148 – Decadents (3)
From noble mtl dot com
Watson had no choice but to look at Holmes, who had remained silent and lost in thought, with anxiety since he met Professor Moriarty.
I couldn’t open my mouth hastily. He was by no means afraid of hearing a harsh word from Holmes. Of course, he couldn’t say with confidence that he didn’t have a single trace of such fear.
Holmes was definitely an interesting friend to hang out with in many ways, and Watson, although I felt close to him in his own way, was a friend with many corners.
Right now, the various groundless accusations and scoldings against Watson himself, and even the recent act of subtly poking his chest and making fun of him, made Watson feel like this detective friend was a cat playing with its food.
Unfortunately, the prey was Watson himself.
But it was not simply because of this fear that Holmes remained silent. Watson himself felt as strange as Holmes.
I came here to follow Holmes to solve a certain case or the mystery of the man, and even saw the man, but the ridicule like before was unexpected.
Even Watson could see that it was a provocation. Really, really Professor Moriarty is an evil villain.
Watson thought so.
But at the same time, he couldn’t help but be confused by his still fickle mind. Before Watson knew the man’s true nature, he clearly had feelings for him.
He was a good man who was difficult not to fall in love with. It was strange for him not to have feelings for a single man who was handsome, kind, and above all, who even saved him from trouble like a knight from a fairy tale.
No, even after learning about his true nature, he still could not say that he had completely abandoned that desire. Is this why Holmes hates emotional things?
Watson had never thought of such things before, but this time he had no choice but to side with his eccentric friend’s theory.
Even after knowing the nature of his partner, his irrational emotions prevented him from making a rational judgment.
‘Wait a minute, then…’ What about Holmes?
As soon as he was alone with Holmes in silence, Watson’s thoughts began to branch out into many different directions, most of which were thoughts that Holmes would laugh at, but for a moment he reached into thoughts that he should not touch.
No, that was entirely from Holmes’ point of view. Watson himself knew better than Holmes about emotions, at least about the emotions of young women like him and himself.
No, he didn’t even have to be a party. If he looked from the side, he might have vaguely noticed it.
There were many obstacles between James Moriarty and Holmes to reach that idea.
But soon Watson stopped thinking about it. He did so instinctively.
The two women were sitting in silence, but in fact they were still in the theater, where people were making noise and leaving, so there was only noise surrounding them.
Watson struggled to turn his thoughts to the noises. Of course, there was no useful information. He tried to imitate his friend and make observations, but to Watson it was still just nonsense.
Most of them, of course, were praise for Irene Adler, who performed successfully today. Watson himself could sympathize.
I originally attended today’s performance for research purposes, but unlike Holmes, who was only focusing on Professor Moriarty with a keen eye, Watson was truly enjoying the performance at some point.
They were in their own separate world, but a stranger came to visit.
A strange gentleman who seemed to be covering himself with a hot-looking coat suddenly approached the two. Only then did Holmes raise his head, and even Watson, who had seen his opponent’s face, was astonished and was about to open his mouth.
“Ah… kids-“
“Shh! “Let’s go to the back, it’ll be quiet there.”
It was Irene Adler who should have been surrounded by people because she made today’s performance shine. Fortunately, no one around her noticed her because she was dressed as a man, seemingly like an ordinary gentleman.
Holmes clicked her tongue as if she was disapproving, but followed Adler, who was leading the way, and Watson also walked along, like a puppy following its owner.
As Irene Adler said, the place she was heading to was a place of silence, as if it were a completely different place than the noise-filled theater she had just been in. In fact, it was a dead end street with nothing in it.
“What brought you here? “She won’t have any more business with you.”
“You don’t have any friends, do you?”
“… Only idiots think friends are important. “I don’t intentionally have friends.”
“Ho… Holmes? “Then what am I?”
“…… “I hardly ever leave it.”
Holmes reacted as if he was displeased with what Adler blurted out. Of course, while correcting Watson’s subsequent remarks, she had no choice but to continue the ‘stupid conversation’ for a while like those performing a comedy on stage.
Adler, who watched this, expressed her impressions.
“We get along better than I thought.”
“Stop telling stupid stories. “What business did you call me for?”
“I told you, I have a duty to avenge Sibyl Vane’s death.”
“I don’t remember speaking in such a sentimental way. “You seem to have a bad memory.”
“I heard you’ve also taken acting lessons from her? Then you understand better, right? “When I’m on stage, I can see the audience better than anyone else.”
There was silence for a moment. But then, as if he had raised his hand first, Holmes took another cigarette in his mouth, lit it, and slightly raised his head as if to tell him to continue.
In response, the singer shrugged her shoulders and took out her cigarette in response and continued her words.
“Dorian Gray, that man had the audacity to come back here again. His expression didn’t look good, as if he was feeling remorse, but he was still a hypocrite. I assure you, there are definitely some shady aspects to it. You may have heard that he sold his soul to the devil, even though he is strangely not old.”
“That impression is not important at all. It’s useless. “It’s literally just a sentimental and selfish review.”
“…… Okay, I’m excited. Still, I know who the man I was with was. “You’ll get this much help, right?”
“Professor James Moriarty and Professor Charles Dodgson. They’re all teaching maths at Oxford. For your information, I am also studying at Christ Church College, Oxford, so I attend their lectures in person.”
“You are an intellectual. Still, it looks like the other one will be investigated now. “This is Sir Henry Wotton.”
“I think that was helpful for the first time today.”
“There is no need to be ashamed. I have to go back now, my job is too much for me to stay away any longer. Good luck, and… “It’s a woman’s feeling, but I think we’ll meet again.”
“Don’t expect too much. My goal is to catch Dorian Gray… “Not right away.”
“You’re kinder than I thought.”
Watson could tell that Holmes’s last words were meant to hide his shame and were a form of consolation in their own way.
Miss Adler noticed this, but Holmes looked away, putting a cigarette in his mouth as if he did not like such a reaction or was embarrassed.
Irene Adler didn’t say anything more, and just disappeared back to where she wanted to be. Watson and Holmes stood alone at the end of the closed alley.
“What are you going to do now, Holmes?”
Watson asked again carefully. My friend opened his mouth, exhaling cigarette smoke.
“For the time being, we will have to research Dorian Gray. “You saw the teacher’s provocation today, right Watson?”
“… That… Of course, Holmes, it would be more accurate since it’s your opinion……. Are you sure though? There was another body to begin with, was it Edwin Drood? “Why don’t you investigate that?”
“What could be the reason the teacher provoked me like that? “This one goes first, Watson.”
Holmes declared.
Of course, she could not realize that she was making a somewhat wrong judgment in the face of the teacher’s provocation, and Watson did not know how to change his friend’s thoughts.
Three days later, the newspapers were again talking about the torso bodies discovered in the Thames, and Watson was heading somewhere in a carriage with Holmes.
Because Holmes did not tell him the destination, Watson could not know the destination of the carriage. Instead, Holmes told a different story.
“Sir Henry Wotton has many ugly aspects, but there is nothing in particular that connects him to crime. “He is an ordinary decadent.”
“… “And what about Lord Dorian Gray?”
“In addition to Sybil Vane’s younger brother, James Vane, who was found with a torso, there was one more suspicious aspect. There is also a possibility that it has something to do with the disappearance of a painter named Basil Hallward. This is a painter who disappeared a few years ago, and although Dorian Gray is not suspected of this, he was acquainted with him. And… “I heard you were close enough to paint your portrait yourself. Don’t you smell it, Watson?”
“That… is it? “So are we going to investigate the artist?”
“No. There is no evidence. No matter how country you are, you can’t create something from nothing. “So I’m going to see Dorian Gray myself.”
“… What? That… But will he meet us often?”
Watson’s question was extremely common sense. Unlike some criminals who had recklessly pursued him, Lord Dorian Gray was unable to take that approach. Normally, Watson would pretend to be afraid and smile without realizing it, imagining that he and Holmes would run into a gang together, but this time he couldn’t.
Holmes shrugged his shoulders as if he agreed and gave the answer.
“We can’t meet normally. Don’t worry, Watson. He sent me a threatening letter saying he had proof that he murdered Basil Hallward. “I have no choice but to meet you.”
From noble mtl dot com
“Ji… “What did you say just now?”
“Don’t worry, there’s no way there’s evidence in the first place, right? “Of course it’s a lie.”
“Ho… “Holmes?”
Watson asked nervously, but Holmes ignored him. The carriage continued to go somewhere.
