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Advancing on my candlelit abode, I noticed Lyra outside sweeping the stoop.

“Lyra, you shouldn’t be doing things like this at night,” I said, greeting her with a warm embrace, before quickly ushering her out of the cool night time air.

The moment we stepped inside, the smell of vegetable stew and fresh bread overtook me.

It was no doubt what she had chopped fresh this morning.

She didn’t say anything, likely still upset.

Instead, she plated a bowl of soup and placed it in front of me as I sat down at the table.

“I received my pay this evening,” I said, with a sigh.

I unwillingly pulled the brown bag from my breast pocket and placed the weighted mass on the table.

“Henry, all this?” She gasped, elatedly.

I simply nodded, trying my best not to allow my guilt to contrast her unburdened joy too openly.

“How wonderful this is,” She commented, scooping up the sack and bouncing it between her hands lightly.

Each clink making the pit in my stomach grow bigger and bigger.

I tried my hardest but I was simply unable to share her happiness, because I knew the true, potentially deadly source of this money.

Noticing my less-than-thrilled reaction, Lyra placed the unopened jingling sack back down on the table, before turning to fully look at me.

She leaned over and placed a light kiss on my lips.

In turn, I closed my eyes, trying to let the worries of the day leave me.

She rested her small hand on my thigh slowly traveling upward.

I felt her slide the bowl of soup out of the way, that's when I heard it…

The sound of those damn coins clinking away in that bag.

I immediately grabbed her hands and guided her away from me. 

There was no way I could do this… not right now.

“Henry, what’s wrong?” Lyra asked confused, as I stood up, not truly knowing where I was going.

“I just remembered, one of the kitchen staff had caught a bug. Let’s wait a few days, just to be safe. I would hate to see you sick,” I lied.

I boldly lied to my wife, as she just nodded and turned her attention back to the kitchen table.

Turning away from her, cursing myself for this damn stupidity.

This gorgeous woman wanted to lay with me, and I couldn’t do it, because of the sound of a few coins?

You complete idiot.

I internally condemned myself as I undressed and readied for the evening.

My appetite had completely left me, which most likely had something to do with whatever corruption I’d now found myself a part of. 

I crawled into our bed and closed my eyes, only to have them open to the sound of Lyra pouring the coins out on the kitchen table.

The clatter of gold mixed with her giggling laughter was somehow sickening to me.

I tried my best to ignore my discomfort, but this money had literally become a barrier between us.

Staring at the wall, my conscience now assaulted by the faint, rhythmic clatter of Lyra now counting the coins.

It felt as though I’d now corrupted the person I was trying to protect.

I closed my eyes tightly, this was too shattering a realization to handle in waking hours.