He continues to stare, but this time he's not really seeing her. Part of him continues to vehemently deny her words. After all, doesn't he also wish to preserve some of the status quo in his own way?

(If he truly wished for that, though, why did he not simply endure the teasing and refrain from provoking Hythlodaeus in turn?)

It's a question he's not comfortable acknowledging just yet.

"...Don't be ridiculous," he says finally. "If he loved me then there wouldn't have been such disgust when my thoughts turned towards taking him to bed."