Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 24
Penny suddenly snatched Nero’s compliments notebook and threw it far away, then started throwing a tantrum.
“I’m hungry!”
“Penny.”
“Teacher, go to the kitchen and bring Penny some snacks. Please? Pleeeaaaase?”
Richelle didn’t miss the fleeting spark in the child’s eyes when “kitchen” was mentioned.
Since the conversation had come this far, there was only one choice left for her.
“Alright. I’ll go and come back, so Penny and Nero, you guys draw each other’s faces. Got it?”
“Yes!”
As if the twins had never been possessed by evil spirits, Penny’s face turned back to that of a lovely fairy. Richelle smiled gently and left the children’s room.
“…The kitchen.”
Richelle’s expression darkened. Although she had said she would go, she had no intention of actually going to the kitchen.
She walked slowly down the corridor, glancing out at the rose garden outside the window. Her mind was already racing back to memories from a month ago.
The first day she arrived at Bertrand.
The somewhat uncomfortable atmosphere of the mansion and the unidentified letter she found in her room.
Richelle had not forgotten the content of that letter. Not for a single moment during her past month of working at the mansion.
[The kitchen is a space solely for the chef. His authority within is absolute, and no one may contravene it. Under no circumstances should you enter the kitchen.]
She recalled the section of the letter that strictly prohibited entrance to the kitchen. And the children who had pushed her to go to the kitchen.
In fact, it wasn’t the first time Penny and Nero had insisted she go to the kitchen.
It’s true the twins were very fond of Richelle and followed her well. However, the children often asked for actions that broke the ‘rules of Bertrand’.
They would say they were hungry because they hadn’t eaten and ask her to go to the kitchen, and sometimes they threw tantrums wanting to play in the fifth garden. It seemed almost deliberate.
On the first day she experienced this, Richelle had a hard time calming the children. But now she knew. The twins didn’t place much importance on these requests, and they would soon forget about them over time.
So, she just needed to divert their attention elsewhere or pretend to fulfill their requests.
This time, too, she would stroll outside until 12 o’clock, then return to the room with the lunch trolley that had arrived on time, and the children would greet her as if nothing had happened. Richelle was slowly but surely adapting to this new life.
‘Am I really adapting, though?’
Richelle’s body stiffened. A maid, approaching from a distance, was staring intently at her.
Coincidentally, there was no one else around. Richelle straightened her previously relaxed spine and carefully took a step forward. The maid, holding a rag in her right hand, was getting closer.
‘It’s okay, it’s okay.’
As the maid drew nearer, the corners of her mouth increasingly curled upwards. Her wide eyes shone brightly, revealing the whites.
Her body tensed up. The maid, now close enough that Richelle could easily reach out and touch her, emitted a strong scent of roses. Richelle tried not to show her repulsion, maintaining a polite smile and lightly nodding her head as they passed by each other. The maid’s eyes remained fixed on her, but she didn’t stop walking.
Now, it’s over…
“Miss Howard.”
“Ah!”
A hand suddenly grasped her left wrist firmly. Richelle let out a small shriek and turned to look at the maid.
Her unnaturally wide eyes were so close they nearly rubbed against her nose.
“Miss Howard, Miss Howard.”
The maid grinned widely. The exaggerated smile pulled up to her eyes, revealing her red gums.
A dry swallow passed through her throat. Thump, thump, thump. It was as if drums were sounding in her ears. Her heart raced as if screaming.
“I’ve always wanted to have a conversation with you, Miss.”
“Is, is that so. But could you let go of me first…”
As Richelle struggled, the grip on her wrist tightened even more. It was a strength that could easily crush bone and flesh. Richelle’s breathing became more labored as she tried to free her arm.
Then, a sudden intuition pierced her mind.
If she couldn’t escape now, she would undoubtedly face a terrible fate.
