I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 110
“Well, is there something I should be thankful for, little angel?”
Cassian looked at Lia with a gentle gaze and affectionately stroked her hair.
“I know that Khal doesn’t like Crown Prince Jeshuan. Even so, you allowed him to stay at the duchy for my sake.”
“Didn’t my angel baby say it herself? This place belongs to the angel baby. So, it is your authority to decide who is allowed here.”
In reality, Cassian’s permission was never necessary.
Even as her guardian, all authority belonged to her, and he was merely a guest staying at her behest. How could he, as a guest, dictate who else could or could not stay?
And yet, Lia did not ignore his opinion.
That was an act of consideration and respect towards him.
Understanding this, Cassian’s heart softened even more.
“Still, I can’t ignore the opinions of someone precious to me. So, thank you.”
“Then, I should be the one to thank you.”
Even if every choice he made was for Lia, it did not grant him the right to impose anything upon her.
Disregarding someone’s will and acting unilaterally was undoubtedly a form of violence.
However, despite all that, Lia always tried her best to hear him out and accommodate his opinions.
It was impossible not to fall for her charm.
And for that reason, Cassian couldn’t help but listen to her wishes.
Cassian deeply hoped his decision would lead to a good outcome.
Although he initially opposed Lia meeting Jeshuan for her safety, he ultimately decided to allow Jeshuan to stay at the duchy for the same reason.
If a critical moment arose, Jeshuan could protect her in his stead.
Even though Cassian tried not to leave her side as much as possible, the future was unpredictable.
Especially given that his presence could inadvertently bring danger to her.
Thus, it was necessary to have someone who could protect her in his absence.
Jeshuan was quite a suitable candidate for that role.
As long as his outbursts could be controlled, he would become the most reliable shield, protecting Lia from anything and everything.
His abilities as a superhuman were as exceptional as Cassian’s—except for the risk of those outbursts.
Thus, Lia could trust and rely on Jeshuan.
She believed in his abilities and his feelings toward her.
“For that reason, I plan to visit the imperial palace soon. Since I’ve made my decision, there’s no reason to delay it.”
There were also matters to settle with the emperor.
“Alright, go ahead.”
Cassian nodded readily.
Although he wished he could spend more time alone with Lia, he couldn’t help but worry about the future.
The thought of having another presence intruding on what had been their space wasn’t entirely pleasant, but he was willing to accept it for Lia’s sake.
“In exchange, I’d like to spend today entirely with my angel baby.”
They had been so busy the day before that they hadn’t even seen each other properly.
Knowing that opportunities for such intimate moments would become even rarer, Cassian wanted to cherish this day with Lia.
“…Well, alright. I suppose that’s fine.”
Lia hesitated for a moment but then nodded in agreement.
Taking a single day off wouldn’t cause the duchy to crumble. At most, it would mean more work would pile up—but it wasn’t an unmanageable amount.
So, for today, she decided to dedicate her time to Cassian.
“My angel is so kind.”
“And yet, you said I was heartless just a moment ago.”
“Being too kind isn’t always good. Sometimes, you need to be a little heartless too.”
Even her moments of heartlessness were endearing to Cassian.
“Isn’t it just because it’s me, so everything is fine?”
Lia shyly replied with a flustered expression as her heart fluttered.
“Of course, my angel is so smart. You know exactly how I feel even without me saying anything.”
“Khal, to me, you are like a treasure.”
But even the word ‘treasure’ wasn’t enough to fully express what Cassian meant to her.
He was far more special and precious.
Meeting him felt like an unparalleled blessing for Lia.
At first, she didn’t realize it.
She never expected that he would become such an important and extraordinary person in her life.
Nor did she imagine that their bond would grow so deep.
Now, however, she couldn’t even imagine a life without him. He had become so deeply intertwined with her being.
It felt as if he was born just for her.
He showered her with endless affection and unconditional love.
To Cassian, the most precious and important thing in the world seemed to be her. He always thought of her, worried about her, and cared only for her.
That love brought her immense joy and happiness.
It felt as though she was receiving all the love and affection she could ever hope for in her lifetime from him.
‘Grandfather, I’m really okay now.’
After all, there was someone who cared for her as much as—if not more than—her grandfather did.
This thought made Lia’s heart feel warm and full.
“To me, my angel baby is just as important.”
Cassian responded to Lia’s honest and heartfelt words with a gentle smile.
***
That night, Cassian had a visitor.
It was Shion.
Cassian gestured indifferently toward him.
“How are you feeling?”
Outwardly, Cassian didn’t appear to be in any pain or discomfort, but he was still suffering from the effects of poison.
Just because he looked fine on the outside didn’t mean everything was fine on the inside.
That was why Shion asked about his condition before delivering his report.
With rumors that the poison was spreading again, Shion was naturally concerned.
“I’ll take care of my own body. Just say what you need to and leave.”
“…My lord, how can your body only belong to you? If something happens to you, it won’t just be your problem.”
Shion didn’t voice his concerns out of mere worry.
He needed to be aware of Cassian’s condition to prepare for any potential issues, but Cassian remained as indifferent as ever.
It was typical of Cassian to push the responsibilities of the grand duke house onto Shion while he leisurely did as he pleased. Though Shion was used to this, it still occasionally made him furious.
“Of course. For the sake of my angel baby, I will ensure that nothing happens.”
“I’d appreciate it if you could spare some thought for the grand duke house and me as well.”
Shion wasn’t expecting Cassian to care about the grand duke house or himself as much as he cared for Lia. But would it be so hard for him to show even a fraction of that care? Maybe just 10% of it?
Though it was heartening that the grand duke, who had always only cared about himself, was now showing concern for someone else, the problem was that his attention was solely fixed on Lia.
It was as if the only thing that changed was the subject of his attention, while everything else remained the same.
As Shion expressed his grievances in a manner that was almost but not quite an argument, Cassian looked at him indifferently, his expression tinged with annoyance.
“Don’t worry. Even if something happens to me, I’ll ensure the grand duke house is unaffected by appointing a successor in advance.”
“That’s not the issue right now! And do you even have someone fit to be your successor?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Who?”
Could it be that Cassian had secretly fathered a child without Shion knowing? There weren’t even any relatives around to inherit the title, yet Cassian sounded so confident.
“You.”
“…..….”
Shion fell silent for a moment.
“Otherwise, we could give the grand duchy title to my angel baby as well. You’d just have to handle the work.”
Since Lia was already busy managing the affairs of the duchy, it wouldn’t make sense to burden her with the responsibilities of the grand duke house too.
If it were Shion, he’d do an excellent job supporting Lia as her assistant.
After all, he had been managing the grand duke house on Cassian’s behalf up to now. No one was more qualified than him.
“I suppose I’m destined to work myself to death.”
His boss, instead of granting him even a single vacation, just kept finding ways to pile on more work.
“Fine, but if you’re going to die, make sure to train a competent replacement first. Otherwise, you’re not allowed to die. If not, my angel baby will end up suffering.”
“Wow… If it isn’t the ever-so-considerate Grand Duke.”
Out of courtesy, Shion refrained from adding a choice expletive, though his expression was full of sarcastic admiration.
Cassian had always been cold-hearted, but this was going too far.
Surely, any human being would feel a pang of sympathy seeing someone work so hard. But Cassian had none of that. His mind was consumed entirely with thoughts of Lia.
It was so typical of him, yet Shion couldn’t help but feel pitiful about his own situation.
How had he ended up with such a boss, enduring so much suffering?
If he could go back in time, the first thing he would change was his boss.
Ugh, what a life.
But what choice did he have?
Whether he liked it or not, Cassian was his superior, and it wasn’t as if he could just quit.
Besides, he had his own ways of dealing with Cassian.
In the past, Cassian had no one to hold him accountable, but that wasn’t the case anymore.
There was now Lia, a reasonable and empathetic angel, who metaphorically held Cassian’s leash.
If Shion reported all of Cassian’s misdeeds to Lia, she would undoubtedly take his side. She would save him from Cassian’s tyranny.
“So, what is it that you wanted to say?”
Cassian, uninterested in whatever Shion was plotting internally, urged him impatiently in a bored tone to get on with his report.
With a sigh, Shion began to speak.
“It seems we’ve found a clue regarding the poison the grand duke was afflicted with.”
