His jaw tightens; she knows him well, of course she can cut straight to the heart of his anxieties. Siebren isn't sure if he ought to feel concern or relief at Drelasa's implication of prior experience.

"Might I ask what, ah, what happened before?"

Not 'the worst', certainly. That was the counterweight to his stubborn optimism; whatever problem is at hand, something worse could be happening and Siebren will be grateful thst it isn't.