Stop trying to control me, Miss Moriarty!

London afternoons are not much different from dawn; the sky is always shrouded in a gloomy hue, like a dull lead ingot.

Lin Ai was walking alone toward Professor Moriarty's office.

Although he had no memory of it left, he pieced together his new identity from his classmates, police officers, and reporters.

—Eryn Adler, a first-year student at the Royal Academy, a former opera singer, and London’s most notorious playboy.

In the original story, Irene appears in "A Scandal in Bohemia," where she causes Holmes to suffer his first defeat and becomes "that woman" in his heart.

In a world where the main characters are all women, it seems more reasonable for Erin Adler to be a man.

The problem is that the company didn't do any content related to "Scandal Bohemia" at all; this character was removed from the very beginning of the project!

Fortunately, he is only fifteen years old and has no intention of continuing to be a womanizer, so the Bohemian scandal is out of the question.

Therefore, the biggest crisis right now is indeed Professor Moriarty.

Standing in front of the office door, Erin sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time.

On the bright side, Moriarty is currently just a young assistant professor, not the dark queen of the underworld.

Judging from the warehouse's performance and system notifications this morning, she was probably just a little curious about herself.

Moreover, even if she had any bad intentions, the academy head was here, a top-tier expert with titles such as "Roaring Lion" and one of the "Seven Saints" of the empire!

After repeatedly reassuring herself, Erin calmed down considerably.

dong dong.

He knocked on the door.

"Please come in."

Moriarty's voice came from inside. Erin took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

squeak-

The door hinges made a faint sound.

The scene that appeared before him the next moment completely shattered all his expectations.

—An elderly man with white hair lay on the sofa, his pupils dilated, blood trickling down from his sleeves, soaking most of the ornately patterned Persian carpet.

Erin's breath caught in his throat, and he instinctively took half a step back, preparing to turn and flee.

"Roaring Lion," one of the Empire's "Seven Saints," and the Dean of the Royal Academy—the source of his confidence is...

She was murdered by Jessia Moriarty in an unknown manner.

"Adler, you've arrived."

Jessia wiped the blood off her hands, a faint smile still on her face, and flicked her fingertips.

Before Erin could react, the door behind him was closed by an invisible hand, the latch snapping shut with a clear click.

Then, Moriarty suddenly appeared before him: "Carrying a magic crystal imprinted with 'explosion' magic is not a good habit."

She didn't know what she had done.

The magical connection between Erin and the magic crystal suddenly broke.

Just like Holmes in the original story when Moriarty suddenly visited, he also prepared a way to protect himself in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

"Explosion magic is still too dangerous for first-year students."

But just like in the original story, Moriarty saw through the little trick with ease, lightly tapping the table with his finger. "I thought you were a smart man. Or have I been mistaken?"

Erin took out three magic crystals, placed them on the desk, and said slowly, "Similarly, Professor, you have also disappointed me somewhat."

"Oh?" Jessia tilted her head slightly, staring at Erin.

Erin rolled up his sleeve, revealing a watch-style magical communicator: "Just now, I edited a message to be sent to the editor-in-chief of The Guardian in thirty minutes. You should know that only the user's magic can retract a message."

Jessia paused for a moment, then slowly sat back in her high-backed chair. "I see, 'Duet chanting'? Where did you learn this technique?"

"Your award-winning paper has already explained the principle very clearly," Erin lied without batting an eye.

Strictly speaking, he personally constructed the entire magic system of this world, so a mere double incantation was a piece of cake for him.

He has come to understand the current situation.

"So," Jessia's violet eyes lit up with curiosity again, "are you threatening me now?"

"No," Erin shook her head and deleted the message in front of her.

He looked at the "corpse" on the sofa: "Also, before we have a proper talk, could you please dispel the 'illusion' spell? Although I know it's fake, I really don't want to sit on it like this."

Jessia gazed at the boy, lost in thought for a moment.

The moment he stepped into the room, his eyes and body language revealed genuine fear.

This shows that he and he are not the same kind of people.

However, even when facing the threat of death, he was able to quickly calm down and use the fluctuations of the magic crystal to cover up the communication spell he was activating at the same time.

Furthermore, in the short period that followed, he saw through the illusion magic he had set up.

Jessia possesses unparalleled talent.

From childhood to adulthood, every crime she committed was a perfect crime that no one could detect.

At first, you can find it enjoyable, but as you do it more often, it quickly becomes tedious and boring.

To this end, she tried various actions and met countless people, but no one had ever been able to break this almost cursed iron law.

Until today.

This was the first time Jessie had ever witnessed someone escape from her meticulously woven spider web.

Such a novel and fascinating experience is truly intoxicating.

She felt her heartbeat gradually quicken.

It was my first time doing this, and I had an urge to deeply understand the unknown existence before me!

Jessia waved her hand, and as the magic dissipated, the illusion magic set up in the office instantly vanished.

She placed her hands clasped on the table and asked in as calm a tone as possible, "Would you like to be my first graduate student?"

Magical research often requires a lot of support work, so professors in academies recruit graduate students to assist with these tasks.

But Jessia was different from those mediocre people.

What others might consider difficult is as simple as children playing house to her.

She doesn't need any help; she has always been alone.

Or rather, no one has ever been able to stand by her side.

But this time, she wanted to know whether the flames before her were an illusion caused by hypothermia or a real source of heat.

Then nurture him until he is qualified to burn himself.

"...?"

Ailin looked somewhat bewildered.

Why did Moriarty ask this question after pondering for a while?

[The Napoleon and Lannes of the Criminal World: Giving Meaning to Jessia Moriarty's Existence]

[Progress: 1% → 5%]

The progress bar has gone up, so does that mean I've passed the level?

He pretended to think for a moment: "Well, I must say, this is a very attractive opportunity. Under your guidance, I am sure to achieve extraordinary things in the future."

"But—I refuse!"

Just kidding. London, the main stage of the game, turned into a chaotic mess a few years later, completely unsuitable for human habitation.

Erin had long ago made up his mind that after visiting Baker Street to see the living Sherlock Holmes, he would immediately take a boat and flee to America.

Goodbye to demons, vampires, monsters, and system quests.

A brand new and wonderful life beckoned to him from across the ocean.

"That's a real shame." Jessia accepted his refusal with unusual calm. "But in that case, I'm no longer obligated to help you get rid of the slow-acting poison in your body."

"A slow-acting poison?"

Jessia tilted her head and looked at him: "Don't you feel anything? Like, you're always sleepy and weak in your limbs. These are all signs of poisoning. It's not too late to change your mind. There aren't many alchemists in the whole of Britain who can handle this kind of complex poison."

"..."

Ailin thought it was kidney deficiency caused by excessive indulgence.

He politely declined, saying, "Thank you for your concern, but I have other options."

Rather than seeking help from Moriarty, he preferred to bribe another alchemist who lived in seclusion in London.

[Progress: 5% → 8%]

Jessia's curiosity deepened: "That's surprising. It seems you know 'her'?"

"What are you talking about?" Erin chose to play dumb.

Jessia didn't ask any further questions.

"Oh, right," she said, as if she had just remembered something, and took a photo out of her pocket and handed it over, "You should be careful carrying such an important photo. Luckily, I found it this time."

Erin casually took it.

After reading the contents, he was so shocked that he could not move.

What... what is this?!

A stunningly beautiful silver-haired woman, wearing a platinum crown, was completely naked, lying on all fours like a puppy with her belly pressed against the ground, licking a leather shoe!

The owner of the leather shoes, the silver-haired boy standing next to her, although he looked somewhat immature, was undoubtedly Erin Adler himself.

"I must say, you're really something to make the Queen of Bohemia act like a dog."

WTF? !

Judging from the photos, Erin Adler was only twelve or thirteen years old at the time! Your Majesty, how could you do this?

Seeing his distraught appearance, Jessia smiled charmingly: "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. But as your professor, I still have to give you some advice: an overly dissolute lifestyle is harmful to your physical and mental health."

In a daze, her voice kept echoing in Erin's mind.

.

.

.

London streets.

A tall woman in a trench coat hummed a cheerful tune as she walked briskly toward the somewhat old-fashioned apartment door.

The copper doorplate is covered in rust due to the passage of time, and the door number is barely legible.

——【221B Baker Street】