He has his cup to his mouth as he listens to Yondu's comment, and very nearly spits his drink back out. Instead, he takes a hard swallow and coughs afterward. If his face is red, maybe he can pass it off as a combination of the inebriation and the discomfort of the overly large gulp?

"H-his Lordship had too many responsibilities already to do well as a single parent. We worked together to raise Ienzo because anything else would have been less than the boy deserved, but...you must understand, there were certain professional boundaries one does not cross as either ruler and vassal, nor as master and apprentice."

He shakes his head, eyes drifting down to the table.

"And now...social obligations and authority may no longer be an issue, but I can hardly approach the man I betrayed and helped to banish and ask him on a date, now can I?"