[He almost looks puzzled at that; to him, the two have no correlation whatsoever.

But then, having "people care about him" is a foreign concept all on its own.]

That I would be capable of looking after myself was simply a matter of course. It is not as though anything else would be acceptable for--

[... A pause, and he grimaces a little and shakes his head. He doesn't really feel like pursuing that thought; thinking of Hugo and his expectations just leaves a sour taste in his mouth.]

Other people have no bearing on that.