There were times where he'd wondered, just how long would he have been able to keep himself sane without her.

She was definitely an irreplaceable gift that he never dared tinker with for he hoped to preserve her for as long as he could. He wasn't perfect, obviously, and just like any other human being, there were countless things that he had done that he regretted every single day.

It was her presence that helped him cope with it all.

Just like when he was first entering a university opposite of his parents wishes. Just as how he had moved out of their mansion against their will. And especially as he had been obliged to return to said household to take over the multi-million dollar business, keeping the inheritance within the bloodline. She had been with him at his lowest, and enabled him to, once again, regain his strength and pull himself back together.

And now she was supposedly closer to him than anyone else.

It was entirely selfishness on his part, but to his utter surprise, she agreed to it anyway. The parents didn't care who it was, but they would not allow him to take over the business without first being married. And that's what they did, they got married. Purely out of convenience, though he never treated her unfairly. As his gratitude, he always looked after her, attemped not to shower her with gifts (and it took all his willpower not to because she told him to never do it), and made sure she was living a life a luxury that she deserved.

She'd given up her own cliched dreams of falling in love with some man for him, and how he would ever repay that, he knew not.

But perhaps, this was proof of a certain idea.

Because sometimes, friendship itself was stronger than love. True love is not so rare as true friendship, and she was by all means the only friend he could ever wish for.

Perhaps he would learn to love her later.

Or perhaps he already did.