I do not require company, no. [He arrived here without Clover, he can survive without her as well. He is not so weak, he is not dependent on anyone, even her, so he doesn't need--!]

I do not expect you to sit by my side and feign sympathy over a girl you hardly knew. I understand that you feel obligated, but I release you from it.

[His words miss the bite they normally carry. There is a softness beneath their sharpness, somehow.]