[Liem sees that whatever brought Hayame to speak with him today, it was not only the matter of her new title. He thinks he understands a little of what has driven her, even if their lives still remain very different.]
… You can probably guess that in my own country, I was not in the habit of conducting myself openly in terms of my relationships.
[Partially one might guess this from the fact that Liem has been painstakingly private about his personal life for most of the time he’s been here—but also, she knows that he is half-vampire, and that this is not a proud thing to be. A human man in Hayame’s country might be made ashamed of taking a jinba bride, but at least there was no possible way such a union could ever lead to a child. In some ways, Liem thinks, that is a blessing.]
I did not want the people I was close to to be publicly associated with me, for their sake—but Kenos is not like that. Especially Springstar, I feel; the people here celebrate the union of different things.
Maybe it would be different if you were of greatly different status in this world—if one of you was of Zenith instead, or born here instead of a shard-bearer. But I am sure that, as far as most in Kenos are concerned, you and Claude von Riegan are peers, and besides which, you conduct yourselves modestly in public. There is no reason for most to take issue with your relationship.
no subject
… You can probably guess that in my own country, I was not in the habit of conducting myself openly in terms of my relationships.
[Partially one might guess this from the fact that Liem has been painstakingly private about his personal life for most of the time he’s been here—but also, she knows that he is half-vampire, and that this is not a proud thing to be. A human man in Hayame’s country might be made ashamed of taking a jinba bride, but at least there was no possible way such a union could ever lead to a child. In some ways, Liem thinks, that is a blessing.]
I did not want the people I was close to to be publicly associated with me, for their sake—but Kenos is not like that. Especially Springstar, I feel; the people here celebrate the union of different things.
Maybe it would be different if you were of greatly different status in this world—if one of you was of Zenith instead, or born here instead of a shard-bearer. But I am sure that, as far as most in Kenos are concerned, you and Claude von Riegan are peers, and besides which, you conduct yourselves modestly in public. There is no reason for most to take issue with your relationship.