Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 136
「 How curious. Is this really what I’d look like as an adult? 」
< Perhaps. >
「 I wonder if I’ll ever get to see this face in the mirror myself… Can I take a closer look? 」
The young man nodded. Edgar knelt and gently cupped his cheeks.
The young man’s body was cold, like a statue carved from marble. His sharp nose and perfectly sculpted lips gave off no breath.
As Edgar examined him, the young man also observed Edgar.
The warmth of the boy’s touch on his cheeks was hot. His delicate nose and lips exhaled warm breath, and his clear green eyes gazed steadily at the young man’s face.
Supporting Edgar’s slightly unsteady waist as he leaned in to study him more closely, the young man spoke.
< Edgar. >
「 Yes? 」
< Every human has a name. Why do they give each other names? >
「 Well, it’s to distinguish and define each other. 」
Edgar replied calmly, then sat down beside the young man. After a moment of thought, he continued.
「 And there’s a certain power in calling someone by their name. When you call someone’s name with emotion, that person comes to you and becomes something special. 」
< Something special. >
The young man tilted his head, mulling over the words.
< Then, Edgar, will you give me a name? >
「 Me? Give you a name? 」
The young man’s red eyes gazed steadily at Edgar. A face that was slightly different but still so very much like his own.
Caught in the red gaze that met his, Edgar found himself speaking almost unconsciously.
「 Then… how about Rose? It’s the nickname my parents gave me. It’s a name I cherish, and I want to give it to you. 」
< Rose. >
「 Ah. But maybe it’s too endearing a name for a grown man… 」
Edgar awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. Meanwhile, the young man repeated the name, “Rose, Rose,” over and over again.
Eventually, a smile as beautiful as a painting spread across the young man’s face.
< Rose. I like it. >
「 You like it? 」
< You said it was your cherished name, didn’t you? >
The young man reached out and intertwined his fingers with Edgar’s. Warmth radiated from their connected hands.
The sensation was so satisfying that the young man understood why his boy had wanted him to take on a form.
< Say my name, Edgar. So that I can come to you and become something special. >
From where their hands were joined, a mingling of coolness and warmth formed a gentle heat, akin to body temperature.
Edgar felt as though he had become a sculptor breathing life into marble.
Facing the intense red gaze that seemed to devour him, Edgar carefully parted his lips.
「 …Rose. 」
The final breath was given.
Could Edgar Otis have ever guessed what he had brought to life that day?
The being that had wandered meaninglessly in the darkness for so long now defined itself by the name ‘Rose’.
Solely, for the sake of one boy.
By this point, you must have already realized the answer to the riddle. Still, I beg you to listen a little further.
After the voice received the name ‘Rose’, Rose and Edgar grew even closer.
Edgar realized that he actually enjoyed speaking, a part of himself he hadn’t known before. Most of the people he had met were more interested in observing him than listening to him.
Edgar would read books to Rose, share stories, and sometimes even seek advice.
「 My brother didn’t come home yesterday either. Ah, my brother… 」
In truth, Rose could read everything about Edgar, from his thoughts to the deepest corners of his heart, just by looking at him.
Still, he patiently waited for the boy’s thoughts to spill out. He liked the sound of Edgar’s voice. He was fascinated by the sight of Edgar’s pale cheeks flushing red.
‘He’ never told exactly what kind of conversations they shared or how they spent their time during that season.
What is certain, though, is that Edgar was extremely special to ‘him’.
It’s only natural, really. Just as ‘he’ was Edgar’s first friend, Edgar was the first human ‘he’ ever interacted with. It was a fresh, novel experience for him. Perhaps it was like a baby bird seeing its mother for the first time upon hatching.
It was a peaceful season. A time so short and all the more beautiful because of its brevity.
As you, who are reading this letter, must know, peace is fragile and can be shattered by the slightest crack.
