Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 157
“Why aren’t you answering? Do you really intend to drive Rose out of Bertrand?”
Neil Otis urged sharply. Richelle gathered her thoughts and stepped forward.
“I apologize. I didn’t expect that you’d be able to speak. Just a moment ago…”
“Hmph.”
Neil sneered, casting a sideways glance at Richelle before nodding toward Alan.
“Did you say your name is Alan? Is this wench your wife, then? Carrying around withered roses so preciously… what an odd woman.”
“Wench?”
Alan’s eyes narrowed, his steps forward full of irritation.
“How dare you…!”
“Alan.”
Richelle quickly grabbed his wrist. As he turned to look back at her, she subtly shook her head.
There’s no need to provoke him.
Alan’s eyes thinned but he seemed to understand, reluctantly stepping back. Relieved, Richelle turned to face Neil.
“She’s not my wife. Only a potential one.”
“Potential wife? Going to such lengths, I see. Well, it’s none of my business.”
His slurred speech gradually grew clearer, yet pieces of decayed flesh continued to drop from his face, giving the unsettling impression of conversing with a corpse.
“So, you found it surprising that I can speak?”
Neil raised his right hand, as though showing off a newly acquired ring like some gaudy upstart.
Richelle studied his face and hand, then finally noticed what he was indicating.
New fingers were sprouting from the places where his index and middle fingers had fallen off earlier.
Neil smirked.
“Curious, isn’t it? I’ve been living like this—rotting and falling apart, only to regrow and rot again. You young ones couldn’t possibly imagine.”
Laughing in what seemed to be morbid amusement, he abruptly ceased his chuckling and turned to the brazier. Richelle and Alan followed him cautiously.
“How much did Charlotte tell you?”
Neil asked, his tone hard. Richelle answered in Alan’s stead, still wary as he glared at Neil.
“To break the contract, we need to burn Rose’s roses with a special fire, and Lady Charlotte said only you know how to handle it.”
“Special fire… Yes, that’s right. I’m the only one in this mansion who can control it.”
“Could you explain why that is?”
Neil halted before the brazier and gestured at Richelle with a feigned grandfatherly kindness.
“Come closer.”
Richelle hesitated, then cautiously approached. In an instant, Neil seized her forearm. It was so swift she had no time to pull away.
He thrust her hand into the white flames.
“Richelle!”
Alan shouted, but Richelle didn’t even scream. At first, she was too shocked, and then she realized she had no reason to scream.
Despite the flames dancing around her hand, there was no heat at all.
Her hand, even her sleeve, was entirely untouched, not even a singe. It was as if the flames passed through like air.
Neil released her arm, looking smug.
“Surprised? This fire can only burn roses or anything deeply connected to them. It was created to control the roses… So, if it’s not a rose, it won’t burn or spread.”
“You insane wretch!”
Before he could fully process it, Alan rushed forward and grabbed Neil Otis by the collar, fury radiating from his pale face.
“W-What are you doing?”
Neil Otis, visibly flustered by the sudden attack, grabbed Alan’s wrist.
“How dare you treat an elder of your family like this! Clearly, you haven’t had proper manners taught. My descendant—this pathetic little…!”
“Well, I didn’t know my ancestor would be such a piece of garbage! Is your brain rotted through, too? Ah, I suppose that part can’t regenerate, can it?!”
“You… you impudent knave!”
Neil Otis trembled in rage like a malfunctioning machine. Richelle urgently grabbed Alan’s shoulder.
“Alan! I’m fine!”
“But you might not have been!”
Alan’s anger flared, meeting Richelle’s startled gaze.
“Ah…”
Realizing her reaction, Alan’s grip on Neil’s collar slackened.
“…Sorry for yelling.”
Taking advantage of the moment, Neil slipped from Alan’s grasp, clutching his neck and fuming as he jabbed a finger at Alan.
“You’re mistaken! Look at this!”
Neil thrust his hand back into the brazier without hesitation, and this time, no one was startled.
But when he withdrew it, he held a handful of flames.
