Miss Holmes, the Professor Is Not a Villain

30 – Don’t Bring a Chinese Man (6)

“The research I’ll start this time will be a great project spanning generations. By investigating various pedigrees, genetics, and lifestyles, it will become a great research that reveals the relationship between human genetics, nature, crime, and lifestyle. ”

“I heard that it will be an international project, with many other researchers also heavily participating?”

“Of course, I’m leading it, but it’s something that we need to work together on. Many people, including Dr. Jekyll of London University and Dr. Van Helsing of Leyden University, have shown interest and plan to participate. Of course, now the budget is not currently a big issue. Support from the university is already promised, confirmation was given from the Royal Society … and recently, although it’s personal, Lord Henry Worton also seems to be highly interested.”

“Lord Henry Worton? That man is a bit… um…if it’s just between us, I heard he has numerous scandals regarding his private life? I didn’t think he was interested in academics.”

In the place where dry conversations among professors and the intimate connections in science-related disciplines and research places were growing, Moriarty had to maintain his position as a part of the social responsibility.

Thankfully, Charles Dodgson, who was sitting next to him and who was his grace and also a professor in the same department of math, was able to remain silent as he was in the same situation.

Choosing to sit beside Professor Dodgson was indeed a wise decision. The other professors of the university already knew he was a notorious stammer, so they tended to avoid having a conversation with him.

Even those eager to have a conversation with Moriarty acknowledged the existence of Professor Dodgson and looked forward to the next opportunity. Thus, Moriarty could somewhat appreciate this grace and colleague of his.

He pretended to listen to the bluff of the elderly who boasted about their newly started research while sipping tea. As all researchers, they always started research that would change the history of mankind and exploited their aides ruthlessly.

Most of those ended up being a bit of data to be presented at a conference.

“Like I said, he… he…well… he is more interested in those mixed with fairy blood. But isn’t money the priority? True fairies completely disappeared even before the beginning of the Medieval Ages, but their blood is still being inherited to some humans. Therefore, researching those people’s pedigrees will be the first focus. Specifically, people in Scotland and Ireland.”

“Wouldn’t that be slightly dishonorable?”

“But inheritance cannot be denied. Just like fairies of various races and tribes exist, there were diverse types of fairies. In the case of some Irish fairies, they are known to inspire artists. In return, they claim the energy of the artist, much like a dream. Since young people involved with such fairies commonly die young in various legends. It’s said that fairies take all their energy.”

“But that couldn’t be true.”

“Of course, I don’t mean that it really was. However, such a folklore has been passed down means there might have been a kind of fairies that had, um… to use a bit disgraceful term, lewd temperament. You know those people who can only be obsessed with mad love, and that obsession often ends up destroying their object of affection. And people who inherit their blood may genetically have a high possibility of becoming nymphomaniacs, as I hypothesized. Validating such hypotheses can reveal the relationship between inheritance and crime.”

Full of hope for the future and the desperate cries of the doctoral students bound to involuntary labor proportional to it, Moriarty started to stir the teabag after adding two cubes of sugar into the empty teacup.

He felt eyes watching him, doing so from beside, but acted like he didn’t notice. But irritatingly enough, Professor Dodgson carefully opened his mouth.

“Looking at it… Moriarty, do you really… not consider.. participating in the interpretation mechanism project?”

“It’s an interesting proposition, but I have personal business to attend to, Professor Dodgson. There’s no need for you to worry so much. If everything gets sorted out, then I will let you know.”

“We..well, it will still be…a…a glori…glorious project, as… as you know, the national project that Dr. Charles B…Babbage devoted his life to. It is definitely going to be complete within… wi… within 3 years.”

There was definitely a slight excitement within Oxford as Dr. Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, one of the UK government’s national projects, was nearing completion.

Off course, this was only amongst the researchers, and Moriarty was not particularly interested at the moment. What was important to him was his personal business. He was active as a mathematician, but he was okay with neither mathematical nor scholarly development.

He wasn’t a researcher by nature.

Thanks to Professor Dodgson, who kindly but annoyingly recommended Moriarty, based on the materials left by the late Countess Ada Lovelace, he had to decline.

Normally, if an existence bothered him this much, he might have considered making a move once.

However, Moriarty was able to realize lately that, personally, Professor Dodgson was quite interesting.

Professor Dodgson once showed him a draft of a fairy tale he was writing to publish around this winter, and the pseudonym ‘Lewis Carroll’ and the title ‘Alice in Wonderland’ caught his eye.

After being able to enjoy the world, Moriarty discovered those who could bring joy, albeit differently, and it was a moment when it was confirmed that Professor Dodgson also could bring such joy.

In fact, since Professor Dodgson had known Moriarty from his student days, he did not envy the young man, but was rather one of the few who sympathized with him.

“Looking back, the funeral of Professor Warren will be held this weekend.”

“Yes, it was a pity. I heard he passed away from a disease similar to that of his wife, is that true?”

“I also heard that it was, ma…maybe we should be careful. Other people… had also been… visiting doctors, in case it was… a contagious disease…be careful too.”

“Yes, thank you for your concern, Professor Dodgson. We should be careful, Professor Warren was old, but who knows when anyone will pass away? But it’s a pity. I happened to meet him on my way to London and we had a bit of a conversation, I didn’t know that it would be the last……”

At Moriarty’s words, Dodgson did not mention anything more about Professor Warren. In fact, everyone in the school knew about the awkward relationship between Moriarty and Professor Warren.

But of course, it was well-known that the old Warren was jealous of Moriarty. There was no reason to particularly invite Moriarty, a sudden death that many colleagues couldn’t attend.

It would also have been awkward for Moriarty, who would smile the bitter smile of mild condolence at the deceased.

Since Dodgson had mentioned it only for the sake of conversation, he soon brought up an issue that Moriarty was genuinely interested in.

“Indeed, I heard that you’ve been spending your time with a young lady recently.”

“Are you referring to Miss Moran? Yes, she’s a distant relative of mine. For now, I’ve been taking her with me as an apprentice maid.”

“I wonder if it wouldn’t be rude if I could take a picture of her…Of course, I’ll need the young lady’s permission…Can I take a picture, Moriarty?”

“I’m afraid that might be difficult. As you might have heard, she’s sensitive… She’ll dislike the camera.”

“Oh…well…I heard that she is beautiful, so that’s unfortunate.”

At Moriarty’s refusal, Dodgson could not conceal his disappointment like a child. Of course, Moriarty ignored him.

Professor Dodgson’s other hobby was photography, and indeed, there were rumors within the university that he took good pictures.

But at the same time, Moriarty knew about some inappropriate pictures he had taken, so he decidedly refused the offer.

Of course, it wasn’t just Dodgson’s personal issue. The strange and wrong thing was evidently this era and Britain.

The fact that Dodgson took nude pictures of several boys and girls with their parent’s and model’s approval was not a secret.

But this cannot simply be attributed to some obscene desire from Dodgson. Parents often took pictures of their children’s naked bodies, and worshipped their youthful times.

Advertisements and cigarette packets often circulated inappropriate pictures, according to the standards from Moriarty’s past life memory, and they were frequently given as gifts.

Undoubtedly, it was a strange era.

So, there was no doubt that what he was doing was not strange work. Rather, Moriarty was confident that it was legitimate work.

Thankfully, there were no afternoon lectures, or students looking for him, so Moriarty was able to return early to his mansion near Oxford.

It was a fairly large mansion for a young professor, which he didn’t hide the fact that he had accumulated some money through a few personal investments.

Of course, it wasn’t a large mansion. It was a small-scale two-story mansion, and the house consisted of Moriarty alone and six servants, a maid, three servant girls, an old housekeeper, and a cook.

Except for Moran, who had recently been accepted, the others were people far from crimes and they were ignorant of Moriarty’s activities.

He strictly separated official affairs and private matters hence there were no major issues.

As he walked up to the second floor of the mansion, greeting the maids and servants who were cleaning, he happened to meet Moran, wearing an apprentice maid’s clothes, receiving training from the housekeeper.

“You’re doing well, Miss Moran. Now, you should greet Mr. Moriarty according to the manners you’ve learned, right?”

“Hmm… Bisil-“

“Sss!”

“My… my lord, are you here?”

It was indeed a sight to behold. Moriarty had to suppress his chuckling. Of course, the wolf girl dressed as a maid was still giving him resentful looks.