That lie is completely fuckin' awful. Fjord's doubts are quickly put to rest: this is totally Nott (or Veth? He ain't sure if she's doing this fake name business, he'll have to ask her about it). Unfortunately for Nott, Fjord manages to pick up on the fact that she's implied they had a flirtatious history and he is going to run with that.

Or at least, run with it until he can make Nott uncomfortable as hell and then drop the 'course I knew all the time' bombshell.

"Riiight," Fjord says, lying through his teeth. He flashes the halfling a grin before he continues talking. "I apologize for forgetting someone like you. My head's a little off-kilter 'cause of all this," said with a vague gesture to the festival, "but it truly is a crime to forget such a lovely lady."

He is having too much fun with this.