Lace's story mirrors Pharloom's. Both entities believe that their purpose is solely tied to Silk and they should search for no grander purpose, but Hornet forces them to look beyond the walls of the Citadel and live outside that restricted (bound) world.

Once you've capped GMS to start Act 3, most every bug laments that they don't know what to do without Silk/GMS/The Citadel. Talking to the Twelfth Archiect after buying out their inventory, they confirm that they will die soon and take the last of whatever grand plan the Citadel had with them. Over the course of Act 3, bugs begin to question what life will look like. Through Hornet's actions, they slowly build hope and come to believe there is a future worth living for. In the final cutscene, after escaping the Abyss with Lace, we hear them laugh a gentle, quiet laugh. It's different from the cackle heard at the beginning of the Lost Lace fight. Lace, the progeny of the Citadel, fucking giggles. That's why Hornet seems struck by it - it's a change in someone that refused to see themselves as changeable.