Occasionally, she stole a glance at me, perhaps to check my expression or observe my every move. I couldn't be sure, as I didn't pay her much mind.

Once finished, I placed the paper on the table and massaged my temples. A slight headache was setting in, though it had nothing to do with her answers. "Are you certain about these responses, Miss claire?"

Claire bit the corner of her lip and gave a slow nod, not uttering a single word.

I let out a long sigh and rise from the sofa, intending to fetch the medicine chest from the main floor. The sudden movement made Claire flinch and stand up as well.

"Mr Harrie, are the results that bad?" Claire asked, her voice wavering with doubt.

"No. Your results are not bad"

"Then why did you stand up so suddenly?"

My brow furrowed. "Why? Am I not allowed to?"

"Of course you are. It is just—" Claire paused for a moment before continuing. 

"Am I not convinced you are telling me the truth"

Truthfully, I didn't follow her logic. "Meaning?"

Claire stepped toward me, snatched her answer sheet from the table, and held it out. "The results are terrible, aren't they?"

I sighed and gave a short reply. "No"

"Liar. Your face says otherwise"

"My face? You mean my expression?" Claire nodded. I was truly at a loss as to what was going through her head.

"Listen, Not everything can be judged by a person's face. You might not survive long if you hold onto such a mindset"

At those words, Claire’s hand dropped instinctively to her side. "What do you mean by that?"

I offered a faint smile and gestured for her to sit back down. To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure why I was doing this, especially with the dull throb in my head, but I felt compelled to continue.

Once we were both seated on the sofa again, I began to explain something that had absolutely nothing to do with her current studies. I even wondered why such words were suddenly tumbling from my lips.

But the die was cast. Despite her bewildered expression, I could see a spark of curiosity hiding behind her confusion. Besides, offering her a new perspective on how to read people wasn't a bad thing.

"The point is, you cannot judge a person solely by their appearance, their expressions, or even their face"

"Not everyone with a noble face has the heart of an angel, and not everyone with a cruel face has the heart of a demon. This is especially true for someone born into the nobility like yourself"

"Once you reach maturity, you will encounter many people of various temperaments and guises"

"Nobles, particularly the women, rarely speak ill of someone directly to their face. Instead, they shroud their malice in angelic words, using their fans as weapons"

"I only encounter such people occasionally. However, you must learn to be cautious in the future"

"And what is the connection? I still don't see the correlation between your story and what we were discussing"

"The correlation is that simply because my expression appeared grim, it does not mean your marks were bad"

"Quite the opposite, actually. I can see significant progress in your work. While it isn't perfect, it is a very promising start"

"I hope you will continue to improve from here"

The confusion on Claire’s face vanished, replaced by a bright shimmer in her amber eyes. She beamed, pulling the answer sheet back into her hands.

"I truly don't understand why you suddenly explained the nature of two-faced people when it had nothing to do with my initial question"

"But I thank you for the advice. I truly appreciate it, Lord Harrie"

I could only manage a thin smile as I rise from the sofa once more. I hoped she wouldn't stop me this time, as my headache was worsening by the minute.

As I started toward the door, Claire stopped me again. This time, she caught me by the wrist."Is there something else you wish to discuss, Miss?" Claire remained silent. Instead of answering, her fingers gently brushed over my hand before her palm landed firmly against my forehead.

I glanced down at her feet. She was straining on her tiptoes, struggling to reach my brow. Honestly, I wanted to laugh at how hard she was working just to keep her balance. Fearing she might take offense, I lowered my head slightly to make it easier for her.

Once I leaned down, Claire stared at me intently. After a moment, she lowered herself back to the floor and stepped back, removing her hand from my forehead.

Claire let out a sigh and crossed her arms over her chest. "Just as I thought"

I knitted my brows at her remark. "And what exactly did you think?"

Instead of answering, she shoved me backward, forcing me to sit back down on the sofa. I had no idea what she was planning, but seeing the gravity in her expression, I felt it best to comply for now.

Once I was seated, Claire walked over to her bed and brought her softest pillow back to the sofa. "Lie down"

This time, I wasn't so inclined to follow orders. "I'd rather not"

"Why would I lie down during working hours?"

Claire planted her hands on her hips, her resolve hardening."Lie down, or you are banned from my room forever"

I grew even more confused by her behavior. On the other hand, the dizziness was becoming unbearable. I didn't know what she was up to, but based on her actions, she clearly knew something.

After I reluctantly lay down, she retrieved a thin, cream-colored blanket from her wardrobe. "While I go get the medicine, use this if you feel a cold" she said, her tone a bit sharp.

Claire started for the door, but I quickly reached out and caught her wrist, attempting to sit up. "There's no need"

"I can manage on my own"

Claire tried to shake her arm to break my grip, but I held on firmly. "Why? How did you notice?" The question escaped my lips before I could stop it. 

Claire, who had been silent, turned back to me and sighed again. "I may seem wild and childish, but that doesn't mean I'm unobservant"

"Since you arrived, I noticed you looked pale and limp"

"At first, I thought it was just my imagination. But your expression grew even worse while you were correcting my paper"

"That's why I thought the results were bad. I didn't believe you when you said otherwise, not until you started praising my progress"

"That's when I realized the work wasn't the problem. Especially when I felt how warm your wrist was, and your forehead... it felt like steam from a hot stove"

"I knew something was wrong"

"And there is likely only one cause"

Claire offered a faint smile and gently pulled her wrist from my loosening grip. The sound of her footsteps retreated, followed by the soft creak and click of the wooden door.

The room fell into a heavy silence. I instinctively placed my palm against my own forehead and muttered quietly.

"She's right. It feels like steam"

I lay back and stared up at the high ceiling. The off-white paint was beginning to peel.

My thoughts drifted to her final words about there being only one cause.

While I didn't even realize that my dizziness wasn't due to a lack of sleep lately, but rather a fever that had come without me realizing it. My gaze now shifted to my palms. I could smell the faint scent of vanilla lingering on my palms and wrists.

I don't know if it was because I was in a trance, or if he had simply looked so charming and sweet to me on several occasions.