[It's not easy for Soubi to withstand this. Surely he can say something to help that won't encourage Ritsuka to feel more attached, or wrecking his plan of being someone to forget.] Don't be sorry, Ritsuka. It's my fault. Seimei's trying to take good care of you, and I screwed it up. That's all I ever... [It's a lie. He'd wanted a master. He had desperately hoped. But it's such a small lie, because it doesn't even matter. What he'd hoped, or intended, is completely useless. Nobody cares whether a pair of scissors earnestly want to cut paper, only whether they are sharp.] All the things I said and did, they were really from Seimei to you. I'm just his tool to perform them. [He means the love and protection, but the fact that this also includes kisses and flirtation would be a nonissue if he even thought about them at all. Seimei wants to be close to Ritsuka, and that's what Soubi did.]

[The only person that Seimei loves, and the fighter whose world is defined by Seimei. How could Soubi ever interpreted Seimei's orders in this way that suggested he hurt Ritsuka?] I should never have attempted to assume that role, knowing it would hurt you if you believed in it. Seimei never meant to do that. [Maybe. But if he had, Seimei definitely wouldn't want Ritsuka to know it.] He loves you, I'm sure of it. I am nothing more than a messy way of badly showing it.