Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl

Esther lay in the hospital bed, her breathing steady. It seemed like she was out of danger.

"James, you must be exhausted from looking after Esther. You should rest. She wouldn't want you to overexert yourself," Pearl advised, moved by James's dedicated care for Esther. "I'm alright. I managed to get an hour of sleep earlier."

"You've been here for a whole day and only slept for an hour?" Pearl sighed, concerned for James's well-being.

Before she could continue, she noticed Esther stirring. "Is Esther waking up?" she exclaimed, surprised by the sudden movement.

James, too, noticed it, feeling her hand tremble slightly in his grasp.

After a while, Esther opened her eyes.

"James..." Her voice was hoarse as tears welled up in her eyes at the sight of him, the man whom she had been missing day and night.

the nearby table, put a straw in it, and offered it to Esther.

nodded and gratefully accepted the water, her spirits seeming to lift with the simple

shifted to Pearl, her eyes brimming with

You need to take better care of yourself when you're abroad," Pearl scolded gently. But guilt gripped her at the sight of Esther's pale face. Esther brushed off Pearl's concern with a smile. "Okay, I'll remember

time!" Pearl's sadness deepened at Esther's

James shared her thoughts. He

already rested," Pearl insisted, gesturing to Richard and herself. She then informed Esther loudly, "James rushed over

by his concern, Esther mustered her strength to grasp his finger gently. "James, go and

his bloodshot eyes, James was determined to stay, shaking his head. "I can't sleep. I'd

to take care of yourself. If you get sick, who

scolded him in the past. But now, she could only lay in