"Why didn't the apprentice plead guilty?
"Because in his heart, that was not murder, but the fulfillment of his teacher's great art."
Russell was rendered completely speechless. He felt as though his brain had been formatted and then reinstalled.
Looking at the young girl beside him, who was understatingly dissecting the craziest aspect of human nature, he felt a genuine sense of... awe for the first time.
This woman... she wasn't deducting; she was empathizing with the criminal.
No, she understood the crime even better than the criminal themselves.
She really was a psychopath!
[Mary Morstan feels very satisfied with your shock.]
Russell took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
"So..." He licked his somewhat dry lips, looking at Mary. "Do you intend to tell this story to Miss Holmes?"
"Me?" Mary blinked, that innocent and harmless expression returning to her face.
"Why would I tell her? I am just an ordinary female student who is a little curious about gossip.
"Everything I just said was merely my own wild fancy; it cannot be taken as truth."
She chuckled softly, elegantly tucking a loose strand of silver hair behind her ear, as if those shocking remarks just now had nothing to do with her.
"But..."
"No 'buts', Mr. Watson."
Mary interrupted him. She leaned forward slightly, her azure eyes close at hand, and that scent of white tea mixed with ink almost enveloped him.
"Now, the person who knows this truth is you.
"How to utilize it to make that insufferably arrogant great detective look at you with new respect, or even owe you a favor, depends entirely on yourself."
Her voice was full of seduction, like the serpent in the Garden of Eden.
"Consider it... payment for chatting with me."
After speaking, she sat up straight, picked up her book again, and put on the appearance of listening attentively, as if everything just now had been merely an illusion.
Russell sat there in a daze, glancing at the quiet and beautiful Mary beside him, and then thinking of the great detective next door who was on the verge of madness because she couldn't figure it out.
At this moment, he only felt that his life was sprinting in an extremely ridiculous direction.
He had two choices now.
One: Tell Charlotte this deduction, enjoy the shocked and stunned expression of the genius detective, solve her trouble in passing, and save his own ears.
Two: Pretend to know nothing and let Charlotte continue to be troubled. After all, whether the case was solved or not had nothing to do with him.
Russell chose the first option with almost no hesitation.
You must be joking; he still needed to sleep.
Moreover... seeing the expression of that proud genius eating humble pie seemed like quite an amusing thing.
Maybe he could even fish for some more Malice Points?
As for Mary...
Russell glanced at the focused side profile beside him.
This woman was too dangerous.
Better to stay far away from her in the future.
[Mary Morstan sensed your intent to distance yourself and feels a trace of dissatisfaction toward you. Malice Points +30]
"...."
She can read minds too?!
See, what did I tell you!
In short, the morning classes passed safely without mishap.
Just as Russell was preparing to set off to forage for food, Mary called out to him once again.
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Miss Holmes all morning."
She looked around curiously.
"I recall she is a freshman just like us, right?"
"Mycroft helped her apply for an exemption. It doesn't matter even if she doesn't come," Russell explained.
"That's so nice. I want an exemption too; I don't want to come to class either."
"Is it that you don't want to come to class, or that you don't want to see me?"
The young girl beside him raised an eyebrow, hands behind her back, leaning forward slightly, asking in a tone mixed with interrogation and teasing.
"Ha, look at what you're saying, Miss Morstan. I have no grievances or enmity with you, so why would I not want to see you?"
Russell squeezed out an ingratiating smile as he spoke.
"Is that so? Then you do want to see me?"
"Well, I wouldn't say I want to that much..."
"Hmm?"
"Cough, cough. Since we're here, let's go eat." Russell hurriedly changed the subject. "I've always wanted to taste what the Imperial College cafeteria is like."
"Alright." Mary readily agreed, the smile at the corners of her mouth deepening a few degrees.
"Then let's go. I happen to be hungry too."
"Ah, you're coming too?" Russell paused slightly.
"What, you still don't want to see me?" Mary raised an eyebrow.
"No, I mean..." He didn't finish his sentence, simply turning his head to glance in other directions.
At this moment, quite a few people were casting their gazes toward the location where the two of them stood.
It was impossible not to attract attention.
After all, this was Mary Morstan, the daughter of Duke Morstan, who was illustrious in high society.
If given the chance, who wouldn't want to come over and curry favor?
Once out of the school gates, speaking purely from a social level, the words of Duke Morstan were far more useful than those of Mycroft.
The latter might influence the establishment and release of a draft or bill.
The former, however, could tangibly affect the trajectory of a person's life.
Russell felt those gazes sticking to him almost turn into substance, drilling holes into his back.
He could clearly hear the hushed discussions around him.
"Look, that's Miss Morstan..."
"Who is that man next to her? Never seen him before."
"To be walking with Miss Morstan, he definitely isn't an ordinary person, right?"
"What's wrong, Mr. Watson?" Mary's voice rang in his ear, carrying a smile that asked despite knowing the answer.
"Your expression looks a bit reluctant. Does walking with me make you feel troubled?"
"No." Russell looked straight ahead, quickening his pace.
"I just think that perhaps you should..."
He was just about to find an excuse to send Mary away when, at that moment, the System notification suddenly rang out in his mind.
More Malice Points had arrived.
But this time, they didn't come from Mary.
They came from... those bystanders.
[Timmy Roy feels jealousy toward the interaction between you and Mary Morstan. Malice Points +10]
[Isabella Clark believes you are unworthy of the noble Miss Morstan. Malice Points +15]
[Unknown Passerby A feels strong disdain toward you. Malice Points +5]
Hoho, there's even an unexpected harvest here.
That's wild.
His footsteps paused. The expression on his face that had been trying to avoid her froze instantly.
Immediately after, a brilliant smile, originating from the bottom of his heart, slowly bloomed on his face.
"What is it?" Mary keenly captured the subtle change in his expression, a trace of curiosity flashing through her azure eyes.
"No, nothing." Russell shook his head, the smile on his face becoming increasingly sincere.
"I just suddenly felt that being able to have lunch with Miss Morstan is the honor of a lifetime."
As he spoke, he even slowed his pace in a very gentlemanly manner, walking side by side with Mary, his back straightened ramrod stiff, as if the person who wanted to slip away just now wasn't him.
[The onlookers feel scorn for your affected manner. Malice Points +20]
Eating is good.
This meal must be eaten.
This meal gives me strength.
________________________________________
If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on (P). with 50 advanced chapters available on (P)
👻 Join the crew by searching Leanzin on (P). You know the spot! 😉