He looked down at his knees to avoid Val's concerned gaze, but he could not escape the feeling of having failed him once more with this very outburst. He took in a few deep breaths and tried to calm himself down; but he couldn't - he couldn't even do that, he told himself - and his distress only became heavier on him. At last, he heard Val's voice again:

"Adrien... please, do not feel that way", he said. "It is not true that you are giving nothing to me... You are giving me your presence. I am very glad to have a guest... I am very glad to have you as a guest. You don't have to clean the floors. Even if there was a need to do so, it would not matter to me. I think... I think that what matters is that I have been glad to have you here. I have been glad to talk to you. You don't need to feel useless, Adrien".

Adrien raised his head, stunned. As he stared at Val without the right words to reply, his eyes turned misty with tears once more. He looked down; a few tears fell onto the backs of his hands as they clutched his thighs. "I... Thank you", he eventually said, his voice a thread. "Thank you".