I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 100
Today, Lia had experienced many things, so many that it was overwhelming to count them all.
Because of this, she had to temporarily put aside matters concerning her dreams, as there were more urgent issues to resolve.
Though not everything had been completely resolved, she had gained some leeway to reflect on the worries she had set aside.
‘The person in my dream, no, that man… he was my father.’
No one had explicitly told her this; she simply felt it instinctively, just as she had realized the woman holding her in the dream was her mother.
However, unlike her mother’s presence, which she could accept, Lia found it difficult to completely trust her instincts and memories about her father.
Unlike her mother, whose image she knew from the portrait in the pendant, she had never seen her father, not even in a portrait.
Thus, Lia could not be 100% certain that the man she saw in the dream was indeed her father.
To make matters more confusing, the man in her dream looked exactly like Cassian.
It wasn’t just a resemblance; they were the same person.
This made her wonder whether her subconscious mind had merely manifested Cassian as her father in her dream.
After all, having spent time with Cassian, she often felt he was like family, even thinking that if she had a father, he might be someone like Cassian.
‘I need to be sure.’
Lia needed to determine whether the dream reflected a childhood memory she couldn’t recall or if it was simply her wishful thinking.
But there was a problem: no one could confirm whether Cassian was truly her father.
No one knew about her father’s existence.
Although her grandfather might have known, he had already passed away and could no longer provide any answers.
So, what should she do?
Of course, there were ways to verify it, even without someone’s testimony.
In the Empire, there was a method to confirm blood relations through blood tests.
It was the same method that had confirmed the relationship between Lia and her grandfather.
Although her grandfather had already acknowledged her as his granddaughter, the unusual circumstances had necessitated proper confirmation.
‘But it has to be done in secret.’
Lia did not want her relationship with Cassian to be revealed, as it wouldn’t do any good.
Moreover, she did not know Cassian’s exact circumstances.
Currently, he was hiding his identity for some unknown reason while staying at the Duke’s residence.
In such a situation, she was unsure whether revealing Cassian as her father would be beneficial.
‘Of course… if Khal is my father.’
If Cassian truly was her father, what should she do?
Should she tell him, or should she continue pretending not to know, as she had been doing?
It was an unexpected revelation and an unforeseen situation.
While she had at least some knowledge of her mother, she knew nothing about her father.
She had never heard stories about him, nor did she have any memories, not even a small one.
Her lack of knowledge was so complete that her father was almost non-existent to her.
She didn’t even know if he was alive or dead.
That’s why she felt confused and bewildered.
Furthermore, Cassian was a Grand Duke.
If he was her father, she would be not only a Duke but also the daughter of a Grand Duke.
If he had no other children, she would naturally become the heir to the Grand Duchy.
The weight of this revelation was immense.
It wasn’t just this fact that concerned her, though.
Cassian’s circumstances raised many questions as well.
How had Cassian met her missing mother and ended up having her?
Why had Cassian left her with her grandfather and disappeared?
And why had her grandfather kept this fact hidden?
But there was no one to answer these questions. Cassian himself had lost his memory and knew nothing.
‘Or maybe… he knows.’
Could he be pretending not to know?
Although his memory was incomplete, that didn’t mean he had lost all of it.
Only he knew what he remembered and what he didn’t.
So, it was possible that he remembered her existence, which might explain why he had chosen to stay at the Duke’s residence.
Perhaps that was why he particularly liked it when she called him ‘dad.’
With that thought, Lia’s gaze shifted toward Cassian.
“Have you recovered your memories yet?”
It was a somewhat sudden question.
Lia had never asked Cassian about his memories before.
Considering it was a sensitive matter, she had avoided the topic altogether.
If he eventually regained his memories, he would most likely leave the Duke’s residence on his own, and she would know without him having to say anything.
So far, he hadn’t said anything, and his continued stay at the Duke’s residence suggested that he hadn’t recovered his memories yet.
But she couldn’t be sure.
He had promised that if she wished, he would stay by her side as long as she wanted.
It was possible he had regained his memories but remained in the Duke’s household because of that promise.
“Memories… memories…”
Cassian’s expression became complicated as he processed her unexpected question.
He didn’t know why she suddenly asked him this.
Nevertheless, the question had a significant impact on him.
Unfortunately, Cassian had not yet recovered his memories; he was still aware only of the empty space where they should have been.
He had no idea how to retrieve them or whether he could even recover them.
The frustration made him feel like he was adrift on a vast sea without a destination or a clear path.
He desperately wanted to reclaim his memories.
Initially, he thought that they would return naturally over time, so he didn’t take the matter too seriously. After all, his day-to-day life remained unaffected.
However, as time passed, Cassian realized the importance of the lost memories, sensing crucial clues buried within them—things that were very significant.
These included the existence of the Grand Duchess, whom he could no longer recall, and the identity of someone he was pursuing.
Other secrets could only be uncovered by regaining his memories.
“…The important things still don’t come back.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I’m sure they are things that should never be forgotten, yet nothing comes to mind.”
Cassian’s voice carried all his frustration.
“Is there no way to recover your memories?”
If Cassian regained his memories, she might be able to confirm what she wanted to know.
“I want to know that, too. How to find my lost memories.”
Lia quietly observed Cassian after he spoke.
His reaction seemed genuine, suggesting that he was not lying about his memory loss.
His usually indifferent face now showed the confusion and frustration he felt.
Still, Lia could not be sure that he knew nothing at all.
Just as he remembered that he was a Grand Duke, he might recall certain facts.
With this in mind, Lia cautiously asked a small probing question.
“What if… Khal had a daughter?”
“A daughter, huh?”
Cassian seemed to ponder for a moment, then turned his gaze toward Lia. Feeling his eyes on her, Lia flinched.
“If the daughter was as lovely as my angel baby, I’d be absolutely delighted.”
The thought alone made Cassian happy.
How could he not be overjoyed at the idea of Lia being his daughter?
He had once even considered adopting her as his own because she was so lovable and precious to him.
This wasn’t a fleeting impulse, either; he still felt that urge from time to time.
Suddenly, Cassian asked her,
“Do you really know nothing about your father?”
“Yes, I’ve never even seen his face,” Lia replied, carefully observing Cassian’s reaction.
“Tsk, what a heartless man. Leaving such an adorable daughter behind without ever showing his face.”
“…Indeed.”
If her dream was a true memory from her childhood, and if Cassian was her real father, then that heartless father would be him… but Lia pretended to be unaffected and agreed indifferently.
“Do you know why he left?”
“Well… I only heard from my grandfather that my father came to him, left me there, and then left.”
That was all she knew.
Her grandfather had never told her about the circumstances or the identity of her father.
However, the way he spoke suggested that she might reunite with her father someday.
After so much time had passed, she had stopped expecting anything, and her longing for her father had faded to the point of being erased from her memory.
Cassian suddenly remarked,
“It’s hard to understand. Leaving such a cute daughter behind and walking away. I could never do that.”
Cassian’s face showed genuine disbelief, which left Lia’s expression a mix of complex emotions.
And his next words added to her confusion.
“Why not leave that pathetic father behind and become my daughter instead?”
