When the front door clicked open, Mary and Louisa rushed into the main room, their faces pale with anxiety. Ethan stepped over the threshold with his characteristic calm, effortlessly handing the heavy sacks of premium meat and fresh greens to the stunned mother.
"Everything is perfectly fine now, Sister Mary," Ethan said, his voice returning to its gentle, reassuring tone. "You don't need to worry about a thing. It has all been thoroughly settled."
Behind him, Roy silently drifted toward his bedroom. The boy's eyes were wide, staring blankly ahead as he processed the sheer terror and absolute liberation of the night's events. Without saying a single word to his mother or sister, he slipped into his room and closed the door, desperately needing time to digest the lessons Ethan had drilled into him.
