"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid."
***
The carriage ride home felt different with infinite Authority humming through my veins.
Every bump in the road sent vibrations up through the leather seats that I'd never noticed before. The wheels had a rhythm to them now. Worn axles. Uneven weight distribution. The kind of details that used to be background noise but now registered like someone had cranked up the volume on reality itself.
Father sat across from me, weathered hands folded over his walking stick. The wood was polished smooth from years of use. I could see the slight tremor in his fingers. Age, probably. Or maybe the stress of watching his house crumble one debt at a time.
