– Whirrr…
"…Excuse me, Professor."
Adler, sweating coldly as he watched Moriarty's grey mana spread throughout his body for a while already, hesitantly spoke up.
"Isn't it enough now…?"
The violet mana of Lady Roylott, which had coated his body in its purplish hue before, was already completely extinguished and replaced by Professor Moriarty's murky grey mana.
"Professor?"
Taking this phenomenon into consideration, it was evident that enough mana had already been utilized to do the simple act of releasing the previous bindings of his body.
Yet, Professor Moriarty continued to push her mana into Adler's body without rest.
"Um, isn't it about time…?"
Soon, as the mana circuit inside his body started dyeing in the hues of her mana, Adler felt a chilling sensation all over and proceeded to hurriedly open his mouth to relay his troubled thoughts.
"It feels strange."
"Adler."
However, Professor Moriarty, who was sitting on his lap, looked straight into his eyes while tilting her head and whispered to him in a soft tone.
"Didn't I tell you to stay still?"
"...….."
Hearing those words, Adler momentarily wore a dazed expression on his face. And soon, he relaxed his tensed body, deciding to listen to her words for now.
"Well done."
With that, she smiled gently and stroked Adler's head with her palm.
"…But what are you doing right now, Professor?"
Hearing the slightly fearful question hesitantly leak out of Adler's mouth, Moriarty just tilted her head in response.
"Well, what do you think I'm doing?"
"Pardon?"
"Try to wager a guess."
As she spoke, she embraced Adler and whispered to him in that same soft tone of hers.
"You like riddles, don't you?"
It was true that he liked riddles, but at that very moment, Adler was in no state to make use of his thinking capabilities.
Since he was enveloped by the touch and warmth of Professor Jane Moriarty, and her silky smooth hair.
For a soul that had no experience whatsoever with women, the sensations her fatal physique enacted in him were overwhelmingly intense and stimulating.
"…Are you trying to poison me to death?"
Even in such a situation, Adler, who desperately clung to his rationality, managed to ask while feigning a smile… even though his ears had already taken on a bright shade of red.
"You're good at posing riddles but terrible at solving them, huh…"
"So…?"
Adler, slightly dazed from it all, heard Jane Moriarty whisper softly in his ear.
"I'm not trying to kill you, but to protect you."
"…So you're admitting you're making me addicted to you, right?"
Hearing that, Adler chuckled lightly and said in response.
"Do you intend to dye my entire being with your colors?"
Looking at his own pallor, Adler inquired with a resigned smile on his face.
"Are you some kind of human love potion?"
"...…."
"But with this… Charlotte would…"
Then, Adler trailed off, drooping his head soon after…
"...…"
Moriarty gazed down at him, who nestled silently in her embrace.
– Whirrr…
Shortly after, Jane Moriarty cautiously retracted the mana she had been operating, circulating it through Adler's body.
His mana circuit had been completely dyed by her overwhelming grey mana already.
And it didn't just end at that— the boy named Isaac Adler himself was practically coated in her colors.
Moreover, thanks to that effect, he was showing symptoms of Mana Poisoning— a condition said to manifest only after years of exposure to mana stones.
Having symptoms of poisoning due to immersion with a human's mana was a phenomenon deemed to be unprecedented in the history of magic.
"…Adler."
After concluding such a historical event so casually, she began to murmur to him in that same soft tone of hers.
"Have you now become mine?"
However, there was still a hint of doubt lingering in her voice.
'What is this restlessness that I am feeling?'
Magically, she had solidified Adler as her possession and simultaneously placed a powerful protection on him, ensuring that no one could even dare to harm him.
Yet, holding Adler in her smothering embrace, she couldn't help but feel an unsettling feeling creeping up through her body and mind.
Why? What could be the reason behind that feeling?
"...…?"
Lost in thought for a long while with such questions whirring in her mind, Professor Moriarty's gaze shifted to the basement door, which had become eerily quiet for some time.
– Swish…
Then, in the blink of an eye, the gaze that was felt coming from between the slightly ajar basement door vanished without a trace.
"...Ha."
However, a moment later, she was once again able to feel a faint gaze coming from the cracks of the door and it was only then that Professor Moriarty finally realized…
'So that's what it was.'
She started feeling uneasy since she recognized the fact that Adler might abandon her.
'Even if I don't ever get bored of you…'
She remembered the sight of Adler, wearing a collar given by Lady Roylott while lapping up the milk pooled in her hand.
'…You might get tired of me first.'
The image of Adler, with cold disappointed eyes, whispering his disillusionment and leaving from her side, surfaced in her mind.
'Even without consent, he could be taken away arbitrarily.'
'What would be the solution then?'
After pondering for a moment, Professor Moriarty quickly came to a firm conclusion.
'…That would be the best method, yes…'
She mumbled inwardly, and as she gazed at the eyes appearing once again through the gap in the basement door, her lips began to slowly curl into a faint smile.
.
.
.
.
.
Just how much time had passed since I was overwhelmed by the professor's mana and had dozed off?
"…..Ouch."
Awakened by the sharp pain that had started to emanate from my neck, I was left frozen by the sight that registered in my eyes.
"...…."
"Pro… Professor?"
Professor Moriarty, who had been seated on my lap all this time, was oddly biting my neck, gnawing on it with considerable force.
"W-What are you doing right now?"
In complete surprise, I gently pushed her away from me. Drawing her face slightly back, Professor Moriarty began to cutely tilt her head, just as she usually would.
"I was just asserting my ownership over you."
"Yes?"
"I had something I originally intended to do, but it would hold no meaning unless you were awake for it. Regrettably, I started by asserting my claim of ownership first."
Who was she even trying to assert her ownership to?
Wait, how does biting my neck equate to asserting ownership?
"Haven't you bitten the neck of a woman you desired to possess already?"
"...…"
"There must be some metaphorical meaning or effect. Merely biting the neck wouldn't make someone fall for you."
As I stared at Professor Moriarty with a blank gaze, she in turn stared intently back at me and whispered those words.
"When… When did I ever do that?"
"Don't deny it."
Finishing her words, she nestled into my embrace once more.
"Ouch."
A moment later, a prickling pain began to be felt at the front of my neck once more.
"Ow, ow, ow, that hurts…"
Watching me frantically utter those words and writhing under her, she widened her eyes in surprise and pulled her head back.
"…Did you hate what I did?"
"A little."
"Then, I apologize."
With that, she gently caressed my neck and whispered.
"Adler."
"…Yes?"
"I have a request."
Feeling the distance between us become even closer than before, I quietly turned my gaze away, but her soft voice still managed to reach my ears.
"I want you to cooperate with me in creating a Fait Accompli1Basically, a Fate Accompli here is like a contract of sorts but not really. What Moriarty wants here is to make Adler into her soulmate, her destined partner, one who completes her and she in turn completes him, and one that would not be able to ever leave her. So, she wants to basically bind them in a lover's contract that would make them both inseparable and would also ensure that everyone knew just who Adler belonged to. Just that there won't be any written contract. I know it is a bit convoluting but this is the best explanation I can come up with to get the meaning across.."
"…What did you just say?"
For a moment, I doubted my ears and asked again but her answer remained consistent.
"I want to create a Fait Accompli that only you and I share."
"Why… Why?"
"It's the conclusion I've come to in order to not repeat the mistake I made with you."
Now, even my hair had begun to turn into a shade of greyish-white.
"And also, to clearly show our relationship to the uninvited guests."
"What does that mean…"
"Stay still."
However, regardless of my reaction, Jane Moriarty began to approach me while holding both of my arms.
"Regrettably, I have no knowledge of this side of things. I don't even understand it."
"Wha, what…"
"The only thing I'm somewhat familiar with is the act that's universally shown among lovers— so popular that it is even described in papers."
Only then did I realize what she intended to do, and I hurriedly tried to dissuade the professor.
"But a Fait Accompli should be enough. It will be memorable in many ways…"
"No, we can't stop at that."
Then, as she had come close enough that her nose was almost touching mine, she quietly tilted her head.
"Is there a problem?"
"This is something you only do with someone you love."
I whispered those words to her with a flushed face and Professor Moriarty merely stared intently at me before asking in a subdued tone.
"Don't you love me?"
"Well… I do love you."
"Then what's the problem?"
"It's just my unrequited love, isn't it?"
Upon hearing that, her brows furrowed.
"Do you love me, Professor?"
"I…"
Then, Professor Moriarty seemed lost in thought for a moment.
"I'm sorry."
She quickly responded with a slightly gloomy expression on her face.
"I haven't yet understood the emotion called love."
"See? In such a state, acting on such things carelessly…"
"But without you, I feel like I'd suffer immensely and perhaps even die."
Suddenly smiling intently, she grabbed my arms once again.
"That's how precious you are to me."
"Excuse me…?"
"To establish a Fait Accompli… to protect such a valuable person, is love even necessary in this case?"
Now, with her face so close to mine, I couldn't bear to look at her and chose to tightly shut my eyes.
"If it still feels awkward, I'll tell you just this once."
In the next moment, hearing her whisper, I couldn't help but realize…
"…I love you, Isaac."
Realize that my very first kiss would belong to Professor Jane Moriarty and her only.
"Now, is there a problem?"
"…It's my first kiss…"
I blurted out the truth belatedly, but it was already too late to do anything.
"…Same here."
And just as she finished, her soft tongue dug into my lips and entered my mouth.
.
.
.
.
.
Only a few minutes had passed since then…
– KOOOOOOMMM!!!
The silent basement was suddenly filled with a deafening noise. The door, which showed no signs of breaking before, fell apart like paper and a massive cloud of dust billowed up in the room.
"...….."
And then, a heavy silence ensued.
"Oh dear, Holmes."
From within the cloud of dust, a girl shrouded in black smoke staggered forward. Professor Moriarty's cold voice reached her ears soon after.
"You have made a considerable effort, but you're still a step too late."
Her lips were still connected to Adler's by a line of sticky saliva.
"You're still not fit to be a detective."
At that instant, a murderous intent like no other started swirling in Charlotte's eyes.
KarmaN: Basically, a Fate Accompli here is like a contract of sorts but not really. What Moriarty wants here is to make Adler into her soulmate, her destined partner, one who completes her and she in turn completes him, and one that would not be able to ever leave her.
So, she wants to basically bind them in a lover's contract that would make them both inseparable and would also ensure that everyone knew just who Adler belonged to. Just that there won't be any written contract. I know it is a bit convoluting but this is the best explanation I can come up with to get the meaning across.