"I suppose you have a valid point..." Kalin shrugged at her words  and gestured noncommittally.  His expression was hard to place exactly, but his voice dripped with  irony as he replied. “And of course we keep our traditions, cousin. Did you think that we Drow had fallen so far? That only the wealthiest of nobility can afford to buy safe passage for their children among the other races full of children?...” He shut his eyes for a moment and took a slow breath before continuing. “Yes, we follow tradition, Lady Seraphina; only we have to be more pragmatic than you.” With his last sentence he emphasized the use of the Common equivalent of a title to make his point all the more clear, though his expression cleared quickly after and returned to his vaguely amused  stare.