Baker Street Charterers

"Love—maybe I understand. But...rejection—when did that happen?"

This sentence successfully made Nora stop, and the whole person became quiet.

She stood there with her back to Holmes for a long time before slowly turning around. She kept a rare puzzled look on her face, even a little weird, obviously she couldn't understand this sentence at all.

"Did I remember it wrong, or have you forgotten about it?" She opened her eyes slightly, with a half-smile, "If it's the latter, I can understand, after all, you have always disdain to look at this kind of 'human being' to be ridiculous." , stupid feelings'."

Holmes sat at the dining table, stood up at this moment, walked over slowly, and stood in front of her, with a pair of gray, deep eyes calmly, staring at her face intently, and said softly, "You remember correctly. , and I did say that...but like all humans, my mind is still subject to change."

Nora looked away and smiled, "I don't get it again, Sherlock. Are you telling me... that your feelings for me have changed, and are no longer just close friends, partners - in the past After two months?"

Holmes was silent for a few seconds. "No, I am more inclined to say something else."

Nora's eyes slowly moved back to his face, subconsciously showing a defensive mockery in her eyes, and she smiled silently, "Oh?"

"I don't object to you moving out from here to make this relationship more clear. Seriously speaking, I have gained a lot by being alone in the past two months-in terms of my opinion of you."

Nora tightened her fingers, her face was calm, "All ears."

Holmes lowered his head slightly, and his sharp but soft eyes locked on all the changes in her expression, but his attitude was the same as usual, completely unable to see the true inner thoughts, "As I told you once—— I am used to the departure of my partner, because I know very well that it is only a matter of time... But this kind of statement does not apply to you now."

Nora's heart tightened, and her heart beat violently, feeling an unprecedented tension... and anxiety.

She had a presentiment that what Sherlock Holmes said next would change their relationship drastically and forever.

She heard him say calmly—

"I could kindly send everyone away, including Watson...but I need you more than anyone else."

"This is, in my opinion, the most important clue beyond all the murders in the past two months."

Nora's expression froze for a strange moment, staring at him without speaking.

Holmes thought for a while, and decided to break the rules and re-read the article to explain the true meaning of her so-called "rejection", "...As for the love you mentioned that Christmas... I think there may be some small differences in our understanding of this issue. Disagreement."

"...?"

"I don't know what you think of what I said, but the phrase 'the most important person'...I thought I meant it enough."

Nora was silent for a long time.

"Do you love me, Sherlock?" she asked softly.

Holmes paused.

"Love?" He repeated the word with a blank look.

"Let me put it another way..." Nora smiled slightly, "Do you want me to be by your side all the time, can you spot me at the first sight in the crowd, do you subconsciously pay attention to all my news, do you care about me For every opinion of yours, are you extremely wary of all the men who approach me?"

Holmes raised his eyebrows, "Why do you..."

"Because that's what I do, Sherlock." Nora watched him quietly, "so I know all too well."

Holmes narrowed his eyes slightly, and showed a very light, almost invisible smile, "If I guess right...you just said 'I love you' to me?"

"No." Unexpectedly, Nora resolutely rejected it. Holmes was taken aback, and then asked, "Then what do you mean?"

"I like you, but I'm not sure if I'm in love with you." Nora admitted frankly, her emerald green pupils looked as beautiful as glass beads in the afternoon sun, "But I know...if Every time I see Sherlock, I will turn a blind eye to other things. If every time I hear Sherlock, I will turn a blind eye to other things... In the past four years, you have become the shadow in front of me. Your footprints are moving forward—I don’t know if this is love, but there is no doubt...you are not my most fearful and soft heart, but you are the lonely star that I can see when I look up.”

She slowly turned her eyes, with a soft, dewy smile in her eyes, "I don't know how it happened... It's like brewed wine, it will emit more mellow aroma every day .I could have hidden it like a huge secret...but because I love you, 'just friends with Sherlock Holmes' has become the worst thing in the world for me... …You care about me, love me, and are willing to share all your ideas and achievements with me-this may be a privilege for others, but for me, it is not enough-not enough, I am a greedy man, Sherlock."

Holmes gazed at her intently.

"I couldn't bear to continue staying with you as a friend, so I chose to leave...but when I almost forgot about it, you brought it up again." Nora smiled wryly and lightly Sighing softly, "I don't understand you, Sherlock, but I still respect you, so...don't play tricks on me anymore, okay?"

"You have to know that even if it is a little joke of yours, I will take it seriously."

Holmes showed a thoughtful expression. "A joke?—You question what I said as a joke?"

"You tell too many jokes." Nora looked calm. "I can't tell."

"Hmm...then maybe in the future I should mark 'serious' first when I speak." Holmes raised his eyebrows, "—but what I said was indeed serious."

"Which one?"

Holmes' voice suddenly softened, "...I need you more than anyone else."

"So... please stop walking away with false ideas that just give you a headache."

Nora was taken aback, "You..."

"Sherlock Holmes can always be alone when he goes on a case," he said, "so 'I need you' is not just for work...Of course, I allow you to have those—those thoughts about me, because It's nothing compared to 'losing you'."

Nora inhaled lightly.