He's glad she noticed his weird emphasizing. Not that he was terribly worried, of course; his rival can only be a person of great perspicacity, after all.

"Is it, really?" He leans forward, resting his chin on one hand. The expression on his face can best be described as 'shitlord'. "And here I thought my mastery of language was unrivaled!"

He looks so proud of his flawless wordplay. Incredible. Give this man a comedy award.