Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 64
***
The rain, thought to be just a shower, showed no signs of stopping.
In a gray world, only the bright red roses shone vividly. The appearance of round raindrops clinging to the petals, as soft as a child’s cheek, was dearly lovely. Rogéros Walter sat on the windowsill, watching the scene and took a big bite of toast generously spread with marmalade.
“Mmm, this marmalade is really good. Did a friend make it? Alan, do you want to try some?”
Rogéros playfully waved the toast towards the back of the room. The bedroom, cluttered with all sorts of luxurious items, was dimly lit, not a single light turned on. Alan was haphazardly seated in the middle, struggling to bandage himself.
“Hm? Do you want some?”
Upon Rogéros’ repeated question, the young man’s eyes sharpened.
“Do you think I want to eat that crap right now?”
“Ah, right. Just a few hours ago, you were almost turned into toast yourself.”
Alan irritably unwrapped the messily applied bandage. The young man’s left arm was ragged as if mauled by a beast.
“Tsk, what am I, a beggar? Better to have bitten my leg than to tear my arm and make it such a headache to deal with.”
“Fancy descendant of nobles who’s never lived like a beggar, saying it’s like being a beggar, Alan. Why did you get involved anyway? You could’ve been chewed up like jerky and fainted.”
“You left me cornered like that.”
“Am I supposed to clean up after you as well? Be thankful that I even came to save you.”
“Talking as if you did me a favor when you had no choice but to save me.”
Alan’s scoffing made Rogéros narrow his eyes. He picked up a new piece of toast and carefully spread it with marmalade.
“I don’t care what you do or where you roll around, Alan. But this time, you went too far. I’m pretty sure I warned you to stay put.”
“I went to save the tutor you cherish so much. Shouldn’t you be dancing with joy? After all the nagging to treat her kindly.”
“Ah, right. That.”
Rogéros stood up and moved closer to Alan, who was attempting to re-bandage himself once again. Concentrating so hard that his mouth was slightly open, Rogéros grabbed the young man’s chin.
“What are you—ugh!”
Something suddenly pushed through the unguarded mouth. A sour and sweet taste. It was the marmalade-covered toast.
As he tried to spit it out, Rogéros covered Alan’s mouth and shook his head up and down. Gagging noises could be heard, but Rogéros’s hands showed no mercy.
Eventually, Alan’s throat convulsively swallowed a few times. Only after confirming that everything had been swallowed did Rogéros let go. Alan gagged with tears streaking his face.
“Alan, you’re much cuter than your father, and I do find you quite endearing but…”
“Cough, gag. Cough—”
“But still, you are an Otis, you know that?”
Rogéros lifted Alan’s left arm. His white fingers probed the exposed, reddened flesh.
“Ugh!”
“My adorable Otis. How far do you think I’ll let you climb without knowing your limits?”
Tears flowed like rain from the boy’s eyes along with bursts of blood.
Yet no scream was heard to the end. His eyes, burning brightly, glared back with resolve. Rogéros smiled affectionately as if looking at a bristled cat.
“Did you really go to save Richelle with such pure intentions?”
“…”
“Or were you just wandering around looking for a place to die?”
Rogéros’s hand went up to Alan’s chest. The regular pulsing under his palm was adorably lively.
“If you’re going to die anyway, Alan.”
The wandering hand suddenly grasped his throat. It was almost a shove.
Alan, unable to resist the force, collapsed onto his back.
“Uugh!”
“Finish whatever you need to do and then die.”
Alan’s sky-blue eyes, unable to hide the trembling, looked up at the man with red eyes.
It was a massive darkness. A mighty force, too overwhelming to resist, was crushing a powerless and insignificant human.
“My patience is not that long. If you continue to annoy me like this…”
A cold hand grabbed his ankle, applying crushing pressure.
“I can make it so you’ll never leave your bed on your own for the rest of your life.”
“Ugh, agh!”
“Even without both ankles, you could still perform your duties at night, couldn’t you?”
Alan’s nails painfully scraped the floor. Yet, the flame hidden in his eyes did not extinguish.
“I, will… never! I won’t let you turn my people into your playthings…!”
That was Alan Otis’s final defiance.
Rogéros’s eyes traced an elegant curve, warmly as if looking at a small animal fawning at his feet.
“Is that so?”
With that, he flung the ankle aside. His strong grip violently shook the young man, writhing in pain.
“Go ahead and try.”
Their noses nearly touching, red winter and blue flames intertwined. Rogéros was laughing as if he could barely contain his delight.
“Watching your desperate struggles and the despair at their end will also be my pleasure.”
