Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 28
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Rushing in the direction Alan had indicated, she found the small man-made forest at a corner of the garden.
Sure enough, the twins were inside.
“How did you get all the way here!”
Catching her breath, she hid behind the dense trees, watching the twins gleefully splashing in the mud. They seemed utterly delighted, almost to the point of exhaustion.
‘Should I let them play a bit longer? They’re dirty, but changing clothes and washing off the mud won’t be too hard.’
However, her momentary leniency vanished in less than three seconds after witnessing the twins lie flat atop the mud puddle.
Richelle stepped out, alarmed.
“Penny! Nero!”
“Ahh! The witch has appeared!”
With arms raised high, the twins shrieked and then burst into laughter, their joy as clear and lovely as sunlight. Richelle almost smiled at the sight but knew she couldn’t let this slide.
“Penny, Nero. You had me worried when you both disappeared without a word.”
“We’re sorry! Don’t eat us!”
The twins laughed again. Eventually, Richelle couldn’t help but smile too.
“Alright, alright. I give up.”
She pulled out a handkerchief to clean their faces and hands. There was still a lot of mud, but it was manageable for now.
Richelle pocketed the dirty handkerchief and sat on her heels in front of the children.
“If you want to go outside, promise me you’ll tell me first next time. If you two ever get hurt while you’re by yourselves, it would make me very, very sad.”
“Okay.”
“Promise you won’t eat us then?”
The twins used formal speech, a rare occurrence for them, endearingly pleading. Richelle briefly wondered why they kept asking not to be eaten but soon realized.
‘They must have read a fairy tale about a witch eating children.’
It wasn’t great for their education, so she decided she needed to organize the bookshelf.
Regardless, the twins babbling and raising their eyebrows cutely was just too adorable. Richelle lightly pinched their cheeks.
“Oh? But I was planning to clean you up nicely, sprinkle some tasty gravy on you, and gulp you down in one bite?”
“Kyahaha!”
“Save us!”
The children’s expressions quickly softened as they laughed heartily. Richelle gently stroked their chubby cheeks and stood up.
She straightened her skirt and cheerfully said,
“Let’s go back. We need to wash up and change your clothes.”
“Ehh.”
“I dun wanna take a bath.”
“No, you must. If you stay dirty like this, bad germs will come and make you very, very sick.”
“Sick?”
“Yes. So, we better wash up quickly, right? Come on, take my hand and let’s go.”
The children eagerly grabbed her hand, and the three of them headed back to the mansion across the garden.
Entering the foyer, they were greeted with a thick scent of roses. Four maids cleaning the hall turned their heads towards Richelle, their faces blooming into painted smiles.
“Good day, Miss Howard.”
“Hello, everyone.”
After exchanging greetings, the maids went back to their tasks as if the muddy young masters beside Richelle were invisible.
It was always disconcerting to see this behavior, no matter how many times she witnessed it.
Richelle smiled awkwardly and addressed them again.
“Excuse me, could you please prepare a bath for Young Lady Penny and Young Lord Nero?”
“Certainly.”
Although they treated the young masters as if they were thin air, they never refused a request. Two maids left to prepare the bath, and Richelle, with the children in tow, moved on.
‘Lunchtime is almost here, what to do.’
She figured she’d feed them sandwiches or something quick while the bathwater was getting ready. They could have a proper snack in a few hours, just enough to stave off hunger for now.
Luckily, the children were being well-behaved after their mischief…
“Oh? It’s Mommy!”
Oh no, I should’ve been more careful with my thoughts!
Before she could stop them, the children darted off like arrows. Madam Otis was coming down the left corridor.
Madam Otis looked stunning as always today, her long cream dress adorned with diamonds sparkling brilliantly. Richelle hurried after them, but Penny and Nero reached out to their mother first.
“Mommy!”
A child’s hand almost touched the hem of her mother’s expensive dress. Richelle’s face went pale. Madam Otis, who already had a strained relationship with her children, would be displeased if the dress got muddy…
Naturally, Richelle was worried. Worried that Madam Otis would be upset, worried the children would be rejected and hurt by their mother.
But what happened next was completely beyond Richelle’s understanding.
THWACK!
A loud slap resounded through the hall, and Penny, who was leading, tumbled to the side. Nero fell over after bumping into Penny.
Richelle stared blankly at Madam Otis. She had already put away the parasol she used to strike her child and was now looking straight at Richelle.
