[ Bastien huffs a little laugh, and he doesn’t feel bad about it, because he’s sure she’d agree. Proudly. Although— ]

Don’t let her fool you too much. She did sneak off to marry a pirate. I would bet you anything she had stars in her eyes while she did it.

[ He’d like to know more about this spymaster. What’s his name. Where does he live. Is he old. Does Byerly think Bastien could take him in a fistfight, hypothetically. But there are still things it’s better not to pry into, if only to avoid being told it’s a secret. ]

Is he hard on you?