He looks a bit taken aback, possibly because her English is stilted as if she hasn't spoken it much in a long time, and her vocabulary is limited. So naturally he isn't expecting to call him out in such a way.

"I. Suppose it is, dear girl, you are very perceptive, but! I would really like to think of it more as... a gift. An offering for the journey we are about to embark."

Could he be a used car salesman? Probably not.

Still, he cuts her a slice, and uh, oh, he forgot to request plates, so he digs into the pile and pulls out a record that he ordered; the sleeve is nice and flat and good for serving her cake upon.