I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 111
Cassian’s eyes glimmered with interest as he heard Shion’s report. Progress had been slow, leaving them uncertain whether they would ever uncover the truth. It was a relief that something had finally been found.
Especially since Jeshuan was set to stay at the Duke’s residence from now on, Cassian needed to regain his normal condition as quickly as possible.
This way, if Jeshuan were to go on a rampage, he could handle the situation himself before Lia had to use her abilities.
Even without that concern, remaining poisoned wasn’t ideal, especially when Cassian had promised to help Jeshuan learn to control his powers.
“I’m not entirely certain. However, judging by the effects of the poison, it does resemble your symptoms, my lord.”
“Then why are you not confident about it?”
“…It’s uncertain whether the poison actually exists.”
“On what basis?”
If the poison didn’t exist, there wouldn’t have been any records of it. However, the fact that Shion discovered details about the poison suggested that such records did exist.
Still, Shion doubted the existence of the poison, which left Cassian puzzled.
“The information I found included not only the effects of the poison but also the ingredients needed to create it and the methods for making an antidote.”
“So, creating the antidote shouldn’t be an issue.”
With the grand duke’s resources, even the rarest ingredients could surely be acquired.
“That might not be entirely the case. That’s why I am questioning whether this poison actually exists.”
Cassian patiently waited for Shion’s explanation. It seemed there were issues with acquiring the materials for either the poison or the antidote—or both. This was likely why Shion questioned the poison’s existence.
“The ingredients required for both the poison and the antidote are identical, differing only in the preparation method. Of course, since it isn’t a simple poison, the range of necessary ingredients is quite broad.”
“That’s understandable.”
Despite Shion’s complicated explanation, Cassian remained indifferent.
“Most of these ingredients are rare and difficult to obtain, but they are things I am familiar with and can find sufficient information about. However, there is one ingredient I don’t know about. I couldn’t find any information on it either.”
And that one thing was the problem.
It was precisely because of this missing piece that Shion doubted whether the poison and its antidote truly existed.
“What is it?”
“It is something called a ‘Saint.’ To be precise, it’s referred to as ‘Saint’s Blood.'”
From the mention of ‘blood,’ it was clear that the Saint was likely a living being. However, Cassian couldn’t fathom what it was since he had never heard of it before.
Was it an animal? A human? Or perhaps something even more extraordinary?
Cassian’s expression hardened at Shion’s words.
While it was unfamiliar to Shion, it wasn’t unfamiliar to Cassian. In his search for the reasons behind the demons targeting Lia, he had come across information about the existence of the ‘Saint.’ As such, he already knew quite a bit about it, unlike others.
He understood what the Saint was, its significance, and who the Saint might be.
This knowledge naturally led to a grim expression on Cassian’s face.
Shion’s information was undoubtedly accurate. The poison that had infected Cassian was made from Saint’s Blood, and its antidote also required the same.
Then how had the person who poisoned him acquired Saint’s Blood?
Did they know about the Saint? Obtaining blood would have required causing injury, after all.
Blood wouldn’t just fall from the sky like raindrops.
‘…This gives me one more reason to kill them.’
Whether the person who poisoned him had harmed Lia was uncertain. However, if that individual had injured Lia to create the poison, it was unforgivable.
Putting Cassian in danger was bad enough, but if Lia had been involved, there would be a price to pay—a steep one.
‘First, I need to confirm the facts.’
Currently, Lia was the only known Saint. Whether her blood had been used to create the poison remained unclear.
Though uncertain, it seemed Lia’s mother might have also been a Saint. If that were true…
‘…Could it be the same person?’
The one targeting him and the one who killed Lia’s mother.
Lia’s mother’s death was almost certain. If not, she wouldn’t still be missing to this day.
The former Duke of Sithran, who adored his daughter more than anyone else, wouldn’t have stopped searching for her while looking for his granddaughter.
‘Maybe this is a blessing in disguise.’
The fact that his enemy was targeting Lia, potentially endangering her, provided a clear focus for Cassian’s revenge. Eliminating this single foe might resolve the situation entirely.
“Do you know what the ‘Saint’ is?”
Shion asked cautiously, noticing Cassian lost in thought.
“Yes, I know,”
Cassian admitted without hesitation. There was no point in denying it, as Shion, perceptive as ever, wouldn’t be easily deceived.
Moreover, letting others know that Cassian was aware of the Saint’s existence wasn’t an issue. The critical matter was the existence of the ‘Saint’ itself.
Thus, the nature of the Saint and their identity had to remain hidden.
This was information that Cassian couldn’t share, not even with Shion.
“Well, that’s good news then. If you know what the ‘Saint’ is, obtaining their blood shouldn’t be too difficult…”
Shion began to say optimistically, only to be cut off mid-sentence.
His expression shifted to one of shock as Cassian suddenly attacked him.
Cassian’s impulsive outbursts weren’t unheard of—throwing punches, kicking, or even hurling pens in a fit of rage—but there had always been some sort of reason behind it. Granted, those reasons were often nonsensical or infuriating, but they existed.
This time, however, Shion couldn’t fathom the reason for Cassian’s sudden attack.
Why was he being punished? What mistake had he made?
“Forget about the ‘Saint’s Blood.’”
“…But we need the antidote, don’t we?”
“I’ll take care of that. Forget it. I only asked you to investigate the poison and the antidote.”
Obtaining the antidote was Cassian’s responsibility.
Now that he knew the antidote required the Saint’s Blood, he couldn’t entrust this to anyone else.
“Can it even be obtained?”
Shion asked in a worried tone, sensing something odd in Cassian’s attitude.
Rather than seeking the antidote, Cassian seemed more concerned with hiding the truth about the ‘Saint’s Blood.’ Shion couldn’t understand why.
“I will find the antidote. I have to,”
Cassian stated firmly.
In his current state, he couldn’t protect himself against the person targeting him, nor could he ensure Lia’s safety.
And if the one after him were also targeting Lia, that threat had to be eliminated.
To deal with this danger, Cassian needed to neutralize the poison and face the threat head-on as soon as possible.
“I trust that you will handle it as you’ve said, my lord.”
Although he couldn’t fathom why Cassian was so sensitive about the ‘Saint’s Blood,’ he trusted Cassian to follow through on his words. If Cassian had resolved to find the antidote, he would find a way, no matter what.
For now, that was all Shion needed to hear.
“What about the Marquess?”
Cassian changed the subject to close the discussion about the antidote.
“There hasn’t been anything particularly suspicious. Recently, he’s been restricting his outings and staying within his estate. However, he’s been visiting the greenhouse much more frequently.”
“What about the greenhouse?”
“Nothing concrete yet, but it does seem significant. He visits it almost daily and stays there for hours at a time.”
“Focus on the greenhouse. It seems likely we’ll find a lead there. If necessary, destroy it.”
Whatever was hidden in the greenhouse, blowing it up would be an easy solution.
“How can we destroy it without knowing what’s inside?”
“Whatever it is, it must be precious to him.”
Cassian didn’t care about the Marquess’s treasures.
“If we’re careless, it could worsen the situation,”
“First, we need to understand what the situation even is.”
They still had no real information about the Marquess. There wasn’t even a ‘situation’ to speak of.
“I’ll dig deeper into the greenhouse,”
“That’s for the best.”
Something about the Marquess and his greenhouse continued to nag at Cassian, occupying his thoughts as though the Marquess held a crucial clue.
With that, Shion quietly left the Duke’s residence, just as he had entered.
***
The next day, Lia shared a peaceful breakfast with Cassian.
“In the afternoon, I plan to visit the Imperial Palace.”
Since Cassian had already given his permission, there was no reason to delay answering.
As the saying goes, ‘Strike while the iron is hot.’ Considering there were matters to settle with the Emperor, there was no point in wasting time.
🍓; ‘Strike while the iron is hot’ is an idiom that means to take advantage of an opportunity while it is still available or at its most favorable moment. It emphasizes acting quickly and decisively when the conditions are right, similar to how a blacksmith strikes metal while it’s still malleable from the heat.
