Noah's brows raised slightly at her intensity.
The physical contact sent a small jolt through him, but his mind remained focused on the logistical impossibility of her statement.
"Like what?" he asked, his voice calm. "The academy board isn't known for listening to commoners when a noble's reputation is on the line."
Emily, however, didn't answer immediately. As the silence stretched, she suddenly realized how close they were standing.
Her hands were still resting on his shoulders, and the heat from his body seemed to radiate through his thin shirt.
A deep, involuntary blush crawled up her neck and flooded her cheeks, turning them a bright crimson.
'Why… does he have to be so handsome?' she thought to herself, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
Up close, the sharp lines of his jaw and the piercing, icy clarity of his blue eyes were overwhelming.
