Chapter 33: Harry’s Self-Portrait

The girl in the mirror slightly furrowed her brows, a trace of sorrow creeping into the corners of her eyes.

Organizing her thoughts, with Hannah Carter, the evil god worshipper, in the picture, Rosie was still inclined to believe that ‘Moulton’ was a victim just like her.

Although the mirror castle was full of lies and deceit, there were also truthful parts.

Thinking carefully, was it too extreme for Donahue Bobby to suddenly attack her just because he saw a painting? From his previous behavior, his personality should have been more cautious, or rather, cowardly would be more fitting.

The mirror, the mirror.

Donahue had heard himself calling from the mirror; perhaps from that moment on, he had been secretly corrupted, just like Dewitt, showing no abnormalities whatsoever before the corruption fully erupted.

With ‘Moulton’ as the sacrifice, Hannah’s ‘Salvation Ritual’ had succeeded.

But, the location where the ‘grace’ descended was abnormal; was the eyeless woman in the classroom an evil god using ‘Moulton’s’ shell?

But why did she transmigrate?

Was there anything special about ‘Lin Yu’?

Rosie placed herself in a third-person perspective to examine this question.

Her already weary mind became even duller from this thinking, and her temples began to throb faintly.

“Young Miss.”

A voice from behind interrupted Rosie’s thoughts. She turned around to see her personal maid, Wendy Rosetti, standing at the half-open bedroom door.

Wendy placed the silk nightgown draped over her arm onto the bed, and with a slight bow, she asked:

“Young Miss, do you require me to draw a bath and help you change?”

Rosie, “……”

She glanced at the thin nightgown lying on the velvet duvet and then at the well-behaved, endearing Wendy, feeling as if fire was igniting on her pale cheeks, burning intensely.

“…No, I’ll do it myself.”

“Very good, Young Miss. If you require anything, please call for me at any time.”

Wendy bowed again, then withdrew from the room.

Hearing the sound of the door closing behind her, Rosie let out a sigh of relief. Then, she glanced at the small nightdress on the bed, and then turned her head to look at the independent washroom that came with the bedroom.

Rosie, “……”

The mirror world also had its benefits only found within the mirror world.

She gritted her teeth, ‘Why am I being so awkward? Desperate times call for desperate measures; it’s not like she could go her whole life without bathing or using the toilet. She could avoid it today but not forever.’

Rosie’s burst of resolve steadily crumbled during the tedious process of taking off her dress. By the end, she even felt self-defeated enough to want to find a pair of scissors.

‘First day of missing T-shirts and casual pants.’

After taking off both her corset blouse and dress, Rosie was already panting softly.

She looked up and met her gaze in the full-length mirror standing beside the vanity.

Whoosh.

Rosie instinctively turned her head and closed her eyes.

Then, as if to prove something, she forcefully turned her small head back, her misty-blue eyes wide open, staring unblinkingly at the graceful body in the mirror.

Lingerie existed in this era, and it was exquisitely made.

Like the one Rosie was wearing now, the cups featured delicate, three-dimensional floral lace embroidery, with a cutout design at the front.

The thin black fabric and the fair, delicate skin complemented each other, creating a captivating allure.

‘Unexpectedly bold, Miss ‘Moulton’.’

Rosie stared at the mirror for a while longer. If this beautiful sight were contributed by someone else, she would praise them as a kind and virtuous woman, both well-endowed and moral.

However, if it was herself, it was a bit pathetic.

And also incredibly embarrassing.

‘What am I doing, fighting with myself?’

Rosie averted her gaze, took a deep breath, and didn’t bother taking off anything else. She walked into the washroom dressed in just her underwear.

The gas lamp in the washroom was lit. The sink was at the outermost side, near the door. On the marble countertop were bottles and jars, and a brown glass bottle holding a burning candle.

The scent was quite pleasant; it must have been something mixed into the candle.

Averting her gaze, she looked further into the washroom. The toilet and shower were separated, and there was even a flush toilet?

Rosie was increasingly confused by this era; was this also partly influenced by extraordinary powers?

Industrial development was unclear, but basic hygiene seemed quite well done.

After throwing the last bit of fabric on her body, along with her male sense of shame, into the laundry hamper, Rosie walked into the shower without looking left or right.

Rose petals floated in the porcelain bathtub, and more fragrant candles were lit. A smooth, colored wooden board was thoughtfully placed midway across the tub, holding a cup filled with some kind of mixed fruit juice.

Rosie, “……”

‘Indeed, enjoyment knows no era; it all depends on whether one has money.’

‘A bath? Forget it; it’s not a necessity.’

Regarding the usurpation of the magpie’s nest, Rosie already felt a sense of guilt, especially after having just experienced the reunion with her sister and the conversation with her mother, this emotion reached its peak.

Putting herself in their shoes, if someone were to take her identity, enjoy her life, and hug her girlfriend.

‘Well, she didn’t have a girlfriend.’

“Sigh.”

‘If only there was a ‘Lin Yu’ who could take care of her parents, argue with them, and just live a simple life, then what if he took her body?’

Anyway, Rosie still couldn’t comfortably enjoy it, and she was so sleepy that she might fall asleep in the bathtub.

Thinking this, she no longer hesitated, nor did she look at her body. She took a quick, utilitarian shower purely by feel. After drying herself, she put on the silk nightdress, slipped under the covers, and lay sideways on the bed.

‘Girls are so troublesome, no, it’s not that, no electricity is troublesome; hair can’t be blow-dried.’

‘She would sleep once her hair dried. First, she needed to plan what to do these next few days. Firstly, she had to play ‘Rosie Moulton’ well and not give herself away; at least, her words and actions couldn’t deviate too much from the original, otherwise, with the precedents of Dewitt Nair and Jesse Holmes, she might just be purified by the Church.’

‘Then, regarding the interrogation, she wondered what the Church would prepare, and if they would notice anything unusual about her. Oh, right, and Hermann that liar; she still needed to find him for the antidote…’

In the bedroom, a young girl lying sideways on the bed, her hand propping up her cheek, gradually fell into a deep sleep.

Rose Street No. 11, Glenn Historical Site Preservation Society, B2.

Harvey Michelson looked down at the ‘Relic’ introduction file that had just been approved and borrowed from the Church.

Relic: Harry’s Self-Portrait, Hazard Level: Curse, Code: 045.

Note: This is a living painting.

Harry Pittman was a reclusive and introverted painter. He was not good at socializing and often mimicked situational dialogues with the various figures in his paintings. After he painted his own self-portrait, he slit his throat with a knife.

Hazard: Harry in the painting yearns for communication. He will try to establish communication with anything, starting with weak spiritual creatures and wandering specters, eventually attracting certain high-level entities.

Once, when left unsupervised, it attracted the attention of ▆▆▆▆, causing all the people in a small town to lose control, break down, and turn into monsters.

Sealing Method: Assign a keeper to constantly maintain communication with Harry in the painting. (This will cause a certain degree of spiritual pollution. Tested: mid-level Covenanters can last up to twelve hours, low-level Covenanters can last up to four hours.)

Utility Value: Used in an isolated room, with a maximum of two people present. Turn Harry’s portrait away from yourself and towards the other person. You can ask any question. If the other person’s answer contains concealment or deception, Harry will speak up to remind his ‘friend.’

(When three people are present, Harry will refuse to communicate and will constantly try to attract the attention of high-level entities.)

Negative Effects: ‘Friends’ who have been helped by Harry will receive his special attention. Within the next twenty-four hours, their spirit, spirituality, and concentration will significantly decrease. Also, the next time they dream, they will dream of Harry’s suicide scene.

(If somnambulism symptoms appear, wake them up immediately!)

Judgment: Possesses high danger; can be applied for use with proper precautions. Falls under the category of Cursed Objects.