"Well, I certainly know how to make a memorable first impression," Emet-Selch says humorously eluding to the banquet with the Regent. It seems the event was remembered still, even by those who were not present at the time.

The statement, while true, makes no mention of their first meeting. Emet-Selch had been able to discern Howl's curse at a glance and that certainly seemed to make a lasting impression. Even if Howl is being quite unreasonable now, there is no reason to divulge such secrets that he considered to be said in confidence.

All humor aside, he offers a more serious explanation. "What likely attracted his attention is that I am a practitioner of magic. Howl seeks out those who provide him a sense of reassurance and stability. Someone who wielded familiar magic, along with someone he may have perceived as dependable, would make an apt crutch of which to lean on."

He breathes out a sharp huff of air, nearly indicative of a laugh. "He certainly made quite a fuss when I 'dared' not be at his side during the Regent's banquet." So much so that he had burst into his room without asking.

Emet-Selch takes another sip of tea while he considers the situation further. "I suspect he thinks that I aim to control him and his power, as other figures from his home have tried to do. Yet he plainly ignores the fact that I have never given him orders. The only instructions I sought to provide was so that he could better defend himself if he chose to throw himself into battle again, which he aptly refused and I have not pursued since."