Chapter 366: Lost Secret Intelligence
The Moriarty family did not hire live-in gardeners; instead, they invited renowned horticulturalists to tend to their garden periodically.
Juan Sorenson, a former professor of biology at the Royal Law University, was famous within the circles of the Knight families for his beautifully arranged garden and exceptionally well-cared-for flowers. Because of this, he enjoyed a higher status and income after his retirement. Many wished to have the esteemed Old Juan design their gardens, and it even became a trend among distinguished families. However, securing his services required a certain standing… Old Moriarty, as a full professor, possessed that standing. He was a close friend of Professor Sorenson.
“Did you enjoy your travels, Alistair?”
Old Juan had watched Alistair and Edward grow up, so he knew why Alistair had been absent and could address them by their names: “You’ve returned at just the right time – Edward is unusually not out today.”
“He’s not working today?” Alistair stopped, inquiring carefully.
“Yes, Edward seems to be entertaining a guest. The person is wearing a naval uniform and looks quite young, probably around Edward’s age.”
The old gardener thought for a moment before replying, “Perhaps he’s Edward’s friend. The young man seemed happy to see Edward.”
“…How rare. Big brother actually has friends his own age.” Alistair found it peculiar. “I’ve never heard of it.”
Given Edward’s rigid, solemn, and unsmiling personality, his friendship with Sherlock was entirely due to Sherlock also being an eccentric individual. Edward’s appearance differed from Alistair’s and Yulia’s; he could not be considered handsome by any measure, merely possessing regular features and maintaining a neat, clean appearance. When dressed formally, he resembled a solemn and reassuring spokesperson at a conference. However, if he changed into civilian clothes and let down his neatly slicked-back hair, he could easily blend into a crowd.
He was a man who disliked sharing his thoughts and secrets with others. Even after years of friendship with Sherlock, he still kept almost all his secrets from him. This was also one of Edward’s few strengths in social interactions – he was at least discreet; he would never reveal gossip he overheard.
He always wore a stern expression, rarely reacting to jokes or stories told by others, and never chose to participate in “supportive” moments that required reading the room. He always spoke directly, and if there was nothing that needed to be said, he would remain silent. He was highly averse to those who approached him solely with flattery. If his aversion reached its extreme, he would even disregard their feelings and leave directly. Furthermore, as a widower, he posed a challenge to the young women who admired him, making them unsure of how to approach him.
— As the saying goes, the living cannot compete with the dead.
Consequently, when Edward appeared in a relatively relaxed social setting, even the chatter and laughter of others would subside due to his presence. Edward soon realized this and simply stopped attending such events. Edward’s few hobbies likely included music, which was one of the reasons he and Sherlock became friends. However, Sherlock preferred lyrical and melodious music, which relaxed his mind; Edward, on the other hand, favored styles that were solemn, heavy, and tragic. Still, they would occasionally attend the same concert.
When Sherlock returned, he clearly became more relaxed; Edward, upon his return, became more silent and depressed. It felt as though if Edward were living in modern times, he would be a loyal user of streaming music services, opening them precisely at midnight.
In stark contrast to Edward’s extreme scarcity of “friends,” his reputation in the professional sphere was exceptionally high. He was steady, reliable, decisive, meticulous, and always kept secrets—which is precisely why he could assume the position of Chief Inspector of Glass Island at such a young age. The influence of the Founding Families was minimal in this regard. After all, there could ultimately only be one successor from the Moriarty family, and others would not even be able to retain the Moriarty surname. Furthermore, they were ultimately adopted sons without much backing, lacking the close network formed by the long-term intermarriages and alliances of normal founding families. The fact that this position ultimately fell to Edward, among so many founding families, was a testament to his exceptional individual ability. Conversely, Edward’s inability to find many friends his own age outside of work, despite his young age and achievements, was sufficient proof of how challenging he was for those who wished to approach him.
However, he maintained good relationships with many elderly individuals, who held him in high regard. He was practically an idol for middle-aged and elderly women. The more stable, slow-paced, equal, and relaxed social rhythm suited the silent and sensitive Edward well.
Alistair became somewhat interested in this “young naval officer” and followed Lily further towards the door. Before they could knock, the door opened on its own. The one who opened the door was Edward’s personal valet. He had seen Alistair and Lily returning from the window and came to open the door.
“Where is Yulia?”
Upon entering, Alistair noticed that Yulia, who always appeared first to greet them, was absent, which felt somewhat unusual. He also felt a slight sense of unease.
“Miss Yulia is still at the Silver and Tin Hall studying alchemy,” the red-haired youth replied quickly. “Mr. Wade and Mary are accompanying her and will return in the evening. The Royal Family will send a carriage to bring them back… They will not be spending the night at the Silver and Tin Hall.”
Mary was Yulia’s personal maid, and Old Wade was James’s personal valet. It sounded akin to sending children to extracurricular classes… except that the destination was the Royal Palace, and in essence, that was precisely what it was. The former elven butler, Oswald, remained missing, so Wade was temporarily serving as the butler for the Moriarty family.
“It’s fine for them to stay overnight,” Alistair mused. “Isabel also quite likes Yulia. Mr. Wade is also aging, and it isn’t good for him to make such a long trip every day… Perhaps Mary could stay with Yulia at the Silver and Tin Hall. I can speak with Her Majesty or Isabel about it later.”
The White Queen District was not particularly close to the Red Queen District. Although the Moriarty family had a villa in the Red Queen District that they didn’t use regularly, Yulia clearly didn’t wish to stay there alone. And Isabel happened to want a playmate as well. The Silver and Tin Hall, which could easily accommodate over twenty members of the Royal Family, was now eerily empty. Even if it weren’t terrifying, it would be somewhat lonely.
Although Alistair felt unaccustomed and somewhat disappointed at not seeing his little sister, who clung to him every day, he was very happy that she was able to find friends and pursue what she wanted to do. As for Yulia wanting to see Alistair, it would be better for Alistair to go find them at the Silver and Tin Hall. The two-hour commute was, for Alistair, hard on Yulia. It would simply mean an extra two trips. He no longer needed to use a wheelchair, and traveling by carriage wasn’t slow. If he were in a hurry, he could borrow a Gryphon.
When Alistair entered, he saw that the living room was exceptionally bright. He paused for a moment before realizing… it was the magic painting “The Golden Dawn” gifted to him by Master Janis. Blended with the brilliant golden radiance of the deep crimson morning sun, it rose from the center of the golden, sacred architecture, bathing the two people conversing in the living room. It made the current moment seem as if it were just after sunrise.
The man sitting on the sofa was indeed around Edward’s age, just as Professor Sorenson had said. Hearing someone approach, he nervously stopped talking.
“You’re back,” Edward nodded at Alistair, showing a rare smile. He looked at the man and said, “Perfect timing, Captain Camus. Alistair is back; please repeat your question.”
“Does this concern me?” Alistair said with interest, leaning against the side of the sofa where Edward was sitting. He looked at the young naval officer named Camus. Camus had neat short hair and a long, thin face. His nose bridge was high, his cheekbones prominent, and his deep-set eyes, which should have been sparkling, now looked incredibly haggard.
“It’s closely related to you,” Edward turned back and replied solemnly. “Do you know anything about a woman named Alistair?”
“…Huh?” Alistair was taken aback. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
“Allow me to explain, Minister… You are qualified to know about this matter,” Captain Camus apparently knew of Alistair’s appointment. “Because this involves a top-secret diplomatic matter and espionage, it is theoretically not to be told to anyone…” Camus looked nervously at Lily. Although he knew that a personal maid had no secrets and that if Lily wished, she could ask Alistair, from Camus’s perspective, he had to prevent any possibility of leakage. Or rather, any possibility of leakage originating from him. Lily was very accustomed to such situations. She nodded slightly and left the living room to chat with Edward’s personal valet.
“Go ahead, Captain,” Alistair looked at Camus. “What exactly do you want to say?”
“…I lost a letter.” Camus lowered his head, avoiding Alistair’s sharp gaze. “It was a piece of crucial intelligence intercepted from the Iris Flower— Based on feedback from the Iris Flower’s secret agent in Star Antimony, Miss ‘Alistair,’ the royal agent from Avalon… is actually a spy for the Star Antimony people.”
“…What?” Alistair was stunned.
Update complete!
