Alexander slowly stepped closer to Olga.
He gently touched her cheek and carefully adjusted a loose strand of hair that had fallen out of place.
Olga immediately became a little uncomfortable. She wasn't used to such familiar gestures from him, especially after only recently discovering that he was her grandfather.
She instinctively leaned back slightly.
Alexander noticed her reaction and withdrew his hand.
"You're still not used to this family, are you?" he asked calmly.
Olga lowered her eyes for a moment.
"Not yet…"
Alexander gave a quiet nod.
"You will." Even after Alexander withdrew his hand, Olga still couldn't shake off her discomfort.
She remained silent for a moment. Her fingers slowly intertwined in her lap as the silence in the room suddenly seemed heavier than before.
Olga cautiously looked at Alexander.
"I… still don't know how I'm supposed to act around you," she said quietly.
Alexander said nothing.
Olga lowered her eyes again.
"Today was the first time I found out that you're my grandfather. Then there's this house, all these people… Everyone looks at me as if I already belong here, but to me, everything is still completely unfamiliar."
The uncertainty in her voice was unmistakable.
Alexander calmly replied,
"It's natural for you to feel uncomfortable."
Olga looked at him in surprise.
"Then… will you give me some time?"
After a few seconds of silence, Alexander answered,
"Yes."
Olga slowly exhaled.
Even so, she felt that it would take a long time to become comfortable with the mysteries of this enormous house and with Alexander's intimidating presence.
Alexander stepped closer from behind and leaned slightly toward Olga, lowering his voice to a quiet whisper near her ear.
"Don't be afraid of this house, Olga."
Olga stiffened slightly at the sudden whisper and turned her head halfway.
Alexander continued in the same calm, deep voice,
"You may not understand this family yet… but in time, you will."
Olga remained silent, listening carefully.
Then Alexander added,
"And remember no matter how strange everything seems tonight, you are not alone anymore."Alexander stepped closer from behind and lowered his voice until it was barely above a whisper.
"Olga…"
She froze and listened.
"There are things about this house that you are not ready to understand yet."
Olga slowly turned her head.
"What things?"
Alexander remained silent for a moment.
Then, in his deep, controlled voice, he said,
"When you start hearing stories about this family… don't believe everything you hear."
Olga frowned.
"Why?"
Alexander's expression hardened.
"Because sometimes, Olga…"
He paused.
"The most dangerous secrets are the ones everyone agrees to keep."
Olga stared at him, confused.
"And one more thing," Alexander added quietly.
"Never ask a question unless you're prepared to hear the answer."Suddenly, Alexander gently pulled Olga into a brief embrace.
Olga was slightly startled at first. She remained still, still trying to adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings and everything she had learned that night.
Alexander was silent for a few moments. Then he slowly exhaled and spoke softly in Russian.
"You are my family, Olga."
His voice lowered further.
"Never forget that."
Olga didn't fully understand the Russian words. She slowly looked up at him.
"What did you say?"
Alexander simply looked at her.
"One day, you'll understand."
Something strange stirred inside Olga. His words felt like more than an ordinary family remark as though they carried a meaning she wasn't ready to discover yet. Alexander gently placed a brief kiss on Olga's forehead.
Olga blinked in surprise, still not completely accustomed to his sudden displays of affection.
Alexander stepped back and quietly said,
"Get some rest, Olga. It has been a long night."
Olga nodded slowly, still wondering about the mysterious words he had spoken in Russian. Olga suddenly stepped back, clearly frightened and overwhelmed by everything that had happened that night.
"Don't… come any closer," she said nervously.
Alexander stopped immediately.
Olga's voice trembled as she spoke.
"Are you… are you a shameless person?"
The room fell silent.
Alexander stared at her for a moment before calmly replying,
"You misunderstood me, Olga."
Olga remained tense, still keeping some distance between them.
Alexander took a step back to give her more space.
"Don't be afraid. I'm your grandfather. I never intended to make you uncomfortable."
Olga slowly relaxed, though she still looked uncertain.
For the first time that night, Alexander's stern expression softened slightly.
"I'll respect your boundaries," he said quietly.Olga said nothing more.
She quietly turned away from Alexander and walked toward her room.
Her footsteps echoed softly through the silent hallway.
When she reached her door, she quickly stepped inside and closed it behind her.
Click.
She locked the door and leaned against it for a moment, taking a deep breath.
The events of the night kept replaying in her mind the mansion, the family, Alexander's mysterious words, and everything she had learned so suddenly.
Olga whispered to herself,
"What kind of family have I come into…?"
Outside the room, the hallway fell silent again. A few minutes later, there was a soft knock on Olga's bedroom door.
Knock. Knock.
Olga suddenly froze.
She looked toward the door with a nervous expression.
"Olga," Alexander's deep voice came from the other side.
Olga didn't answer immediately.
After a few moments of silence, Alexander spoke calmly.
"I'm not coming inside. I just wanted to make sure you're alright."
Olga slowly exhaled.
"I'm fine…"
Alexander remained outside the door.
"Good. Then get some rest."
A few moments later, the sound of his footsteps gradually faded down the hallway.
Olga stared at the closed door for several seconds before slowly turning toward her bed. Olga slowly walked toward her bed and sat down.
For a while, she simply stared at the floor, trying to process everything that had happened that night.
Her grandfather.
The mansion.
The strange family.
And Alexander's mysterious warnings.
She looked toward the locked door again.
"Why does he know so much…?" she wondered.
Meanwhile, outside the room, Alexander stopped at the end of the hallway.
He stood silently for a moment, his expression unreadable.
Then he took a small photograph from inside his jacket and looked at it.
The photograph was old.
Very old.
His eyes darkened as he whispered,
"So… after all these years, you finally came back."
He put the photograph away and continued walking through the dimly lit hallway.
But before disappearing around the corner, he glanced once more toward Olga's closed door.
Something about her arrival had clearly awakened a secret the family had kept buried for years.