Chapter 158: The Crawling Human (9)"Haa, haaaa..."


    <em>- tter, tter...</em>


    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..."


    <em>- Creak...</em>


    "Shit, shiiit..."


    The person was so focused on his task that he didn’t even hear the door behind him click open.


    <em>- Click...!</em>".........!"


    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''vemitted 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 <strong>sexual impulses</strong>, that’s why you nned to periodically put Professor Presbury into an <strong>unconscious</strong> 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 sk from her pocket, filled with red liquid. A pallidplexion immediately washed over Freud as he stared at the sk.


    "Where did you get it..."


    "It was stored in a warehouse. I secured it before you could get your filthy hands on the sk."


    "........."


    "Even though it’sbelled 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 sk.


    "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 avable aphrodisiacs circting in the market but couldn''t find any significant results."


    "........."


    "So, I was sure that this sk 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 yed.


    "Of course, you idiotically falling for it wouldn’t have mattered either way. I could have asked Watson to analyse the contents of this sk ande 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 regrly 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 tant 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 bing 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?"


    This time, Charlotte interrupted Lestrade, cutting her off as she had done to Freud.


    "As disgusting as this man''s actions are, unfortunately, they are not criminal."


    "What do you mean?"


    "... Come in."


    Spoke Charlotte, her voice a whisper, as she fully opened the door.


    <em>- Creak...</em>


    "It''s time to end this farce."


    A person soon entered through the opened door, eyes downcast.


    "Isn''t that right, Professor?"


    "........!"


    Surprisingly, the identity of that person was none other than Professor Presbury herself. A slight brush crept up her face— doused in far more makeup than usual.


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    "Pro-Professor..."


    "........."


    "Ho-How did you get here...?"


    Eyes nk, Freud stared at the professor who had suddenly appeared before him. His hazy countenance soon made way for utter bewilderment as he mumbled to himself.


    "It''s funny that you ask how she came to her own house."


    "But, but... I heard she had a seminarter tonight..."


    "... I picked her up on the way. With her consent, of course."


    Hearing her, Freud looked at Charlotte with a stunned expression.


    "I assume you’re wondering why I did this?"


    ".........."


    "Well, why don''t you exin it yourself, Professor?"


    His gaze soon shifted to Professor Presbury, her head still bowed, after hearing Charlotte’s words.


    "Well, actually... the truth is..."


    In the ensuing silence, stuttered words left Professor Presbury’s mouth.


    "... I, I knew that you were doing thi-this strange… thing to me.”


    "What?"


    Cold sweat beaded Freud’s forehead, eyes widening in utter confusion, at Professor Presbury’s deration.


    "I even remember the first day, that you started doing those strange things to me. I was busy working and dozed off for some time... Suddenly, you started whispering in my ears… that I would start lik-liking you from now on…”


    "......."


    "And since then, you’ve beening regrly... um..."


    A strange current flowed in the air as Professor Presbury continued her reminiscence.


    "B-But... you should have been unconscious due to the drug...?"


    "Drug? Unconscious...? I don''t understand what you''re talking about..."


    "Listen, Mr Freud. It seems you are mistaken about something."


    Freud only muttered in a daze, his mind unable to make heads or tails about the scenario. Hearing his continued mumbling, Charlotte interjected in a mocking tone, her eyes filled with utter disdain.


    "Though I admit that strange drug – which you got from who knows where and how – could induce a state of exhaustion, did you really expect it to also guarantee a brainwashing effect?"


    "If, if one falls unconscious... their suppressed desires..."


    "I see. It seems you understand your father’s theories even less than I do. Please,e to your senses."


    At her clear mockery, Gregory Freud clenched his teeth and blushed in shame.


    "Well, mistaking a drug that puts people to sleep for inducing the unconscious state is understandable, if you think about it from an idiot’s perspective. You should have read the books more carefully."


    "Bu-But... there was definitely an effect."


    Voice trembling, he began defending himself.


    "Every single day, I kept whispering to her, urging her to like me… to love me and keep loving me and me alone. And one day, the professor really began loving me sincerely...!"


    "........"


    "O-Of course... she was only gentle with me in a hypnotised state... but I was satisfied with that. Not to mention, the duration of that state was getting longer as the days passed..."


    The professor only bowed her head lower at Freud’s continued attempt at justifying himself, blushing up to her ears for reasons only she was privy to.


    "I-I will dly ept the punishment. Technically, it was no different from forcibly brainwashing the professor so..."


    "So, did you receive any criminal consultation?"


    "No, no! Of course not! That professor with grey hair I met earlier... she just told me to head to the mansion. That everything would be resolved if I just came here..."


    "... Tsk."


    Ignoring his mumbling, Charlotte pressed Freud for answers. However, a deep frown contorted her face at his reply.


    "I, I just... I took it as an instruction to destroy the evidence..."


    "So you had already grasped everything, huh..."


    "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 revtion.


    "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 sheid down her side of things.


    "... I thought it was better to ept it that way at the time. But… after epting a few times, I missed the timing to reveal the truth."


    "So, what then...?"


    She nced at her assistant and then whispered, her voice barely audible as it crept out of her lips.


    "... I, I love you, Freud."


    The hesitant deration 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. Apanying 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 dered 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 tofort the small creature.


    <em>- Crackle...</em>


    However, just as her lips touched the small kitten’s,


    "Ugh...!?"


    Abruptly, Sparks started scattering in the air and a bright sh of light zed 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.


    <em>- Peck…</em>


    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.