dmims Chapter 158: The Crawling Human (9)
Chapter 158: The Crawling Human (9)
Chapter 158: The Crawling Human (9)"Haa, haaaa..."
- Clatter, clatter...
The sun floating high in the sky began its slow descent towards the horizon's edge. At such a time, at Professor Presbury's mansion,
"Where is it...? Where in hell is it...?"
In the private study – located in the inner part of the mansion – an unidentified figure wearing a turned-over hat was sweating profusely as they frantically rummaged for something.
"Shit... I'm sure it was stored here somewhere..."
- Creak...
"Shit, shiiit..."
The person was so focused on his task that he didn’t even hear the door behind him click open.
- Click...!
".........!"
The realisation only hit him when the previously dark room suddenly flooded with light, notifying him that something had gone terribly awry.
"Wh-What..."
"It would be wise to stay still, Mr Gregory Freud."
"Raise your hands where I can see them and kneel. I must warn you in advance that I can’t guarantee your safety if you put your hands inside your coat.”
Now inside the study, Charlotte Holmes and Gia Lestrade pointed their guns at the man, warning him. The man stopped reaching for his coat, heeding their warning, and quietly raised his hands as instructed.
"Ugh..."
Now identified as Gregory Freud, the man finally bowed his head with a resigned look in his eyes.
"... From your expression, it seems you are already aware of your crimes.”
"I, I don’t know what you are talking about."
"Oh, are you trying to deny it now? Then let me directly inform you about the numerous vile acts you've committed over the past few months."
As Gregory Freud, sweating profusely, attempted to defend himself, Charlotte pressed on with a stern voice.
"I, I just..."
"You have been using your father’s theories and academic work to experiment on Professor Presbury, your supervising professor."
"Ah..."
"All so you could finally obtain her, the person you’ve always admired, right?”
Silence was all Freud could offer in return.
"To think you used a theory designed for psychotherapy to dredge up suppressed desires... How dare you apply this knowledge to conduct such vile deeds?"
"What do you even know about my father’s theories, huh...?"
"Oh, no. I’m not stating my opinion here. Rather, I’m speaking from your perspective. You must have interpreted those suppressed desires as sexual impulses, that’s why you planned to periodically put Professor Presbury into an unconscious state.”
"D-Do you have any proof...?"
At the question sputtered with a flustered expression, Charlotte replied with a derisive smirk.
"Of course."
"What?"
"I believe this should be sufficient..."
She revealed a flask from her pocket, filled with red liquid. A pallid complexion immediately washed over Freud as he stared at the flask.
"Where did you get it..."
"It was stored in a warehouse. I secured it before you could get your filthy hands on the flask."
"........."
"Even though it’s labelled as an aphrodisiac on the drug market, its real application is inducing a state of unconsciousness, right?"
Charlotte pointed out in a whisper while gently shaking the flask.
"On the way, I received a telegram from a doctor friend that I tasked with investigating the drugs that were making waves recently. She tried experimenting with the available aphrodisiacs circulating in the market but couldn't find any significant results."
"........."
"So, I was sure that this flask doesn’t contain any animal serum, at the very least. Then, I wondered if it might be a drug that distorts the mind. Lo and behold, you fell right into my trap.”
A dazed look washed over Gregory Freud at her tone filled with mockery. Soon, he started grinding his teeth, realising that he had been played.
"Of course, you idiotically falling for it wouldn’t have mattered either way. I could have asked Watson to analyse the contents of this flask and come to the same conclusion anyway. Well, back to the matter at hand... you found a way to deliver this to Professor Presbury and have her inject it regularly in her body, right?”
"........."
"And using your position as an assistant, you went to the unconscious professor and performed almost brainwashing acts."
Charlotte concluded, narrowing her eyes as she looked at the cornered man.
"Honestly, it makes me feel sick."
"... If that's what you think, I have nothing to say."
Now fully resigned to his fate, Freud only responded in a subdued voice to her blatant sarcasm.
"But... I wanted to have the professor at any cost..."
"........"
"I spoke several times with all the sincerity I could muster... but the professor didn’t even pretend to listen... only becoming colder toward me as the days pas..."
"... I’ve listened enough.”
Lestrade interrupted, cutting him off mid-sentence.
"You are under arrest for the misuse of illegal drugs and sexual assault. You have the right to remain sil..."
"... Just a moment."
"What is it?"
"But... I still don't understand. How could Professor Presbury, supposedly under hypnosis, remember all that..."
"... You still don't understand?"
Unable to bear this farce any longer, Charlotte raised her voice with an impatient look in her eyes.
"Professor Presbury was never under your sinister brainwashing from the very beginning."
"Then...?"
"... She knew all along and went along with the farce by her own free will."
Freud's jaw almost fell to the ground at the revelation.
"Well, there’s no way for me to not like it personally... a man 30 years my younger throwing himself at me like that, I mean...”
"........"
"But I am naturally introverted and never had the chance to express it to you... It seems you misunderstood something..."
Almost incoherently, the professor began expressing her stance; her voice soft, face beet red as she laid down her side of things.
"... I thought it was better to accept it that way at the time. But... after accepting a few times, I missed the timing to reveal the truth."
"So, what then...?"
She glanced at her assistant and then whispered, her voice barely audible as it crept out of her lips.
"... I, I love you, Freud."
The hesitant declaration was followed by a heavy silence, enveloping the whole mansion.
"... I'll go to the loo. I didn't manage to go earlier."
Amid the silence, Lestrade, with a face of enlightenment, quietly left the scene. Accompanying her was the small cat, fidgeting and trembling inside her clothes for some time already.
"If you’ll excuse me, I’ll return to searching the mansion a bit more."
"".........""
"There are still a few things that don’t quite add up..."
Eventually, as Charlotte herself mumbled something and left the scene, a strange atmosphere began lingering between the duo left behind.
"Um... Freud."
"... Yes?"
"I'll forgive you for everything you've done to me so far..."
Breaking the silence, Professor Presbury declared to Gregory Freud— frozen stiff by everything.
"Can't you just be a normal assistant from now on...?"
"........."
"... And perhaps give less provocative orders from now on. I-It's strange to be doing these things at this age."
After what seemed to be an eternity of tense silence, Freud finally opened his mouth, voice trembling with tension.
"Um, lie down."
"... Yes."
.
.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, in the mansion's bathroom,
"... Kitty, don’t you also think that was an utterly absurd incident?"
"Meow..."
As Gia Lestrade was about to get up after finishing her business, she whispered the question to the cat bundled up inside her clothes.
"Why have you been shivering like this since earlier?"
"........."
"... Did you get scared by something?"
Soon, she realised that the small kitten was looking into the void, eyes overcast with deep fright, and could not help but worry.
"Poor thing..."
Seeing the pitiful state of the kitten triggered her sympathy and maternal instincts. Embracing the little fellow in her arms, gently stroking its body, she leaned her head in to comfort the small creature.
- Crackle...
However, just as her lips touched the small kitten’s,
"Ugh...!?"
Abruptly, Sparks started scattering in the air and a bright flash of light blazed out of the trembling cat.
"......!?!?"
Startled, she was about to rise when a sudden weight forced her back down onto her seat.
"......."
Her gaze then fell upon Isaac Adler, who was peeking out from inside her clothes with a dazed expression.
- Peck...
Realising her bare skin and lips were in contact with him, the officer's eyes soon turned unfocused.
""............""
Thus, Gia Lestrade experienced her first kiss in the most absurd of ways.