I'm not Hilda, darling. Don't get me wrong, I love the girl, but I think I'm a bit less squeamish about certain things than she is. [ Growing up as a street urchin will see to that, she does not say. ] Life isn't always a pretty picture. You get used to it. But, it's as I said earlier: you're just as pretty as you ever were.

[ His question about cafes earns him a tiny, incredulous snort. ]

You should know I've never cared about noble standards. Come, show me this wondrous establishment. I doubt they'd have an Almyran pine blend on the menu, though, but we'd probably be hard pressed to find that here.