"If one day I find out you're using him as a puppet, no matter how powerful you are, I'll stand against you myself."
This time, Daniel didn't laugh, didn't mock, didn't even keep his tone light. He only shook his head slightly.
"Agreed."
This short answer made the Patriarch slightly surprised. The young man continued:
"And if Andreas one day makes a decision against me that is truly in his family's best interest, I won't blame him for it either."
The Patriarch's eyes changed for a moment.
"I don't expect him to sell out his faith, his family, or his people just because of his friendship with me. If he did that, he wouldn't be the kind of person I'd want as an ally."
The Patriarch fell silent. This was the first time since the conversation began that something like genuine satisfaction could be seen in his gaze.
He now understood better why Daniel and Andreas's relationship had remained so stable.
