[ If Wilhelm was hoping Claude wouldn't note that rattle of the tea and saucer - well. That catches his attention though he's still projecting the illusion of being busy with his own tea, and it takes only a second to connect it to being timed with the mention of a prince. Interesting. ]

I've found nobility tends to pride itself on sticking to manners, etiquette, whatever you want to call it. Seems to be a cornerstone of high society, if you will.

[ Absolutely some subtext of his own, though Claude hides a smile in his cup as he takes a sip. Still more brewing time needed, so he sets it back in his lap while shrugging one shoulder. What he's alluded to won't remain a mystery for long since even if he's stepped back from asking direct questions, sharing his own experiences may accomplish the same thing. ]

I never was very good at sticking to all of those rules myself. Life's more interesting when you break away from them or what you know.

[ With that trail of clues (or truths) dispersed, all that's left to see is whether Wilhelm chooses to follow them. Or if he doesn't, which would also answer his question. The relaxing gets another half-smile from him before it's on to slightly more somber topics. ]

As for the prince, I met him when I attended an academy meant for what you could say was leadership training. There were plenty of nobles, myself included, but there were also just as many commoners attending. It was meant to encourage us all to work together and succeeded, for the most part.