Vrenille isn't the sort to want to push too hard, especially not in someone's first few days, but he's able to make more a study of Ed now, and he's curious. And not just because of how that pink in his cheeks seems to contradict the certainty of his words.

"You say that almost like it's got nothing to do with you." It will be met. Passive voice. Vrenille might not know the grammatical term for it, but he catches the distance it puts between Ed and the act.