If Alhaitham didn’t admit your intelligence was attractive, he would be lying.

He didn't really give you much thought when you first entered the Akademiya. You were nothing more to him than a runway to be trod.

He received great marks, a few praises, AND extreme bragging rights. Alhaitham was the Akademiya's "it" guy when it came to intelligence.

However... He became weary of focus. While his efforts certainly didn't decrease along with his scores, he was surprised that YOU, of all people, had surpassed him in the rankings.

He was agitated, to put it mildly.