Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 17
“Miss Howard? Dinner is ready.”
The owner of the knock was the head maid, Josephine. Richelle hesitated momentarily, then left the hidden letter under the desk and stepped forward. She could ponder over the letter after dinner.
‘And if I get the chance… I should consult Mister Rogéros.’
He seemed like a good person, after all.
***
Following the head maid, Richelle arrived at the first-floor dining hall, which was as white as a temple. Blue curtains hanging over the glass windows on one side were the only color in this otherwise pure white space.
“Oh, Miss Howard! Please, come this way.”
Madam Otis, upon spotting Richelle, brightened and pointed to the seat beside her. Richelle smiled gratefully and discreetly surveyed the dining area.
There were only a few attendees at tonight’s dinner. Madam Otis in the principal seat, Rogéros Walter to her left, and a certain young man next to Rogéros.
Upon seeing him, Richelle’s steady pace faltered slightly.
‘He looks like the prince of the ice castle I read about in fairy tales…’
As a child, Richelle always carried a fairy tale book with her. It was a story about a beautiful boy, imprisoned in an ice castle by a god of winter who loved him dearly, and a girl who embarked on an adventure to rescue him.
Young Richelle used to imagine the boy every night before sleeping.
The boy, so beautiful that even the harsh and cold god of winter couldn’t help falling in love. The god shed tears like ice crystals every day, longing for the boy’s smile.
How beautiful must the boy who could make the entire world freeze have been?
It wasn’t just Richelle who was curious; Harriet Boarding School’s exhibition hall had an imagined painting of the boy by a famous artist.
The breathtaking painting always elicited admiration. The delicacy of the boy’s eyelashes drew in so many female students that it became a popular joke at Harriet that the threshold of the exhibition hall was worn out.
However, if the artist who painted that picture had seen the young man sitting at the dining table now, he would have surely shouted in excitement and burned his own painting.
It was inevitable. After all, who else but him could be the true model for the ‘prince of the ice castle’?
The young man’s calm golden hair, softly covering his forehead and nape, and the features beneath it balanced precariously between boyhood and manhood, were even more enchanting.
His skin was so fair and flawless it seemed transparent. The lonely and cold aura surrounding him made him appear more like a meticulously carved ice sculpture than a person.
If Rogéros Walter’s facial features were the epitome of a handsome man, then the young man’s beauty was the epitome of elegance.
An ephemeral beauty, as if touching him would cause him to melt away.
Noticing that his overall facial features resembled Madam Otis, Richelle belatedly realized he must be the eldest son of the Otis family.
Feeling embarrassed for being so captivated, she lowered her gaze.
Then, she felt a sudden curiosity. Why was the eldest son of the Otis family sitting at the far end of the table?
She discreetly looked around. However, no one in the dining room, not even the young man himself, seemed to have any complaints about the situation.
[Pay no heed to the eldest of the Otis family.]
Suddenly, a sentence from the letter flashed through her mind. It was a needless thought.
Pushing the letter out of her mind, Richelle took her seat as the footman pulled out the chair for her.
“Do you like your room?”
Madam Otis asked cheerfully. Richelle bowed politely.
“It’s the most wonderful room I’ve ever seen. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration, Madam.”
“If you need anything, just let me know. After all, this mansion has more money than it knows what to do with.”
The servants began to bring out the dishes. Rogéros sent a kind glance over the cabbage soup he was serving, clearing the turmoil in Richelle’s mind with his refreshing smile. She smiled back at him.
After the servants had finished their tasks and retreated, Rogéros addressed Madam Otis.
“Is this the first time Young Master Alan is meeting Miss Howard, Madam?”
