"But were that the case, you would likely still be home, tending to the rest of your mother's whims and finding higher stakes and excitement elsewhere." There is a moment of microexpression, from thoughtful, to alarm, though a false alarm from the exaggerated way he cranes his head. "She is not here, is she?" No, clearly not here, but just imagine.

There are only so many people to whom Malcolm would act in a manner to deliberately try to rouse a smile or a laugh, and she is certainly on that list. As always in Orlais, he is well aware of the eyes that will be watching, but he can see no harm in showing off his comfort around the Lady and the Lady's dear friend. To treat this as normal is to suggest that the Inquisition finds it perfectly normal, which it does, and how people react from there depends entirely on how they feel about the Inquisition.

And at the end of the evening, there is a larger picture to be aware of, in some ways far greater than the Game. So he doesn't mind the chance to feel the slightest bit of normalcy in such an uncomfortable night.