Sternness is wasted on Benedict, for the most part; in his lifetime, someone being stern means they're frustrated he outsmarted them, and seeing as most people are powerless to change anything he does, it hardly registers as something to be concerned about. Violence is another matter, but that's hardly the case here.

He leans back, folding his arms over his chest, still looking a little smug even if his smile has dwindled. "It seems remedied to me," he replies, "no one can demand further from you without suggesting you're a liar."