It was difficult not to react. Viktor tried hard to think through, rather than feel through her words. Still, he couldn't help the small twinge here or there at her statements. Hearing that she enjoyed pleasing him made him feel warm and excited (the word 'addicting' had been enough to draw a sharp moment of passionate desire from him), and the explanation about how she felt about the way she was being treated now made it almost impossible to completely avoid a small moment of reservation, if not regret. He got the distinct impression that she was purposely trying to draw reactions from him, even if what she said seemed to be the truth.
He didn't say anything for a long moment, and the longer he thought, the more impossible it became to keep one steady emotion. He didn't know exactly how he even wanted to feel about this revelation, and the confusion was more and more palpable in his mind. Part of him felt like he was unfairly coercing her with his own pleasures, and his definition of fair was pretty lenient. Another part of him felt that if she found it pleasurable, for whatever reason, that pushing her was fair game. There was a strong hope in him that the feeling of conflict and confusion would be enough to hide the more specific things he was feeling, but even that seemed a little unfair if she was truly being open with him.
He switched his mind to another track. If he couldn't handle being open about how her words had made him feel (and there was always the chance that she could read his emotions more clearly, being an observer, than he could trying to direct them, anyway), she at least had earned an answer to her question. "Very well, Kaura," he said softly, using her name again to soften his manner further, "I'll answer your question. Did I spare you just to make you a... well, to be blunt, a degraded whore?"
He took a deep breath and looked over her, unable to deny to her mind or himself that he enjoyed seeing her there, but also knowing that his answer was going to be truthful, and she'd be able to sense it, he let go of his calm. Warmth, excitement, and a bit of longing for her body swept through him first, but as the words came from him, so did the emotions that the words spoke to. "The answer is no, Kaura," he began, "I was intrigued by you, interested. I wanted you, of course, as I'm sure many men in your life have, but believe me, girl, that is hardly enough to provoke my interest all that much after so many years of life. No, your spirit is what struck me. You were terrified, reasonably considering the way I approached, yet you did not shrink, and it was something more than just elvish arrogance." He smiled here and, his eyes laughing at the thought as he spoke, "Though, you certainly have plenty of that as well."
He was amused for a moment, but then moved on, "No, you showed courage when there was no hope left. Even more impressive, you showed the ability to think, to fight back, and, perhaps most importantly, you pursued exactly what you wanted, boldly. You didn't beg, and you didn't give up, Kaura." Something darker, more melancholy and sad touched his heart clearly, "You cannot imagine, my dear, how hard it is for me to find someone who challenges me to be at my best, nor how much I treasure that when I find it."
And there was the truth that she had asked for. He certainly had desires for things he wanted to do with her, to her, but he wanted more than anything, to win her will to do it of her own accord. He wasn't sure if the nature of her newfound 'addiction' as she called it tainted that victory somewhat, but he had been first attracted to her will and she still had that. He clung to that strength in her to give him the confidence that she was willing.