Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 134
「 Pardon? 」
「 Do you know why I only call for you when Neil Otis is not around? It was to prevent that troublesome man from entertaining any false hopes. Once you make your decision, I plan to give your brother enough wealth to live on and send him away. 」
To outsiders, this was the obvious course of action. Neil Otis was clearly draining his brother’s spirit and life. It was urgent to separate Neil and Edgar.
However, upon hearing that his brother would be sent away, Edgar’s face turned pale.
「 That cannot happen, Madam. I must not leave my brother’s side. 」
「 Why not? 」
「 My brother has sacrificed so much for me. I cannot dare betray him. I must repay his kindness. 」
「 What kindness could you possibly owe him? That wicked man has done nothing but… 」
「 Madam, please withdraw your offer. 」
Though Edgar had always been obedient, this time he would not bend. In the end, the matriarch took a step back.
「 Very well. But think carefully. There is still time, and I will be waiting. 」
After that, Edgar often found himself lost in deep thought.
Whenever his mind was troubled, he would go out for a walk. At first, he would stroll through the estate’s gardens, but gradually his wanderings expanded until he eventually ventured into the black forest.
I believe you, who are reading this letter, are well aware of the black forest. Even back then, the black forest was considered an ominous place by the local residents. The servants repeatedly warned Edgar to be cautious of it.
But Edgar, in search of a place with no people where he could sink deeper into contemplation, entered the black forest without hesitation.
Perhaps it was because he had walked alongside death from a young age—Edgar was strangely indifferent to his own safety.
Every step he took was accompanied by a sorrowful sigh. One sigh carried his internal struggle over the matriarch’s offer, the next his concern for his absent brother, and the third his disdain for his own uselessness.
Did you know? The tears of a beautiful being created by the love of the gods are said to resemble the moonlight in the sky. They possess a mysterious power that draws the attention of all things.
And so, the boy unintentionally ended up awakening ‘that entity’ as well.
One afternoon, while walking through the forest as usual, Edgar received an unexpected response to his sigh.
< Why do you always look so sad? >
Startled, Edgar glanced around. The voice came again.
< There’s no need to look around. I am nowhere and everywhere at once. >
The voice felt less like it was heard and more like it was directly transmitted into his mind. It was impossible to tell whether it belonged to a man or a woman, a child or an elder.
Although a bit flustered at first, Edgar quickly calmed himself. He had a tendency to accept things without much resistance.
Adapting swiftly to this surreal situation, the boy addressed the being that was nowhere yet everywhere.
「 Darkness resembles the human heart. Walking through a forest shrouded in darkness feels like walking through my own heart. That is how I end up facing my dreadful inner self head-on. 」
< You are remarkably composed. For a mere human, this is a situation that would be enough to send them reeling in shock. >
「 I’m quite used to being spoken to by things without form. 」
< Things without form? What might that be? >
「 Death. It always lingers nearby, constantly enticing me into eternal rest. 」
The voice was silent for a moment, and after a short pause, it spoke again, this time with clear interest.
< You are strange. There’s something about you that all humans have, yet I do not sense it in you. >
Now, it was Edgar’s turn to ask.
「 What is that? 」
< Well, humans call it this. >
In an instant, the darkness enveloping the forest glowed red and seemed to rise, as if some overwhelming, unfathomable presence was looming over Edgar.
A more intimate voice caressed the boy’s ear.
< Desire. It is the instinct that governs human lives and is also the core of my existence. >
This was the first encounter between ‘him’ and Edgar Otis.
