Question on the use of the interpunct, at least I think that’s what it’s called (・)

So I often take to reading raw Japanese language manga as a hobby, and I may have possibly realized something about the use of the interpunct to convey particular emotions.

In Volume 1 of Fairy Tail, Lucy’s got her eyes on a Celestial Key, and she tries to haggle the clerk into lowering the price for her by attempting to seduce him, as follows:

**Lucy:** いくら？ (How much is it?)

**Clerk:** 2まん ジュエル。(20,000 Jewels.)

**Lucy:** *お・い・く・ら・か・し・ら？ (How much?)*

**Clerk:** だから 2まん ジュエル。(I said, 20,000 Jewels.)

**Lucy:** ほんとう は おいくら かしら？ ステキな おじさま ♡ (How much is it really? You wonderful old man ♡)

The use of the interpunct in the text in italics reminded me of another quote I found elsewhere: おかえりなさい、 あなた！ ごはん を たべる？ おふろ に する？それとも、*わ・た・し？* (Welcome home, you! Do you want to have dinner? Take a bath? Or, perhaps, *me?*)

So this sent me into a lightbulb moment: is separating characters with an interpunct used to signify that the speaker is being playful or seductive?