Ruby frowned deeply, her sharp eyes narrowing as she recognized Levi. Wasn’t he the same ghost who had sat on the wagon with her that day? Her gaze shifted across the room. Milo looked pale and uneasy, Karl’s baby-blue eyes burned with anger, and Julian stood frozen, his expression tight.
"Who are you?" Ruby asked, her voice calm but filled with authority. "And what are you doing in my house?" Though she had a guess, she waited for him to answer.
Levi’s yellow, cat-like eyes gleamed with false innocence as he gave her a nervous smile. "Miss Ruby, we haven’t met formally before," he began, his tone dripping with fake politeness. "I’m Julian’s cousin."
"So... why are you here?" Ruby asked, tilting her head slightly, her sharp eyes fixed on Levi and his mother.
Milo, who had been standing off to the side, slowly moved behind Ruby, clutching the back of her robe like a nervous child.
"Miss Ruby, we’re family," Grace, Levi’s mother, replied with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Family doesn’t need an invitation, right? We just came to see if everything is alright with Julian... Isn’t that right?" She nudged Levi as if encouraging him to speak.
Levi nodded, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Of course. We were just worried about him. After all, it’s been a while since we’ve seen him."
Ruby’s gaze didn’t waver. She could see right through them. "Two years is more than ’a while,’" she said coldly.
Julian, standing off to the side, flinched slightly but stayed silent, his fists clenched at his sides.
Levi looked awkward, biting his lips as he stammered, "Actually, Miss Ruby, my marriage is fixed, so I came here to personally give you the invitation." His eyes darted nervously as if searching for Ruby’s reaction, though it was clear he had made up the excuse on the spot.
"Yes, yes... Julian, you must come with your family," Grace quickly added, forcing a tight smile, though her clenched jaw betrayed her irritation.
Ruby raised an eyebrow, her gaze shifting between the two of them, clearly unimpressed.
Grace’s expression twisted further when she glanced around the house. "However," she continued, her voice heavy with feigned politeness, "are you not even going to offer us a seat? Or perhaps a glass of water?"
Ruby’s lips curled into a small, almost mischievous smile as she replied, "Oh, we ran out of water. Sorry." Her tone carried no genuine apology, and before either of them could respond, Ruby stepped forward and pushed them both out the door with a firm shove.
The door slammed shut with a loud bang, leaving Levi and Grace standing outside, stunned.
Levi’s eyes widened in disbelief as he turned to his mother. "Did we just get kicked out, Mom?"
"It seems so," Grace muttered angrily, her face dark with frustration. Her hands clenched into fists as she glared at the closed door, mumbling under her breath, "That witch... she’s worse than I thought."
Inside the house, Ruby leaned against the door with a satisfied sigh, brushing off her hands. Milo peeked around the corner, his wide eyes full of admiration. "Wife, that was amazing!" he whispered excitedly, earning a small chuckle from Ruby.
Julian let out a long sigh of relief, his shoulders visibly relaxing. He turned to Ruby with genuine gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you... for your help," he said softly. Ruby didn’t respond with words, simply giving a brief nod as if it wasn’t a big deal.
Karl, however, stared at her with wide, astonished eyes. He looked as if he couldn’t believe what had just happened, while Adrian observed her with his usual expressionless face, though there was a flicker of curiosity in his gaze.
Before anyone could say anything further, the doorbell rang again. Ruby frowned, her patience already wearing thin. "What now?" she muttered under her breath as she stormed toward the door.
She swung it open, irritation evident on her face. "I said we ran out of water—" she began, assuming it was Levi and Grace returning to cause more trouble.
But she stopped mid-sentence when her eyes landed on two unfamiliar witches standing outside. Both of them looked a bit awkward, their hands fidgeting nervously. Ruby’s sharp gaze scanned them, and she realized one of them seemed familiar.
"Wait... aren’t you the witch from the government office?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.
The shorter witch cleared her throat and replied quickly, "We’re not here to ask for water." Her voice was steady, though there was a hint of nervousness in her tone.
The taller witch beside her nodded in agreement, adding, "We’re here to speak with you, Miss Ruby. It’s... uh... about an urgent matter."
Ruby raised a brow, leaning against the doorframe. "An urgent matter?" she repeated, crossing her arms. "What kind of urgent matter brings witches from the government office to my doorstep?"
The short witch glanced at her companion before taking a deep breath. "We need your help," she said, her voice firm now.
"Help? What kind of help?" Ruby asked, raising a brow, her tone calm yet curious. She gestured for them to come inside, but the taller witch immediately waved her hands.
"No, no, Miss Ruby. We don’t have time to sit down. We need your help urgently—it’s related to a computer issue," the taller witch said nervously. "That day, you helped fix my computer, and now we’re facing a much bigger problem. Can you come with us, please?"
Ruby’s eyes narrowed as she leaned back against the doorframe. Her tone turned colder. "And why should I help you?"
The two witches froze, exchanging nervous glances. It was clear they hadn’t expected this response. The shorter witch finally stepped forward, trying to keep her voice steady. "You’ll be rewarded for helping the government, of course. And as a good, kind citizen, there will be more benefits in the future."
Ruby’s lips curved slightly, and her eyes glistened with interest. "Alright, I’ll come," she said, pushing off the frame. "Let me grab my purse."
—To be continued...🪄