Her tenderness stirred something strange within me.
"Brother Silas, slow down. It’s heavy. Don’t strain your back," she murmured, her voice soft, drenched in concern.
From my bed, I could only watch their shadows dance against the window, each movement accompanied by sounds that scraped at my nerves.
Then, with a sudden burst of strength, Silas grunted a beastly sound.
The harsh scraping of the water jar being shifted echoed in the stillness, followed by a heavy breath as Silas swung his arms, sweat flying from his body.
"Ah..." he sighed, dragging the sound long.
"A house without a man to hold it together is nothing but chaos, utterly disordered."
His voice wasn’t loud, but each word landed like a hammer against my chest.
Amaris immediately picked up the conversation, her words dripping with false sympathy.
"Isn’t that the truth? Ever since Brother Alaric fell ill, nothing in this house has been anything but a headache. Life has become unbearable."
"If it weren’t for you..."
She didn’t finish the sentence, but her meaning hung in the air, heavy and clear.
I turned over sharply, deliberately letting out a few harsh coughs.