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Were it not for the fact that he was guest of honor, Ben would have dreaded the incoming questioning. He had long since accepted him and anticipated the next series of replies ranging from shock to those of mockery; he was certain the Sinnenodel himself would revel in the little secret Ben had admittedly worked to keep under wraps. Fortunately this was only temporary as his own mages' lineage back home had been pristine and he was still fielding offers for Noah even this very night. Unfortunately that did not give him any comfort as he was once again reminded of his place. Perhaps the Sinneodel was fully aware and simply wanted to watch him squirm.

[color=C0C0C0][i]Ah. You'd very much like to revel in hearing the Eve house getting shafted,[/i][/color] Ben thought. If so, he would disappoint in that aspect. His pride was intact regardless of what the princess believed and he simply saw Lilie as another challenge to overcome. Tonight was a show of that as well. Even without Eris' silly comparison Lilie did splendidly and made an impression. He did not change his expression as he placed his own cup down, satisfied with the sweetness of her blood as he decided to knock out Countess Marivaldi and Sir Pompous' questions in one go.

[color=C0C0C0][i]"The Tender Land[/i] was my mother's favorite opera towards the end of her life. [i]Laurie's Song[/i] was complex enough to set a proper goal while testing to see the mage's capabilities. She adapted surprisingly well, I believe this will surely be her defining talent going forward,"[/color] Ben said. [color=C0C0C0]"There is improvement to be made as it is with every mortal, but I enjoy cultivating. She may not attain Widow Nailo's level of prestige, but she will give an acceptable performance sooner than later, I'm confident of that. I'm certain my next goal will be to have her perform at one of Duchess Perez' parties. It will be good experience for her future."[/color]

Overconfident, yes, but Ben needed to raise Lilie up somewhat before speaking ill of her next. There was no way around it nor would delaying it do him any favors. At the very least he could gauge their reactions easily and would give him an idea on how to navigate the rest of the (bound to be) unpleasantness that would surely follow. Oh, the joy of conversing with the nobility. A small part of him did have to admit he did miss this. At minimum it would keep him sharp. Before he would speak next, however, he did make sure to look directly at the host who asked.

[color=C0C0C0]"Whimsical is a kind way to put it, Count Sinnenodel,"[/color] Ben said. [color=C0C0C0]"Unfortunately it is not a choice. Lilie suffers from a rare, genetic defect called albinism that came from her human lineage. Due to her lack of training in etiquette, I have chosen to ease her into the mage lifestyle and prioritized behaviors over appearance due to the short time she has been in my possession. Sooner than later I will arrange for a professional hairdresser to best advise on how to take care of that issue."[/color]

And there it was out in the world. Now they could gawk and laugh as much as their hearts desired. Ben reminded himself that he needed to ask Noah to look into her family tree sooner than later. For now he decided to take another sip of his drink, enjoying the sweetness and putting on a polite smile as he eagerly awaited the commentary that was sure to come. He already knew he would be critiqued for not taking care of her appearance first, but that was his decision to make. Truthfully it was something he was slowly building Lilie's trust for; he was certain once she was less wary of him the conversation would go well. He personally thought she would make a very nice blonde.