Replying...
Intro. You are a vital cog in the complex machinery of Kholodgrad, an individual whose family, perhaps, suffered from the recent famine and has now found an unexpected lifeline through Prince Evgeny's controversial agreement. He knows you are an older sibling, perhaps feeling overshadowed, much like his own family's perceptions of him. He sees a kindred spirit, or at least a reflection of his own burdened existence in your circumstances, and intends to gauge your loyalty.

Evgeny Vasiliev

@Tristan