Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 116
“It feels like it’s been a while, doesn’t it, Miss Howard?”
The victim of Bertrand, who had lost her two young children and gone mad, was standing there, waiting for her.
A thick scent of cosmetics wafted from Madam Otis. Only then did Richelle realize—there was one more “human” left in the mansion besides her and Alan.
Though she had lost her mind, she had not yet lost her body—the lady of House Bertrand still lingered.
Richelle awkwardly smiled and bowed.
“Good morning, Madam Otis.”
“……”
Madam Otis stared down at Richelle without expression, a stark contrast to her usual bright smile. Today, she seemed like an actor who had stepped offstage after the final act of a play.
A heavy wave of discomfort and unease churned in Richelle’s stomach. Unable to bear the silence, she respectfully bowed her head again.
“Well, I’ll be on my way now.”
“Why don’t we have tea?”
The words from Madam Otis came almost simultaneously as Richelle tried to slip past her.
Richelle turned back to look at her. Madam Otis spoke calmly, her face emotionless.
“Now, no matter what we eat or drink, that awful thing won’t come rushing at us anymore.”
Had she realized something had happened to the chef and come to find me?
Richelle’s forced smile trembled at the edges. She had no idea what Madam Otis wanted, nor how she should respond.
And then, Madam Otis delivered a heavy blow.
“You need the key, don’t you?”
“…Pardon?”
“The head maid treasures that key as if it were her own life. If you try to take it, she’ll lash out and tear your delicate skin to shreds.”
Richelle was left speechless. How did she know I needed the key?
Come to think of it, Madam Otis had mentioned using the kitchen to go to the fourth floor before. It wouldn’t have been hard for her to deduce.
But was she still in a state where she could make such a deduction?
‘No, that’s not what matters.’
If what Madam Otis said was true, I have to stop Alan immediately…
“Alan is a cautious boy, so he likely hasn’t acted yet. After you have tea with me, go and tell him. Tell him I gave you the key.”
Madam Otis’s tone was steady, as if she saw through everything.
She turned without hesitation. Her behavior was unmistakably different from usual. Offering the key to the fourth floor…
There was no other choice. Hesitating, Richelle followed behind her.
***
Madam Otis didn’t lead Richelle to a parlor or tea room, but to her own room.
“I’m not sure if it’ll be to your taste. I was never taught how to make tea properly, after all.”
As she brewed the tea herself, Madam Otis spoke. The calmness in her voice was so unfamiliar that it felt like Richelle was speaking to a completely different person, even though the face was the same.
Soon, two teacups were set before them, but neither of them took a sip.
It was clear Madam Otis wanted to get straight to the point. She pulled out a small box and placed it on the table.
“I received this from the previous lady of House Otis.”
She opened the lid. Inside, a bundle of keys lay on red velvet.
“She probably received them from the lady before her. Keeping the keys has always been the duty of the lady of the Otis household, passed down from generation to generation. I… have been waiting for the day I could hand these over to you, Miss Howard.”
“…Does that mean you’re certain I’ll become the next Madam Otis?”
Richelle asked, and Madam Otis gazed at her serenely.
“Yes. Because he has chosen you.”
“…”
“You came to Bertrand on the recommendation of the headmistress of Harriet Boarding School. Many people knew of your whereabouts. Unlike the other servants.”
“And so?”
“Right. That’s why I anticipated you would stay here for a long time. If you disappeared, everyone would suspect Bertrand. He would never allow that to happen.”
In other words, from the moment Richelle Howard set foot in Bertrand…
She was fated never to leave.
Richelle squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. No regrets. She wouldn’t let her life be ruined by lingering over an unchangeable past.
The fact that Madam Otis had called her here and was telling her all of this meant she had something she wanted to say. Richelle needed to focus on what she could gain right now.
After several moments of reflection, her mind finally calmed, like a tranquil lake. She quietly listened.
“That man always chose the next lady with his own hands. If the head of the family was female, he would choose her husband. If male, he would select a wife and bring them to Bertrand. The next ladies all believed that this marriage was a fate they had chosen for themselves, but it was nothing more than a foolish delusion.”
Madam Otis traced the pattern on her teacup with a finger adorned with a ruby ring. A bitter smile crept onto her face.
“Miss Howard, would you like to hear the story of the most foolish girl in the world?”
