The flattery certainly wasn't empty. J'mon may have been the type to openly play favorites, but they weren't the type to give baseless or empty praise. If anything, they were a little stingy with those kinds of things. But Gilmore was one of their own, born of the same place they were, and despite his attempts to fit into Tal'dorei society he still exuded the very essence of Marquet. And perhaps that was what drew them to him. It was... difficult to be close to anyone under their immediate guardianship. Gilmore was far enough apart from Ank'harel to be safe, but close enough to be comforting and familiar.
"Please," J'mon nodded, motioning vaguely towards the kettle and gracefully crossing their legs. "We are not in Ank'harel, you do not have to ask my permission. Unless, of course, you want to." There was a certain implication in their smirk that said that while certain elements of courtly etiquette could be done away with here, they were still willing to play the role if it brought Gilmore some kind of pleasure. And J'mon was hardly one to stand on ceremony or whathaveyou. Even within the palace, there was a certain casual air to most of their dealings. They preferred people to be comfortable. Comfortable people stayed longer.
"I cannot say precisely what happened in the immediate aftermath of that attack," they replied, reaching out to take the teacup. "But I can say that, yes, the battle was won. I believe a council now presides over Emon in lieu of a sovereign and it is well on its way to being rebuilt. It was when the red dragon was felled that you and I met." J'mon paused and took a sip of the tea, seeming utterly unfazed by the heat. "I had bested him before, in my younger days, and I wanted to be there when he was done away with for good. As I recall, you fought valiantly. You all did. And it was not a battle easily won."
It was strange, recounting the tale to someone who was there in J'mon's memory. But it was nevertheless still a worthwhile endeavor if it set Gilmore at ease. There were, perhaps, some things that would not have that effect and J'mon carefully excised them from the narrative. No need to worry him.