"My apologies if my actions harmed you in any way. And yes, I indeed wanted to have your attention."
I looked into Arthur's eyes, taking a slow breath.
He remained silent, waiting for me to continue.
"As you might already know, my relations with my family aren't at their best. I had even left my house a year ago. So you don't have to worry about any direct involvement of the Frosts here."
I took a moment to let Arthur process the words.
But before I could speak again, he got up from his seat.
"If it isn't about the Frosts, then I see no reason to entertain you… kid."
As he got ready to leave, I leaned back on the sofa without panicking.
I had expected this reaction.
Aside from being a Frost, I had nothing worthy to offer him.
But I couldn't let things end like that.
"You sure you want to leave?"
I paused as Arthur's ears slightly twitched at my provocation.
He shook his head slightly in disappointment at my cheap antics and began walking towards the door.
"You may not find me worth your time, but could you say the same for your daughter?"
Arthur froze.
He slowly turned his head to face me, but instead of the calm expression that he previously had, his face was now twisted in a frown.
He clearly disliked the mention of his daughter.
One thing that Arthur hated the most was someone talking about her.
He always hoped for her recovery, but the world never favored her.
The mere mention of her turned the gears in his head.
It was like reminding someone of everything that they could lose anytime soon.
Applying salt on the wounds.
It was a risky gamble.
I could end up dead without even knowing what killed me.
Still, I needed to take the risk if I wanted this man on my side.
"I hope you have a good excuse for mentioning her. It would look bad for a Frost to die in some random gambling den due to his foolishness!"
Arthur's eyes bore into me.
I felt a shiver down my spine.
It felt like a predator evaluating the taste of my flesh and whether I was worth hunting.
"She's ill, isn't she?"
"So what are you implying!?"
Arthur asked, releasing a bit of his bloodlust.
I felt my knees buckle under the pressure, but I maintained a calm expression on my face.
"I have a cure for her."
I observed him.
"Interested now?"
Arthur didn't say anything.
He was contemplating.
He knew the statement had to have some truth for me to stake my life on it.
"And how should I believe you?"
I gestured for him to sit on the sofa before answering his question.
It earned me an intense glare, but he complied.
He really cared for his daughter.
I glanced at Julien once, so as to reassure him.
Although he didn't show it on his face, the guy was scared for his life.
His presence of mind was commendable.
If he had shown signs of fear, I would have lost my edge against Arthur.
My strategist!
"You do have the Silent Judge to verify my claims!"
I smiled.
Though he didn't show it on his face, Arthur must have been shocked from inside.
The Silent Judge.
It was one of the highest-grade artifacts in the world.
Its origins were a mystery.
There were three of them in the entire world.
And Arthur possessed one.
It was a secret that none should have known.
How did I know about it?
In the game, Arthur had used it on several people whom he thought would have a cure for his daughter.
There was a shift in the air.
The way Arthur looked at me had changed considerably.
He knew that I wasn't as incompetent as I appeared to be.
The Frosts had no way of knowing about the artifact, and even if they knew, my father would not share something like that with a failure like me.
The conclusion was obvious.
I had my own sources… capable ones at that.
That must be what Arthur was thinking.
Well, he wasn't far from the mark.
I indeed had the knowledge from the game, so it could be called a capable source.
Heeh.
Feels good to be in control.
"So what do you want in return?"
Arthur asked after composing himself.
I raised a brow.
"Don't you wish to hear the cure first?"
"It seems your understanding of the Silent Judge is still shallow. It's bound to my soul. I don't have to actively use it to verify your claims."
That was new to me.
Damn those developers!
Couldn't they explain everything in the game?
"The moment you spoke of having the cure, I knew it was the truth. Partial truth, but truth nonetheless."
The artifact sure had crazy powers.
Yes, what I had said was not the complete story.
"I have only one condition."
Taking a small pause, I looked into Arthur's eyes.
"Serve me."
"..."
"..."
"..."
All the guards in the room froze.
Everyone stared at me in disbelief.
As a matter of fact, I indeed looked crazy to say something like that to his face.
But contrary to my expectations, Arthur didn't react in any way.
"Although I would like to cure my daughter, you do know that the deal isn't balanced. I am one of the strongest individuals in the world, and you expect me to serve you for a lifetime, if that's what you meant."
"Yes, for a lifetime."
I said with a straight face.
"And if you say the deal isn't balanced, does that mean you value your freedom above your daughter's life?"
"..."
"That's disappointing."
Shing!
I could see the nearby guards drawing their swords from their scabbards, their eyes fixed on me with hostility.
Ah.
Quite the loyal bunch.
I had basically insulted their boss.
It would have been weird if they didn't react.
Arthur raised his hand, signaling for them to calm down.
Although they retreated, their hostility remained.
"You sure love to play with fire. As for my freedom, I don't care for it as long as you can cure my daughter. I was just confirming your stance."
He paused and let out a tired sigh.
Years of searching for a cure had led him to dead ends.
The moment he saw a light of hope in me, he grabbed it without an ounce of hesitation.
Is this what they call love?
A foreign thing for me.
I never felt it for anyone other than myself.
To sacrifice yourself for someone else.
It was the last thing I would ever do.
But that didn't mean I wouldn't take advantage of it to force others into my dealings.
That's how the world works.