Chapter 51: Relaxing with my niece
As soon as the door slowly, almost silently opened, I heard the faint sound of light footsteps — cautious, hesitant, as if the person behind the door was afraid to disturb the peace of the room.
In the next moment, a narrow strip of light from the hallway slid softly across the floor, and the slender figure of a girl appeared in the doorway. Rubiella, dressed in a light pastel-colored dress, stood for a few seconds, hesitating to enter, as if gathering her courage.
But as soon as our eyes met, she suddenly broke into a run and rushed towards me — so fast that I barely had time to raise my arms.
"Auntie!" her voice sounded excited, almost breaking into a sob. "Are you okay?"
She wrapped her tiny arms around me with unexpected strength, as if she were afraid that if she let go for even a moment, I would disappear.
Her warm breath touched my neck, and her thin shoulders trembled slightly, either from excitement or relief.
I smiled, pulling her close to me, feeling her small, warm, fragile body gently press against mine. It was so touching and soothing at the same time.
"Yes, I’m fine," I said softly, slowly stroking her back, trying to convey confidence and calm through my touch. "Aunt just got a little sick, but now everything is fine."
Ruby moved away slightly to look me in the eyes, and I saw that her beautiful blue eyes were filled with anxiety, and tears glistened in the corners, as if she were about to cry.
My heart involuntarily tightened at the sight — it was so touching to see how sincerely she cared about me.
"Auntie... I... I was so worried about you!" Her voice trembled, and her eyes became slightly moist, as if ready to cry.
When Ruby stepped back to look at me, I saw that her beautiful blue eyes were filled with concern, and tears glistened in the corners. My heart involuntarily tightened at the sight — it was so touching to see how worried she was about me.
"I’m sorry I made you worry. My aunt just got a little sick, but now I’m fine," I said, trying to sound confident.
"Really?" Her eyes lit up with hope, and there was a slight tremor in her voice.
"Yes. See? I feel much better now!"
When I said those words, Ruby seemed to calm down a little, although her expression remained concerned, as if she feared that any movement or word from me might be further proof of my illness.
Her little face was full of anxiety, but at the same time, it showed her willingness to be there for me and support me.
I couldn’t help but stare at her face, and for the first time, I realized how much she had grown over the past three years.
The little girl who once appeared at the doorstep of my estate, who didn’t even reach my chest at the time, had now grown noticeably taller, her figure had taken on more adult contours, and her face had become slightly more mature.
And yet, her cheeks still retained a childish plumpness, as if to remind me that she was still a child, despite all the changes.
It was incredibly sweet and touching to see her gradually transform from a little girl into a young woman, while retaining that childlike innocence and gentleness.
At thirteen, Ruby was already entering the active phase of adolescent growth, and that was natural.
But for some reason, I hadn’t noticed all these changes until now, as if in my eyes she was still that little girl who once needed my protection and care.
Now I understood how parents feel when their children grow up: it is joyful, touching, and slightly sad at the same time, because with each passing day they become more and more independent, and childhood is gone forever.
Lost in these thoughts, I was brought back to reality by Ruby’s quiet, cautious voice calling me again:
"Auntie?"
"Yes?" I replied, slightly embarrassed that I had been so deeply immersed in my thoughts.
"Can you stay home today? Let’s just spend the day together," she said with a look as if it were the most important thing in the world to her, as if her whole world depended on my agreement.
Oh, I actually hesitated a little.
I hadn’t planned on actually staying in bed, and I hadn’t even thought about putting off my chores. I had a lot of responsibilities, and I knew there was no getting around them.
But when my sweet niece looked at me with those big, pleading eyes, how could I refuse her? How could I refuse a child who so sincerely wanted to be close to me, to share moments of peace and warmth with me?
I gave in and smiled, not hiding the warm feeling that spread through my chest.
"Okay. Then let’s rest together today," I said softly, trying to convey all my love and care to her.
"Yay!" Her joy was so sincere and genuine that I couldn’t help but smile even wider, feeling my heart fill with warmth.
I let Ruby climb into my bed and lie down next to me. As soon as we were settled, she hugged me around the waist and pressed her whole body against me, as if she wanted to feel my protection and support.
I gently stroked her soft hair, thinking to myself that despite all the changes, Ruby was still a child in the best sense of the word — pure, sincere, and defenseless.
We lay there together, enjoying the silence and each other’s warmth, until we fell asleep. My heart felt unusually warm and calm, as if all my worries and concerns had receded, giving way to peace and happiness.
***
Following Edison and the doctor’s recommendations, I spent the whole day doing nothing and devoting it entirely to spending time with my niece.
Ah, how delightful it was to just lie in bed until noon, ignoring all those endless responsibilities that usually hang over me like the sword of Damocles.
It was one of those rare days when I could simply enjoy the time we spent together, without the constant feeling of responsibility and urgency.
However, the next day, I realized that I couldn’t go on like this. My sense of responsibility for the estate, the people, and the business continued to weigh on me like a heavy burden that was impossible to shake off.
So, after a short rest, I returned to my duties and decided to tackle the paperwork that had piled up.
Fortunately, there wasn’t too much of it, and I expected to finish by noon so that I could spend the rest of the day with Ruby again.
With a plan for the day, I set to work without hesitation when suddenly my attention was drawn to an envelope bearing the Dickens family seal. It lay at the top of the pile, as if deliberately standing out among the gray papers.
I couldn’t help but look puzzled.
"Are you saying this letter arrived this morning?" I asked, addressing my butler, who was standing at the door as usual, his posture perfectly straight.
"Yes, ma’am," he replied, bowing his head slightly. "The messenger delivered it personally. I thought it might be urgent, so I put it on top."
I frowned. Could this be a letter from Roger? Perhaps he was worried about me after the incident. After all, it’s not every day you see a lady suddenly lose consciousness after spitting out a pool of blood.
I opened the letter and quickly scanned it. To my surprise, it was not a letter from Roger, but from the Duke himself.
"Lady Weinstein, I heard about what happened to you. How are you feeling? I hope you get better soon. Best wishes, William Dickens."
I immediately realized that Roger must have told his father about what had happened. However, this was not so surprising.
In fact, the fact that the duke sent me this letter was a gesture that he was not obliged to make, but nevertheless was in line with business ethics and our established relationship. After all, we had worked closely enough over the past few years to be considered more than just acquaintances.
I sighed and quickly wrote a reply, assuring the duke that I was fine and there was nothing to worry about. Then I told Edison to send it. When the butler left, I was about to get back to work.
However, to my surprise, he returned much sooner than expected.
"What’s the matter? Have you already sent the letter?" I asked, slightly surprised.
"Not quite, madam. In fact, I came to inform you of a guest’s arrival," he replied calmly.
"A guest...?" I frowned, feeling a slight tension.
"Roger Dickens is waiting for you in the hall."
When the butler told me this unexpected news, I could only sigh heavily. First my father, and now my son. Who would have thought that these two would decide to bother me on the same day?