[But is that softness genuine or is it just to make her think he's not such a grumpy brat so she'll keep feeding him...

Let's just say the broth and meat are coming along nicely enough that she can dump the vegetables in now. She stirs the stew as she talks, making sure that the vegetables and the meat are dispersed more or less evenly.]

I don't think I'd want to live that way forever. I'll just have to become powerful enough that no one can tell me what to do even when I'm living with the comforts of home, right? [She grins.] That would be the best of both worlds, I think.