diff --git a/app/globals.css b/app/globals.css
index 8b722c4..efb8a29 100644
--- a/app/globals.css
+++ b/app/globals.css
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 	--input: #434343;
 	--ring: #8d8d8d;
 	/* Emphasis coloring in teaching prose — ready for the settings UI. */
-	--lh-ink-strong: #c96b4a;
+	--lh-ink-strong: #ee928c;
 	--lh-ink-italic: #6fa9d6;
 	/* THE READING SIZE = the ladder's 16px rung (--text-lg). Can't be
 	   var()-linked: @theme inline inlines literals into utilities without
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
 	--border: #434343;
 	--input: #434343;
 	--ring: #8d8d8d;
-	--lh-ink-strong: #c96b4a;
+	--lh-ink-strong: #ee928c;
 	--lh-ink-italic: #6fa9d6;
 	/* THE READING SIZE = the ladder's 16px rung (--text-lg). Can't be
 	   var()-linked: @theme inline inlines literals into utilities without
diff --git a/components/md-blocks.tsx b/components/md-blocks.tsx
index 4d5d162..04a6c14 100644
--- a/components/md-blocks.tsx
+++ b/components/md-blocks.tsx
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ export function MathDisplay(props: ComponentProps<"span"> & ExtraProps) {
 /** Bold as the REAL element (appearance fix, 2026-09-23): streamdown's
  *  default `strong` renders `<span class="font-semibold" data-streamdown=
  *  "strong">` — and `.lh-prose :where(strong, b)` matches strong/b
- *  ELEMENTS, so neither the factory ink (#c96b4a) nor a settings
+ *  ELEMENTS, so neither the factory ink (#ee928c) nor a settings
  *  boldColor ever landed on bold text (italic worked: streamdown leaves
  *  `em` native). Rendering the semantic element restores screen-reader
  *  emphasis AND lets the designed token rule apply unmodified — color
diff --git a/components/settings/appearance-section.tsx b/components/settings/appearance-section.tsx
index 83af74d..a1fe016 100644
--- a/components/settings/appearance-section.tsx
+++ b/components/settings/appearance-section.tsx
@@ -116,10 +116,10 @@ export function AppearanceSection({
 					}}
 				/>
 			</SettingsRow>
-			<SettingsRow label="Bold color" hint="Empty = #c96b4a" testid="row-bold-color">
+			<SettingsRow label="Bold color" hint="Empty = #ee928c" testid="row-bold-color">
 				<CommitInput
 					value={md?.boldColor ?? ""}
-					placeholder="#c96b4a"
+					placeholder="#ee928c"
 					ariaLabel="bold color"
 					testid="input-bold-color"
 					onCommit={(v) => onSectionChange({ ...appearance, mdRendering: { ...md, boldColor: v === "" ? null : v } })}
diff --git a/tests/render-markdown.test.tsx b/tests/render-markdown.test.tsx
index a968eb6..7359744 100644
--- a/tests/render-markdown.test.tsx
+++ b/tests/render-markdown.test.tsx
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ describe("render — bold is the real <strong> (the dead Bold-color fix)", () =>
 	// data-streamdown="strong"> — and the app's ink token rule
 	// (.lh-prose :where(strong, b), globals.css) matches strong/b
 	// ELEMENTS, so bold never took the --lh-ink-strong color (neither the
-	// factory #c96b4a nor a settings boldColor). The mdComponents override
+	// factory #ee928c nor a settings boldColor). The mdComponents override
 	// renders the semantic element.
 	it("bold renders a real <strong> element inside .lh-prose", () => {
 		const html = render("plain **bold** plain");
diff --git a/tests/render-settings.test.tsx b/tests/render-settings.test.tsx
index 2ef7efe..6610284 100644
--- a/tests/render-settings.test.tsx
+++ b/tests/render-settings.test.tsx
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ describe("AppearanceSection (thin SSR)", () => {
 		const html = renderToStaticMarkup(<AppearanceSection appearance={undefined} onSectionChange={() => {}} />);
 		assert.ok(html.includes(`placeholder="#141414"`));
 		assert.ok(html.includes(`placeholder="Source Sans 3"`));
-		assert.ok(html.includes(`placeholder="#c96b4a"`));
+		assert.ok(html.includes(`placeholder="#ee928c"`));
 		assert.ok(html.includes("16px"));
 	});