Now, I saw how utterly pathetic and futile those efforts had been.
My heart sank deeper, settling in a pit of cold realization.
Since you were all so determined, just wait and see.
In the days that followed, though I had stopped drinking the medicine, I continued to play the role of the helpless patient.
I pretended to be weak, even telling Amaris and Silas that I was too frail to leave my bed.
Amaris’s eyes sparked with brief excitement when she heard, but she quickly masked it, replacing the glint with a concerned frown.
Silas played along, too, suggesting he might take me to a hospital in the city.
Of course, he never made a single move to do so.
That day, Silas was in the courtyard, moving things with loud, strained grunts that echoed through the air.
"Amaris, come help me out. Pass me a towel."
Silas’s voice called out, rough and demanding.
Amaris hurried over, clutching the towel and wiping the sweat from his face with tender care.
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.
But to my surprise, instead of backing off, Amaris and Silas grew even more brazen.
A few days later, Silas began flaunting his newfound authority, moving around the house like he owned it.
The old storage cabinet stood against the wall, a silent reminder of my father’s legacy.