"The Widow" Bertha

Bloodline au, there may be a considerable degree of character ooc and settings that do not conform to common sense in reality.

Bertha Thames and Mycroft Holmes met in 1548, which happened to be the No.15 Christmas of Elizabeth I's reign.

It was a ball, and as usual, Bertha's gorgeous face and matching luxurious skirt amazed the audience.She can always easily get everyone's attention, surrounded by men and women, enjoying their compliments and fawning.

She noticed Mycroft Holmes because Bertha had never seen him before.

The young man stood at the corner of the ball, except for inviting a few ladies to dance, his eyes always fell on her, observing frankly, but he never moved forward.

Bertha thought that he was just an ordinary young man who admired her but was timid.Bertha was annoyed by the exaggerated flaunting of the suitor like a peacock, so she coldly dismissed the men around her who kept showing off, and took the initiative to take a step forward.

"So many ladies at the ball," she said, coming up to him, "why the lack of interest?"

The four eyes met, and the tall and straight young man in front of him smiled.

He is well-dressed, has a good posture, and has just the right kindness and politeness on his face.This made the strange young man look impeccable, he should be a well-educated person, but Bertha could not remember any noble family with such an eye-catching young son.

Facing Bertha's question, the young man just bowed his head slightly, and said politely: "Thanks for your attention, Mrs. Thames."

The implication was that Bertha Thames was watching him secretly, and what a villain would sue first!

Bertha couldn't help laughing: "Which family are you from?"

YOUTH: "Mycroft Holmes, my lady."

Bertha: "Why don't you go dancing."

Mycroft: "I'm also curious, ma'am, you seem to be in a bad mood today."

Bertha laughed: "I'm in a bad mood? Don't you see the smile on my face?"

Unexpectedly, these words brought a serious look on the man's face.

"The lady is pretty, and I don't miss the smile," said Mycroft, "but it doesn't penetrate the troubled eyes, so I don't think you're in a good mood."

"You said you were troubled."

"Maybe I can help out."

"Oh?"

Bertha raised her eyebrows, she neither shirked nor laughed, but said with great interest, "What trouble do you think I have?"

"I've heard rumors about you recently, ma'am," Mycroft replied. "They say that you are a witch who specializes in collecting the blood of young girls to bathe in, so as to prolong your youth and beauty. The dead who appeared in the movie were the ones who did it."

"It turned out to be this trouble."

Bertha smiled slightly: "You have to understand, Mr. Holmes, rumors are often groundless. Even such absurd claims have their basis."

"Please enlighten me."

"They were at least half right."

Which half is right?The half about blood and youth.

Bertha is not a witch, but she is not human either.

She called herself Bertha Thames. Her husband had just died and she returned from overseas. She was nearly 30 years old this year, but she had the appearance of 25 years old.Everyone said she was well-maintained-but Bertha was actually more than 30 years old. When she first remembered the moon at night, Henry VII had just ascended the throne, and the Tudor dynasty was just beginning.

Bertha is a vampire.

She was indeed in a bad mood today, because another similar person came to London. This same kind just settled down and caused many murders. He only picked young and beautiful girls, causing many disasters.

Bertha was very upset. Firstly, vampires are territorial, and London is her territory; secondly, he alarmed the vampire hunters.

Not that Bertha was timid, but she hated unexpected trouble.

She raised her dark golden eyes and faced the eyes of the human above: "How are you going to help me?"

"Once you walk out of the ball tonight, the two vampire hunters will definitely attack," he replied, "I can take you away safely, ma'am, but the condition is that I need to catch the real murderer."

It turned out he knew.

Bertha didn't mind, but she became curious: "So, you are not a hunter, so who are you?"

Mycroft smiled: "I am the queen's man."

This sentence is equivalent to no answer - standing on this land, who is not the Virgin Queen?

But Bertha didn't care, because she was already interested in the bold young man in front of her.

"What are you waiting for?"

The glamorous girl smiled brightly, and her tone was full of expectations for what happened next: "Why don't we leave now."

Mycroft Holmes gladly complied.

He stretched out his hand towards her, and waited until Bertha's fingertips barely touched the edge of the man's palm. The young man curled his fingers slightly, and held Bertha's fingertips: "Please, madam."

They left through the back door of the ballroom.

After tonight, the news that "Mrs. Thames has found another young lover" is bound to spread through the social circle, and countless suitors will be heartbroken by it, but so what?Bertha cared only for what was about to happen.

On the way, Mycroft briefly introduced his identity to Bertha.

It turned out that he was really "the queen's man"—a person specially hired to solve the troubles of creatures other than humans. The noble and generous Queen Elizabeth believed that creatures like Bertha, since they have lived in this land for so long , as long as they do not harm human beings and are willing to be loyal to the country, there is absolutely no reason to kill them directly.

But those who hurt people naturally need special treatment.

This credit cannot be taken away by folk vampire hunters, let alone harm innocent people.

The "innocent" in the young man's mouth naturally refers to Bertha who has not harmed human life.

He sent her home.

"At three o'clock, please be careful, ma'am."

Mycroft stretched out his hand towards Bertha in the carriage. When she leaned out of the carriage, the young man narrowed the distance slightly. He turned sideways and used his broad back to shield him from the vampire hunter holding a silver crossbow in the dark. : "They won't hurt me."

Bertha let him take his hand and guide her to the ground.

Then she raised her head sideways and met Mycroft's eyes: "That's all?"

Mycroft nodded: "That's all. According to the clues I got, the two hunters who tracked you have gone through countless battles. They have followed me all the way, and I am afraid that they will regard me as your chosen prey. If I am here tonight Leaving safely under the witness of the two hunters naturally cleared the suspicion for you."

Bertha: "Maybe it's because I noticed their existence that I let you go."

Mycroft: "In that case, I must explain the situation myself."

He is confident.

But it's good to have someone to help solve the problem.Bertha didn't like dealing with vampire hunters, they always had a lingering stench on them, even if they offered their necks to Bertha, she wouldn't consider choosing them as food.

But the Mycroft Holmes in front of me...

Bertha's gaze stayed for a moment on the man's beautiful jawline and fair neck.

She licked her lips unabashedly, and said with a smile, "Then let's say goodbye here."

Mycroft Holmes was naturally aware of Bertha Thames' gaze.

But he didn't show any fear or guard, and the young man still kept that impeccable smile.He covered Bertha's body with his own until he sent it under the eaves of the manor building.

"Good night, ma'am," the young man bid farewell, "Please do not go out at night for the next few days."

"uh-huh."

"as well as……"

He hesitated for a moment, but still said: "Can you allow me to visit some other day?"

Bertha assumed a deliberate reluctance.

"Come here," she draws her tone, as if complaining, "but this is my home, where I rest, and I don't want to discuss serious matters at home."

"Since you work for the Queen, know so well what I am."

She smiled sweetly: "You should know where to go to discuss serious matters."

—Bertha admitted that she was making things difficult for him.

where to goNaturally, go to the vampire's lair, where everyone gathers.Bertha said this on purpose, because she wanted to see his embarrassment and surprise, and to see the man in front of her show the panic and resistance beyond her confidence, and to see whether he would give Bertha a gift other than this perfect polite smile. Additional emotions.

but.

The young man said nothing about it—yes, no, nothing.

But after a few days, he proved everything with his actions.

Yes, Mycroft Holmes knew where he should go to talk to Bertha about serious matters, and he went.

A human being, the prey of the vampire, the delicacy on the recipe, came to the lair of the vampire himself.

When he appeared, the huge hall fell into an eerie silence.

And Mycroft Holmes, like a stag walking into the Colosseum, is surrounded by wolves, tigers and leopards that covet him, but he does not flinch in the slightest.The young man was confident and upright, walked gracefully, and calmly accepted the hostile or greedy gaze, and walked in front of Bertha without haste.

Mycroft smiled at her shocked look.

"Ma'am," he said, "am I entitled to talk to you about business now?"

Bertha snapped back to her senses.

She put away her surprised emotions, and a smile of satisfaction and surprise gradually appeared on her perfect face.

"Okay, isn't it just to catch a nasty ghost?" Bertha laughed. "What are you going to do?"

"Before that, I hope to reach a gentleman's agreement with you."

"please say."

"That is no matter what, no matter what reason, what excuse, what kind of traps and schemes," Mycroft said solemnly, "I will not accept the proposal of immortality or gaining power, please allow me to maintain my human identity and You communicate and cooperate."

The implication is that he neither wants to become a vampire, but also asks Bertha to protect his life from threats if necessary.

Pity.

Bertha had indeed had other thoughts—as he came in frankly.

A naked, vulnerable lamb voluntarily entered the tiger's den and wolf's den.Isn't it a pity that such a character can only live for a few decades?

But Bertha also respected his choice.

"it is good."

She casually agreed: "I promise you."

A polite smile appeared on Mycroft Holmes' face again: "Then, I hope you and I have a pleasant cooperation, ma'am."