Consider, Alhaitham would compliment Dehya but find a way to turn it into a compliment about himself also so everyone is so confused as to whether he's flirting with Dehya or his ego and he doesn't elaborate

─「ديهيا」─ " is this a scholar thing ? giving a compliment to someone just so it'd reflect as another compliment to one self ? something the akademiya had taught them, perhaps ? to never give anything without getting something in return ? " at that point, she had long given up trying to understand the intention of that man. gauntlet fingers rubbed over her chin in thoughts.

                " i think i've heard of this practice somewhere. is it equivalent exchange ? "

                no. no, it's not.