Welcome to the Rose Mansion - Chapter 97
Alan was dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open for a while without saying anything.
He glanced down at the Bertrand rules, then at Richelle, and then at the empty space, his eyes moving rapidly. It was evident that his mind was working furiously.
After a long struggle, Alan rubbed his face vigorously and stammered,
“Governess, I really appreciate your willingness to help House Otis. Given my position, I can’t refuse—but risking your life recklessly is something I can’t accept.”
“I’m not planning to die either.”
“Do you think that decision doesn’t sound like someone planning to die? You’re practically digging your own grave.”
Alan’s voice rose in agitation. In contrast, Richelle grew even calmer.
“I know it seems reckless. It will certainly be dangerous, both going to the fourth floor and to the kitchen.”
“If you know that, then why…”
“But, Young Master Otis.”
Richelle pulled over a blank sheet of paper.
“Sometimes, there are things that can never be solved unless you dive straight into danger.”
“……”
“I believe that’s the case now.”
Richelle dipped the pen in ink and handed it to Alan.
“Rogéros has no intention of letting Otis go. To continue the Otis line, I would have to marry you, and then the same things we’ve experienced would repeat for the next generation. But I don’t want to help you die either.”
“……Yes.”
“So, we have only one option left. To take the risk, jump in, and find a third path that isn’t death or a marriage that’s no different than a death sentence.”
“……”
Alan accepted the pen. Richelle smiled gently.
“If there’s even the slightest possibility, I want to seize it. Young Master Otis, could you draw a simple map of the mansion for me?”
The boy stared at the pen in his hand, deep in thought, while Richelle patiently waited for his decision.
After a moment, Alan gripped the pen firmly and sat down heavily in his chair.
“Are you really sure there’s something in the kitchen?”
“From the circumstances, yes. I want to believe in Charlotte Otis, who tried to save Otis.”
“……”
After a deep sigh, Alan began to move the pen.
“Alright, let’s go. Whether it’s the kitchen or the fourth floor.”
His tone was filled with determination, despite the hint of resignation. Richelle’s face lit up with joy.
“Young Master Otis!”
“What? Why are you so happy?”
“I thought you would hesitate more.”
“This is my family’s business. If an outsider is willing to take the risk, I can’t just sit back.”
“Being cautious in the face of danger is not a bad thing. Besides, the fear you feel towards Bertrand is much greater than mine.”
“……I know more, certainly.”
Alan’s hand, which was drawing lines, slowed down a bit. His face, which had flushed slightly with excitement, turned pale.
“So… I started to think that maybe there really is something in the kitchen, as you said.”
“…Did you see something?”
Alan hesitated. Should he bring this up? Was his guess correct? Was this story so terrifying that it would make the brave Richelle hesitate?
But he eventually gathered his courage and spoke.
“When Penny and Nero were taken by the roses, and not long after, when my father disappeared….”
Richelle listened quietly.
“Back then, I could still talk to my mother sometimes. But one day, she suddenly went down to the kitchen.”
“The kitchen…?”
Alan nodded, biting his lip.
“I couldn’t understand why, so I clung to her skirt, asking why she was going to the kitchen. She said, ‘No matter how much you hate it, you still need to eat.'”
She was going to prepare some food, she said.
That meant there was something hidden in the kitchen that the lady of the house had to prepare food for herself.
Alan continued quietly while moving his hand.
“Even after that, my mother went to the kitchen once a day. Then, at some point, she stopped. Around that time, she was too out of her mind to have a proper conversation. While thinking about why my mother went to the kitchen, I suddenly thought.”
“……”
“Where is my father, who disappeared as soon as Bertrand was closed?”
It felt like a stone had been thrown into her heart. Alan gave a bitter smile and put down the pen.
“If I were Rogéros… I would hide my father on the fourth floor, my territory. My mother probably brought food to him. Whether it was under Rogéros’s orders or my mother’s will, I don’t know.”
Then, perhaps, she witnessed my father’s death, and that’s when my mother completely lost her mind.
“That’s what I suspect.”
Alan pushed the completed map towards Richelle. But Richelle couldn’t react at all. Even a sincere word of comfort was useless at this moment.
Seeing Richelle’s vacant expression, Alan let out a strained laugh. It was evident he was forcing it.
“You don’t need to look so grim. What I’m saying is that there really might be something in the kitchen, as you suspect. Maybe a secret staircase leading to the fourth floor. Otherwise, there would be no reason for her to go to the kitchen. If food was needed for the fourth floor, it would have been enough to take it from the delivered meals.”
Richelle nodded determinedly.
“Alright, Young Master Otis. Let’s go to the kitchen.”
