Upon hearing Arias's response, the imperial guard gave a deep bow as cold sweat ran down his forehead. "Right away, sir!"
The guard hurriedly left the room, and after about a minute, the grand doors clicked open as Princess Tara Markov walked in.
Having seen the guard's clear expression of fear toward Arias, she wasn't really surprised, but it made her more nervous than she already was.
"Hey, Dad…" she greeted stiffly, unable to hide the nervousness deep within her.
A big part of that was due to Slade having rejected her offer, and a smaller part was simply due to Arias being Arias. The more she learned about him, the more she began to realize just how frightening of a person he was.
Arias, on the other hand, seemed relaxed, his usual stoic expression marked by a charming smile.
He looked at Tara and observed her body language. With her hands placed at her sides like a soldier and her gaze avoiding eye contact, it was clear she was nervous, and Arias already knew why.
But this was an interesting opportunity—one he could use to play some games with her.
"Hello, dear. You seem distressed. Is it the state of the country? Your uncle? Or perhaps the impending mantle you'll have to bear as Queen?" Arias asked, still casual in his tone.
This made Tara relax a little as she loosened her arms and gave a hesitant nod. "Yeah, a bit of everything, I guess…"
Arias nodded in response, as if understanding her predicament. "I see."
He then reached out to a nearby stand and poured himself some whiskey into the lone glass that rested on its surface. After picking it up, he swirled the contents of the glass, a smile emerging on his face.
"Are you sure it's not your failed attempt at betraying me?" he asked, before taking a sip and letting out a satisfied sigh.
Tara's eyes immediately widened as her body tensed up even more.
"I-I…" Her mouth opened quickly, but it felt as though her words were stuck in her throat.
Her worst fear had come to pass. How could she even defend herself? Deny it? Give a petty excuse? Even as fear overwhelmed her, she wasn't naive enough to believe for one second that Arias would be fooled. The fact that he mentioned it meant he had evidence, which she knew she couldn't counter. So, she remained silent and lowered her head, her eyes trembling in anticipation.
A brief silence followed, but to Tara, it felt like an eternity. She could practically hear her own heart thumping anxiously.
*Pa!*
She suddenly heard a resonant thud, and her body trembled instinctively as her eyes shut tightly. However, she soon realized no harm had come to her. Raising her head slightly, she saw that the sound had come from a stack of papers Arias had thrown onto the table stand.
Her eyes filled with curiosity, but she was too fearful to even inquire about the papers. She didn't need to, though, as Arias explained in the next moment.
"Well, although Slade strongly recommended I kill you, I'm somewhat hesitant to do that. Since what you wanted was to leave, sign those papers, and you can do just that. You'll no longer be my daughter or hold any ties to Leviathan or any of its links. At least you're about to become Queen, so this shouldn't really matter, right?"
Arias still wore a stoic expression with a smile as he spoke, but his words rang harshly in Tara's ears, causing her to feel a wave of distaste.
On the surface, Arias's offer looked more than appealing to someone who wanted to betray him, but the psychological impact hidden within was deep.
For Tara, who lacked memories of a proper childhood, she couldn't imagine living a "normal" life—away from all the plotting, killing, and fighting.
A life away from everything she knew, from Slade, Arias, and the environment she had just been getting accustomed to.
To her, being a princess or queen was nothing but a cover, and she felt deeply satisfied with that.
It was similar to how the Joker got pleasure from causing chaos or how Catwoman enjoyed stealing.
There were numerous examples of people living lives of crime who had many chances to change but didn't—simply because they enjoyed it. It was an inseparable part of them.
That was the case for Tara, but now it seemed she was helpless to choose.
"I didn't want to leave! I just… I just…" Tara protested with great vigor, her eyes looking somewhat fierce, but she couldn't bring herself to give a reason why.
Why did she do what she did? The answer was obvious, but she couldn't say it.
She loved Slade, a feeling that bordered on obsession.
This didn't surprise Arias. Harley was a prime example of how a twisted love could blind someone—although Harley's case lacked the sanity Tara still possessed.
For Tara, it was more pure, a crush, if you will. And she was willing to risk betraying even Arias if it meant a chance at securing the one she loved.
Arias found it almost comical how dedicated she was. He could only aspire to instill the same loyalty in a few of the young assets he was grooming—not for love, but for the loyalty that came with it.
"You just love him, yes?" Arias stated nonchalantly, finally saying what Tara had been so reluctant to admit. Her body tensed up even more.
What made her most uncomfortable was the fact that Arias hadn't raised his voice or shown any signs of anger. If anything, he looked as though he didn't care.
In the next moment, he heaved a sigh and shook his head.
"Well, I'm not really surprised. I've known for some time, but as long as something doesn't interfere with my operations, I couldn't care less. But that's not the case now, is it?"
Arias turned his head toward a tablet resting on the unoccupied cushion to his left.
He quickly turned it on and placed it at a leaning angle facing Tara. The screen flashed to life, revealing the image of Slade in his Gotham office.
Slade's figure could be seen resting his hand on his head as he shook it and sighed, before his voice resonated from the tablet.
[Right. Listen closely, Tara. In our line of work, when someone becomes a liability, we either kill them, or if we're merciful, we cut them off. But since the Boss has already invested a lot in this, neither option is good, so we'll do a third: the truth.]
[I don't know if you're just stupid or really just this naive.] Slade's tone suddenly switched from casual to harsh, prompting Tara to look at the screen in fearful shock.
"W-wha?"
[Since you couldn't figure it out on your own, I'll spell it out for you. You were an investment. I didn't rescue you from that fighting ring you were in; I found out you were some lost princess, and the Boss here told me to rescue you and look after you.]
[How I did that was up to me. And what better way to look after a young brat than to use her trauma against her? Oh, don't look so shocked. How many times have you seen kids in the same situation as you, lied to and raised as killers or assassins?]
[You were a job, Tara—a job that ended the day the Boss here decided you were worth a damn. That's just how it goes. Either suck it up or leave. It's nothing personal; I don't hate you. It's just business.]
[But if you want to continue living in fairyland and jeopardizing operations, I'll kill you regardless of what the Boss says. I'm not as patient as him.]
With a quick flash, the screen turned off, and a heavy silence engulfed the room. Tara was now in tears, her lips trembling slightly, unable to form a response.
Arias ignored her pitiful expression and finished his glass of whiskey before placing it down on the table stand and standing up.
"Well, I hope that resolves the matter between you two. If you sign the papers, just hand them over to Mercy. If not, burn them."
Saying nothing more, Arias stood up and left the room. Outside, he found Mercy leaning against the door, shaking her head.
"Pretty harsh for a lovestruck kid. Want me to go in and say something?" she asked halfheartedly. But Arias shook his head.
"No need. Let her be depressed for a week or so. It builds character."