Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 112
Alan returned with a match. Richelle, also craving more light, expressed her agreement by filling a bucket with water just in case.
Thankfully, the newly lit fire emitted only a soft, warm red glow.
Richelle sat hugging her knees, staring into the flames. The familiar warmth of the fire usually brought her comfort, but today, for some reason, she couldn’t focus.
In the end, her restlessness won out, and she sneaked a glance at Alan, who was sitting beside her.
His pale face, illuminated by the firelight, was as composed and striking as always. And that made it even harder for her to look away.
Since George Cameron had crumbled into dust, Alan had acted as though nothing had happened the moment they left the refrigeration room. It was as if the silent, internal scream he had swallowed had never existed.
But how could something like that be so easily forgotten?
The more he tried to suppress it, the deeper today’s shock and pain would be, leaving an indelible scar on his heart.
Richelle bit her lip, determined to say something—anything. But just as she was about to speak, Alan spoke first.
“It was terrible.”
Richelle’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What?”
“It was terrible… truly terrible.”
The boy turned to look at Richelle, and in his sky-blue eyes, she could see unmistakable guilt.
“When he asked me to kill him… when I felt his life leaving through my hands… Even though I knew it was right, even though I knew it was the greatest peace I could give him… it was still unbearable.”
“……”
“So, I thought I should apologize. To you, I mean.”
Alan’s eyelashes fluttered down, casting long shadows across his flushed cheeks.
“I shouldn’t have asked you to help me kill myself… or to help me so I could die… I’m sorry.”
Richelle stared at him silently. She hadn’t expected an apology.
Suddenly, warmth bloomed in her chest, and the heat of the fireplace that she hadn’t yet fully accepted seemed to gather in her heart, spreading into a gentle smile.
She wanted to share that warmth with the boy in front of her.
Without even realizing it, Richelle found herself smiling brightly.
“I’ll gladly accept your apology, Young Master Otis.”
Now it was Alan’s turn to widen his eyes in surprise.
“That easily?”
“I could feel your sincerity.”
“Even so, shouldn’t you be a little less forgiving about something like that?”
“But I’m just so glad you feel this way.”
The boy who had once seemed like he could die at any moment now seemed so much more alive.
Like he would go on living.
It made her so happy, she could hardly bear it. It even felt a little strange to be this happy.
Alan, however, didn’t seem to fully relax. Richelle watched him with gentle eyes before carefully speaking again.
“Young Master Otis.”
“Yes?”
“May I ask why you granted Cameron’s request? Even though you said it was terrible…”
Perhaps it was a painful question.
Alan’s face, tangled with so many emotions, darkened as he turned back to the fireplace.
“…Because it was something I had to do.”
His voice was filled with guilt and self-loathing.
“As a member of the Otis family… it was the least I could do for him.”
His tone was detached, as if he were simply stating a fact.
Richelle turned her gaze to the dancing flames of the fireplace. The fire, which had always comforted her in times of unease, swayed and flickered as if offering her courage.
Gaining strength from the fire, she finally spoke.
“If the guilt you feel doesn’t go away easily, Young Master Otis, could I ask you to do something for me?”
“A request?”
Alan asked, a little surprised, before nodding quietly.
“Tell me.”
“Please love yourself, Young Master Otis.”
A spark from the fire shot up.
Alan said nothing, only looking at Richelle with a puzzled expression, like a child hearing a foreign language for the first time.
Richelle cleared her throat and smiled softly.
“My mentor once told me that happiness starts with loving yourself. To be honest, it’s still something difficult for me to grasp, too. I used to wonder how I could ever love someone like me.”
“……”
“But now, after we escape from Bertrand, I want to give it a try. I want to learn to love myself and truly be happy.”
After recently meeting her father in a dream, Richelle had resolved to change.
She no longer wanted to show a tearful face. She wanted to live cheerfully, just like her father, who never lost his smile.
And when the time came, she wanted to be able to tell her parents that she had lived a wonderful life.
Confessing this secret plan made her feel a bit embarrassed, and Richelle shifted her feet awkwardly.
“So, let’s try together. Don’t hate yourself so much, Young Master Otis. Don’t blame everything on yourself. That’s far too painful.”
Alan didn’t respond immediately. He just stared at her silently for a long moment before finally speaking.
“What about you?”
“Huh?”
“Do you think you could love me?”
