[ It's surprising for him to hear that she's thankful for him experiencing something so negative, but his expression softens soon enough and becomes a soft smile. ]

I hope it'll continue, then. [ Making someone...no, making Lucia happy is also making him happy. This is different from just helping someone or hanging out with them, even if he's not fully aware of it yet. ] I'd be honored if you'd like to spend my birthday with me, too. We don't even have to do anything.