They startle out of their daze at the sound of Justin's voice, as if it were a spool of golden thread unfurled before them in the dark. Their cheeks are flushed pink and warm, their pupils wide and eager.

"Yes, dear, I'd like that very much," they reply, their voice pitched a little higher than usual, its tone soft and placating and inexorably warm. They stumble a little over the endearment, one that they never used before for their Patron in earnest. It had always just felt so excessively affectionate, implying an intimacy that was beyond the stipulations of their contract. And anything that fell outside of that scope was always too uncertain, too messy and too easily misunderstood. They're sure that must be the reason why saying it now still makes them feel so...strange, their heartbeat starting to pound.

Their fingers curl in their lap, scrunching the thin silk of their dress.