A/N: A little warning about this chapter. Some of you might be confused because the scene from the anime and manga are different in this part so I used the manga scene where Lady Moriarty is present. Warning for the blood and murder in this chapter.
Btw, I made another art of young Elise. (*^▽^*)
Happy Reading!!
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Elise and Louis worked together in finishing on putting a small amount of water on every candle plates in the hallways as instructed by the genius blonde.
"Ah, he really is not here, like what nii-sama said." Elise looked at the room where her older brother William is supposed to be sleeping. "Mother, as well. She was not in her room with father."
"Elise-sama, are you...regretting this?" Louis asked her worriedly. Over the year he and his brother stayed in the estate, he had grown to see and care for her as a little sister. Seeing her participate in something that might be as well be called a crime, he was worried that she might be forcing herself and his older brother told him that if she's regretting her actions, she can stop anytime.
She shook her head and exhaled "Following my older brothers' path is something I don't regret. You, nii-sama and Albert-nii-sama are more of a family to me than my blood-related family. If so...my only regret is that, I was born in this cruel family."
"Elise-sama, nii-san and I are happy that you think of us that way." Louis smiled sheepishly.
"Louise-nii-sama, I always think of you two as a family ever since we first met each other." She smiled back and grabbed his hand. "Let's go back to nii-sama now that we finished our part."
"Yeah."
***
Inside the small room in the servant's quarters, two silhouettes were attempting to open the drawer carefully without a sound. The smaller figure checked the insides of the drawer before placing something inside.
"Here is fine, right?"
"Let's hurry."
The blonde genius stood by the doorway and spoke. "Did you need something? Madam and William-sama."
The second son clicked his tongue in annoyance when he caught them red-handed while the woman did not expect him to be there since they were forced to work past the usual working hours of the other servants.
He saw the fork peeking behind William as he attempted to hide it behind his back. He smiled in cold amusement "Ah, I see. I remember telling you this afternoon. "I won't be stealing anything.""
"Heh." William sneered at him. "Whatever you say doesn't mean a thing. What's important is that the silverwares are in your desk! We'll testify that you were caught stealing a noble's silverware!"
How ridiculous.
Lady Moriarty started accusing the blonde boy. "You're deceiving Albert and you're trying to take over this house, isn't that right?! Your presence itself is affecting Elise as well! As if I would let you do such a thing! Hurry up and leave!"
Grabbing a chair next to them, William smashed it in front of him to show the peasant his place. "Yeah! Get out! As long as we have the nobility's power, making you into criminals is nothing! If you don't leave this instant, I'll drag you in front of the Scotland Yard!"
"Then do it."
A new voice spoke and this time, it was Albert, and behind him was the youngest daughter of the Moriarty, Elise. The look on the young lord's hardened when he saw what his family was attempting while the girl glanced away in shame when they stooped this low to even frame the blonde siblings of thievery.
"N-Nii-san?"The second son could not believe that his older brother and younger sister were turning against them. "Elise?"
"A-Albert, Elise, why are you here?" Lady Moriarty had a baffled look on her face when she saw the two.
Instead of answering, Albert taunted them with a mocking look on his face. "Do it. Drag them to the Scotland Yard. I'll give my own testimony on their innocence. If you are going to wield your political power, then so will I. More than a woman or a second son, I, as the successor holds more power."
Elise was silent as she only looked at them with a troubled look on her beautiful face. The blonde genius turned his attention to the young girl, observing her expression. He did not want to taint her innocent emerald green eyes for the gruesome event that is bound to happen.
Her innocence is something he wanted to treasure and protect.
Amidst all the evil deeds and cruelty of the members in the Moriarty estate, she remained pure and untainted within their walls.
Innocent and sincere.
"Elise, you were the first one who treated us kindly after we set foot in this mansion. You are the pure flower trapped inside this cage of evil." His ruby red eyes softened to her direction. "Pure, untainted, innocent, and sincere Elise... "
The blonde boy faced the perturbed mother and his son. He picked up the broken wood from the chair that was slammed down by William and snapped it in half. "By Albert-sama's request, I will now impose a punishment upon you two."
The young girl was watching from the back, her hands shaking from the anticipation. She was aware of the blonde's plan, of course, but she could not shake off her fear and nervousness on what she is about to witness.
He and Albert already told her beforehand that she may look away if she did not wish to see it but she shook her head. She refused to do so. It may be scary. It may terrify her for the rest of her life but witnessing it is her way of showing her resolve. It will prove that she believes in her brothers and will follow the same path as them, even if that path may lead to darkness.
She cannot look away. She mustn't look away.
Yet she could not stop the growing fear inside her. She was terrified to see it.
Louis took notice of her shaking hand and gently held it on his own. "Elise-sama, I will hold your hand if you are afraid to watch."
She was grateful for it and she managed to quell her fear down a bit. "Thank you, Louis-nii-sama..."
The older blonde glanced back to Louis and flashed him a grateful smile for comforting the young miss. Her fear was something he can understand. She-no... They are all children and what they are about to carry out is something a child mustn't do.
"Y-You're joking about this, right? Nii-san?" William was panicking along with his mother. "D-Dear Elise? We are f-family, right? We share the same blood and-"
"Enough!" Albert stepped forward and glared at them. "The fact that the same filthy blood that you have flows through my veins and Elise's, makes me want to vomit just thinking about it! You dare say you love and care for our dear little sister, yet you are only using her for your own sake and interests, not even minding her already frail body. Just how many times have you ignored her when she was in need of help in every occasion? I could hardly count them now. I ask you... Where is this love that you have on her?!"
Elise tightened her hold on the younger blonde's hand but she refused to cry after hearing her brother's words. Albert's frustration and anger in his voice was evident, and that anger was directed to his own biological brother, who was neglecting his sister's poor health whenever they are in the presence of other nobles.
"I hold you... this family... and this whole society in contempt!" The young master declared as he looked at them coldly. "I am going to change it. Starting today. I do not need any people like you in my world."
The red eyed genius shoved the broken piece of wood in William's mouth. He gagged and coughed out blood, making his mother terrified for their fate.
"Willia-"
She was not able to finish her sentence when the eldest son choked her with his black tie. His face showed no remorse but only disgust and contempt as he tightened it around her neck before releasing it, and the woman slumped to the ground while gasping for breath.
The wounded boy felt something deep and sharp embedded on his abdomen. Tears welled on his widened eyes when he saw a long piece of wood buried deep in his gut. Too paralyzed to move, he dropped to the floor in shock.
Albert and the blonde looked back to check on their dear sister.
Elise flinched when she saw his older brother William stabbed by a piece of lumber and she covered her mouth when she saw blood on his chin and on the punctured wound. The smell of blood was not strong, but it still made her feel queasy. The sight, the deed she saw, did in fact, terrified her.
She was terrified not because of her eldest brother harming his own mother. Not because the blonde stabbed her brother with a broken lumber.
She was terrified because she witnessed with her very own eyes how a murder is conducted.
"Elise-sama, do not force yourself." Louis softly told her as he gently squeezed her hand.
She shook her head adamantly and breathed out shakily. "I won't look away. I have to keep watching. For my sake... for Albert-nii-sama's sake... for my brothers'sake... I have to be strong. I have to endure."
Emerald green eyes displayed determination and commitment as she continued watching despite her shaking hands. And the two saw it.
"That's it, Elise." Albert thought as he watched his sister's reaction. "I want you to open your eyes. Although I didn't want you to witness such horrible scene, for the sake of change, you endured. I know even know, you are terrified. The deed just now was horrible but even so... I'm proud of you, dear sister."
The older blonde mentally made a small smile when he saw her determination. "You showed me your resolve, Elise."
William could barely move as he reached out for his sister, who only looked at him as she stood closer to Louis, seemingly avoiding him. It dawned to him that he is experiencing what his sister felt when he used to ignore her pleas of help when her attacks would happen in the middle of a noble gathering.
The feelings of someone abandoned and ignored.
Karma finally bites.
Elise could only watch her older brother as he tried to pull the wood out of his abdomen. She winced at the sight of the blood and the young genius immediately warned him.
"If you take that out, you'll suffer massive blood loss." He observed the half conscious woman next to him and back to William. "I need you two to keep breathing a little longer. The Scotland Yard while being incompetent, are not that stupid."
He crouched down to the bleeding boy. "That way, when they will do an autopsy on you, they will see that you were all still alive when the fire broke out and assume that the fire killed you. The rest of the evidences will be erased by the scorning heat."
As soon as he finished his sentence, the scent of smoke entered the room. William's pale face got paler when he realized what is about to happen.
The fire has already started.
The blonde boy's plan to create a flawless fire "accident" only involves the use of candles, candle plates and very little water. As the candles melt, the fire will heat up the water and the moment the flame is about to go out, it will burst into small sparks. Now, if those sparks were to fall onto something flammable...
No one would suspect it's a set up, considering that fire accidents happen in London quite commonly.
The remaining Moriarty siblings navigated past the burning debris and rubble of the mansion quickly. Only a few minutes passed yet the fire had already taken over the whole mansion.
"Elise, breathe through this cloth. Inhaling the smoke for a long time is dangerous for you." The older blonde told her as he covered her nose and mouth with a water soaked cloth.
"Thank you, onii-sama."
Albert was ushering them out when Louis fell behind and grabbed a piece of burning wood. Before anyone could ask, the boy pressed it to his right cheek with a hiss.
"Loius!"
"Louis-nii-sama! Why did you..."
He dropped the wood as he felt the stinging and burning sensation on his skin. "T-To get closer to nii-san's goal, this has to be foolproof. It's better if I do this. If there's a wounded kid among the rescues, the adults won't doubt us."
Surprise and worry were etched on their faces at what the youngest blonde said. He looked up and smiled to his siblings. "In a way, this is my recompense to you three for saving my illness and for Elise's kindness that she showered on commoners like my brother and I. This is also my proof of resolve that the four of us will go on living."
The two eldest held out their hand for him and he accepted it. At the same time, their other hand held both of their sister's hands.
We're accomplices, comrades and family. We'll go on living like this.
Their secret. Their vision. Their plan. It will be only between the four of them. They will travel the same path together.
The ideal world they dreamed of, where the worth of a life should be all the same, where everyone should have the same right to happiness. It would be beautiful once they achieved it.
Concerned citizens frantically rounded the house to see if there are survivors. The Scotland Yard was late from the scene and were about leave after they saw the heavy damage, deeming that no one can survive the fire that big. That is until, a man shouted.
"I see children inside! Quick!"
The four siblings were able to exit the burning mansion. No signs of deep injuries except for the huge burn mark on Louis's cheek. Albert has his arms around his younger siblings as he ushered them out.
"A-Are you alright?!" A man asked them as soon as they got out.
"We need a doctor! Hurry!"
"You are..."
"Albert." The eldest replied, "Moriarty family's first son, Albert James Moriarty, and these are my little brothers and sister. William James Moriarty, Louis James Moriarty, and Elise James Moriarty."
The woman quickly called for the doctor. "It's the Moriarty children! Hurry and find the doctor!"
An officer rushed to their side with the doctor next to him. Not a single item can be salvaged from the mansion but what's more important are the lives of the newly orphaned children.
A carriage was prepared for them to be taken to a safehouse for the time being. While inside the vehicle, the doctor tended to Louis's burned injury. Elise was seated next to the older blonde but, he was very careful not to touch her. Their shoulders touched together but he kept his hands far from hers, and she noticed it.
Upon reaching a safehouse, they were given a blanket, hot drinks and food and a change of clothes. It cannot be denied that as Elise passed by with her brothers, bystanders would turn around and fix their eyes on her.
After all, they were given a chance to see the Moriarty's precious flower.
Once they were left alone in a room, Albert spoke first.
"Elise, do you mind if I gave him William's name?"
She shook her head and smiled a little. "No. I have no complaints. I am aware that even before this happened, onii-sama has adopted William-nii-sama's name when going out."
"I see. Thank you for giving me his name." the blonde, now named William, bowed.
"And may I add, William and Louis, you can now drop the "–sama" in our names. There's no need for those formalities when we are now a family." The eldest said.
"We understand, Albert-nii-san."
Even now, the young girl noticed how the blonde kept his distance to her. She wondered if she did anything wrong right after the whole ordeal. Could it because she let Louis, his own little brother, hurt his self for the sake of a foolproof plan?
"Onii-sama." Elise stood in front of the ruby eyed genius. "Please tell if I did something that upsets you."
He blinked back in surprise. "What do you mean, Elise? There's nothing you did that upsets me at all."
She bit her bottom lip as she tightened her grip to her coat. "Then...why are you avoiding me? I don't understand. Nii-sama, you wouldn't even touch me. You were very careful not to touch me. I know I'm currently filthy, which is something I understand, but, if it's something that I did that-"
"Elise." He stood from his chair and was about to grab her hand, but he stopped. "I'm sorry if I confused you. Please don't get the wrong idea. There's nothing from you that could upset me. And please, don't call yourself filthy. Even if you are covered by ash from head to toe, I still find you immaculate and clean."
He placed his hands to his sides. Albert and Louis were silently watching the two, with a knowing smile on their faces.
The boy continued. "I'm sorry if I was avoiding you. The truth is, I don't want to touch you yet when the hands I have right now are still unwashed and dirty from stabbing your brother. As much as I want to hold your hand to comfort you earlier, I have no desire of tainting you and touching you with these hands."
Elise understood what he meant. It touched her how he cared for her, going so far as to make sure he hasn't touched her after nearly killing her brother. Even so, she quickly grabbed both of his hands and held it in front of her face.
"Eli-"
"These hands... They were the ones that gave me freedom from my cage." She softly spoke in her small and gentle voice "If I remained meek and timid, if I didn't find the resolve to follow my older brothers' path... I would probably remain as a prisoner forever."
"Elise..."
"They might have spilled the blood of other people but, I will always see them as the hands that saved me." She caressed them before looking up to the boy. "That is why... I want to thank you for saving me, onii-sama."
Her smile, it was dazzling and oozing with warmth. He was already aware of her kind nature yet it seems like it is something he is always caught off-guard and he simply cannot get tired of it at all.
It touched his heart. Her sincerity has always touched his heart.
This pure and untainted flower he wanted to cherish and protect.
(13 years later, year 1879, Town of Durham)
"Eh..." A male student with glasses was at loss for words. His seatmate also looked a little dumbfounded and inquired for what happened next.
The young professor smiled as he continued his story. "And so, we moved to the mansion we had on the countryside and somehow went on living here. I know it was hard for my brother but we had decided to keep on living."
The lecture room was silent as the students felt bad and pity for their professor.
"By the way, what made you so curious about me suddenly?"
The student at the back replied. "Well, of course, we would want to know more about you. Graduated university at 16... we couldn't get that. Then writing the Bionominal Theorem and university's professor at 21... Exactly what kind of childhood did you have to become such a genius?"
"I guess it wasn't that interesting..." he noted, feeling a little embarrassed being called genius by his students.
"No, honestly, it was surprising." Another male student spoke with a small guilt in his tone. "Please forgive us for bringing up bad memories."
"It must've been a very warm household." One student said as they imagined the environment he grew up. "A father with a lot of dignity, a warm-hearted mother, two supportive brothers, a lovely sister and the working servants... A veritable picture-perfect, ideal family."
Yes... a picture-perfect and ideal family indeed.
William smiled as he stood up. "Well then, we have pretty much gone off rails. Let's go back to the mathematic lecture."
The groans of the students reverberated in the lecture hall as the blonde picked up his chalk and started writing on the board.
Meanwhile, in a small mansion located in the countryside, a young woman with flowing chestnut brown hair was arranging the flowers in the vase after finishing the arrangements in the kitchen. No other ornament was adorned on her head and body, except for the single camellia flower hair ornament she tucked on her hair above her ear.
"Are the utensils all present in the kitchen now?" A young man with blonde hair asked as he passed by while carrying stacks of books on his arms.
"Yes, Louis-nii-sama. All that's left are the ingredients to fill the pantry."
"I see. I guess I'll do the buying later in the market later."
"Louis, where did you put the bed sheets?" A brunette haired man asked from the doorway.
"I hanged them to dry outside, Albert-nii-san." He replied before facing her. "Do the pollens bother you? If so, I can take over."
The young woman covered her mouth in a giggle. "Louis-nii-sama, thank you for concerning yourself with me but it is fine. Pollens and dust doesn't bother like it used to before. After all, onii-sama created a medicine to suppress my attacks."
He smiled. "Then, I'll leave the arrangements to you, Elise."
Elise beamed as she continued with her arrangements. "Shall I cook dinner for us after you bought the ingredients, then? William-nii-sama said that he'll be arriving soon."
"Nii-san would love that."
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A/N: Uuuuh... I'm not sure which is right: Elise James Moriarty or Elise Moriarty. Can someone correct me?
I don't know if I'm making any sense while writing this one. (￣▽￣)"