[ It's only when Edelgard's face doesn't match the smile on his that Claude realizes he may have made a slight miscalculation here. After all, he understands the extreme suspicion of someone showing up on your balcony when you aren't expecting them - let alone anyone showing up when you should be alone - and he possibly should have thought of that on his way here.

But lucky she didn't lunge first? He has a smart remark ready to go for that, until the lights inside glint off the dagger in his peripheral vision and he looks down to see it aimed his direction. Ah. Right. Unfortunately for Edelgard, that only swaps what he had in mind for something worse. ]

Why, Edelgard. Is that a dagger in your hand, or are you just happy to see me? [ No shame. Which the grin on his face says as much, but it's hard to get upset about yet another weapon being pointed his way or a potential, exaggerated brush with death when there's been so many in his life to date. Just add this one to the list. ] I'll take you holding a dagger over being on the wrong end of your axe. I'm not real eager to repeat that one any time soon.

[ When he's (reasonably) sure she isn't going to stab him anyway just for being obnoxious on top of interrupting what was hopefully a calm night for her, Claude reaches up to cradle one side of her face with a hand still in riding gloves he'd forgotten to take off in his haste to knock. ]

It's good to see you too, by the way.