"Miss Ruby, sorry for my son’s behavior..." Madame Shades said, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Her voice was polite, but her expression was strained.
"It’s fine, it’s fine," Ruby replied, waving her hands dismissively. "I didn’t expect anything from him..."
Just then, Butler Ford came down the stairs slowly, holding a one note. He handed it to Madame Shades, who gave him a nod before turning back to Ruby.
"Miss Ruby, here it is. I hope it compensates you," she said with a gentle smile, although Ruby could tell it was practiced.
"Thanks, Madame Shades. It’s more than enough," Ruby replied, offering her own polite smile.
Madame Shades then turned to Butler Ford. "Get all the packets of cookies for them and pack them up. We can’t let our guests leave empty-handed," she said, her tone overly sweet. Her gaze then shifted to Karl and Adrian. "You’re Karl and Adrian, right?" she asked, as if confirming their names for the first time.
They both nodded, eager to accept the unexpected generosity.
"Why don’t you follow him and help?" Madame Shades said, gesturing toward the butler with a smile. Ruby immediately narrowed her eyes, sensing that something was off, but before she could warn them, Karl and Adrian happily followed Butler Ford.
Easy to fool, Ruby thought, shaking her head as she watched them go.
"Miss Ruby, please have a seat," Madame Shades gestured toward the sofa, settling herself down as she looked at Ruby intently. After a moment of hesitation, Ruby sat across from her, studying Madame Shades with curiosity and suspicion.
Madame Shades looked at her with a strange, almost nostalgic expression, and Ruby couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
"Are you interested in working for me?" Madame Shades asked suddenly, breaking the silence. "You know, your parents used to work for me..."
Ruby’s eyes narrowed. "What exactly do you do?" Her instincts warned her that there was more to this story. While she didn’t have many memories of her parents, she vaguely recalled that something had happened to them while they were working, and she felt they’d been connected to Madame Shades.
"Oh, I have a plant," Madame Shades said with a chuckle, a vague answer that only deepened Ruby’s suspicion.
"What kind of plant?" Ruby asked, her frown deepening as she studied Madame Shades’ face. The witch only smiled back at her, offering no further explanation.
Before she could push further, Karl and Adrian returned, each holding multiple bags of cookies, their faces lighting up with excitement.
"Wife, let’s go," Karl said sweetly, using "wife" instead of the usual "stupid wife". Ruby noticed that he still maintained respect for her when they were in public, thankfully.
"Yes, let’s go," she agreed, momentarily distracted by the stack of cookie bags.
But as they left, Ruby’s mind kept circling back to Madame Shades’ vague answers and that nostalgic look in her eyes.
"What kind of luck do we have? I feel so happy we got so many snacks..." Karl said cheerfully, wiping a tear from his eye as he clutched the bag in his hand.
They were standing under a tree that offered no shade from the scorching sunlight. Ruby wiped the sweat off her forehead with her sleeve, rolling her eyes at his excitement.
"Idiot," she muttered under her breath.
"What did you say?" Karl snapped, glaring at her as he stepped closer, looking unexpectedly furious.
Adrian, who was leaning against the tree, also frowned, crossing his arms. "You can’t call him an idiot."
Ruby looked at both of them, exasperated. "Oh, I can’t call you two idiots, huh? Then what should I call you? Why on earth did you both follow the butler? Didn’t you feel something was off about Madame Shades? She almost tricked you two! You were this close to being kidnapped, and you didn’t even realize it!"
She took a breath, her tone growing sharper. "You can’t just melt away and listen to anyone who offers you food! What if next time it’s someone with bad intentions? Do you even think about what could happen?"
Karl looked down, his face a little sheepish, while Adrian scratched the back of his head, clearly realizing she might have a point.
"Alright, alright," Adrian mumbled, "Maybe we got a little carried away..."
Karl sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, okay... I didn’t think about that. But, hey, look, we got out safely, right?"
Ruby shook her head, still frustrated but slightly relieved. "This time, yes. But next time, think with your heads, not your stomachs!"
"Haven’t you two noticed?" Ruby said again, frowning. "There was blood on the back of Butler Ford’s robe, and Madame Shades’ expressions were so fake. And the way she supported us over her own child... that didn’t feel right. Something’s off about all this." She looked at Adrian and Karl, her eyes sharp, and her words left them stunned.
Suddenly, both of them felt their throats clench in discomfort. Without warning, they staggered to the side and threw up on the ground, coughing. Ruby’s eyes widened in concern as she rushed to their sides, patting their backs to help them steady themselves.
They looked drained and pale, like the life had been sucked out of them. Ruby glanced at the bag in Karl’s hand, which he weakly passed to her. She opened it, pulling out the cookie packets and examining them. Something was wrong—there was no logo, no brand, no information on the packaging. She ripped open a packet, took a closer look, and inspected the cookie’s texture and smell. They were discolored, stale-smelling, and crumbling strangely—clear signs of being far past their expiration.
Her expression turned grim. "Expired cookies..."
Hearing this, Karl and Adrian’s faces went from pale to ghostly. The shock was written all over their faces, fear creeping in as they remembered Ruby mentioning the blood on the butler’s robe.
"Let me go back and deal with her," Ruby said firmly, about to march back towards the mansion. But before she could take a step, she felt two hands grip her sleeve tightly.
"No... please, no..." Karl whispered, his face weak with fear, as he held her back. Adrian nodded beside him, his usually cool expression shaken.
—To be continued...🪄