He shifted his jaw slightly as his magical spell seemed to falter. It appeared the mona would not satisfy his desires for now...or perhaps they disapproved of his aims. Either way, he had failed, and not in an entirely dignified way. He was forced to swallow a teaspoon of his pride.
"Eh hem," He cleared his throat, laying his hands gently in his lap. "Well, that was not my intended effect, entirely. The mona, being living creatures, do not always bend to our specific whims, you see." He glanced downward at his nails, and changed the subject.
Having lost his momentum for intimidation, Jean-Rene knew better than to begin prying once again. It would take a time to regain his footing. So, he engaged with her realizations with a smile.
"You've caught me," he said with a light laugh, "I am, indeed, curious. On the other hand, what sort of officer allows a young woman, clearly in distress, to wander the streets of a place like this alone? I could satisfy my curiosity and my duty with a single stroke. You are now warm and safe, and I have been able to pick your brain. Proverbially, of course." His thin lips went straight again.
"It is certainly late, isn't it?" He came to his feet. Jean-Rene turned his head in the direction of the stairs to see that his passive servant had at some point returned, and was waiting for instruction.
"Passive," Dimonte gestured towards Xonia. "You will show my guest to her room. You will not speak, you will not accept any form of payment, is that clear?" His servant nodded, and glanced at Xonia in patient anticipation. Jean-Rene turned to her as well.
"If you require anything, you may knock on my door. I will be awake writing and perhaps reading for a time, so feel free." He narrowed his gaze ever so slightly at her.
"If you will forgive my being crass, I will not accept your presumption of telling me how to speak and how not to speak again. You are allowed this one lapse of judgment, as your lack of schooling and basic decency is plain, but I will not be so forgiving again." He took a step closer, and lowered his voice.
"In the morning, you will leave before I awake. If I see you again, you will be taken into my custody and thrown in a cell in Vienda for suspicion of conspiring with wick tribes to incite a riot in the city. You will be held a prisoner until such a time as your innocence can be determined, and believe me - the courts are quite busy, and very slow moving. You are receiving far more mercy than a rat sympathizer deserves. You are welcome."
He took a step back and straightened his clothes. With a smile, "Have a fine evening, Xonia, assuming you find no need to speak with me. I hope you sleep well." He nodded, and turned to march up the stairs. His passive bowed low as he swept by.
Jean-Rene was in his room quickly. He removed his vest so that he was wearing only a white, silk shirt, though he left it completely buttoned as well as tucked in. Suspenders held his pants above his hips. With a sigh, he took a seat at a desk and began working through some basic paperwork he had brought with him from the office. Dimonte brought work everywhere.
Lantern light danced across his shoulders as he wrote through the evening.