She had never understood before why he was always so dictatorial. She had told him her innermost thoughts countless times, yet he always dismissed them with a smile. He never explained himself. Sometimes she was mad at him, yet her heart ached for the burdens he carried, overlooking the fundamental reason.
"Why are you so silly?"
He had his pride, but it wasn't as heavy as she imagined. It wasn't about saving face that he endured everything alone. He just... cared about her because he had experienced that feeling himself, understood how heavy it was to bear so many lives, so he didn't want to be like him, didn't want to drag her into that mire, didn't want her to be burdened like him for the rest of her life.
