Chapter 198: Curing Sophie [3]

"Should we begin?"

Breaking the awkward silence in the room, Arthur asked, looking in my direction.

I could start immediately, but I paused the moment my gaze shifted to Sophie’s clothes.

They had covered every inch of her body, including the area around her abdomen... And that could indeed make things a little difficult.

"It would be better if she changed into something that would allow the area around her abdomen to be visible, as the mana stone would have to directly touch her skin."

Though my words had no malice, even I felt my sentence could have been interpreted in the wrong way.

"That’s... right. Sophie, how about you change quickly?"

Arthur’s words made the girl look at her father, and then at me, before shifting her gaze to the clothes on her body.

"But I don’t have any clothes like that—"

Sophie paused, as if suddenly remembering something.

"Okay. I can manage using the ones that I have."

Arthur nodded his head in acceptance.

"So should I change?"

"Hm? Yes, why the question?"

Arthur raised his brow at Sophie’s question, only to notice her gaze shifting between me and Julien.

Ah!

"We will be waiting outside."

Getting the hint, I walked out of the room, taking Julien with me.

***

Click.

Sophie watched as Kael and Julien left the room.

"I will head out too—"

"Dad."

Just as Arthur stood up to leave, Sophie gently grabbed his hand, stopping him mid-motion.

Her voice was still soft, but now it had a certain firmness to it that wasn’t there when Kael was in the room.

"What’s the cost for curing me?"

Sophie asked the question that was still bugging her mind.

She knew her father was now working for someone else... And she knew the reason behind her father suddenly offering his services to Kael—

She was the reason.

Sophie knew that her father was an individual who had never bent his knee before someone, or had never spread his hands for help.

But every time when it came to curing her, Arthur had never hesitated to sacrifice his pride as a warrior and his dignity... If it meant she could be cured of a disease that was considered impossible to cure.

So, it wasn’t hard to figure out the reason behind her father’s decision to serve Kael.

Sophie had always doubted whether a kid like him would be able to cure her, but now, seeing the confidence in her father’s eyes...

Her doubts began to subside, but—

In return, Sophie was getting increasingly nervous about the cost that her father might have paid for her cure.

She had this instinctive feeling that Kael was using her father, despite the best attempts made by Arthur to ease her worries.

And now that the cure was here— Sophie feared the worst.

Her father might have bent his knee on the assumption that Kael could cure her, and now... If Kael indeed cured her, then—

Sophie couldn’t imagine the extent to which her father would sacrifice himself to help his benefactor.

Sophie wasn’t naive.

She knew that every favour had a cost, and her father had paid it.

Still... As his daughter, she couldn’t help but feel worried about what would happen to Arthur.

"Sophie, dear."

Arthur gently patted his daughter’s head, as her eyes were fixed on him.

"Kael isn’t a bad person, I have told you—"

"But he is using you, I know it. I am not a fool to not notice such a basic thing. I can see the subservience and respect in your eyes when you look at him."

For the first time, Sophie forced herself to raise her voice to fully convey her emotions.

"Sophie... He is going out of his way to help us, to cure you—"

"Please, Dad. Please don’t feed me more lies. I didn’t wish to hurt you, so I had stopped myself from saying anything till now, but... I know what would follow after I am cured. I know how your principles work. Why do you have to offer your life to him?"

Sophie’s eyes watered, as tears formed at the corners.

"It’s a mutual agreement that I have to respect and adhere to."

Arthur confessed, seeing that there was no use lying to his daughter.

Though he had told her that Kael was just helping him out of goodwill... Arthur had always known that Sophie had never believed a single word that he had uttered.

Still... He didn’t wish for his daughter to view Kael in a bad light, so Arthur kept trying to make her understand Kael’s kindness...

Though Arthur knew that Kael was doing everything as a part of their deal... For Arthur, it didn’t really matter what Kael’s intentions were.

As long as his daughter was cured, Arthur was happy with any cost that he would have to bear.

"I don’t like it."

After a long pause, Sophie spoke again.

This time her voice was as broken as Arthur’s, as she tried her best to utter the words without stopping in between.

"I don’t like it when you bow before someone. I don’t like it when you bow for me. You are my pride, Dad, I don’t want you—"

"Come here."

Arthur interrupted Sophie with a hug, as he held her tightly, not wishing to let go.

"For me... You are my everything. So don’t think of it as some sort of sacrifice on my part. I am doing everything for myself. Is that clear?"

Arthur’s warm voice turned firm at the end, as he patted his daughter’s head again.

"Dad... Hic... Sniff."

Sophie couldn’t stop the tears, as they streamed down her face.

"And forget about Kael. You can at least trust your dad, right? Or—"

"I trust you."

Sophie whispered softly.

Arthur’s lips curved into a faint smile at her reply.

"Good girl, now quickly get changed. I will be waiting for you outside. Call me when you are done, okay?"

"Yes."

Arthur ended the hug, as he stood up from his place, giving Sophie a wide smile, which she managed to reciprocate in kind.