[Oh, for crying out loud...]

I have nothing to lose by asking, and everything to gain if he responds and grants me what I want. It's that simple.

[He wasn't concerned with rejection. A refusal to give him what he desired didn't leave him in a worse position than he was in now, it just left him in exactly the same spot.

And even if Luci would attempt to humiliate him for asking...hadn't he said great risk yielded great rewards? This was worth it to him.]