[Between the question and Kaspar's warm and gentle touching, it's nigh impossible for van Zieks to keep the color from rising in his face, particularly as he remembers miss Adelaides shockingly direct analysis of his issue that he'd been unwilling to put the words to.]

That- No, that is not the issue. It-
[But he can't just ADMIT it in a situation like this. What if Kaspar thinks it strange, suspicious even, this sort of behavior. What if he doubts his intentions? No, no, he absolutely can't do that.]

I have... Recently and in the past found myself betrayed by those I thought highly of, and those that I thought I knew better than anyone. I do not feel it in me to give that sort of implicit trust to another any time soon.
[It's not.... really a lie. Maybe an exaggeration, at worst. However it's also not really the main issue he has.]