"Of course. Simply curious." Caleb smirked, just a little bit, as Essek did his best impression of being offended or concerned about the whole process. He considered the box, and the heart, and the thought of a sin impressed on Essek's record.

Teasingly, he asked, "Did they repeat sins? Or just add a tally mark each time? I have not checked recently to see if some of mine have been accumulating."

Then, he gently took the box from Essek. The gift was addressed to him, after all; perhaps if he was holding it and being a little silly about the whole thing, they would find a loophole.

"I do not think experimentation and curiosity are manipulation at all. We are still looking to return this. And not implementing against it specifically."