A Guide to Raising a Villainess-Chapter 88: Return

Well, from the very beginning, I had a feeling that this trip would not turn out well for me. But, of course, I could not have imagined that it would turn out this way.

At first, I was simply stunned. My thoughts were confused, my breathing was uneven, and my body felt as if it no longer belonged to me. Roger’s face was too close to mine — so close that I could feel his warm breath on my skin. His hand was still on my waist, holding me firmly but gently to keep me from falling.

Damn... This situation... Could anything be more awkward than this? It seemed that even last time wasn’t as bad as this.

Finally, gathering my thoughts, I tried to free myself from Roger’s embrace and move away from him. But before I even had a chance to do so, Roger suddenly let go of me himself.

He recoiled as if something had burned him and immediately grabbed his head.

"Ahh..." he gasped through clenched teeth.

His face was contorted with pain. He stood slightly bent over, his fingers clenched around his temples, as if trying to keep his head from splitting open.

I was confused, not knowing what to do.

"Sir Roger... are you all right?" I asked, trying to sound confident, even though my heart was pounding in my throat.

He didn’t answer. At first, he didn’t even look at me, as if he hadn’t heard me at all. Only after a few seconds, when I called him again, did he finally look up, his eyes flashing with pain and fatigue.

"Yes... I’m fine," he exhaled with difficulty. "It’s just... my head suddenly started hurting so badly."

The guy’s voice was hoarse, and I noticed his fingers trembling as he slowly lowered his hand from his temple. For a moment, Roger closed his eyes, as if trying to cope with the pain — to hold it inside and not show weakness.

"Do you have a headache?" I asked cautiously, moving a little closer. "Is it serious? Should I call a doctor?"

His gaze, dull but still firm, rose to meet mine. Something like a tired smile flashed in the corners of his eyes.

"No, there’s no need..." he replied calmly, though his voice still sounded strained. "I’m probably just overtired."

I sighed quietly and looked down.

"All right. Then I think we can end our session here," I said after a short pause.

At these words, Roger flinched slightly, as if my words had snapped him out of his reverie. He looked at me more intently.

"There’s no point in continuing the session if you’re not feeling well," I continued softly but firmly. "Besides, it’s been quite a while. The session is almost over anyway."

Roger hesitated before answering. Finally, he nodded slowly.

"Yes... you’re right," he said quietly. "In that case, let me walk you out."

I smiled slightly, trying to ease the awkwardness of the moment.

"There’s no need," I replied, shaking my head slightly. "I know exactly where the exit is and can find it myself. You’d better get some rest now."

A flicker of hesitation crossed Roger’s face. He seemed to want to object, but something held him back. He stared at me silently for a few seconds, as if trying to read something in my eyes, and only then exhaled quietly.

"All right... if you think so," he finally said.

His voice sounded calm, but there was a faint note of regret in it.

Finally, when our session came to an end, I was able to leave the place. Taking a deep breath, I smoothed the folds in my dress and headed for the exit.

But before taking a step, I involuntarily turned and looked back. Roger was still standing there, one arm down, the other still holding his temple. His figure, illuminated by the soft light from the window, seemed unexpectedly vulnerable.

For a moment, I hesitated, as if thinking about something, but then I left without further hesitation.

With a heavy sigh, I crossed the threshold of the Dickens estate, and the cool breeze blowing in from the garden seemed to try to wash away the remnants of my recent tension. But, alas, in vain. Thoughts still swirled in my chest — confused and intrusive, like a tangled ball of yarn that was impossible to untangle.

Sitting in the carriage, I finally allowed myself to lean back against the soft seat. The wheels creaked on the gravel, and soon familiar landscapes flashed by outside the window.

On the way home, I continued to be overwhelmed by unpleasant thoughts about everything that had happened. Nevertheless, I tried to push them away and focus on something else instead.

When I finally reached my estate, the sun was already setting, painting the sky in soft golden-pink tones. A familiar figure flashed on the porch, and in a moment Ruby was running down the path toward me.

"Auntie! You’re back!" the girl exclaimed, breaking into a joyful smile. Her light footsteps echoed on the stone path, and in a moment she was pressed against me, her arms wrapped around my waist.

I couldn’t help but smile.

"Ruby, dear, are your classes over?" I asked, gently stroking her hair.

"Mm-hmm!" the girl nodded happily, her eyes sparkling with delight. "Auntie, where have you been?"

"Ahem..." I hesitated, trying to find an answer. "Didn’t I tell you? I had some things to do."

Ruby frowned slightly, tilting her head to one side.

"Things?" she repeated.

"Yes," I smiled, trying to hide the fatigue in my voice. "Nothing special. Just grown-up things that wouldn’t interest you."

The girl seemed to decide not to press the issue. She just nodded and snuggled up to me again.

Her embrace radiated warmth — so sincere and unconditional that something melted inside my chest.

Unconsciously, just by looking at my niece, I felt the anxious thoughts that had been nesting in me after my meeting with Roger begin to gradually dissipate. My mood improved almost immediately.

Well, since I still had some free time today, I thought about spending it wisely and devoting it to Ruby.

I knelt down on one knee to be at her level and asked with a slight smile:

"Ruby, what do you want to do today? We can read a book, play a game, or, if you want, we can go for a walk in the garden. It’s so beautiful there right now — the leaves on the maple trees have turned completely red."

The girl’s eyes lit up with joy.

"I’ll agree to anything if it’s with you!" she exclaimed.

I couldn’t help but laugh softly.

"Okay," I said, nodding my head. "In that case, we can do both. Let’s start with a walk, and then we’ll pick out a book. How does that sound?"

"Great!" Ruby nodded enthusiastically. "Can we get the one with pictures of the sea?"

"Sure," I replied, "if you promise not to fall asleep on the first page."

She laughed, and I found myself laughing with her.

That’s how we spent the rest of the day. We walked around the garden, enjoying the warm, already autumnal air. The wind rustled the branches, playing with my hair and tossing scarlet leaves into the air. Ruby ran ahead, collecting what she considered to be the most beautiful leaves, and returned from time to time to show me her "precious finds."

Later, when the sun began to sink toward the horizon, we returned to the house. The fireplace crackled softly in the living room, and in its light we sat down to read that very book about the sea. My voice gradually became quieter and more measured, and soon Ruby’s head fell on my shoulder — the girl was already asleep, smiling slightly.

I got up carefully so as not to wake her and put her to bed, tucking the blanket around her. I stood at the foot of the bed for a few moments, looking at her peaceful face — pure and serene.

"Good night, Ruby," I whispered and kissed her on the forehead.

When I returned to my study, the rest of the house was already silent. Outside the windows hung a thick evening mist, and only the fire in the fireplace flickered with a lively, warm light.

I slowly sank into an armchair, feeling fatigue finally wash over me. My body felt heavy, and my shoulders, which had been tense, relaxed. For a moment, I allowed myself to just sit there, closing my eyes and enjoying the rare moment of peace.

In fact, I was also very tired and wanted to sleep, as the day had been endlessly long and exhausting. However, I still had some urgent matters to attend to today that needed to be reviewed before morning. So I had no choice but to finish them before going to bed.

With a slight sigh, I reached for the pile of papers neatly laid out on the desk.

At that moment, while I was working, it suddenly occurred to me that Serpens Strange hadn’t contacted me in quite a while.

Well, he must have been very busy as usual and didn’t have time for that. At least, I would like to believe that things are going well for him and Lionel now.

So, with my head buried in work, I spent another hour or so. At some point, the lines before my eyes began to blur, the letters lost their clarity, and I found myself reading the same sentence over and over again.

My eyelids felt heavy as lead. My head seemed to bow forward on its own.

"Just a little... rest..." I whispered, without even finishing the thought.

In the end, I fell asleep right at my desk, my head resting on my hands.

Only a few moments had passed since consciousness had finally left me when a quiet rustle was heard in the room.