Sylvain. If you think I wouldn't talk my way out of doing something I don't want to do all because of the honor of upholding bets or whatever else, think again. I never do anything I don't want to do.

[ Maybe a fair bit of mirth goes along with that because if that guess is right, it's wildly underestimating his usual desire to control an outcome and something else he's aware enough to admit. If asked. The dress - well. He absolutely hadn't wanted to do that at first, that's true. Then the epiphany of using it to mess with Sylvain hit him, then in reality that plan spiraled a bit for a different motivation than that, and here they are.

It's not really an answer to what Sylvain's said. There's parts missing to making it a complete one, but those pieces aren't ones Claude's willing to share yet even if he's certain that's part of what Sylvain's asking. There's still a chance of doing a little more prodding of his own first to get there. Or to show off the other side of that coin of doing what he wants - stubbornness - as he raises an eyebrow because what was said feels a bit like an incomplete thought if that's not merely hope alone. ]

Let me ask you this, then. Are you saying I should be taking what you're saying at face value?