The books he notes not just for their looks and quantity, but their smell. There is a scent to books, especially old ones, and Zara's room is much like walking into the literary equivalent of a perfume store. He does glance at the padlock. he wonders if he could portal passage an opening and put something in there just to prove how clever he is to Zara, but she is a private creature still. And... is that one of his paint brushes stuffed in the vase? His eyes light up at that. "My witch keeps parts of me close," A mutter, pleased. She could whammy him anytime, but that only adds to her allure in a strange way.