Atwood grimaced when the first note was struck.

Though Atwood wasn't versed in traditional instruments such as the

Ancient Zither, his experience as a pianist gave him the insight to detect the disarray in Clare's melody.

Because of that initial wrong note, Atwood couldn't bring himself to enjoy Clare's performance.

He turned to Cara, who stood beside him, and whispered, “What's your impression of Clare's performance?"

Obviously, Cara didn't expect that Atwood would ask such a question at this time.

In truth, she also noticed that there was something off about Clare's performance.

Cara wasn't one to lie to anyone, but she disliked criticizing people behind their backs even more.

Thus, she took a moment to choose her words carefully.

"Perhaps Clare isn't quite herself today," she finally said.

"Is that what you think?" Atwood signed in his heart.

Only moments before, Clare had openly humiliated Cara, yet Cara still chose to defend her. Atwood mused that Cara's meekness probably made her an easy target for being bullied.

Picking up the conversation, Atwood offered his thoughts.

“Anxiety leads to error, while serenity paves the way for accuracy. Your performance is a mirror of your mental state. If you're too flustered, you're bound to make mistakes. If, on the other hand, you're able to compose yourself, you'll have a steady performance."

Maria, who overheard this, nodded in agreement.

It was evident that Atwood was a top-notch conductor. His musical sensibility was as finely tuned as his instruments.

Maria had picked up on the missteps in Clare's solo.

As Clare's performance approached its peak, the stakes increased.

This segment demanded a level of finesse and accuracy that left no room for error. Each note must be on point, and no mistake would be tolerated.

However, Clare's concentration was fractured, and her movements reflected her internal chaos.

In the end, she stumbled through several key moments in her solo, visibly frustrated by her mistakes. With her face flushed in vexation,

Clare stood abruptly.

"I'm not at my best today. I need to take a break," she announced.

Before anyone could utter a word, Maria cast an icy, detached glance in Clare's direction.