Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 76
“Robert, in your opinion, did Mrs. Otis care deeply for her children?”
“Of course. Anyone could see they were the happiest family in the world. Actually, it was because of the Otis couple that I began dreaming of marriage and family. Before that, I always pursued eternal freedom.”
“…Even the twins? Did she care deeply for them as well?”
“Hm? Of course. I heard she didn’t even hire a nanny, taking care of them herself.”
Click, click.
As Robert continued to speak, a theory began to form in Richelle’s mind.
But if this theory were correct, it was a truly horrifying thing.
“How are they doing?”
Robert suddenly asked. When she looked up, his face was filled with genuine affection and curiosity.
“Mrs. Otis. I wonder how she’s doing. Alan must have grown a lot. He’ll be an adult soon, and we might see him in society again?”
“…”
“I always thought they might retreat from society someday, but when they actually did, it was quite disappointing. And hearing that Mr. Otis has disappeared is worrying. How is everyone else? Are they well?”
How could she answer?
How could she describe the current state of Bertrand, the changes in Mrs. Otis?
Richelle scratched the surface of her teacup with her fingernail, uncertain whether to lie or evade the question. At that moment, salvation arrived in the form of Margaret.
“Tada! Presenting Meg Chester’s special stew!”
Margaret returned, hands full of freshly baked bread and steaming cream stew.
“Oh, Meg! Carrying something so heavy yourself. What if you hurt yourself?”
Robert quickly stood up and took the tray from her. In the presence of his beloved wife, he completely forgot the questions he had asked. Richelle secretly sighed in relief.
Margaret, now free, ran over and sat next to Richelle, urging her.
“Richelle, Richelle! Try it quickly. Come on!”
“Dear Meg, won’t you honor me by letting me taste your cooking?”
“Robbie, get it yourself.”
“Alright! Got it!”
Robert excitedly ran to the kitchen. Richelle, under the intense, sparkling gaze of Margaret, took a spoonful of the stew. It was rich and savory.
“Mm! It’s really delicious, Meg!”
“Really? Oh, I just can’t handle this overflowing talent. Maybe I should cook more often!”
Margaret smiled proudly. Robert, who had just returned, shouted from behind.
“My goodness, my Meg. How much more perfect can you get? This is the best stew I’ve ever had!”
His praise was so heartfelt it almost brought tears to his eyes. Margaret’s previously confident face turned bright red.
“Oh, come on. Robbie always makes such a fuss whenever I do anything. At this rate, my self-esteem will pierce the sky.”
Though she rolled her eyes, Margaret looked happier than ever. A gentle smile spread across Richelle’s face.
A happy family. A happy couple.
Naturally, she thought of the Otis family. Once an ideal for all families, now their relationships were worse than those of strangers.
Richelle stirred the stew. The theory she had pieced together from Robert’s story came back to her mind.
People whispered that the Otis family was surely cursed. It was likely born out of jealousy, but reflecting on the stories Rogéros had told her, the Otis family was indeed cursed.
A curse brought on by some sin they had committed.
This curse bound the heads of the Otis family to Bertrand. It seemed Mrs. Otis had tried to break the curse.
However, Mrs. Otis, who was once a new breeze for the family, had completely changed. The Otis family had shut themselves in again, and the current household head had disappeared.
The reason why such a strong and confident person had given up in despair, the event that made her hate her husband so much that she abandoned everything.
Richelle instinctively realized. That event was likely related to the twins.
The twins, who hadn’t grown properly. Mrs. Otis’s horror towards them.
Based on the stories Becky Dustin had told her, the longer the staff worked at the mansion, the more they seemed to turn into ‘non-human entities’.
But what if this transformation applied to members of the Otis family as well?
What if the second and third children of the Otis family, who were of no use for succession, also turned into ‘non-human entities’ over time?
Could that be why the Otis family rarely had more than one child…?
Richelle clenched her spoon. The smiles of the children, their tears.
And the faint scent of roses that came from them…
…kept circling in her mind.
