Shannon appears and makes the first offer.

"Greetings, Master." Speaking formally, Shannon spoke from the darkness. She stepped slightly forward, although she was still difficult to see. "Ah, my apologies... You prefer to be spoken to without the formalities, don't you?"

"Shannon...?" Battler squinted at her in the dark, still unable to make it out. "Yeah, first-name-basis is much better for me, ihihi... I'm surprised you'd even ask me that. I don't call any of you guys 'servants' or 'the help' or anything, so if you start calling me 'Master,' it'll just rub me the wrong way."

"Ah! I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. Um..." Shannon finally finished stepping into the candlelight, making it clear that she was not appearing as an ordinary servant. Indeed, if she appeared this way before any of the family, Natsuhi would probably have her head... It wasn't a dramatically different outfit, but the ways it was different were very significant. Instead of the white beret that was a part of her uniform, Shannon wore a headband with a pair of soft, deep red bunny ears, matching the trim of her skirt. Speaking of the skirt, that was the same... However, below it, the ordinarily exciting view of Shannon's legs was further accented by a question-raising pair of fishnet stockings and tall black high-heels in the place of her ordinary work shoes and red stockings. She was already beet red, and she was stuttering when she spoke again. "S-so, now that... perhaps you understand better, um...! I-in this situation, would you p-p-prefer for me to call you Master...?"

Battler eyed her with a stupid, uncomprehending grin on his face, then finally put his eyes back on hers with some effort. "Yeah! Uh, looking like that, I'd love for you to call me Master!"

"V-very well... Master Battler..." Shannon blushed even more deeply and gave him a curtsy, bowing and pinching her long skirt with her dainty fingers.

"No, Shannon, that was just a dirty joke on my part! Y-you gotta be more careful when the other cousins aren't here!" Battler was starting to get a little red himself, seeing that she wasn't telling him off for his teasing. "S-say, does George know you're running around like-"

"He doesn't!" Shannon answered quickly, probably shocking Battler with her urgency. "Neither does Jessica, and nobody else does, either. How odd, that you would mention George first...!" As she finished her sentence, she clenched her fists tightly in front of her chest and begged Battler with her eyes to pick up her hint.

"Huh? I just mean that he'd probably-"

"I don't think it especially matters what George would think, do you? No more than anyone else, that is! P-please, speak no more of him... O-or anyone else," she added, trying again to drop the hint.

Battler could be thick-headed, but I couldn't blame him for not picking up the coded message in this situation. After all, not only was he disoriented, but he had no way of knowing Eva was watching this show from the shadows. Shannon definitely didn't want her drawing the connection Battler kept threatening to reveal. Thankfully, the young man seemed to pick up on it, although I wondered if he really understood the details... "Yeah, uh, okay. It's just us two and the masked weirdo, so let's not worry about the rest of the family for right now. What's going on, Shannon?"

"... Thank you, Mas- Um... B-Battler. I've appeared to present you with an offer. If you're willing to present me with one of those stacks of bills, I will perform a dance for you."

"Huh... Uhuh... W-wait..." The lucky man stuttered as though he didn't get it. "Y-you're paying me back for that joke a second ago, right? Shannon, when you say a dance, you mean, uh... like a dance that matches your new uniform? That kinda dance?"

"Yes," she answered simply, bowing deeply with an apologetic look. "I know that is asking quite a lot for a performance from someone such as myself, but-"

"Nevermind the money!" Battler gasped, shaking his head. "I'd be a huge dirtbag if I accepted that offer, wouldn't I?! I mean, you-"

"Please!" Shannon interrupted him again, desperately. "Only think of you and me, the two of us, in this room! Thinking only of us, answer me: do you wish to pay me for a dance? Whether you do or do not, I will respect your decision, Battler, but please... Don't be considerate of my feelings, in that regard. I have already made a decision."

I wished Shannon would come up with a coded way of simply hinting Eva listening in the shadows, but considering she'd have to reveal it only to Battler while hiding it from the woman herself, that would be a tall order. I wondered if Battler really understood... But, anyway, if he was told not to worry about it, would that reckless young man possibly turn down this kind of offer? It's a pretty, busty young maid in bunny ears and fishnet stockings, for crying out loud!