[AuraMonster: Hmmm, there are too many "rose" motifs to claim roses were never within her favor...]

[ChairGoblin_22: Maybe it used to be her favorite, but something happened that caused her to hate it?]

Hmm...it seems like the Viewers are not all omniscient about the events as I thought they’d be. But then again, if they were, why would they even watch us contestants?

There would be no point in watching ants crawl around if you already knew where the sugar was hidden.

Deon’s eyes moved from the chat to the garden around him. Roses were everywhere, lining the walkway, around the fountain, and even existed in many colors and variations.

It was almost like the entire garden had been built to worship one flower. And yet...it was wrong.

Which meant one of three things: the specter was lying, the tea was the wrong type of rose, or Rosaline’s relationship with roses had changed.

So Deon decided to change his strategy a bit, walking up to an attendant that was serving tea to one of the nearby tables.

First, the preliminary question: "Hello, I’d really like to make a good impression with the Lady, could you tell me what her favorite flowers are?"

The attendant, a pale woman in a maid uniform, turned to him with a practiced smile. "Of course, honored guest."

"The Lady favors roses above all else. The Rose Room, and even her name, Rosaline, was actually chosen because of her entire family’s love for roses."

Hmm, so the other specter wasn’t lying, which means the first option is eliminated. Let’s test the next one...

"I’m quite sorry but...I’m not too knowledgeable on flowers and floral etiquette. Is there perhaps a rose that the Lady particularly liked?"

"Oh my, you aren’t aware?" the attendant spoke softly. "Lady Rosaline’s house is the only one known to be able to cultivate and handle the Velvet Rose. So naturally, it was her favorite of the bunch."

"Even as the story goes," she continued. "When Lady Rosaline married into the Velvet House, everyone had considered it to be an act of fate!"

"Velvet Rose..." Deon repeated softly.

Rosaline. The Rose Room. The Velvet House. Velvet Rose.

Everything pointed in one direction so aggressively that it almost felt stupid to question it.

"I see," he said, nodding as if the information had impressed him. "Then would it be proper to serve the Lady tea made from the Velvet Rose?"

The attendant’s face twisted immediately from the soft smile she had earlier to a panicked mess. "No, honored guest!"

"Why not?" Deon frowned.

"The Velvet Rose is not used for ordinary tea."

"Because it’s rare?"

"That is one reason."

"And the other?"

"The Velvet Rose is a delicate flower."

Deon glanced toward the garden, where countless roses bloomed under the lantern light. Some were red, some white, some pink, but he couldn’t seem to find any that looked dark enough to be called ’velvet’. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"I’m guessing delicate doesn’t just mean fragile," he took a shot in the dark.

The attendant inclined her head. "The honored guest is perceptive. The Velvet Rose contains a small sac beneath its bloom. It is harmless if harvested properly, which is the technique and pride of Lady Rosaline."

"The sac itself contributes to the amazing smell of the flower," she went on, "along with the vibrant yet rich crimson color associated with the rose in the first place."

"I see," Deon nodded, taking in the information. "...And what happens if—"

"When the sac is torn," she spoke softly, already predicting his question. "It releases a harmful gas, causing the body to become numb. Breathing slows, and depending on how much gas is ingested—"

"The victim falls into a coma...with no definite duration..."

Such an oddly specific warning...

And Deon was right to question it. What she said hadn’t felt like a warning because it might happen...but more like a warning repeated because it already had happened.

Which means the second assumption was also partially wrong. The issue wasn’t that the wrong rose was served. If anything, the Velvet Rose would’ve been an even worse answer.

That meant only one possibility was left: Lady Rosaline’s relationship with roses had changed. And judging from the attendant’s story...the Velvet Rose was probably the reason why she threw such a tantrum.

But that still didn’t give him the answer. Knowing what not to serve was useful, but it wasn’t enough. He needed something more concrete.

He looked back at the attendant, whose polite smile had slowly returned now that the topic had moved away from the Velvet Rose.

"Then let me ask this a different way," Deon said. "What kind of tea does Lady Rosaline normally drink?"

"Normally?" the attendant repeated. "Lady Rosaline’s preferences depend on the occasion. Usually—"

"Hey! Waitress!" a voice had called from one of the nearby tables. A translucent nobleman in a lion mask had lifted his empty teacup. "Please give me a refill!"

The attendant immediately straightened staring back and forth before giving Deon a shallow bow. "Forgive me, honored guest. Duty calls."

"Wait, I’m not—"

But she had already turned away, disappearing into the crowd effortlessly.

[ClownWithWifi: rip]

[ChairGoblin_22: ask another one, there’s like eighty ghost waiters. at least one of them’s gotta know, right?]

Deon practically spun himself around in circles, yet everytime he asked, a different answer came.

"For formal afternoon gatherings, Lady Rosaline favors black tea, properly steeped, with a small amount of milk."

A maid carrying a silver kettle answered before he even finished asking. "Earl Grey, honored guest. The Lady serves it when receiving foreign guests."

"Peppermint for afternoon service."

"Green tea during quiet mornings."

A noblewoman in a swan mask lifted her fan and said, "Jasmine tea. I remember the Lady complimenting the scent once during a spring gathering."

"Right..." Deon noted.

And it kept on going...

"Black tea, no sugar. The Lady disliked childish sweetness."

"Chamomile."

"Lavender."

"Oolong."

"Black tea with lemon."

"Green tea with mint."

"AHHH HOW THE HELL IS THERE A DIFFERENT ANSWER EVERYTIME?!" Deon scratched his head furiously as he took a break on the nearby fountain. "And how the hell does one person drink so many different teas?!"

"Damn it..." he sighed softly, watching the others go about their investigation. "Maybe the sub-game includes red herrings to throw contestants off."

"Or maybe I’m asking the wrong questions..."

Yet, even with the vast amount of information he was given, Deon’s mind kept lingering on the first piece.

"The Velvet Rose..." he muttered. "But how could that be relevant anyway?"

Just when he was about to give up, Deon’s eyes landed near the vine-covered archway leading to the side of the rose garden.

There, almost hidden behind a curtain of leaves, stood an old man in a faded coat. And he was possibility the one person Deon needed to find the most.

That’s right...if anyone would have some answers about a rose—

It’s the gardener.