Were he less preoccupied, Enjolras might have taken the bait to inquire after Joly's handling of life without his two companions. As it was, however, he felt the, by now quite familiar, sensation of a lump rising in his throat. While he was ill-prepared to assess directly his investment in Courfeyrac's behavior toward Venus, he knew quite well how he felt about he man's apparent interest in Cinderella.

"I brought this upon myself as well. Oh, damn it all." Had he a drink, he would have dramatically taken a swig in irritation, as it was, he allowed the emotion to read clearly on his features. This accompanied a fist clenched tightly, his pale skin contrasting sharply with the lush color of the upholstery beneath it.

"Cinderella and I have something of a business arrangement. I would rather Courfeyrac did nothing to interfere with that." He spoke in English, rather than French. If this was to work properly, there could be no room for a misinterpretation. The fact that it wasn't a direct lie helped, certainly. He refused to lie to Joly, but the details of the case could always be manipulated. "Though I should have expected this. She is a competent ally and they share a District. I told him to seek her out, I just never imagined this. And I should have, honestly. How else does Courfeyrac ever relate to an attractive woman?"