Maybe it's on purpose but I feel like it's a mistake. When talking to Ezzali Bardatto in the Bardatto Estate, you get the vague option "You notice something", which if you select, lets you see a shape in the wax on the desk. This gives you a high level of "Shady" reputation. As a paladin I need to keep that low, and I have no idea what's supposed to be shady about vaguely "noticing something" on a desk. The "Shady" icon also shows up on the NPC's text instead of the PC's choices, which adds to me thinking it's a mistake.