No? ( amusement warms his voice, briefly, the resolves into something more shuttered. )

I suppose I've had to be. ( this is the simplest answer. he's a leader, a general, and as alina herself had said, so much of the grisha's safety hinged on his ability to appeal calm and contained. )

And, no. You may be many things, Alina Starkov, but a social climber isn't one of them.