Autor preens, straightening up from his hunch as color returns to his pale face. Sass is good. Sass is marvelous. He'd been bracing himself to find a woman mangled, lying eviscerated on the bed; to see her up and awake is just... 'Smartass' is just the compliment cherry on the sass sundae.

"Well, your highness, if there's any other way you'd like me to bend nature, I'll be a bit more methodical in taking notes during the process."

He could show her the charms book. But condescension is much more fun.