Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 14
Richelle fiddled with her cheek, then, unable to hide her awkwardness, turned her head towards the portrait. Her neck stiffened, and she wished her movement had seemed more natural.
Then, like salvation, the jingling sound of keys approached. The head maid, Josephine, returned with the room key.
“I must leave now, so you can rest comfortably, Miss Howard.”
Rogéros, hearing the key sounds too, briskly bid farewell. Richelle felt a slight disappointment, then was surprised at herself for feeling that way.
And Rogéros Walter proved to be a remarkable man to the end.
“If I may, can I say one more thing before I leave?”
“Of course!”
“Just a moment.”
Rogéros approached. His tall shadow cast over Richelle’s head as the sunlight streamed through the window.
Their eyes naturally met. His brown eyes, looking closely, had a mysterious hint of red, giving them an enchanting appearance.
Rogéros gazed softly into Richelle’s eyes, then smiled gently, like a breeze.
“Your eyes are very beautiful, Miss Howard. I mean it.”
…Oh my goodness.
‘Heavens!’
Richelle’s face instantly flushed red, like pouring oil on a fire. Rogéros, to her chagrin, stepped back without hesitation and retreated at a respectful distance.
Then, he bowed respectfully.
“Welcome to Bertrand, Miss Howard. I hope you can stay as part of our family for a long time.”
And then he departed effortlessly. His long legs made his exit swift. Richelle stood stiffly, her face a fitting nickname for a beetroot, then exhaled the breath she had been holding.
“T-That’s more than just one thing…”
***
The bedroom provided by Madam Otis was about four times the size of Richelle’s room in Domblinn.
It was an excessively luxurious environment for a tutor. Richelle swallowed hard.
“Such a large… and splendid room.”
“This room has been continuously offered to the tutors who have come and go. Ah, but don’t worry. We’ve completed the cleaning thoroughly and organized everything unnecessary.”
“I see…”
Since all the previous tutors had used this room, it was alright for Richelle to accept it happily. She listened attentively to Josephine’s explanation with a somewhat lightened heart.
“The door on the right leads to a small bathroom. Next to it is the walk-in closet. A maid will come at the scheduled time for cleaning. If you need anything else, just let me know. Shall I help you with your luggage?”
“Thank you, but I’m okay. I don’t have much luggage.”
Josephine nodded in response to Richelle’s polite refusal.
“Then, please rest up. Dinner will be ready around seven o’clock, and I’ll come to escort you.”
“Thank you, Josephine.”
After Josephine left, Richelle was finally alone. However, rather than acting hastily, she first took her time to look around.
Sunlight poured down like curtains over the green wallpaper with vine patterns. Below it, the top-quality mahogany furniture sparkled, showcasing its presence.
A clean and well-arranged room with good lighting, emitting a warm atmosphere.
“This is really… a wonderful room!”
Richelle rushed to the large bay window at the front. Even though she had been content in small, dark rooms, the freedom offered by a spacious room was exhilarating.
Beyond the clean glass window, the mansion’s beautiful red rose garden spread out invitingly. Richelle’s heart swelled as much as the large rose blossoms.
“A good start in many ways.”
Madam Otis showed her favor, and the other servants were kind. She even met someone who could become a good friend. She hadn’t met the children yet, but surely they would be fine, too.
Looking out at the fairy-tale garden from this wonderful room, a vague sense of optimism filled her that everything would go smoothly.
“Everything will turn out well.”
After reassuring herself, Richelle began to unpack earnestly.
She hung her clothes in the walk-in closet and neatly arranged the few books she brought on the shelf. Although she didn’t have many personal items, the bookshelf didn’t look too empty since it already housed various types of books.
Were these books provided by the mansion, or had they been left by the previous tutors who had used this room? The origin was unknown, but the presence of several interesting titles pleased her.
The smooth progress of unpacking came to a brief halt when she opened a desk drawer to organize her writing materials.
“What’s this…”
Richelle’s eyes widened at the unexpected item that popped out of the drawer.
