[ She'd included that little aside specifically to see how he reacted. Most men Circe knows are more than happy to be flattered, and the less true the flattery is, the more eager they are to receive it.

Granted, the men Circe's run into have not been exactly representative of the broader population. That only makes her miss Daedalus all the more. ]

It was my understanding that men always consider wealth a form of power. [ She means men as in humans, or in other words, mortals. Circe doesn't feel quite ready to reveal herself. People keep recognizing her by name, so going back to her more usual game with mortals is comforting. ]

And that those in coveted positions without the strength to hold onto them do not keep them very long. It is a tiresome game. [ Or so she thinks from her vantage point of immortality. The most exposure Circe's ever gotten to mortal kings is the one her sister had married, which... does not leave her positively predisposed. ]