The corner of his mouth twisted slightly, but that was all the outward reaction he allowed himself. Obviously, you stupid little human. "I know you're more intelligent than your words, Miku-chan," said the vampire. As was his nature, the endearment was laced with a barb. He took the insinuation as something of an insult, but it was also the disconnect between vampire and human that made him bristle. For a vampire, the fear of loss was small and yet profoundly large, a callous paradox. More so for a noble of his stature. And even more so for a pureblood.

Value, she said? In comparison to vampire life, the value of a human's was inconsequential. No matter how terrifying or vile the death, no matter the person, it was just... less. Less than his worry over Akatsuki. Certainly less than watching Hio Shizuka's still beating heart being torn out of her chest.

"Better be careful yourself, Miku-chan." The tip of his index finger tapped the tabletop once, twice, silently. If she wanted to run back to Aoyagi and his petty relationship problems, let her. "You might just suffer the same."

Whatever he thought of Miku's reaction throughout the conversation was severely outweighed by his own circling thoughts. She knew of lore he didn't, but as with most things in Landel's Institute, her ideas of what should or would happen weren't corporeal inside these walls. Turning to ash, a manor... none of it was taking effect here, and as such, it didn't help. With an ex-human to deal with, there were still no pieces of information fitting entirely into place...

And to think they saw his desperation as unwarranted!