"With or without the involvement of Lady Oakhill?"

"I would consider the conversation a far friendlier one if she and the servant were both released from whatever it is you're doing."

"I don't trust the servant not to share this, and she won't remember anything that happens before I release my hold completely."

"Then remove her from the room before you do that and bar the door! I don't require her as a witness, I require her as a nonvictim."

"... what if we leave and discuss later, when tempers might be lower."

"That would suit me."

The countess looks to her husband.

"What a lovely evening Lady Oakhill, we shall be sure to call again soon," says the Earl Marshal as if reading from a script.

And then the Cromstone's head out, the psychic pressure lifting completely only after their carriage has left the grounds.

Haru takes up a position beside Lucette and... what will pass in front of the servant. Puts his hand to her forehead like he's concerned she's feverish, that'll do. "Kindly go get something to mop up this spill," he tells the servant.

The servant blinks.

"-oh, of course." They'll just head off to the kitchen for a towel.

While they're gone Haru will hold her hand with his other hand. "Lucette? You okay?"

"I-yes... That went well?"

"Not amazingly. They've got some kind of mind control. I think it just - left you less conscious of the situation and made you respond directly and honestly to questions?"

"Are you sure? I'm rather certain nothing unusual happened."

"Yes. Caught the servant too, that's why she spilled water on you."

"I... can't remember why that happened but I'm still certain it wasn't unusual..."

"Yes, well, that's because you were mind controlled." He summarizes what happened while she was out.

"...sorry, I believe you but I also believe that what occurred was normal and not unusual and I'm trying to figure out a perspective on this which doesn't require thinking that the events were... acceptable."

"Oh, perhaps he does this every day, that would make it very commonplace and also vile."

"... That... makes sense..."

"It does seem rather likely that he'll do the same to the other witnesses of the demon manifestation..."

"We'd never have heard about it if he did it for lesser events, too, since it would seem so normal to everyone."

"That seems accurate..."

"...I would really rather he not do that, but exposing him would likely be very very costly."

"Figures."

"Plausibly when there's a different king, and I'm married, it will be possible to do something about him."

"How long is the present king expected to hang on?"