Molds and Roses (Resident Evil Village)

Clueless

Rose walked back to the gate and, speak of the devil, The Duke was there.

She pulled the gate open and went to The Duke and the obese man greeted her almost instantly.

"Miss Rosemary! How has your trip been through Lady Beneviento and Lord Moreau's properties?" the man greeted with a smile as Rose came by.

Rose rolled her eyes at the obese man's way of things, but she answers anyway.

"Pretty okay."

Rose moved her head around but despite how sore her neck was earlier, now it felt fine, like nothing even happened.

She touched her neck with uncertainty.

The Duke hummed, "I am quite surprised you had been able to leave the Beneviento property unharmed mentally."

Rose perked up.

"What?" she asked as The Duke only laughed at her.

"Tell me now, did she not tell you?"

Rose shook her head and Duke nodded while humming, putting a hand to his overly-fat chin.

"Oh, dear... This will be long." he mused as he took another cigarette from behind him.

Rose crossed her arms as she prepared to listen.

The Duke took a drag once he lit the cigar.

"Well, you see, Lady Beneviento uses her plants with Hallucinogenic properties to make the ones who inhales their pollen see their worst fears. The plants make them look real and can make you feel as if they were real, as well. Although some victims of these plants mostly die from heart attacks from the fear while seeing themselves murdered by their own nightmarish creatures."

So the molded I saw was my worst fear...

Rose nodded. The Duke continued, "And she also uses those plants to sometimes lure villagers or new tourists into her household."

Rose paused. The Duke smiled at her as he finished explaining his answer to her question.

"...lure? Victims? What do you mean?" Rose asked as she raised a curious brow. The Duke could almost laugh at that.

"You will see, Miss Winters." he said lastly with a wave of his cigar before his carriage suddenly starts to move downhill.

Rose watched the obese man as he rode down the hill peacefully.

She clenched her fists together as she puts her arms to her sides.

Rose rolls her eyes as she looks up and sees the castle over head.

Its towers are tall, and huge, so it's almost impossible to not see it from where she was standing.

Rose sighs one more time before continuing to walk back to the forest she saw leading to the castle.

-----

As soon as Rose went to the forest, she started to run quickly towards the castle.

She no longer wanted to wait to go there.

The more she explores this place, the more questions that pile up in her head.

She didn't want to meet with those furry, werewolf-like creatures again like before so she ran quickly.

Soon enough, Rose was already back at the crater. She was panting by then.

She inhaled and exhaled to regain her energy. It has only been a day, and she arrived at morning, but she already feels like her legs would be breaking into pieces at one point.

Rose walked to a gate that was on the other side of the crater.

She eyed it up and down once got there.

This was supposed to be the way straight to the castle.

Rose was about to push it open but as soon as she held onto it, she suddenly felt drowsy.

Rose stumbled back as everything around her started turning around in mid-air.

She didn't know what was going on as she suddenly felt lightheaded. She saw her cap fall from her head and onto the ground.

Seconds later, Rose fell on her back and passed out.

-----

Rose fluttered her eyes open as she scanned where she was from how she laid.

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was a golden ceiling.

Rose sprang up in panic as she finally remembered when and where she passed out.

Rose looked around and saw... Duke?

"Ah, young Rosemary! Have you had a nice sleep?" the obese man asked as he gave her a warm smile.

Rose shook her head as she suddenly felt her head turning its gears to understand the situation she was in.

"Duke... Where am I...?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes.

The Duke laughed, "Why the castle, of course!"

Rose almost immediately jumped up at that.

"What!? The castle!? How!?" Rose bombarded The Duke with questions in one breath as she quickly grabbed her cap that was on the floor.

"Well you see, I found you passed out near the gates leading to the castle and, since I also have many deals with Lady Dimitescu, could I not bring you with me?" The Duke explained with a laugh.

Rose's shoulders tensed slightly in shock of what the man just said to her.

"Does–does the owner know I'm here?" Rose asked hesitantly as Duke shook his head.

She nods at this as she started to look around the room.

The room was pretty big. But what caught her eye was the garlic hanging behind the bed.

She chanced a glance at Duke but the man seemed to already be minding his business.

Rose glanced at the door on the corner before steeling herself and walking towards it.

The Duke seemed to have taken notice of this.

"Are you sure you are ready for the dangers of the castle?" Duke asked as he glanced at her.

Rose paused when her hand was only hovering from the door knob.

She gulped before confirming.

"Yeah."

She said as she finally twisted the knob and closed the door now behind her.

She gulps again as she took a long glance at the long corridors now in front of her.

Rose closes her eyes to calm herself before starting to move her legs again.

-----

After a few minutes of walking through the halls and corridors, she ended up in a larger room.

As if all the rooms weren't large enough...

But the difference between this room and the others she has come across is that this looks like a main hall.

In front of the main hall has a portrait of three girls.

Rose approached the front of the portrait.

The blonde was about to touch the beautifully-created frame of the portrait before she suddenly, heard buzzing all around her.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"