REDA | Chapter 18

~Chapter 18~ 

Ruby was thrilled when it was decided she could stay in the Duke’s mansion permanently. She quickly gathered the children and announced:

“Now we can all live here together!”

“Does that mean we don’t have to be apart from you anymore, big sis?” Sasha asked.

“Yes, we’ll always be together now.”

“Big sis!”

Sasha threw herself into Ruby’s arms.

“I knew this would happen,” Calix said, pretending not to be moved. But his red eyes and constant sniffing showed he was actually deeply touched.

Even baby Maria in Ruby’s arms seemed happy, letting out a little cheer.

Watching this warm moment, Balt stepped forward.

“Now that you’re part of the household, we’ll give each of you your own room instead of sharing a guest room.”

Until now, all three children had been using one large guest room. But as official members of the Duke’s household, they would each have their own space.

Calix was the first to speak excitedly.

“My own room? That means I can make a mess however I want, right?”

He had often been scolded by Ruby to keep things tidy, so he happily welcomed the idea of having his own room. Funny enough, at first, he had refused to sleep anywhere except right next to Ruby because he felt scared. Ruby found his change in attitude amusing but didn’t tease him. It just showed how well he had adjusted to the mansion.

“Miss Sasha will also get her own room,” Balt said, looking at her.

“Will I have to be apart from my sister?” she asked, worried.

“Don’t you want a room full of dolls?” Balt suggested.

Sasha’s eyes lit up.

“Yes, I want that!”

Balt smiled, having easily convinced her.

“Miss Maria will also get her own room.”

“What? But who will take care of her?” Ruby asked.

“The Duke has ordered that a nanny be hired for Miss Maria. Until then, the maids will take turns caring for her. So you don’t need to worry anymore.”

Ruby looked down at Maria. She wondered if it was really okay to let someone else care for the baby. But looking after Maria had kept Ruby’s hands full. If she wanted to prove herself capable as the Duke’s heir, she needed time away from childcare, too.

“Thank you for arranging this,” Ruby said.

“It’s the Duke’s order,” Balt replied.

Ruby still found it hard to believe the Duke himself had thought of such details. Maybe Balt had made it up. But as long as the result was good, she wouldn’t complain. And if she missed Maria, she could always visit often.

“There’s one more thing to tell you,” Balt said.

“What is it?”

All the children turned to look at him. This time, he looked slightly uncomfortable.

“From now on, you will all have private tutors.”

“What?! You mean we have to study?” Calix reacted first.

He only cared about swordsmanship and had no interest in other subjects. His grades had always been poor, and even their parents had given up on making him study.

“I understand you only want to train in swordsmanship, Calix,” Balt said. “And you have great talent in it.”

“That’s true,” Calix agreed proudly, falling right into Balt’s flattery.

Balt continued, “But if a talented young man like you learned a little more about other subjects, you could become an even more impressive swordsman in society. The Duke thought of this and ordered a tutor for you.”

“To become a great swordsman?” Calix asked.

“Yes.”

Just like that, Calix changed from resisting to looking completely convinced. Ruby found it funny how simple he was. She patted his head, wondering if any tutor could handle his personality. Still, she agreed he needed to learn more—after all, he was only seven years old, too young to understand the whole world. Ruby couldn’t teach him everything herself, so a proper teacher was necessary.

“Calix, you’ll be nice to your teacher, right?”

“Don’t worry. You can count on me,” he said confidently, though Ruby wasn’t entirely reassured.

Sasha, on the other hand, just blinked blankly. She didn’t seem to understand what was going on.

“Sasha, you’ll get a tutor too,” Ruby explained.

“I will?”

“Yes. I don’t know who yet, but they’ll teach you many things.”

“Hm.” Sasha didn’t seem interested. She was too busy thinking about which dolls to put in her new room.

“Of course, Miss Ruby will also have a tutor,” Balt said.

Even though Ruby was smart, she was still only ten years old and not yet used to the manners of high society. Having a tutor made sense. Ruby accepted without complaint.

“Alright. I’ll work hard to learn.”

Balt nodded at her mature attitude.

“Shall I show you your rooms now?”

The children lined up and followed him. The rooms were arranged in a row so they would be close to each other.

First, they saw Maria’s room. It had a baby bed, rattles, a mobile, and other baby things. There was also a bed and facilities for the nanny to stay.

“When Miss Maria is older, we’ll prepare a separate room for her. For now, it’s better for her to stay with the nanny,” Balt explained.

“That’s fine,” Ruby agreed. Leaving a baby alone could be dangerous, and having a nanny nearby would be safer.

A maid who was scheduled to care for Maria entered the room, and Ruby handed the baby to her.

Next, they went to Sasha’s room. It was bright and decorated in cheerful colors, with cute dolls placed everywhere.

“Dolls!” Sasha cried, running in and picking up a rabbit doll bag from the table. It looked like one she had left behind at home.

“Sasha, do you like this room?” Ruby asked.

“Yes!”

“The Duke told us to fill your room with things you’d like,” Balt said.

“Grandfather did?” Sasha asked.

“Yes. I’m glad you like it.”

Ruby doubted the Duke really cared about Sasha this much, but she didn’t argue. Sasha stayed in her room, happily playing with the dolls.

The rest went on to Calix’s room. It was neat and simple, without flashy decorations. The main thing that stood out was a long wrapped package on his desk.

“Go on, open it,” Ruby urged.

Calix hesitated but then ripped the wrapping paper.

“A wooden sword?”

“Yes, a new one. I know you’re used to your old one, but it’s badly worn. The Duke ordered us to get you a new one.”

Ruby still wasn’t convinced the Duke had given the order, but Calix looked touched. He stroked the sword lovingly.

While Calix admired his gift, Ruby and Balt stepped out.

“Only my room is left now,” Ruby said.

“You can look forward to it,” Balt replied with a smile.

He opened the door to the room next to Calix’s. It was neat like Calix’s, but with warm colors and elegant decorations. On the table sat a gift box.

“What’s this?” Ruby asked.