank you." Jessia responded with a smile, just like any ordinary young girl.

She picked up the sugar cubes and milk and added them all into the coffee, blowing on them to warm them up, and carefully took a sip.

"...It's so bitter."

Erin silently pushed her own sugar cubes and milk over as well.

Jessia added the second sugar cube milk to her coffee, tasted it again, then smiled and gently shook her head.

Her golden hair swayed, and her beautiful purple eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

This is simply indescribably adorable.

—If only it weren't Moriarty in front of me.

After enjoying herself for a while, she rested her chin on her hand, elbow on the table, and asked again, "Adler, do you know what sweets and crime have in common?"

Erin thought for a moment: "Does it all make you feel happy?"

“That’s right.” Jessia took another sip of coffee. “But starting a year ago, I completely lost that feeling. Even adding half a cup of honey to my coffee doesn’t help.”

Erin's eye twitched.

Ultimately, the reason why sweetness brings pleasure is that it stimulates the brain to release dopamine.

Moriarty's condition is definitely due to desensitization from eating too many sweets, right?

Jessia continued, her voice tinged with emptiness: "This is probably the curse that comes with the 'Apocalypse.'"

"Apocalypse"?

What is this? Is this a feature in the game?

How come I don't remember at all?

"However," Jessia put down her coffee, "just recently, I've started to experience that long-lost sweet feeling again..."

She suddenly stood up, her upper body almost reaching over the table, her purple eyes fixed on Erin: "Whether it was making the Queen a slave or killing the prince, I didn't do it myself; I only conducted what you call 'criminal consultation'."

Her eyes sparkled with boundless passion, her breathing became slightly rapid with excitement, and an unnatural blush appeared on her pale cheeks: "Even though I haven't committed serious crimes like arson, murder, or subversion of state power, my heart is still pounding."

"Professor," Erin said, trying to remain calm, "is it possible that instigation is also a serious crime?"

"Indeed." Jessia considered the legal issue carefully. "In any case, this crime consultation has come to a perfect end."

She sat back down in her chair, hands clasped, her posture elegant, exactly as she had been in the office: "Are you ready to pay the consultation fee?"

From the moment she sent that last message, Erin had already prepared herself mentally.

He looked directly into those purple eyes and spoke slowly but clearly: "I am ready."

"Very good." A beautiful smile, one of radiant satisfaction, bloomed on Jessia's face.

The two spoke almost simultaneously—

"I will become your graduate student."

"Let's begin the battle!"

The flame of the kerosene lamp flickered slightly.

...?