Chapter 6

"Let go of me!" Clarice struggled and managed to extricate herself from Tristan's touch, which had been accidental to deliberate. She gave the man a little distance as she gave him an unfriendly expression.

"You're still acting like this, Clarice. What if you had fallen? I saved you."

If she had fallen, she might have suffered a concussion or injury, but the fact was, Tristan had saved her. But all that made it worthwhile for him to touch Clarice and look at her more closely.

"Fine. Thank you. That's what you wanted to hear from me, right?"

Tristan returned her gaze, his lips forming a smile that Clarice had seen for the first time on his face. It was an unusual smile for someone who had recently been expressionless to now express it in front of her.

"Well, your smile is weird. You don't deserve to smile, so keep it to yourself," Clarice said, mocking him.

"Or are you afraid that you'll fall in love with me?"

Clarice widened her eyes. She felt like she had heard wrong, but th