Chapter 155: Will you be able to change me too?
"Luca, come here?" Isabella said, her voice soft—too soft. Dangerous soft.
Luca froze, then slowly shook his head, his ears drooping ever so slightly. "I don’t know what I did wrong, but I’m sorry, Isabella," he said, already surrendering like a man on trial without a defense.
A few villagers chuckled.
Isabella narrowed her eyes at him, but she didn’t press. He’d learn. Oh, he’d learn. She was just in too good a mood today to scold anyone—especially not Luca, who looked one apology away from throwing himself into the well.
Besides, she nearly forgot that beastfolk were basically gym rats by default. Even the women could probably lift her with one arm and still sprint uphill. So the fact that the bucket was a little heavier than expected? Not Luca’s fault.
Probably.
She turned back to the older woman who’d asked the question, her tone shifting back to teacher mode.
"This is a bucket," Isabella said, holding it up dramatically like it was a rare artifact and not a sturdy wood-and-vine invention that actually looked functional.
"And this—" she pointed to the sturdy container hanging beside the well, "—is a fetching pail."
The villagers blinked at her like she was summoning arcane magic. Some even leaned forward slightly.
"You take this," she grabbed the pail and let out the quietest grunt as she pulled it up. Good lord, why did everything weigh like betrayal? Still, she smiled like it was no big deal, ignoring the slight tremble in her arms. "You fill it with water from the well like so..." She dunked it with a practiced motion, then lifted it with as much dignity as she could manage. "And you pour it into the bucket."