[ Byerly watches him carefully for a long, long moment after that. Weighing the truth of it. It seems...true. Wash is a good liar - a good liar indeed; that's been clear enough in their conversations. Indeed, the times when Byerly faltered the most were when he underestimated just how good Wash was. But this feels true. It's not macho, no swagger about how dangerous he is, not like last time. It's melancholy.

And so Byerly answers with something true. Or...something adjacent to truth. ]

Barrayar is a land of shit and garbage. But living on it are people who are honorable and good and true. To them, and to the Emperor who runs himself ragged to protect them - [ Emperor Gregor, never Dorca, nor Yuri, nor Ezar, but always Gregor - ] I am loyal. And on that loyalty I swear.