It's a fair question, and one that he thinks on for a spell before he answers. "It depends on the man in question. What does he pride himself in?" Corvo glances at the duke once more, as if this question could be ascertained simply by looking. Perhaps by a more careful eye than he--but such an eye was not here. "You could insult his interests. Or, if you don't wish to start a diplomatic incident, do worse--" Here, he turns, a mischievous smirk tugging at his lips. Rankling nobles was a dangerous hobby, but you can't deny there's a sense of fun to it.

"--Be apathetic about it. Dismissive. If he likes a certain genre of music, 'Well, those are alright, but do you listen to...real music?', and so on. Someone who aggressively insults the things you enjoy can be easily brushed aside. It is the people who are condescending about it that gets under the skin." He pauses, and studies his hands innocently. "At least, I have noticed it of noble men from my own world."