Externally, Ijemaru didn't move a muscle, but on the inside, he wore a smirk and chuckled to himself. The difference in the King's and Queen's responses alone told him a great deal. How much they understood in a short amount of time, who was really in charge, and who he should keep the closest eye on was laid out plainly before him in their words alone. Noticing the look the prince gave him, he saw another intelligent one he should keep an eye on. Though the prince hardly seemed as great a threat as her majesty. Ijemaru stole a look up at his father. He was not surprised by it, but the look in his father's eyes told him he hadn't noticed any of this. Well no matter, it was just a drop of water in an ocean at this point.<br/><br/>Once again, Ijemaru smirked internally. It seemed the queen was trying to shake things up, but he'd foreseen such a response. He'd drilled his father on all possible responses extensively. Ijemaru had made sure he could run off any possible response as fluently as if it were his own, and Amadeus Hisuka had long since gotten over any 'stage fright'.<br/><br/>Amadeus gave a good-natured laugh. "Oh no my lady," he said respectfully. "Such beautiful nights simply stir the poet in me. But I do wonder," he spoke to the king, "whatever could have motivated such a change? Surely it must not be easy to invoke such a torrent. Is it truly the right time for the Aldreth family to step down?"<br/><br/>It took every ounce of Miku's will power to keep her focus on her dancing partner and not Ijemaru. She wanted to be with him, not this girl. And how did Claudius do it so easily? How could he just lead women on like that and make it look so natural. His partner had been so flattered already she looked like she might faint at his next 'loving' comment.<br/><br/>"You seem distracted," Miku's dancing partner said to her.<br/><br/>"Forgive me my lady," Miku said, giving the girl a reassuring smile. "My mind must have been shot off straight to heaven the moment I looked into your eyes." The girl swooned and Miku knew she'd made a good call with that line. She'd learned a lot about what to say to people to keep your act believable just from being in the Hisuka family. It was a place where you couldn't survive if you couldn't put on a good act.