Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 60
“Ah.”
Josephine’s eyes returned to normal. She furrowed her brow in a troubled expression.
“I’m sorry, but that’s impossible. That girl’s contract has ended, and she has returned to her hometown. Instead, I will make sure to remind the current maid assigned to your room to be more attentive.”
“…Is that so? That’s really unfortunate. I apologize for the inconvenience, Josephine.”
Without pressing further, Richelle stepped back. Josephine, who lightly nodded in farewell, walked away.
As soon as her figure disappeared, a sigh that had risen from deep within burst forth from her throat.
“Ah…”
She has gone back to her hometown because her contract ended.
Becky Dustin had said there were about three weeks left until her contract ended. And she’s already gone?
‘It’s a lie.’
Whatever the reason, the head maid clearly lied. So where could Becky be?
Since that nightmarish night, Richelle had not met Becky even once. Not only did she not come to clean, but Richelle also couldn’t find her when she daringly peeked into the servants’ dining hall.
It was as if, after that day, she had completely evaporated without a trace.
She just can’t sit still and do nothing, risking everything to ask the head maid directly, only to be met with absurd lies.
‘…Should I just believe it?’
Honestly, what can I do? Besides, based on the circumstances, Becky is the one who put me in danger.
She felt stifled. She had already had a lot on her mind, which made it all the more so.
Richelle recalled the letter she had received from Meg today. It contained various information about the current Otis family.
The Otises, a couple who truly loved each other. The Otis family, which was said to be very harmonious.
This was different from what Rogéros had told her. He had clearly stated that it was an unhappy marriage.
Moreover, they suddenly left the social scene six years ago. So, did the strange occurrences at Bertrand start six years ago? Was the distance between Mr. and Mrs. Otis, and their pushing away their much-cherished children all due to what happened then?
‘Come to think of it, Rogéros mentioned that he came to Bertrand six years ago…’
Doubts about Rogéros kept flooding in. Mr. Otis’s whereabouts being unknown was also troubling.
Richelle’s head started to hurt.
“I’m not sure if I should delve any deeper…”
Richelle sighed deeply once more as she returned to her bedroom. After closing the bedroom door, she remembered that there was another urgent issue to deal with.
“Marmalade.”
She needed to dispose of the marmalade Meg had sent as soon as possible.
[5. Meals will be delivered to a designated location at set times, three times a day. You will be informed of the place and time on your first day of work.
Do not deviate from the designated place and time. Also, consumption of food within the mansion outside of mealtimes is prohibited. It is highly sensitive to the scent of food.
Take special note: do not bring in any external food into the mansion. It wouldn’t be very pleasant to encounter if it were to find someone coming in with that smell. It likes meat dishes, and meat is always scarce.]
Richelle recalled an item written in Bertrand’s rules. Liking meat dishes but always having a shortage was a rather ominous content.
“I suppose I have no choice but to dispose of it.”
Having directly experienced the dangers of the mansion, she could not lightly overlook the rules. This had resulted in a lifetime of guilt and secrets.
But even if she decided to dispose of it, how would she go about it?
Considering that it had passed through many hands before reaching hers without incident, it seemed that as long as it didn’t emit any scent, the ‘it’ mentioned in Bertrand’s rules wouldn’t come looking. So, for now, she had hidden it sealed in the back of the closet.
However, to dispose of the marmalade, she would eventually have to open the lid. The sweet and tangy scent would inevitably waft out.
‘Is there a way to deal with this without opening the lid…’
Ah, yes. Perhaps she could sneak it out of the mansion, disguised as a parcel.
It seemed like a good idea. She could slip it to the postman, or better yet, pack it well and send it home. If she included a letter, Anna would swiftly handle it, thus solving everything.
With a much lighter heart, she entered the dressing room and opened the closet door. The jar of marmalade was hidden inside a suitcase stored in the depths of the closet. Richelle crouched down and pulled out the suitcase.
But suddenly, a strange sense of unease overwhelmed her.
“…”
Had I… left the suitcase this wide open?
A lava-like anxiety bubbled up in her chest. Richelle hurriedly began to search through the suitcase. She pulled out the clothes she had placed around the marmalade jar and flung them behind her.
“No… No…”
She emptied all the contents and shook out every pocket. She thoroughly checked between each piece of clothing. But it was nowhere to be found.
The marmalade, the outside food banned in the mansion, had disappeared.
