Charlotte watched Mycroft's retreating back until the figure had completely vanished beyond the doorway, only then slowly drawing her gaze back.
"Looks like you guessed wrong."
Russell's voice rang out beside her. He still held that piece of buttered toast in his hand, speaking in a slow, unhurried manner.
"This only proves that the conjecture you and Mary made was mistaken, and that it misled me as a result."
Charlotte shot back.
"The connection between Mycroft and Moriarty extends only to that one incident at Buckingham Palace.
Beyond that, anything further back has nothing to do with him—whether it's Ethan Roy or Lloyds Bank."
"So, the line between Mycroft and Moriarty——"
Russell made a scissoring gesture with his fingers, then snapped them shut.
"Cut."
"As things stand now, yes," Charlotte nodded.
"Setting that aside—did you cross blades with Moriarty last night?"
Russell said, changing the subject.
"How did it feel?"
At that, Charlotte fell silent for a moment, seeming to either recall or carefully choose her words.
After a while, she finally said:
"Eerie."
"What do you mean... eerie?"
"I mean it literally," Charlotte said, downing the coffee in her cup in one go.
"That fellow is just too eerie."
"For instance?"
"For instance, his footwork," Charlotte set down her coffee cup, her brow knitting tightly.
"I have to admit, he's fast—too fast to be a normal person."
"Speed?"
"No, it's absolutely not just a matter of speed," Charlotte shook her head.
"It's more like... a kind of magic trick? I honestly don't even know how to describe it.
He can appear in the most unexpected place at the most unexpected moment.
For example, he'd throw a smoke bomb in the corridor, and the very next instant he'd appear, without a sound, atop the chandelier overhead.
The whole process, not even the slightest noise, as if he'd teleported straight there, utterly unbound by the laws of physics."
"Sounds just like a ghost," Russell remarked, while dropping a sugar cube into his coffee.
"More or less," Charlotte nodded. "And his combat technique is strange too."
"Strange how?"
"Mycroft and I exchanged several rounds with him.
But he never attacked first—he didn't even counterattack."
Charlotte said, frowning.
"The entire time, he was only blocking, blocking endlessly, or dodging.
He... he was like a seasoned old hand, always able to neutralize my offensives in the most effortless way.
Add in those bizarre gadgets of his, and even with Mycroft and me joining forces, the two of us together couldn't gain much of an advantage."
Charlotte irritably refilled her own cup of coffee.
"To be honest, I can more or less understand Charles Brown a little now.
Only after truly crossing blades with him do you realize just how eerie this fellow really is."
"Then shall I go contact Lestrade first and have him book you a slot at the sanatorium?"
No sooner had Russell opened his mouth than Charlotte shot him a vicious glare.
And then, quite predictably, he received from the young lady a leather shoe stomped hard onto the top of his foot.
[Malice Points from Charlotte Holmes, +50]
"Hsss——" Russell drew in a sharp breath, clutching his foot, a pained expression on his face.
Mimicry Baby it is.
She damn near stomped the stitching right off my leather boots.
Watching him in this state, the irritation in Charlotte's heart dispersed somewhat. She picked up her coffee cup again, the corner of her mouth curving into a barely perceptible arc.
"Still," Charlotte paused, a note of indignation in her tone.
"If that Mycroft fellow hadn't suddenly charged out last night and thrown off my rhythm, I might have been able to probe out a bit more."
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, I get what you mean," Russell nodded.
The two bickered a few more lines, and breakfast time came to an end in an atmosphere both eerie and harmonious.
At lunch, Russell and Charlotte once again dined together with Louise's family in the banquet hall.
Only this time, compared to when he'd first arrived, Russell had grown much more accustomed to it—he could even field a quip or two tossed his way by the Queen.
Charlotte, as ever, said not a word, keeping her head down as she ate.
Once lunch ended, Louise deliberately stayed behind, intending to spend the last little while with the two of them before they left.
The little girl looked at Russell and Charlotte, her amber eyes brimming with reluctance.
"Miss Holmes, Mr. Watson," she lifted the hem of her skirt and performed an impeccable curtsy. "Thank you both so very much this time."
"You're most welcome, Your Highness," Charlotte, for once, returned a gentle smile. "It's our duty."
"As long as you've got your own things back," Russell added.
"Mm!" Louise nodded heavily. She walked up to Russell, gazing at him with blazing eyes.
"Mr. Watson, may I ask you a question?"
"Of course, Your Highness."
"Do you think... Mr. Moriarty will come again?"
The girl's voice was very soft, carrying a trace of anticipation.
Hearing this, Russell exchanged a glance with Charlotte beside him, then smiled and shook his head.
"I think, probably not," he said.
"After all, a perfect magician will never perform the same trick twice on the same stage."
"I see..." A flicker of poorly concealed disappointment passed through Louise's eyes, but she quickly rallied again.
"That's truly a shame," she said softly, but soon lifted her head once more, a smile breaking across her face.
"Still, thank you both again.
If there's a chance in the future, I hope you'll come visit Buckingham Palace again.
When that time comes, I can introduce you to a new friend, too."
"We certainly will, Your Highness," Russell replied with a smile.
The carriage, under the afternoon sun, smoothly drove away from Buckingham Palace.
Mycroft and Louise stood at the doorway, watching the carriage depart.
Inside the cabin, Russell and Charlotte sat facing each other, each holding a gift box.
The boxes contained a complete royal afternoon tea set, everything from the teacups to the tea leaves.
Not only that, but the formal attire the two had worn at the banquet on their first day had also been packed up and placed inside the boxes as well.
Russell leaned back in his seat, and the instant the carriage pulled away from Buckingham Palace, a prompt from the System sounded in his mind.
[Mission Complete: Perfect Curtain Call]
[Final Rating: S+ (A Grand Escape Toward the Moonlight)]
[Rewards Issued: Title upgraded to "Midnight Phantom," Malice Points acquisition increased by 50%, Attribute Point +1]
[Special item unlocked in the Malice Points Shop]
"Looks like this trip to Buckingham Palace yielded quite a haul."
Charlotte's voice suddenly rang out. Watching Russell's smug look that he couldn't quite hide, she remarked in a flat, dispassionate tone.
"It's alright, I suppose," Russell reined in his smile. "At least we saved two days' worth of room and board."
"What a pathetic little ambition you have," Charlotte curled her lip and turned her gaze out the window.
The carriage rolled along smoothly, its wheels grinding over the cobblestone road with a monotonous yet rhythmic sound.
The carriage came to a stop outside 221B.
Russell and Charlotte stepped down from the carriage, carrying the two boxes filled with gifts.
Mrs. Hudson had long been waiting at the doorway, the smile on her face even more radiant than the sunshine outside.
"Oh, my dear children, you're finally back!"
She warmly came forward to greet them, taking the two rather hefty gift boxes from their hands.
"Come in, come in, I've prepared afternoon tea for you."
The two walked into that familiar living room, brimming with the warmth of daily life.
The fire in the hearth was burning brightly, and on the table sat black tea and freshly baked scones.
Everything was just the same as when they'd left.
Even the black tea was still hot.
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