"It's...complicated," El-Melloi II said on the topic of Reines. In a way, yes, he cared about her. But it was hardly straight forward, and there were many days where all he was interested in doing was dumping her into a lake. It was a relationship best left unexamined, as it was fine the way it was for now.

He picked the console back up, now that it had Roman's attention, and debated the best way to let him watch over the shoulder. After a moment, El-Melloi II picked himself up from behind his desk and headed over to the pair of sofas in his office, gesturing for Roman to follow. "It'll be easier for me to show you if we're over here. Hovering behind my desk isn't comfortable for anyone."

It wasn't like they'd be too terribly in each other's personal space either. Once El-Melloi II settled on the sofa, he went through a few motions to pick up on his saved file, talking all the while. "You're right about magic crests and succession being the reason for secrecy. And family relations. It's a relic from another time, I think, the kind of relationships that end up happening. Like when nobles had an heir and a spare and that informed how the children were viewed by everyone."