Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 138
「 The Sylvester matriarch is very angry with him. It’s not his fault that I caught pneumonia… I overheard that she plans to kick him out soon. If he leaves Bertrand, where will he go? 」
Edgar’s eyelashes cast shadows over his pale cheeks.
「 I feel like I’ve always been taking away my brother’s chances. Because of my medical expenses, he lost the opportunity for a better education, missed the chance to travel to distant continents, and couldn’t find a way to recover. So, if I can help him for the first and last time… I will be able to leave without any regrets. 」
< …Even if that wish means sacrificing your life? >
「 I’m going to die soon anyway. 」
< Aren’t you afraid, Edgar? All living beings struggle desperately to avoid death. >
「 I’ve walked alongside death my entire life. I can’t suddenly start feeling fear now. 」
Edgar Otis was a boy who flowed like water.
He was not bound by anything, did not hold onto anything, and was simply clear, empty water.
He had no expectations for the future, nor any affection for himself. That is why he did not fear death.
Did you know? Every human needs a point of reference to live by, and typically, that reference is themselves. However, the boy who had given up on himself long ago could not make himself the center of his life.
Instead, he lived with all his points of reference centered around his brother. The brother who, from a young age, had drilled into his mind that he was worthless and had taken everything away.
That guilt was Edgar Otis’s only guiding principle.
To wish to live, or to wish to stay with Rose… Those were never options for Edgar.
It was true that Rose was precious to Edgar. But at the same time, he could let him go without hesitation.
Because neither his life nor Rose’s was the center of his world.
Rose realized this far too late.
Rose’s mind and heart burned hot. Or perhaps, it had frozen colder than winter.
He wanted to hug the boy tightly and plead with him, yet he also wanted to shake him and berate him.
He felt an urge to kiss the boy while weeping, and at the same time, a desire to slap him in anger.
Was it betrayal? Just pure rage? Or maybe pity? Perhaps it was a mix of love and hate.
Human emotions are too complex to be defined by a single word. It was the same for Rose, who had taken on a human form for the sake of the boy.
That night, Rose went to find Neil Otis.
The brother who had driven Edgar to the brink of death had already recovered his health completely. He was gulping down cheap, strong liquor, just as he always did.
「 E-Edgar? 」
Seeing Rose, Neil fell off his chair. He quickly rubbed his eyes, stumbling back in panic.
「 Have you come to haunt me, Edgar? Even in death, you want to torment me! 」
Neil Otis tore at his hair and roared.
「 If it weren’t for you, I could have had a better life! The love people showered on you was all mine to begin with! The Sylvester adoption offer you received should have been mine! You took everything from me! You’re like a shackle, dragging my life endlessly downward! 」
Rose, who had been quietly watching the pitiful spectacle, finally spoke in a low voice.
< Would you like me to grant your wish? >
「 W-Wish? 」
Neil Otis’s head snapped up at the sound of the word, a situation he had only dared to imagine in his dreams.
「 Wait. You’re not Edgar, are you? R-Right, I haven’t heard that he’s dead yet… Those eyes, red like hellfire, are you a demon? I don’t care! Grant my wish right now! Bring me wealth, fame, and power! Make it so that no one can ever look down on me again! I am not meant to be here, drinking cheap whiskey in this freezing room! 」
< Even if the price is your brother’s life? >
「 Edgar’s life? I’d give that up easily. He’s going to die soon anyway. If he can be of use to his older brother for once, wouldn’t that be an honor for him? 」
Rose’s lips curled into a cold smile.
My dear Edgar, the one person you cared about, and this is what he is.
< Very well, I will grant your wish. >
Even so, how could I go against your desires?
Watch, Edgar. See what comes of your choice. See what the one you loved so dearly is capable of.
I am very curious to know if there is anything, anything at all, within Otis that is worthy of your boundless affection.
