Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 54
Richelle clasped her trembling hands as if in prayer. She had to keep her wits about her. Panicking was not an option. She couldn’t just sit here indefinitely. For now, the noise was only coming from the corridor side, but it could soon spread to the stairs.
Richelle desperately racked her brain. There was more content related to the Bertrand rules.
[Should an unavoidable situation arise that necessitates leaving your room after midnight, seek out light. If possible, return to your room with the light. Forget everything you may see or hear during this time.]
Yes. It was clearly written in item number 4. And wasn’t there another item related to item number 4…?
[9. Do not touch the roses carelessly. Also, do not keep roses in your bedroom. While the mansion is filled with roses, your assigned bedroom is an exception. If you find roses in your bedroom, please follow the instructions below.
If the rose is more white than red, it is still safe. Immediately wrap the rose in a white cloth without anyone noticing, quietly take it outside the mansion entrance, burn it with your back to the mansion, and return to your bedroom without being detected. This must be emphasized again—you must not be caught by anyone during this process.
If the rose is more red than white, leave it beside your bed. We can no longer assist you. If forced to give one piece of advice, remember rule number 4. If lucky, you might not be lost to us.]
…Roses.
Could there have been a rose hidden in my room?
Chills crawled up her spine. She always checked her room before going to sleep. When? Where?
‘No. Later. I’ll find the cause later.’
The task at hand was clear: safely return to her room.
Richelle could not fully understand what the phrase ‘you might not be lost to us’ from rule number 9 meant. However, she could easily guess that failing to return to her room would result in something quite horrific happening.
…Perhaps she would end up like the mansion’s long-serving employees.
Richelle lifted her head to look around, intending to figure out exactly where she was.
Relying on the moonlight, she moved her gaze around and noticed a lion’s head made of gold affixed to the center of the wall. It was definitely the lion situated at the landing of the stairs leading from the first to the second floor on the east wing.
But was the lion originally facing this way?
For a moment, it seemed like the ruby eyes of the lion were glaring at Richelle. She quickly turned her head away. No, it must be her imagination.
‘Let’s not foster any more anxiety.’
Thanks to the bright full moon, visibility wasn’t too much of an issue. Perhaps she could make it up to the third floor like this.
Maybe it would be better to follow the advice from the rules of Bertrand and find light first. But where could she find light at this hour? There were no lamps lit in the corridors, and it was unlikely that she had matches in her pajama pockets.
‘It might be better to head straight to my room rather than wandering around looking for light.’
Richelle forced her trembling body upright. Using the wall for support, she almost crawled up the stairs.
As she neared the second floor corridor, the noise grew louder. Strange laughter mixed with metallic sounds, and countless footsteps of walking or running.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
Bump, bump, bump, bump.
Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak.
A curiosity to peek into the corridor, to see what was happening, surged within her. But Richelle forcefully shook her head. Nonsense. Do you want to die here?
Fortunately, there was no indication that whatever was in the corridor intended to invade the staircase. Relieved, Richelle passed the entrance to the second-floor corridor and stepped onto the stairs leading to the third floor.
At that moment.
“Urgh…!”
A wind strong enough to push her into the wall blew. It wasn’t a natural wind. It was the kind of heavy wind one might feel when someone runs past at a very fast speed.
Something unidentified had just rushed past her at an abnormal speed.
Her legs gave out. Richelle collapsed onto the stairs like a puppet with its strings cut.
What was that? Did it see me? Will it come back?
Questions cascaded through her mind. At the same time, she realized.
At some point…
The noise from the corridors had ceased entirely.
