Plak

Without thinking, I struck my own head hard to clear my thoughts. Whatever I had been imagining just then made me sound like a revolting old man.

As I sat there muttering to myself, the sound of the door opening echoed through the room. Claire had returned from the main floor carrying a tray. On it sat a glass of water, a tablet of medicine resting on a small scrap of paper, and a few biscuits arranged on a glass plate.

Claire set the tray on the table and sat back down on the sofa. "Have you eaten anything yet, Sir?"

"If not, eat the biscuits first before you take the medicine"

I let out a soft chuckle as I shifted from my position. "You sound just like my mother"

Claire joined in the laughter. "Just drink it and get some rest. I will wake you up when I’ve finished the questions you gave me"

“if I refuse?"

Claire fixed me with a sharp look. "Then I shall ask Lord Eric to replace you with another tutor"

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Did we not agree to a pact at the very beginning?"

Claire arched an eyebrow. "Which one?“

"About I must agree to all of your wishes, provided they pertain to your education"

"So?"

"I can not see how this relates to that agreement. If I choose to force myself to leave, I am still capable of staying elsewhere in this estate"

Claire sighed again, mirroring my posture by folding her arms. "You really are stubborn, aren't you, Mr Harrie?"

"I am merely telling you to rest, not treating you like a slave"

She picked up the medicine and the water and thrust them toward me. "Drink"

I was reluctant to take it at first, but I knew I needed it. With a long breath, I accepted the glass and the tablet and swallowed it in one go.

"There. Satisfied?"

Claire offered a thin smile and reached for the stack of papers on the table. "Good. Now, lie back down and let me work in peace”

Her focus shifted entirely to the problems I had written. I could do nothing but lie back on the sofa and exhale slowly.

I stared at the ceiling, the silence of the room punctuated only by the rhythmic tapping of Claire’s pen whenever she hit a difficult patch. The rustle of paper made the atmosphere feel incredibly peaceful, and for some reason, a heavy drowsiness began to settle over me.

Yawn

I stole a glance at her. The sight of her amber eyes focused so intently on the page made a faint smile tug at my lips. "Go to sleep. I don't like being stared at for so long" Claire remarked without looking up.

Startled, I jerked my head back toward the ceiling.

"who’s staring?" I stammered, cursing myself inwardly a thousand times over.

Claire shook her head slightly as she continued to write. "Yes, yes. I believe you" she replied, her tone laced with mockery.

I wanted to retort, but I simply didn't have the energy. Silence returned a few minutes later, leaving only the sound of the pen and the movement of paper to serve as my lullaby.

Though it would have been easy to let my eyes close, I forced myself to stay awake for the sake of my pride. I glanced at Claire again, only to find her watching me closely this time.

I turned away, fidgeting with my fingers like.. i don't know, nervous maybe? 

"Miss Claire" I finally ventured.

Still busy searching for an answer, she gave a clipped response. "ya?"

I twisted my fingers anxiously. "I don't think I can sleep"

"So... may I—"

"No. This is what I want" she interrupted.

I sighed and turned my face toward her. 

"But this is outside our agreement"

"No. This is still within the agreement. You simply don't realize it" Claire set her pen down and gave me her full attention.

"If you force yourself to teach, your condition will only worsen. If it gets worse, my study time becomes limited. If it is limited, I won't make progress. And if I don't progress, you will be deemed a failure and replaced by someone far more competent. Is that what you want, Mr Harrie?" She delivered the explanation in a single breath.

"Therefore, accept it and stop complaining" Her expression remained flat for a moment before she flashed a meaningful smile. "Understood?"

I let out a resigned breath and forced out a reply.

 "Fine"

"Good. Now sleep and don't disturb me, alright?" she concluded, picking up her pen once more.

I turned back to the ceiling and let out a tired huff. I felt as though I had lost the argument, even though technically I hadn't. She was irritating, yet she had a point. Ultimately, I just rubbed my face in frustration and stared at the ceiling until, without realizing it, my eyes slid shut and I drifted into a deep sleep.

…

A sensation of comforting warmth enveloped me even as I slept. I couldn't tell if it was a dream or not. That voice, that touch... it felt so real.

My eyes slowly fluttered open to a silent room. I glanced over at Claire, who had fallen asleep at the desk, her pen dangling loosely in her hand. My gaze drifted back to the ceiling.

I pressed a palm to my forehead to check my temperature. It seemed to have returned to normal. "No wonder the headache is gone" I muttered, lowering my hand.

As I moved to get up, I stopped. A thin, cream-colored blanket had been draped over me while I slept. I clutched the fabric and looked at Claire.

 While there was a slim chance it was someone else, I felt like a man in denial, hoping the blanket had moved on its own rather than admitting my student had cared for me.

“Hah…” 

I took a long breath and rubbed my face. Outside the window, the sky was beginning to darken. I pulled out my pocket watch and realized I had been asleep for nearly five hours.

My eyes widened. I had hoped someone else had placed the blanket on me, but if that were true, I was in deep trouble. My heart hammered against my ribs at the thought that someone might have walked in and found the tutor sleeping while the student worked alone.

“Damn it” I cursed silently. I needed to get out of there. I stood up, intending to head for the door and leave Claire sleeping in that uncomfortable position, but it felt wrong to simply abandon her.

Instead, I took a moment to drape the blanket over her as she slumped over the table. I gently slid her answer sheet away so I could grade it tonight.

My gaze lingered on her face. In sleep, Claire looked peaceful. The soft sound of her breathing and her calm expression made her seem like a completely different person.

As I pulled the paper away, her peaceful expression suddenly shifted into one of fear. She reached out and gripped my fingers tightly. "Please... don't."

"I beg you" she whispered, her voice laced with pain.

I had no idea what nightmare could cause such a pained plea, but I found myself acting without thinking. "It's alright. I am here" I murmured. Her expression smoothed out almost instantly, and she sank back into a deep sleep.

 Her grip loosened, allowing me to pull away. a question burned in my mind. 'What had she seen to make her look like that' 

'Why was she so afraid, even in her dreams?'

However, a slow realization dawned on me regarding the boundaries I had to maintain.

If I worried too much about her, it meant I was straying from the reason I had come here. I had promised not to get involved in anything beyond being her tutor. I had to remember that. Boundaries were everything.