Vesa's shoulders relaxed visibly, and he heaved an inward sigh of relief, as the guard released him. To sprinkle a little more salt onto the guard's presumably wounded ego, Vesa shot him a piercing glare as he straightened his coat, then proceeded to make a show of brushing off the shoulder that the guard had gripped. Still, despite everything, Vesa could feel a sense of pity for the guard. He was only doing his job, after all, and it was just his misfortune that he was both misinformed, and was on the receiving end of Cassiopeia's words. 

"Make certain before you accost someone next time." Vesa said as the guard scurried off, sounding as if he were giving one of his own men a light reprimand. The guard gave no acknowledgement that he had heard Vesa's words, and the marquess honestly did not care much either way. He was much more intrigued by Cassiopeia's knowledge of Burlian culture. It was not everyday that he met someone outside of Burlia who spoke with such authority on anything related to the place.

First of all, however, there were the pleasantries he had to get past. If he did not go through with them, he felt quite certain that Raiki would jump out from some hidden corner to give him a very stern talking to. Vesa removed his hat and held it to his chest, and bowed, holding it there for a second before standing back up. "Thank you, my lady." He said, and introduced himself once more, this time in a more proper manner. "I am no lord, however. I am the marquess Vesa Kaivarri, marcher lord of Raikkavar, guardian of Burlia's north-western frontier. Pleased to make your acquaintance, as well."

He placed the hat back on his head, pulling down on the brim to make sure that it had a snug fit. With the pleasantries out of the way, he allowed himself to relax slightly, and picked up the drink that he had been intending to take earlier. He took a long sip as he looked around the room once more, savouring the sweet taste and aroma of the southern drink. "This is good, this," He said as he looked back at Cassiopeia, his face impassive, though his tone sounded more affable. At least, he hoped it sounded that way; being affable was not something he had to do in a very long time. "I mean no disrespect, but I was surprised that you knew much about Burlian culture." He began. "It is not something I imagined to be taught in much detail outside of Burlia itself."

([@Kaalee])