Chapter 119: Chapter 119: Preparation before departure

After talking to her aunt, Rubiella headed back to her room.

Her steps sounded measured, as always, and her expression remained serene and restrained. It seemed that nothing from their recent conversation was reflected on her face — neither excitement nor joy. The future duchess’s face became a cold mask once again.

But as soon as the girl opened the door to her room, a shadow of irritation flashed across her impassive face.

She stopped, frowning.

"What are you doing here?" she said coldly, in an almost icy tone.

Nura, standing by the dresser, flinched as if she had heard thunder in a clear sky.

Her slender hands, holding a bundle of laundry, trembled, and the fabric almost slipped from her fingers.

"I... I’m sorry, milady, I..." she began hastily, turning around in confusion.

The girl looked as if she had just been caught doing something forbidden. Her red hair, tied into two messy pigtails, had come loose, and her gray-green eyes were noticeably dimmed with fear.

She stood in the middle of the room, slightly hunched over, as if she wanted to become smaller, less noticeable.

Rubiella watched her silently for a few seconds.

"I’m asking what you’re doing here," she repeated, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"I..." Nura stammered, as if the words were stuck in her throat.

"Didn’t I warn you not to enter my room without permission?" Rubiella said coldly.

Her voice sounded calm, but that only made it more frightening.

The maid shuddered as if from a sudden gust of wind.

Yes, it was true. The young lady of the house did not like anyone entering her room without an invitation. All the servants on the estate knew this rule. And Nura knew it even better.

She would never have dared to break this rule if it weren’t for one circumstance — her certainty that her mistress would not be in her room for at least another half hour.

Nura had seen the young lady go towards Grace’s study. She just wanted to quickly tidy up the room while no one was there and leave before anyone noticed her presence.

But things didn’t go according to plan.

So, obviously, she was feeling nervous now.

"M-my lady, the thing is, today is bed linen change day... that’s why I’m here," Nura stammered, clutching the basket to her chest as if it could serve as a shield.

Ruby’s gaze slid over her for a moment — cold, detached, studying.

Yes, the maid was indeed holding a neatly folded stack of clean linen, so it was probably true.

Nevertheless, the coldness in the girl’s eyes did not melt.

"Hmm," she exhaled briefly. "I see."

For a while, there was an oppressive silence in the room. All that could be heard was the wind rustling somewhere outside the window, brushing against the branches of the old trees in the garden.

Ruby kept her eyes on Nura, and the maid felt as if she were under the scrutinizing gaze of a judge.

"Are you done?" Ruby finally said quietly but clearly. "Then get out of here."

"I... y-yes, of course!" Nura squeaked, bowing hastily.

The basket almost slipped out of her hands as she took a frantic step back.

"And in the future, don’t you dare come in here without my permission."

"I-I’m sorry, milady!" the maid replied hastily, and without waiting for further words, rushed to the door.

Feeling somewhat relieved that she had managed to avoid worse consequences, the maid quickly rushed to the door to leave the room.

But at that moment, Rubiella suddenly called her back.

"Wait."

"Y-yes?" Nura stammered and froze, turning around.

"Tomorrow I’m going on a trip with my aunt," Rubiella said in an even, firm voice. "Pack my things."

The maid blinked, as if trying to comprehend what she had heard.

"My things?" she managed to say.

"Yes," Rubiella nodded, not looking away. "Pack only the essentials. Do you understand?"

Nura held her breath for a moment, but when she met Rubiella’s searching gaze, she hastened to reply:

"Yes, milady!"

Her voice sounded a little shaky, and immediately afterwards, the maid, still holding the basket of laundry, hurried out of the room to carry out her instructions as quickly as possible.

When the door closed behind her, Rubiella was left alone in the silence of her own chambers. She sighed heavily.

Although not long ago she had looked happy because she was about to go on a trip with her aunt, now her expression looked worse than usual.

The girl just stood there for a while, staring into space. Then she smiled quietly.

"That little bastard... He thinks that if he hides, I won’t be able to find him?"

For a split second, something resembling an animalistic grin flashed across her face.

"How dare that brat mess with my aunt?!" the girl thought, and a decision was already forming in her mind.

***

The whole day passed in a flurry of activity. I was preparing for our upcoming trip to Estervood, and every moment required attention: gathering the necessary documents, preparing clothes and provisions.

Since this was not just a regular outing, but a real business trip, the amount of work was much greater than usual. I had to make lists and check that I had everything I needed, making sure that nothing was forgotten. Every action required concentration: not a single detail could be overlooked.

In the end, when the day was coming to an end and all the necessary preparations were complete, I was completely exhausted.

Finally, with a sense of accomplishment, I allowed myself to breathe a sigh of relief. Everything necessary was ready, and now it was time to rest a little. Since the departure was scheduled for dawn, I knew that tomorrow I would need all my energy to cope with the journey and the tasks ahead.

So, I settled into bed, immersed myself in the darkness of the room, and prepared for sleep. My body demanded rest, my eyes slowly closed, and it seemed that I was about to completely dissolve into a long-awaited sleep.

But at that moment...

There was a soft knock on my door. Without even asking, I knew immediately who could have come here at this hour.

"Ruby, is that you? Come in," I said calmly.

As expected, when the door slowly opened, my niece appeared on the threshold.

"Hmm, Ruby? What’s the matter?"

"Auntie, I can’t sleep," she complained quietly. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

I sighed heavily.

Ruby’s insomnia was still going on, and although it was a little depressing, I knew there was no point in fighting it now. All that was left was to accept the circumstances.

"Okay,"

I said, trying to hide my fatigue with a slight smile. "You can sleep here tonight."

After I said that, joy appeared on the girl’s beautiful face, and without wasting a second, she carefully climbed into my bed, settling down so that she would be comfortable but not disturb me. You could say that I had gradually gotten used to nights like this: these moments together had become a familiar part of our relationship.

I lifted my head slightly and looked at her.

"Ruby, are you awake because you’re nervous about tomorrow’s trip?"

"A little..." she admitted.

I reached out and touched her shoulder to cheer her up a little.

"Don’t worry," I said, smiling, even though I still felt tired inside. "Everything will be fine. I’ll take care of you."

After my words, Ruby smiled, and I was once again captivated by that beautiful smile. Yes, even if I, her aunt, couldn’t remain indifferent to her beauty, what could other people say?

It must be that my Ruby is actually very popular in society. I imagined how men and women, upon meeting her, would involuntarily freeze, their eyes filled with admiration as they talked to her.

This thought made my heart leap with pride, and I felt both warmth and a slight pang of happiness that cannot be put into words.

In fact, I had a question that I had wanted to ask her for a long time, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it because it was quite embarrassing.

Today, as we lay side by side and the atmosphere seemed conducive, I felt that I couldn’t put it off any longer. A determination mixed with slight excitement flared up inside me when I finally decided to do it.

I took a deep breath before gathering my thoughts and finally opened my mouth:

"Ruby, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, Auntie?"

Her eyes widened for a moment, and a slight surprise mixed with curiosity flashed in them. She tilted her head slightly, as if trying to guess what I might be talking about.

"You... well..." I cleared my throat awkwardly, feeling my cheeks flush.

"I just wanted to know how things are going in your personal life?"

"What?"

For a moment, Ruby’s face showed confusion.

"Do you already have a boyfriend you like?" I continued, trying to sound calm, even though inside I was trembling with excitement and slight embarrassment.