Oh! I always deserve the best treatment, because I never put up with any other; and, therefore, you must give me a plain, direct answer.
Emma is teasing Knightley, but she is also stating a creed. The exaggeration makes it playful while revealing a practiced self-respect. Set against earlier meddling, this confidence feels steadier and less vain. The demand for a “plain, direct answer” suits Knightley’s values and shows how they now meet on honest ground. The sentence moves like logic—claim, reason, request—which is Emma learning to use her mind without manipulating. It signals growth from clever control to clear speech. Readers hear wit serving candor, not disguise. The charm remains, but now it has a moral spine.