[ Claude's lost track of the amount of times it's felt like the world has come to a halt around the two of them in recent months, but in the instant where he watches Hilda absorb what he says and it sinks in: this is another one. The silence can't possibly last as long as it feels before she laughs, and he raises an eyebrow.

The reaction becomes clearer at her question and Claude allows himself a smile then. That's more of the surprise he'd expected as she sputters with it and the disbelief it leads into as she sits up, though he can't let that just pass by without pressing his own hand to his chest in mock injury. ]

Look at me? Wow, you really know how to help a guy's self esteem. I guess being sleepless tonight isn't doing me any favors.

[ The joke flies out, instinct kicks in as an automatic response. Maybe also because it's something they've returned to time and time again whenever anything too serious has filtered in to help it clear the air. To make it like it was never there at all and just something to move on from. Except this time - this time Claude doesn't keep it going.

Whatever little laughter creeping into his expression is wiped away, the raised eyebrow lowered, any amusement set aside without the chance for it to spiral past whatever's already come out of his mouth. The last thing he needs in this is for Hilda to think he's not being serious after all and he leans his head back onto the pillows to study her evenly. The temptation's there to reach out and trail fingers against her skin again, but he leaves his hand on his chest and fingers curled into his shirt. ]

I'm sure someone's made a joke about being a member of the Almyran court somewhere in the Alliance before, but that's not what I'm doing. I'm serious. When I go home, it won't be without its struggles in... more ways than one, but I intend to lead there when the time comes.