Amari closed her eyes, as if surrendering to silence, choosing not to fight back with words.
Louissa released a long sigh of relief. At last—finally—she had managed to stop Amari from speaking! For a moment, triumph flickered in her chest, thinking she had gained the upper hand.
Quickly, she stepped closer to the elderly woman and spoke in a soft, pleading voice.
"Grandma, this is my fault too. If only I had been more careful, none of this would have happened, right? Please… don't be too harsh on Amari. She's still young, after all."
"Young?" Emilia's bitter laugh cut through the tension like a blade. "She's over twenty years old already. Do you still call that young?"
