“Perhaps I have said too much already,” Virmad says, half-smiling. Sasha’s going to kill me. Or threaten to. It’ll probably still just be a threat. “But yes, a ruse was involved. I’ll leave it at that — and to you, to imagine just what kind.”

“As for expectations...” Virmad considers. “I had some idea what — or who — to expect, but I must say, your reputation doesn’t do justice to your charm in person — or.” He pauses for a moment, then smiles. “Perhaps it does, but I had assumed it was an exaggeration. It’s extremely disarming — which,” he muses, “I suppose must be useful for someone with your skillset.”

[just throwing this out there but I wonder if there's a timeline where Virmad is Jedao's magistrate ex.]