His expression darkens at the word jealousy, and that might be as good as an admission of guilt. He's silent for several breaths, hand dropping away again, as he considers what he could possibly say. He's not a jealous man at home, but he's also got no reason to believe her affections might stray from him. And already he knows he'll be listening for any stray word about the lovers she's mentioned, observing them with a caustic eye when they inevitably come across each other.

This is a competition he's already lost, because the only way to win is to accept that he's one of several to share her heart. From this vantage point, it feels impossible.

"I..." he begins, but there's nothing he can follow with that isn't absurdly optimistic or an outright lie. "I don't know. It would all be significantly easier if I could promise you that it would all be fine, but I would have mentioned it the day I came if I truly believed that."

A pause, and something in his expression flattens slightly, trying to create a neutrality he doesn't feel. "Do you think jealousy would only be a problem for me? Are you...the idea of my seeing other people doesn't bother you?"