He was about to face the consequences of not being interesting to her.  He really was.  The empress was prepared to take him back to the underground with her with little care about answering any of his questions.  What value was it to her to answer his questions anyway?  That would have been completely on him, not making it worth her time.  Even him raising his cute little metal bar didn't make him much more interesting.  

But he did say something that interested her, at last.  Good for him, he needed it.  He was terrified of her now, rightfully so, and he was calling himself broke, broken, nothing.  

The empress's eyes softened, if it could really be called softening.  Something was earnest, less malicious.  She stepped closer to him, as he stepped back, closing the distance between them, as much as he wouldn't like that.  She didn't snarl at him this time.  Her voice was gentler now, starkly and oddly honest.  "If you are broken and nothing, what do you have to lose, if you were to come with me?"

Merely caring enough to ask was a gift.  Soon, hopefully, he would realize.  She did need him, but he was worth exactly the same to her as a willing captive or a tortured prisoner.  She'd do whatever he lead her to do.  If only he knew exactly how much his future was in his own hands.