I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 108
Lia was momentarily taken aback by Cassian’s firm rejection.
She hadn’t expected Cassian to immediately respond with a flat-out ‘no’ without even considering it.
Of course, Cassian didn’t always have to agree with her, but still… it felt a bit disappointing.
Well, sure, he can refuse!
Cassian might be busy after all.
Still, he could have taken a few seconds to think about it before rejecting her!
Maybe she had just gotten used to Cassian always pampering her, which made his firm response sting a little more.
Lia’s expression dimmed slightly.
“My angel baby, you look like you’re about to cry,”
Cassian said nonchalantly, as if unaware of the impact his words had, his tone calm and indifferent.
“That’s not true,”
Lia replied in a huffy voice, her mood slightly deflated.
“Really?”
Despite her denial, Cassian’s expression showed that he wasn’t entirely convinced, as he stared at her intently.
Lia pouted involuntarily.
“But you must be very busy. It seems hard for you to spare even a moment,”
It wasn’t as if she was asking him to make time for no reason; she had something to say!
The more she thought about it, the more her disappointment grew, causing her lips to stick out even further.
Meanwhile, Cassian, who was the cause of her frustration, stared at her as if he found her reaction fascinating.
How could his little angel be so adorable, even when upset?
Everything about her was so lovely and endearing that he wanted to keep all her time stored safely in his arms.
So he could take her out and admire her whenever he wanted.
And most importantly, he wanted to be the only one who could see her like this.
But the thought was fleeting.
Cassian opened his mouth, concerned that if he let things go on like this, his little angel might truly get upset.
He decided to explain his response.
“How could I only spare a moment for my angel baby? I would give all my time to you. That’s why I said no to just a moment.”
“…Oh.”
So that’s what he meant?
Now that she thought about his past actions, it made more sense.
Now that she thought about it, Cassian had said something similar before.
Hearing Cassian’s words, Lia’s mood improved, and she finally let go of her pouty expression. Instead, she felt a little embarrassed.
She felt embarrassed about sulking just because of one ‘no.’
“So, what is it my angel baby wants to tell me? Hopefully… it’s not about that annoying brat.”
Cassian, who had been gazing lovingly at Lia, spoke with a hint of discontent.
Although he had decided to tolerate Jeshuan for Lia’s sake, he still didn’t like him.
Not that he had liked him before, but now it was for different reasons.
After all, Jeshuan clearly had feelings for Lia.
If Lia said she Jeshuan Shuan too, Cassian couldn’t openly oppose it, but he couldn’t help feeling displeased about the situation.
He wished Lia could stay in his embrace a little longer.
He wanted her to remain by his side for a little while more.
“Shall we move somewhere else first?”
Since they had finished eating, Lia thought it would be better to have a chat over some tea.
“Let’s do that.”
Cassian stood up gracefully and, without hesitation, scooped Lia into his arms.
“…Does it always end up like this?”
“This is for your own good, my angel,”
From his perspective, it was an act of consideration.
He already had a pretty good idea of what Lia wanted to say.
That’s why he had expressed his wish for the topic not to involve Jeshuan. It was a petty complaint, born out of his dislike for the subject.
But his little angel was the type to do what she wanted, no matter what.
Even if he said he didn’t want to hear it, she would eventually say it anyway. Her determination was something even he had to yield to.
Still, that didn’t change the fact that he wasn’t happy about it. So, he hugged Lia to help him practice patience.
At least when he held Lia, no matter how angry he was, he wouldn’t think of acting out.
He would be relatively more willing to listen to her.
“…Why is that?”
“Because you’re my comfort doll. When I hold you, I feel like I can calm down a bit. I think it’s better for you as well. Don’t you agree?”
“…If that’s the case, I guess I have no choice.”
Lia quietly gave in.
Well, it wasn’t the first time, and she was used to being held by him by now.
And it wasn’t just her who had gotten used to it.
Even the other employees at the Duke’s household had grown accustomed to it, so they didn’t think much of it when they saw her in Cassian’s arms.
‘Hopefully, this won’t continue into adulthood.’
While thinking that, Lia found herself imagining something shocking.
Although it wasn’t certain yet, if Cassian turned out to be her father, he would hold her hand as she walked down the aisle on her wedding day.
Of course, the wedding itself wasn’t decided yet, but she suddenly pictured herself entering the ceremony in Cassian’s arms.
How… mortifying that would be.
A grown bride being carried into the ceremony by her father?
Would she even end up making her vows while still in his arms?
Or worse, would he start a fight at the wedding, saying he wouldn’t give his daughter to anyone?
She couldn’t help but worry since it seemed entirely plausible with Cassian’s personality.
Moreover, for some reason, the face of Jeshuan briefly flashed in her mind as the potential groom.
‘Crown Prince Jeshuan also seems to have a strong personality.’
If it were Jeshuan and Cassian, a fight at the wedding would definitely be possible.
‘Though, it’s all just imagination.’
Especially since imagining the Crown Prince Jeshuan as her husband was utterly absurd.
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
Cassian frowned slightly, as if he had a bad feeling while looking at Lia in his arms.
“I wasn’t thinking about anything.”
“Really? Your cheeks are red, though.”
“That’s just because it’s hot…”
Lia quickly made up an excuse, trying to act like nothing was wrong.
It was already embarrassing and awkward to have imagined something like that, but now her face was flushed as well.
Although… Jeshuan really was handsome, and her heart did flutter every time she saw him!
Of course…! It wasn’t just about his looks; he was kind to her, too, but still!
“Hmm…”
Cassian gave Lia a skeptical look, clearly not buying her excuse.
“But… do I really have to talk like this while being held?”
Feeling self-conscious under Cassian’s gaze, Lia tried to change the subject.
“Of course.”
“Ah, I see. That’s perfectly normal, then.”
Lia resigned herself once more.
Eventually, they arrived at the lounge, and as promised, Cassian sat down with her still in his arms.
Naturally, Lia ended up sitting on Cassian’s lap.
“If I have one small wish, it’s that my angel baby never grows up. I wouldn’t mind if you stayed a child forever.”
That way, he could hold her in his arms like this for the rest of his life.
“That doesn’t sound like a small wish to me,”
No matter how you looked at it, it was an impossible wish.
“It’s just a small wish. I have a bigger wish, you see.”
Yes, there was something he desired even more.
Lia’s happiness. And her safety.
Cassian wished for Lia to live forever in a safe haven, free from hardship and sorrow.
He wanted her to remain blissfully unaware of the world’s misfortunes.
For that, Cassian was willing to sacrifice everything.
“Let’s just leave it at that for now.”
A wish was just a wish. After all, everyone was allowed to dream, weren’t they?
But that wasn’t what mattered at the moment. Lia had something she needed to say to Cassian.
Cassian seemed to be stalling, as if he didn’t want to hear what she had to say.
That’s why Lia decided to get straight to the point.
If she didn’t, she feared that Cassian’s distractions might drag out their tea time, leaving her words unsaid.
“I’m thinking of accepting His Majesty’s request.”
Though she hadn’t taken long to decide, it wasn’t an easy decision.
But truthfully… her answer had been clear from the beginning.
Lia had only said she would think about the Emperor’s request to buy time to persuade Cassian.
She couldn’t make the decision on her own without considering his thoughts.
That was all it was. From the moment she heard the Emperor’s plea, Lia’s heart was already leaning toward acceptance.
She couldn’t bring herself to turn a blind eye to Jeshuan. She couldn’t abandon him.
He had no one else to rely on—she was his only solution, his lifeline.
He had already endured so much torment for so long.
If she didn’t help him, who knew how much longer he would have to survive that hellish existence?
It wasn’t a pain with a set time limit.
Though some said it might get better once he came of age, that was merely speculation and hope.
For all she knew, Jeshuan might spend the rest of his life in that agony.
So she wanted to help him.
She wanted to reach out her hand.
She wanted to be by his side so he could lean on her without hesitation.
For someone who couldn’t trust a single person around him, she was the only one he could rely on.
Cassian replied indifferently to Lia’s cautious words.
“Do as you wish.”
