I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 101
Cassian’s words were merely a sudden impulse. He often felt such urges, and when the topic of a father came up, his true feelings burst out unexpectedly.
Cassian didn’t just want to be close like family with Lia; he genuinely wanted to become a real family member.
It was both an excessive desire and a modest wish.
“………”
Lia didn’t respond to Cassian’s words; she found it difficult to say anything at that moment.
It was understandable… If her dream was just a fragment of memory… then that pathetic father he mentioned was actually Cassian himself.
It wasn’t something a father who had already abandoned his precious daughter should be saying.
Of course, that only applied if he really was her father.
Yet, despite everything, she couldn’t help but think that he might truly be her father.
From the very first time she met him, she felt a strange familiarity.
And a sense of comfort that one couldn’t typically feel with a stranger.
It was hard to believe that they hadn’t known each other before, considering how quickly they became close.
They felt comfortable and intimate with each other as if they had known each other for a long time.
To an outsider, they would look like an unmistakable father-daughter pair.
“I’m not asking you to decide immediately. I just want you to think about it seriously. I didn’t say it lightly.”
Noticing Lia’s silence, Cassian spoke in a calm yet affectionate voice, as if he understood her hesitation.
Even though it was a sudden remark, it was sincere.
In fact, it was so genuine that it came out impulsively.
However, unlike him, she had never thought about it before.
That’s why it was confusing for her; it must have felt sudden as well.
Meanwhile, Lia showed a slightly ambiguous expression again.
Considering that she was entertaining the possibility that he might be her father, she didn’t know how to respond to his proposal.
It was as if a daughter was being offered adoption by her biological father.
So, Lia decided to change the topic. Continuing this conversation any further felt awkward in many ways.
Moreover, she learned what she wanted to know from Cassian’s statement.
If she was indeed his daughter and Cassian knew about it, he wouldn’t have made such a suggestion, even as a joke.
So… it was safe to assume that he didn’t know anything.
“How’s the progress with the antidote?”
“….……”
Cassian fell silent for a moment.
He hadn’t even found a clue about the antidote yet, as it wasn’t a typical poison to begin with.
Just because they’re someone with abilities doesn’t mean they are omnipotent.
While it’s rare for people with abilities to be poisoned, it’s not impossible.
According to the investigation done through Shion, there was no known poison that matched the effects of the poison he was suffering from.
Without knowing what the poison was, finding an antidote was impossible.
But he hesitated to be honest, fearing that Lia would worry or feel guilty.
Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to lie to her, either.
“…I’m still looking for it.”
That was all Cassian could say. It was the best he could offer at the moment.
“It seems it’s not easy, after all.”
Lia’s expression darkened.
Though she brought it up to change the topic, it was something she had been wanting to ask for a while.
And the answer wasn’t encouraging.
“You don’t have to worry too much.”
There was a last resort.
Although he was reluctant, he could rely on Lia’s help if there was no other option.
But he hadn’t mentioned it yet. Explaining how she could detoxify his poison would mean revealing that she was a saint.
Lia seemed to have some awareness of her abilities after today’s events, but she didn’t know the full extent yet.
Moreover, she wasn’t aware of her true identity.
That made Cassian cautious about bringing it up.
While it was something she should know about herself, nothing could be guaranteed at this stage.
He was uncertain if it would be beneficial for her or not.
He was also worried about how she would react upon learning the truth.
Eventually, he would have to disclose everything to her, but not now.
He wanted to observe her a bit longer.
The information he currently possessed was insufficient.
“…And the wounds?”
Though Cassian reassured her not to worry, Lia couldn’t help it.
Even if the one who hurt Cassian was a demon, she felt partially responsible.
After all, he got hurt while trying to protect her.
How could she not be concerned?
“…Well, that’s….”
Cassian hesitated to respond again.
If he wanted to ease her worries, being honest was the best approach.
The wounds were completely healed now.
However, admitting that felt a bit guilty, given that he had pretended they weren’t healed in the past.
Though his conscience rarely bothered him, it became unusually prominent in front of Lia.
“I want to see it.”
“There’s nothing to….”
“No, I feel like I should see it.”
Reading something in Cassian’s hesitation, Lia spoke firmly.
Like a child being scolded by a mother, Cassian reluctantly rolled up his sleeve.
To show the wound.
But there was no wound. Even the bandage he had kept on to pretend the wound wasn’t healed was gone.
While Lia was away, there was no reason to keep the bandage on, so he had removed it before rushing to the capital.
“…The wound….”
“…Yes, it’s healed.”
Cassian, who initially wanted to prolong his injury to get more of Lia’s attention, admitted the truth.
What else could he do?
It was better to be honest now than to make Lia feel guilty and apologetic.
“Did I do this?”
Lia asked with a peculiar certainty.
Previously, Cassian had made a strange request.
He suddenly asked her to blow on and pat the wound, so she simply did it.
Given Cassian’s usual behavior, the request didn’t seem that odd.
He often asked for things she couldn’t easily understand.
Thus, she thought Cassian was acting as he usually did.
But thinking back now, that day’s events weighed on her mind.
Especially since today’s events at the capital revealed something about her abilities.
All she knew was that her powers could calm or suppress the energy of people with abilities, but perhaps that wasn’t all.
Cassian, upon hearing about her powers from the Emperor, hadn’t shown much reaction.
As if he already knew about her abilities.
The only expression on his face was the frustration that others had also learned of it.
This led to questions.
When did he find out? And how?
It somehow felt connected to this wound.
“I don’t understand why you think that.”
Cassian flinched as if caught off guard but pretended not to know.
“Khal wound didn’t heal because of the poison. To be precise, Khal’s power was restricted due to it. But if my powers can influence a people with abilities energy, then I could have temporarily assisted in restoring Khal’s power and healing the wound.”
Yes, it was a plausible explanation.
The poison didn’t directly prevent his recovery; instead, it caused issues with his energy, which in turn hindered healing.
“It’s certain.”
Lia’s question didn’t convey doubt. It was just a confirmation.
In that case, his denial would be meaningless.
However, Cassian remained cautious about disclosing what he knew.
He knew far more than Lia was aware of.
He simply wasn’t sure if he should tell her everything.
“Did you know? About my abilities?”
“I had some suspicions.”
Even before learning she was a saint, he sensed something strange.
Her presence had indeed affected his energy.
At that time, he thought it was just odd or perhaps a misperception.
However, after finding out she was a saint, Cassian realized it wasn’t just in his head.
“How did you know?”
Lia’s question made Cassian contemplate.
Given the current situation, he couldn’t hide everything.
He needed to decide which information to reveal and which to withhold.
After some thought, Cassian slowly began to speak.
“That day, in the Refaar Forest… I almost lost control too.”
He didn’t want to reveal this truth, but he had no choice.
He couldn’t keep everything a secret; some information had to be disclosed.
Therefore, Cassian decided to share only what was related to her current understanding of her abilities.
What had truly puzzled him was why the demon had attacked her, but he chose to keep that to himself.
He didn’t want to instill unnecessary fear in her.
Of course, he would eventually have to reveal it.
Given what had happened at the capital today, it couldn’t be hidden forever.
In fact, the demon’s attack during today’s event… was likely due to her being a saint.
