CHAPTER 85: ONLY THE TWO OF US

To be honest, I really didn’t expect us to leave the tea party so soon. Things clearly didn’t turn out quite as I had planned.

Nevertheless, since it was Rubiella’s wish, I wasn’t going to argue. After all, I certainly had no intention of forcing the girl to do anything against her will.

So, less than an hour after our arrival, we were already on our way back to the estate. The wheels of the carriage tapped steadily on the cobblestone road, creating a rhythm that made me want to think about too many things.

Ruby sat across from me in the carriage. She was looking out the window, and her reflection in the glass seemed almost ghostly. Her eyes, usually lively and sparkling with curiosity, were now full of excitement and a kind of adult thoughtfulness that was not at all characteristic of a child.

I took a deep breath. Outside, the green treetops flashed by, and flashes of sunlight slid across her face, but she seemed oblivious to it all. The silence was becoming heavy.

Now that we were alone, I knew I had to ask. I had to find out what had happened.

"Ruby," I called softly.

"Yes, Auntie?" The girl responded immediately and turned to me.

"Ruby, you..." I paused for a moment, choosing my words carefully so as not to sound too harsh. "Can you explain what exactly happened? Why did that boy attack you?"

I said it calmly, although inside I was feeling tense. I had to know what had caused this conflict in the first place. After all, it was unlikely that the marquise’s son would have attacked Ruby for no reason.

The girl hesitated. Her gaze dropped again, her slender fingers involuntarily clutching the hem of her dress. She bit her lip, and only then, quietly, almost in a whisper, said:

"The thing is, this boy... said all sorts of nasty things about my aunt."

She fell silent.

"And when I answered him," she continued a little louder, "he got angry and hit me."

For a moment, I just sat there, unable to say anything. Ruby’s words really hit me hard. I felt anger slowly rising from somewhere deep in my chest, burning every cell in my body.

"Bad things?" I asked, even though I knew exactly what she meant.

Ruby nodded.

"He said... that you’re bad. That all the adults say you’re a dishonest person and that you’ll be punished soon. And I said that wasn’t true, that you were kind and very good," the girl’s voice trembled. "He laughed... and said I was stupid to believe that an evil woman could have a good heart. And then... then he hit me."

She fell silent, lowering her head.

I felt my fingers clench into fists. That boy... that spoiled son of an aristocrat dared to raise his hand to Ruby — my Ruby — just because she stood up for me?

My heart sank. Something unpleasant stabbed me in the chest. Not because of the pain, but because of the anger and my own powerlessness. And because I knew perfectly well where these rumors came from.

In this society, I was still considered a questionable character. And all this despite the fact that I tried my best to change that image. But apparently, Grace Weinstein’s past constantly followed me like a shadow, preventing me from shaking off my reputation as a "wicked woman."

And now these rumors had reached Ruby.

I looked up at the girl. She looked so small and defenseless — and yet incredibly strong. Even now, after being hit and injured, she wasn’t crying. She just held onto the hem of her dress and seemed embarrassed to look me in the eye.

I moved closer and gently touched her shoulder.

"Listen, Ruby," I said softly. "You did something very brave. And I’m proud of you."

She looked up in surprise, her eyes wide.

"But, Auntie, I... I got into a fight..."

"Sometimes protecting those you love means breaking the rules," I replied, trying to smile. "Don’t blame yourself."

Her small hand reached out to me, and I took it.

"Just promise me one thing," I added after a short pause. "If anyone says something like that to you again, don’t react. Just tell me, okay?"

"Okay, Auntie," she nodded slightly.

I took a deep breath. I still felt uneasy after what had happened, but seeing Ruby so sad now was much harder.

"Auntie..." she said quietly, and I immediately turned my attention to her. Her voice sounded uncertain, as if she was afraid to hear my answer.

"So you’re not mad at me?"

I blinked, a little confused.

"Of course not," I replied, and to dispel her doubts, I smiled gently. "Why should I be mad at you, sweetie? You didn’t do anything wrong."

Ruby blinked, as if she couldn’t believe her ears, and then a sincere smile lit up her face. The tension that had been holding her back all this time finally seemed to ease a little.

I felt myself relax too, but somewhere deep down, a bitter feeling still smoldered. Well... when you think about it, children are rarely the source of evil themselves. They are merely a reflection of what they see and hear at home. And if the marquise’s son allowed himself such unacceptable behavior, then he was simply repeating what he had seen his mother do.

Nevertheless, I was upset that Ruby had suffered because of this petty malice. She didn’t deserve it. I just wanted her to have a little fun, meet other children from noble families, feel like part of this society... But the opposite happened.

This was not how I expected the day to go.

To lighten the mood, I tried to sound cheerful:

"You know, Ruby, don’t worry. It was just a one-time thing. But next time, everything will be much better!"

The girl looked up and asked cautiously:

"Next time?"

"Yes, of course," I nodded, trying to smile a little more confidently. "Next time we go to an event like this, everything will definitely be different. You’ll definitely be able to make friends!"

Ruby remained silent. For several long seconds, there was silence in the carriage, broken only by the sound of the wheels on the stones.

Finally, she said quietly, almost in a whisper:

"Auntie, can we... not go anywhere else?"

I blinked, not immediately understanding the meaning of her words.

"What?" I asked in surprise.

Ruby looked up at me with desperate sincerity.

"I don’t need other people!" she said abruptly, clenching her little fists. "You, Sir Edison, and Nura are enough for me! I don’t want to be friends with anyone else!"

I looked down and sighed heavily.

"Ruby..." I began calmly, trying to keep my voice soft but serious at the same time. "I’m sorry, sweetheart, but that won’t work."

"But why?" she asked, frowning.

"Because you can’t stay in this house forever," I explained gently. "In the future, you will become a duchess and the head of the family. You will have a great responsibility — not only for the land, but also for the people. And a duchess cannot be alone. She needs allies and friends whom she can trust and rely on in difficult times. You understand that, don’t you?"

After my words, Ruby lowered her eyes and bit her lip. Finally, she replied quietly:

"Yes, Auntie..."

The carriage rocked over the bumps, and we rode in silence for several minutes. Outside the window, fields, copses, and scattered houses bathed in soft evening light flashed by. I glanced surreptitiously at Ruby — she was sitting with her back to the window, her face a mixture of thoughtfulness and melancholy.

I was about to say something when she called out softly:

"Auntie..."

"Yes, Ruby?" I replied, turning to her.

She paused for a moment, as if gathering her courage, and then asked a question that made me freeze involuntarily:

"What if... what if there was no one else in this world but us? Could we stay together forever? Just you and me?"

Hearing this question, I smiled involuntarily.

Just the two of us left in this world? Of course, it was impossible and more like some kind of fantasy. Nevertheless, since Ruby was looking at me with such hope in her eyes, I decided to play along and replied:

"If it were just the two of us?" I repeated, as if to clarify.

"Hmm... I think so. It would be possible."

Ruby raised her head, and a spark flashed in her eyes.

"Really?" she asked, as if she wanted to make sure.

"Yes. If there was no one else in the world but us, I would take care of you, just like I do now."

After I said that, Ruby suddenly smiled.

It seemed to me that at that moment I saw that strange look in her eyes again, the one she sometimes had and which, to be honest, made me a little nervous.

I frowned slightly but tried to hide my concern behind a calm tone:

"Hmm, Ruby, why did you suddenly ask about that?"

"It’s nothing," she said with a soft smile. "I just wanted to hear your answer, Auntie."

At first, I frowned and looked at her intently, but in the end, I decided to drop the subject and just sighed.