My dear, I can't imagine why. Ah, no. That isn't true.

[With that he smiles; it's not the happiest of smiles. There's some deep, wounded ache in it, so powerful that it entirely overwhelms the fact that the expression is a smile at all. It would be difficult to look at that curve of his lips and come away with an impression of Nikolas having been smiling. But it is, if nothing else, soft, and turned entirely on himself besides.]

I do know why. I am the one who's led you to believe it. Myself and Ophelia, perhaps, but I will take the lion's share of the blame.