[Even as familiar as Liem has become with Hayame's bluntness, her remark still has him blinking for a brief, startled moment. Although the wearing of a beard has become slightly less prestigious in Taldor than it had been when he was a boy, during the period when beards were a symbol of status worn only by nobility, he still wouldn't have thought to associate a modest beard like his with the tall, pale barbarians of the north. The personal guard of the late Grand Prince had been composed of such northerners, with their fair hair and broad shoulders. Their beards had been much more impressive than this.
He does not think the statement is meant as an insult — but it is clearly not a compliment.]
Gatherings like this are important, [he points out.] To warm the new and the inconstant to our cause. Not everyone here feels that they must be, Hayame. Some are swayed by the people of each sect just as much as by their respective promises.
[There are those who would shrink from the possibility of returning to their own worlds if the path there necessitated harming innocents — and people who aren't yet willing to accept that both paths are already muddied with blood. They might drift to Zenith because of the Matron's gentle demeanour, if they are not persuaded to bond with their current fellows.
And in any case, the matter of his Discord is not as easy to address as planning a simple party.]
Besides… [A small, restless frown creases his brow. He admits this reluctantly, and only because Hayame has been so honest with him in the past.] It is strange to seek relief of that kind. It feels shameful.
no subject
He does not think the statement is meant as an insult — but it is clearly not a compliment.]
Gatherings like this are important, [he points out.] To warm the new and the inconstant to our cause. Not everyone here feels that they must be, Hayame. Some are swayed by the people of each sect just as much as by their respective promises.
[There are those who would shrink from the possibility of returning to their own worlds if the path there necessitated harming innocents — and people who aren't yet willing to accept that both paths are already muddied with blood. They might drift to Zenith because of the Matron's gentle demeanour, if they are not persuaded to bond with their current fellows.
And in any case, the matter of his Discord is not as easy to address as planning a simple party.]
Besides… [A small, restless frown creases his brow. He admits this reluctantly, and only because Hayame has been so honest with him in the past.] It is strange to seek relief of that kind. It feels shameful.