Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 6
Where did it all go wrong? All she wanted was to maintain peace.
Was it when her father died? When Mr. Trollope inherited the entire Howard estate?
Or was it when she believed Mr. Trollope’s offer to let her stay in the mansion was out of kindness? Or when she rejected his proposal, and the financial support he had been providing turned into a massive debt?
What’s the use of pinpointing the moment now?
She was simply tired of it all.
“I want to leave.”
To a place where she could breathe a little, where no one could hold her down…
But where could she possibly go?
It was at that moment she heard the crinkle of something in her embrace.
“……”
Right.
There was one place she could go to now.
Richelle felt through her chest pocket. Through the rough fabric of her coat, she could feel the stiff paper.
And beyond that, her heart was pounding fiercely.
Like smoke rising from a kindling flame, a faint yet certain voice emerged from her throat.
“I’m leaving.”
“What did you say?”
“I’m leaving, Mother.”
“Leave? And go where… Ah, I see. Running off to the school again after hearing a few harsh words? If I knew you’d turn out this undisciplined, I wouldn’t have sent you to boarding school. Sent you there to raise your value and expand your connections, and you come back with nothing but this misplaced pride—”
Richelle didn’t listen any further. Turning her back on her mother’s yelling, she ran upstairs.
Her bedroom, one of the darkest and most desolate rooms in the house, was wrapped in silence. Richelle, clinging to the window where a faint light seeped in, pulled out the letter.
The high-quality envelope, scented with a subtle fragrance of roses, yielded a train ticket and a cheque. After carefully reading the letter again, Richelle held the train ticket in her hand and took a deep breath.
“I’m leaving.”
She should just go to Bertrand. With the signing bonus from the Otis family, she could pay off all her debts, and nothing can bind her anymore. She would leave her mother’s side and fly freely wherever she wanted.
‘…Fly?’
Can I, really?
“Miss!”
It was a moment when the incurable disease of self-doubt and anxiety tried to seize her ankles. A familiar voice awakened her spirit.
Rachel turned around. There stood Anna, the Howard family’s maid who had grown up with her like a sister since childhood.
Their eyes met, and Anna’s eyes welled up with tears. Rachel smiled warmly.
“Our crybaby. Why are you crying?”
“It’s just, I heard you arguing… Are you going far away?”
Anna gestured towards the luggage at Rachel’s feet, and the train ticket in her hand.
Rachel awkwardly fiddled with the ticket.
“Well, not very far.”
“But you won’t be coming back, will you?”
“…Probably not.”
“Miss…”
Anna approached hesitantly, her nose sniffling. Rachel embraced her willingly.
“I’m sorry it turned out like this.”
“What do you have to be sorry for? I always wished for you to leave the Madam’s side and be happy.”
“…Thank you. Really.”
Anna managed a chuckle through her sobs, and Rachel wiped away her tears.
“I’ll send money every month. For your salary too. Don’t hand it over to Mother or the nanny, keep it for yourself.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of the madam. Could you, perhaps, send a letter occasionally?”
“Of course. I’ll send them as often as I can.”
“You promised, okay?”
Rachel nodded, and Anna’s face brightened.
“Hehe. That’s enough for me. Let me help you pack.”
They rolled up their sleeves, but Rachel had few belongings: a few clothes and some books. Packing was quickly done.
Rachel descended the stairs with her luggage. She knew her mother would be waiting in the living room, expecting an apology, but she didn’t stop.
She simply left the house as if going out on a normal day, said goodbye to Anna who had come to see her off, and opened the front door. A cool breeze caressed her face.
The door hinges needed oiling.
She let the thought drift away with the wind, replaced by a new list of tasks.
First, visit the stores to pay off her debts, then confront Mr. Trollope to throw the money in his face. Meeting with Mrs. Curtis would be last.
And lastly, catch the train to Sylvester.
Whether true freedom and happiness awaited at the end of this path, Rachel couldn’t be sure. But she had no choice but to walk forward, silently and stubbornly. It was the only way she knew how.
“It’s okay.”
I can do this. Enduring and persevering are my only skills, after all.
She took a deep breath and straightened her back. It wasn’t a good day, but it wasn’t bad either.
Rachel stepped out under the cloudy sky with determination.
