Although his expression seemed closed, his eyes stayed very watchful. He waited a full five seconds before responding.
"It requires a different sort of creativity," he said at last, wholly ignoring her question -- and yet still responding to her at the same time. He understood what she was trying to do. He just didn't want to reveal more than he already had.
Perhaps, he thought to himself, he didn't want to reveal as much as he had, either. But there were appearances to be kept -- and he wanted the opera house to be in its correct and deserved position in the consciousness of the City. From what his assistant told him, the opera house hadn't been well-managed in years prior, and the city's citizens didn't consider it a reasonable diversion. Not yet, at least. Such a change as that didn't happen overnight. But he wished that it happen, all the same, and would do all he could to ensure that it did.
"Ah, but how rude of me. Have you visited the opera house before? Might I interest you in a tour?"