Shen Nianzu instinctively snapped his head to the source of the commotion, only to lock eyes with Jin Jiuchi's whose features were twisted in a mixture of anger and disbelief.
Gasping softly, Shen Nianzu's immediate reaction was to distance himself from Noir, but he stopped himself in time before he could make a move. Wait a minute, why would he act like… like he had been caught cheating? It's not like he had done anything wrong, for God's sake; he was just exchanging information with Noir! Don't tell him that Jin Jiuchi would be so unreasonable as to be jealous over such a trivial matter!
"What's the ruckus all about?!" The King demanded with a displeased look.
"Forgive the disturbance, Your Majesty!" The guard swiftly dropped to one knee, bowing his head low. "This lady here… she didn't bring a mouse, but she still insisted on entering! We were just—"
"It's alright," Noir interjected calmly. "Let him in."