Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 142
At this rate, I might have ended up like Damon Otis. Or perhaps, I could have ended up crawling around the estate, pretending to be mad, just like my grandfather, Neil Otis.
I didn’t want either of those fates, and, ironically enough, I wanted to live. So I went to Rose first, asking him to take care of me.
「 I-I’m hungry. 」
< …… >
「 I’ll be quiet. I can be good… 」
I still vividly remember Rose’s red eyes looking down at me.
Standing before such an overwhelming being who could have easily crushed me, I felt like a worthless insect. I had an instinctive feeling that it would be better to be torn apart by the roses roaming the estate.
That fear washed over my entire body. I trembled and took a step back.
Rose stared at me for a long time, then fixed his gaze on my eyes.
And, surprisingly, he lifted me up into his arms.
< You do have pretty eyes. Though, it’s a bit of a shame. >
He tousled my reddish-brown hair and said,
< But since I was feeling a bit bored anyway, this might be a little entertainment… >
From then on, Rose took fairly good care of me.
The roses that used to lash out in mischief no longer approached me. I was able to eat all my meals and even have snacks regularly.
Moreover, Rose began to teach me various things. How to speak, read, and write; basic education like history and math; training as an heir; and the manners of high society…
Thanks to him, I was able to grow up looking relatively like a normal lady. One day, I asked him,
「 Why… Why are you teaching me all these things? 」
< Do you dislike it? >
「 N-No! I was just… curious… 」
Rose, who had been scrutinizing me with an indifferent look, responded just as coldly.
< Because one day, you will have to go out into society yourself. You’ll get married and continue the Otis line. Unlike with Damon, I don’t want to take on Otis’s form any longer. It disgusts me. >
Though he took good care of me, I was still just another Otis after all.
Rose loathed Otis, and therefore, he did not genuinely care for me.
But, as time passed, did a bit of affection manage to grow? At some point, I stopped stuttering in front of him, and Rose’s attitude became more lenient.
So I was finally able to ask him a question with courage.
「 Why Otis? 」
< What do you mean? >
「 Why did you choose to grant Neil Otis’s wish? There are countless people in the world who desire wealth, fame, and power. 」
Even when I was fifteen, Neil Otis was still alive. He was a half-decayed, living corpse who cursed the world, cursed Rose, and cursed someone named ‘Edgar’.
I wondered how Neil Otis had ended up in such a state. Along with that…
「 And, do you know who ‘Edgar’ is? 」
I was also curious about who this ‘Edgar’ was, whom Neil Otis hated even more than he hated Rose.
Rose smiled at my last question.
< Are you curious? >
「 Yes… 」
< Very well. >
Rose nodded without hesitation and stood up. That night, I had a dream. A dream formed from Rose’s memories.
The story of Neil and Edgar, the brothers. Edgar’s encounter with Rose. Edgar’s death. Rose’s rage. Neil Otis’s shamelessness…
I never had any affection for my grandfather to begin with, but after that dream, I decided not to think of Neil Otis as my grandfather anymore.
And then I went to see Rose.
「 Rose. 」
He turned his head when I called him.
「 Your real name was Rose, wasn’t it? 」
Rose tapped his fingers on the table. His eyes were fixed on my face.
After a long moment, he spoke.
< I thought I might like hearing you call me that… >
「 …… 」
< But it turns out I don’t. Do not ever utter that name again, Charlotte. >
It was undeniable that Rose was lenient toward me. But at the same time, he didn’t like me at all.
That’s why, when he made me an offer on the eve of my coming-of-age, it was more than just a shock.
< To celebrate your coming-of-age, I’m thinking of granting you one wish. >
I was inspecting the dress Rose had prepared for my debutante ball, and my mouth fell open.
「 A… wish…? 」
< Yes. Tell me anything you want. >
He took a bite of a bright red apple and smiled leisurely.
< You’ve managed to alleviate my boredom a little, so consider it a reward. Tell me. If you wish, I can even let you leave Bertrand. >
My heart pounded, and I couldn’t tell if it was from excitement or fear. I just stood there, dumbfounded, staring at Rose.
Rose approached me with confident strides. His rough grip on my chin was proof that this was no dream.
With our eyes locked, Rose whispered softly.
< This is your chance to free yourself completely from the wretched Otis, Charlotte. >
