Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 78
“…”
As soon as she recognized the scent, her hand stopped.
Richelle lifted her stiff head. This scent, this scent…
“No way.”
Her blood ran cold. It felt like the ground was spinning beneath her feet. She wanted to collapse but forced herself to stand. Richelle flung the door open and rushed inside.
And there, welcoming her vividly, was the familiar scent.
Her mind went blank. This couldn’t be. This was impossible.
The roses in Bertrand had a particularly strong and sweet fragrance. It was unmistakable and distinct from other rose scents.
But why was Bertrand’s thick rose scent coming from her mother’s room?
Richelle’s trembling eyes scanned the room. Among her mother’s modest belongings, something strikingly out of place caught her eye.
Richelle slowly approached the console. In the crystal vase on the console was a bouquet of vivid red flowers.
This was unmistakably…
Bertrand’s roses.
***
“Anna, Anna!”
A scream-like shout burst from Richelle’s lips. As she ran down the corridor, her steps were filled not with her usual calm but with sheer shock and terror.
“Miss? Did you call for me?”
As Richelle reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw Anna peeking curiously at the second floor with wide eyes. Seeing Richelle drenched in cold sweat, Anna jumped.
“Heavens, Miss! You look terrible! Did you see a bug? Did you find something strange?”
She had indeed found something strange. Something several times more horrific than any insect.
Richelle, trembling like someone thrown out into the cold in the middle of winter, raised the bouquet of roses in her hand.
“Anna, do you know what this is? It was in my mother’s room.”
“Roses? But it’s not the season for them. Why would there be roses in the Madam’s room…?”
Lost in thought, Anna suddenly clapped her palm with her fist.
“Oh! If there are roses in the Madam’s room, they must be a bouquet sent from Bertrand.”
“Bertrand sent my mother a bouquet? When?”
“Shortly after she returned from Sylvester, I think? I remember the Madam being very pleased with them. She even trimmed them herself and put them in a vase…”
Anna, tilting her head, spoke in a doubtful voice.
“But they’ve turned red? They were definitely white when they arrived. Why is that?”
“…They were white?”
“Yes. And they still look as fresh as if they were just picked. Did they do something special to preserve them? As expected from a wealthy family.”
Roses that turned from white to red.
Still vividly alive and eerily red.
Suddenly, a part of Bertrand’s rules popped into Richelle’s mind.
[If you find roses in your bedroom, please follow the instructions below.
.
.
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.]
No, but these are Bertrand’s rules.
The strange power surrounding Bertrand shouldn’t extend beyond the mansion. And the consequence of breaking those rules was wandering the corridors in the dead of night, wasn’t it? Just like I experienced…
Her mouth felt dry as if she had swallowed sand. She felt as though she was missing something crucial.
Roses. Rules. Mother. Mansion.
Roses. Rules. Mother. Mansion.
Even at this moment, the faint scent of roses permeated her nostrils, making her head swim. Unconsciously, her hand stroking the roses came to a halt.
What if…
What if the force causing the strange phenomena in Bertrand comes not from the mansion itself but from the roses that fill it?
What if her mother, who received Bertrand’s roses, was also affected by this force?
—Be wary of the scent of roses.
The ominous words of Becky Dustin, the only remaining “human” servant in Bertrand, suddenly came to mind. Words she had dismissed at the time.
A chill ran through her entire body as if ants were crawling up her legs.
