A professor who agreed to advise me asked, "Have you found any other options?" I interpreted this as him asking if I have applied to other schools. I think he knows that I should spread my application to a range of schools, so telling the truth would do no harm. However, since we have had some trouble in the application process* and I need him to help me, I don't want to take a risk. I'm worried that he will lost a little interest in helping me.
How should I react to this?
*The problem may be off-topic, but I will put it here in case it's important. His school doesn't have a PhD program, and he has to advise me through another school. However, when I emailed the other school, they said that I could not have an advisor from the outside. I think this is a mistake and he thinks that too. He has sent an email to them and we are waiting for them to reply.