Stop trying to control me, Miss Moriarty!

Chapter 18 You've come at just the right time!

Erin knew nothing about her past.

Like a repairman, he painstakingly repaired the item named Erin Adler, piece by piece, using scraps and fragments obtained through various channels.

And now, the largest fragment of this item has been brought before us.

Spies, agents, secret agents...

Based on the current situation, these are the only possible identities. Regardless of the identity or the country of origin, it is clearly not good news.

Strangely, he didn't feel much fear or horror; instead, he became completely calm.

Even if you're surrounded by dangers and could easily fall into hell, it's still better than being ignorant and foolish.

Erin looked up, meeting those amber eyes, her voice trembling: "It was burned."

"What?!" Irina stepped forward, her right sleeve blade popping out and pressing against his neck.

The cold, sharp metallic touch sent shivers down Erin's spine. He feigned anger and asked, "What are you doing?"

"What am I doing?" Irina's voice was filled with anger as she continued to tighten her grip. "Do you know what that photograph means?! It concerns the future of all of Europe! I suspect you've betrayed us!"

Erin gritted her teeth, her face showing the indignation one would feel after being unjustly suspected: "That attack came without warning! Explosions, fires... the photos were destroyed instantly! I was completely helpless!!"

He raised his head, his red eyes flashing like flames: "And if I really betrayed you, why would I return to London after I had already safely left England?"

Irina paused for a moment.

This is why, after hearing all the reports, His Excellency still did not order the removal of Erin Adler.

Despite his strange behavior and the possibility of betrayal, there is this inexplicable situation.

In addition, the mysterious death of the second prince of Scandinavia prompted His Excellency to personally issue an order to ascertain what had happened.

The art studio was spacious, but because the two were almost touching, they could hear each other's breathing and heartbeats clearly.

"Are you calming down?" Erin raised his uncontrolled right hand, and his sleeve slipped down naturally, revealing the hideous burn marks that had not yet fully healed.

He gently gripped the blade and pushed it away slightly: "The secrecy surrounding this operation was extremely high, with very few people knowing about it. Yet, the Second Prince of Scandinavia found out and even sent assassins to kill me."

"If that lord really wants to find the traitor..." Erin didn't continue, but simply pointed his index finger upwards.

"This is none of your or my business." Irina's voice remained as cold as iron, but the hidden blade, made of real steel, was no longer pressed back down.

However, she clearly wasn't entirely convinced and continued to ask, "Was the assassin the maid who died in your mansion?"

"That's right," Erin readily admitted. "I couldn't be sure who it was at first either. But perhaps that prince was unhappy that she hadn't been able to kill me, or perhaps for the sake of secrecy, he chose to silence me first."

"What makes you so certain it's the second prince, and not the Queen of Bohemia or some other power?"

Arlin replied, "It's just a matter of elimination. The only ones with the motive and ability to assassinate me using an alchemical bomb are the two main characters in the engagement. But Her Majesty has already entrusted Charlotte Holmes with this task, so there's no need for further action."

It turned out to be the case.

Irina had sorted out her thoughts and basically believed what they said.

No wonder that Holmes was at the academy and paid special attention to Adler.

So, only one last, and most crucial, question remains—

She stared intently at Erin, making sure not to miss any subtle change in his expression: "Where did you go by train last Saturday afternoon?"

Without hesitation, Erin answered, "Bohemian Prague."

Before the other party could ask further questions, he took the initiative to explain: "The photos are damaged, our original plan has completely fallen through, and you haven't contacted me for a long time, plus Monday is the deadline..."

"I had no other choice but to take it upon myself to approach Holmes and hold a secret meeting with Her Majesty the Queen, in an attempt to persuade her to annul the engagement."

Irina's breath hitched: "And the result?"

Erin twitched the corners of her mouth, her expression a mixture of frustration and helplessness: "Of course we failed. Her Majesty the Queen has matured rapidly in the past few years and is no longer the naive girl who acts on impulse."

Irina pondered quietly, finding no flaws in Erin's face and no problems with the logic of the entire incident.

"How will you prove it?"

"Proof?" Erin seemed to find the question somewhat ridiculous. "I disguised myself for this meeting. But there will always be a few people in Prague who remember me, like the train conductor, the coffee shop owner, and so on..."

He added, "By the way, that female detective can also serve as an indirect witness. With our methods, verifying this shouldn't be difficult."

This is a complete and utter lie.

All he needed to do was contact the queen, who was now a slave, and she would naturally use the power of the Kingdom of Bohemia to fill in the necessary details and traces for this secret meeting that never actually happened.

As for Sherlock Holmes, his sister is the third most powerful person in Britain after the Queen and the Prime Minister, so there's no need to worry about her.

"Your explanation sounds very complete," Irina said slowly.

Suddenly, a chilling killing intent, like the north wind, burst forth in her eyes, and the hidden blade was pressed directly against Erin's carotid artery; with just a little force, it could pierce through!

"But you're lying!"

Erin felt a chill run down his spine.

Where did the flaw appear?

Or does the other side possess some decisive evidence?

He clenched his fists, his voice a mixture of exhaustion and resentment: "Everything I said is true! You can go and verify it right now!"

"Ha—" Irina sneered, "Still lying."

She reached into the inside pocket of her uniform with her left hand and took out a deep red crystal about the size of a thumb, her voice filled with smugness:

"This is the latest research result from the Imperial Royal Alchemy Institute, which was just verified last week—the 'Truth Crystal'! Once magic is input and a lie is detected, it will change from blue to red!"

"Now," she narrowed her eyes, her gaze sharpening, "what else do you have to say?"

Erin's face turned deathly pale.

He stared intently at the red crystal, his lips moving slightly.

Finally, he slowly closed his eyes: "I...I don't know how to explain."

His voice was soft, filled with despair and dejection: "If you're going to conclude I've betrayed you based on this, then just do it. I'll say it again: if I had truly betrayed you, why would I have returned to London?"

Dust motes danced in the dim light, and the studio fell into a long silence.

Irina eventually slowly sheathed her hidden blade and put the crystal back into her pocket.

"...I'm sorry," she said with guilt. "As your partner, I shouldn't have doubted you."

Erin remained completely unfazed; this outcome was entirely within his expectations.

But she opened her eyes, her ruby-like eyes filled with sadness and confusion: "What...do you mean?"

Irina guiltily looked away: "The 'Truth Crystal' is fake; there's no such thing. Otherwise, even Miss Holmes could consider early retirement."

Erin was not surprised at all by this.

At least at this point in time, it is absolutely impossible for alchemical or magical artifacts that we have never even heard of to exist in this world.

Besides, the appearance of such a prop in a game with reasoning elements is no different from cheating.

He seemed utterly enraged, letting out a sneer: "So, someone as insignificant as me can be manipulated, interrogated, and even disposed of at will because of baseless suspicion?"

Irina could only explain, "We have no way of confirming whether you have betrayed us, so we can only take the most reasonable measures."

"Reasonable?" Erin lowered his eyes, asking ambiguously, "Does that one still remember me? Does he still remember my loyalty?"

"...Don't say that."

Irina stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder to reassure him: "Your Excellency holds a high position, and she has far more to consider than we imagine. Every step she takes must be extremely cautious. But rest assured, she will never forget any of her 'children'! I can guarantee that."

……Your Mightiness?

Women are addressed with such respect.

They also included individuals who orchestrated actions of a magnitude that could sabotage a marriage alliance between the two countries.

The number of suspects was quickly reduced to single digits.

The most likely one is—

"Iron-Blooded Chancellor"?

That's really a headache.

In this way, several of Britain's smartest and most dangerous women, with the exception of another Sherlock Holmes, were more or less connected to him...

Seeing that Erin remained silent, Irina seemed to have misunderstood, so she softened her tone again and continued to comfort her:

"Although the plan failed due to a potential traitor, we were lucky, and the outcome was correct. With the Second Prince dead, the marriage agreement between the two countries is naturally out of the question. Once you understand the situation, you will certainly receive the reward you deserve."

"I understand." Erin still kept her head down, looking disheartened.

Irina stopped dwelling on his reaction. Putting herself in his shoes, she realized that if she were suspected and interrogated like this when she hadn't betrayed him, it would be understandable that she would feel angry and heartbroken.

"It may be a bit rushed, but the next task has been communicated." She composed herself, her tone becoming steady again: "We need to find a key at 'Estelle Morstan's' house."

Morstan?

Like Schulte, this surname is not common in Britain.

Their separate appearances might be coincidental, but their simultaneous appearances...

Erin inevitably thought of the classic case from the original story—"The Sign of Four".

However, Estelle is clearly a female name.

According to convention, shouldn't John H. Watson's future wife, "Mary Morstan," also become a man like himself?

The gears of the plot seem to have once again veered off in an unfamiliar and wrong direction.

"A key?" he asked casually, with a hint of curiosity. "What's it used to open?"

Irina's expression turned unusually serious: "Your exact words were 'That thing is related to the survival of London.' I have no authority to know the more specific details."

What riddle are you telling?

Others might not know, but how could I not know that it was the "Agra Treasure" brought back from India? It's just that it has some unique features of this world, and it even involves the survival of London.

Erin inwardly scoffed, but outwardly feigned shock and anger, his voice rising with alarm: "What a joke?! The fate of London? You're giving us a mission of this magnitude?!"

"Irina, wake up! I'm just a second-tier magician! You may be stronger than me, but you're nowhere near capable of saving London! This is clearly sending us to our deaths!"

"Calm down!" Irina hissed, reaching out to press down on Erin's trembling shoulders.

"Don't worry, our mission is just to steal... no, retrieve the key. It's not that dangerous. If it really comes to saving London, the 'Saint' will naturally step in."

She softened her tone and added, "Miss Morstan is also a student at the Royal Academy, and there are no two students more suitable than us to approach her and carry out this task."

"Besides, I already have a perfect plan." She paused, a confident look, typical of a top student, appearing on her face:

"According to intelligence, Estelle Morstan receives an expensive pearl anonymously every year on a fixed date after her father's disappearance. This is an excellent entry point!"

"We'll approach her first and investigate her habits. Next, you'll impersonate her long-lost cousin, John Morstan, while I'll arrange a meeting with her under the guise of a mysterious sender to lure her out of her house. Then, you can find the key at Morstan's house. Simple, right?"

Erin kept a straight face, not letting herself laugh out loud.

This plan is like a poorly copied plot straight from a third-rate detective novel.

"That won't do," he retorted without hesitation.

"What?" Irina's brows furrowed instantly, clearly displeased with his questioning.

"There are too many loopholes," Erin analyzed for her. "First, how can you guarantee that Estelle Morstan will believe the sender who has never shown up and agree to the appointment? Second, that mysterious person has been sending expensive pearls to Morstan for years; do you think he has nothing to do with what we're looking for?"

Irina opened her mouth, trying to refute, but found that both of Erin's questions seemed to hit the nail on the head.

The confidence on her face was gradually replaced by resentment and confusion. After a long while, she finally spoke with some hesitation, "Then... then what do you suggest we do?"

"It's clear that we need to come up with a perfect new plan."

"What plan?" Irina immediately asked.

"I don't know either," Erin said, shrugging.

Irina's eyes widened: "Are you kidding me?"

"Don't rush," Erin said, meeting her fiery gaze. "I don't have a plan, but we can ask for help and get Jessia Moriarty involved."

"Her?" Irina's eyes instantly turned wary. "She's just an ordinary assistant professor. Why do you think she's helpful to us?"

"What you see is just the tip of the iceberg," Erin said with certainty. "She is a genius, an undisputed genius! And she has a patriotism no less than ours! My purpose in approaching her is to introduce her to Your Excellency."

Irina stared intently at Erin, seemingly assessing the truthfulness of his words: "Are you sure she's reliable?"

Erin nodded: "Before that, I was attacked again. You should have seen the college murders in the newspapers. And that time, Professor Moriarty saved me."

Irina frowned and began to think.

Erin then added at the opportune moment, "In addition, the winner of this year's Maple Star Award has been confirmed; it's her."

Finally, Irina slowly nodded: "...Okay, I trust your judgment."

She glanced at her watch: "Bring her to this art studio at 8:00 AM tomorrow. We need to come up with a feasible plan as soon as possible."

"No problem," Erin readily agreed.

Irina said no more, turned around, unlocked the door, and left.

The door was gently closed.

In the vast studio, only Erin remained, along with the silent dust floating in the air.

He let out a long sigh of relief, feeling that the half hour or so he had spent today was more tiring than a half-day train ride followed by the non-stop killing of the second prince.

But in a sense, Irina Schulto appeared at just the right time.

She not only interrupted the confrontation between Holmes and Moriarty, but also indirectly learned of her own secret identity.

They even provided a crime consultation.

Greed, betrayal, treasure, repentance...

Geographically spanning from India to Britain, covering more than half the globe, and temporally spanning two generations, this revenge drama is sure to pique Moriarty's interest.

So, only one last thorny issue remains.

How should we answer Moriarty's earlier question?

Erin's gaze swept across the room, finally settling on a Bible on a bookshelf in the corner.

An idea that should pass the test gradually took shape in his mind.