"Catelyn, that's not a very good excuse. Leaving Winterfell, which needs you most, when your second son is bedridden and your eldest son is still too young to manage affairs, and running off to the South—even a fool wouldn't believe that reason."
Just as Catelyn was about to defend her actions, there was a knock at the door, followed by Varys's voice from outside, saying, "Lord Petyr, is it appropriate for me to enter?"
"Of course, come in," Littlefinger walked over, opened the door, and gestured, "Please, Lord Varys."
Varys, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, slowly walked in. Seeing Catelyn, he walked up to her and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Lady Catelyn."
"Hello, Earl Varys." Although Catelyn disliked Varys, she returned the greeting very properly.
"Earl? This is the first time someone has so solemnly addressed my title. Others either call me the Eunuch or the Spider." Varys smiled as he looked at Catelyn, his gaze quickly falling on Catelyn's injured hand, then he said, "Your injury seems quite severe. Do you need me to treat it for you? I happen to have some ointment just bought from Summerhall, which is very effective for treating various injuries."
Catelyn pulled her hand back into her sleeve and said, "No need. Master Luwin already treated it for me at home."
"That's good." Varys nodded, then smiled and said, "My dear Lady, may I see that dagger?"
Upon hearing this, Catelyn's face changed dramatically. She stared at Varys with full vigilance and asked in a low voice, "How did you know...?"
"The Winterfell training master who came with you is a cautious man, but he is clearly not cautious enough. Perhaps he hasn't realized that he is no longer in sparsely populated Winterfell, but in the crowded King's Landing." Varys raised his hand, motioning Catelyn not to worry, and then sat down on a nearby chair, saying, "He just went to the armory and found Ser Allun Santagar. When they were talking, they mentioned a dagger, and then they both returned to the inn where you are staying. They should still be there waiting for your return. Oh, the innkeeper told them that you left on your own to gather information in the city, and they apparently didn't suspect anything. Northerners are truly simple!"
Catelyn's face clearly did not look good after hearing this. She then looked at Littlefinger, seemingly asking for his opinion.
Petyr also looked at Varys cautiously and said, "I don't trust Varys. His thoughts are too deep; you'll never know what he's thinking. But I can be sure that among the political forces in King's Landing, Varys will not stand on any side. He will always stand behind the Iron Throne."
Catelyn thought calmly for a moment, then finally pulled a dagger from her cloak and placed it on the table next to Varys, saying, "Take it! I hope your little birds can tell me who the owner of this dagger is?"
Varys took the dagger in his hand and examined it carefully, saying, "A hilt made of dragonbone, a blade made of Valyrian steel. Such craftsmanship looks like that of Kohor. There aren't many people who can afford to use such a luxurious weapon. It might take some time to find out who its owner is."
"No need to investigate further, I know who the owner of this dagger is." Petyr took the dagger from Varys's hand and skillfully played with it. Some of his handling movements were very dangerous; he could easily injure himself if he wasn't careful, yet he made the dagger spin and roll safely in his palm as if it were an extension of his fingers.
"There's only one dagger like this in all of King's Landing, and even all of Westeros," Littlefinger said, skillfully flicking the dagger in his hand. The dagger precisely cut the bell rope above the doorframe and embedded itself in the lintel, "It's mine. This dagger is mine."
"Yours?" Catelyn looked at Littlefinger in shock.
"Yes, or rather, its previous owner was me," Littlefinger nodded and said, "But at Prince Joffrey's naming day martial arts tournament, I made a bet and lost it."
Catelyn anxiously pressed, "Lost it to whom?"
"Little Devil Tyrion Lannister."
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