I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 113
If it had been the Emperor on any normal day, he would have started with casual small talk, asking after Lia’s well-being before getting to the main point.
But the Emperor currently lacked the emotional capacity for such pleasantries.
He had been on edge every single day leading up to this moment, worrying about whether Lia would reject his request and wondering what he would do if that happened.
He agonized over whether he would have to give up entirely, resigning himself to watching his son wither away day by day.
“Yes, that’s correct,”
Lia replied calmly, nodding as she observed the tension etched across the Emperor’s face.
“…Whatever decision you’ve made, I will respect it,”
Though he wanted nothing more than to keep her by Jeshuan’s side, even if it meant making enemies of the duchy and the grand duchy, he knew he couldn’t do that.
It wasn’t a matter of imperial conscience. He had already abandoned such considerations the moment he asked her to let Jeshuan stay with her at the duchy.
So how could he now pretend to act out of integrity?
Even so, he didn’t impose his will or bind Lia with an imperial decree, simply because he understood Jeshuan.
He knew that if he tried to force Lia to stay by Jeshuan’s side, Jeshuan himself would never comply with such an arrangement.
Lia gazed at the Emperor’s deeply troubled face, her eyes lingering on him for a moment. She felt like she could understand him a little.
She could sense what he was struggling with and why his expression was so conflicted.
Though he was an Emperor, he was also a father. And, naturally, his heart leaned toward his son.
But as an Emperor, he also felt guilt over this.
How could he not?
These were matters he could not easily let go of.
“I… I am willing to accept Your Majesty’s request,”
It wasn’t because the request came from the Emperor. It was simply for Jeshuan’s sake.
Although Jeshuan was the Emperor’s son, he was also her friend.
No matter how it began or what the intention was, Jeshuan was unmistakably her friend.
Helping a friend was only natural.
“Thank you… truly. I will never forget this favor for the rest of my life,”
The Emperor said, his face filled with gratitude.
Of course, even if Jeshuan stayed at the duchy with Lia, it wouldn’t solve all his problems.
There was no certainty that his issues would be resolved.
But if it gave Jeshuan even a sliver of hope or allowed him a moment of respite, that alone was enough.
“Jeshuan is my friend. That’s all,”
Lia answered calmly.
Her simple response left the Emperor with a bitter expression.
From the very beginning of their relationship, it was always about his son.
Lia must have realized that by now. Even so, she referred to Jeshuan as her friend.
Her sincerity was appreciated. It was deeply moving.
While he had only made demands of her because of her influence on his son, Lia never took issue with that.
She had never tried to wield anything as a weapon against him.
Perhaps that was why Jeshuan had opened his heart to her in such a short time.
Even Cassian, colder than an iceberg in the dead of winter, had been captivated by her.
For someone like her to be a noble of the empire, and now the head of the duchy, was a tremendous blessing for the empire.
“Let me know when Jeshuan is ready to move into the duchy. The duchy will need to make preparations,”
“There’s no need for preparations. Just allowing him to stay there shows your utmost sincerity,”
Yes, how could he ask for anything more?
Especially since he had already discussed matters with Cassian before Lia arrived.
Sending Jeshuan to the duchy meant he could no longer meddle in Jeshuan’s affairs.
Whatever happened to Jeshuan at the duchy, all he could do was watch.
“…Regarding my guardian… it seems preparations might be necessary,”
“…That’s true,”
The Emperor nodded as if he understood.
Indeed, knowing Cassian’s personality, no matter how much he agreed, he wouldn’t calmly welcome Jeshuan.
So, preparations would be necessary either way.
“And… regarding the reward you mentioned before, I have something I would like to request,”
Lia said, moving on to another matter now that the topic of Jeshuan was settled.
“What is it?”
The Emperor himself had proposed a reward. After all, considering the ordeal she had gone through at the capital, it couldn’t just be brushed aside.
Especially since, regardless of the cause, Lia had been caught up in Jeshuan’s outburst and had nearly been injured.
Rewarding her was only natural.
The Emperor was ready to fulfill any of her requests, as long as it was within his power.
“…I need holy water used for verifying blood ties,”
Lia said firmly after a moment’s hesitation.
Her request left the Emperor puzzled. It was entirely unexpected.
Moreover, he couldn’t guess why she needed the holy water.
Unless perhaps…
Before his thoughts could spiral further, Lia spoke again as if to cut them short.
“I’d prefer if you didn’t ask for the reason. Also, I’d like it to remain a secret that I received the holy water from Your Majesty.”
She was still cautious.
For now, she couldn’t recklessly reveal the existence of her father or his identity to anyone.
If Cassian truly turned out to be her father, the situation could become complicated.
“If that is what you wish, I will not ask. Nor will I try to find out the reason,”
For a reward, her request wasn’t particularly challenging.
Even if it weren’t phrased as a reward, it was something he could readily agree to.
Thus, the Emperor decided to honor her request.
“Could I receive the holy water today?”
“That would be difficult.”
“…Ah.”
Lia’s disappointment was evident in her expression.
“However, I’ll make sure it is sent to you by tomorrow.”
“If possible… could it be delivered without Cassian knowing?”
Her request puzzled the Emperor once again.
He couldn’t understand why she needed the holy water so urgently and why she wanted to hide it even from her guardian, Cassian.
However, Lia had asked him not to question her reasons. That also implied he shouldn’t be curious about them.
So, the Emperor decided not to think any further about it.
Even if he didn’t know why she needed the holy water, as long as it wasn’t related to Jeshuan’s safety, he was willing to turn a blind eye.
“I’ll frame it as a gesture of gratitude for the favor you’ve done for me,”
“Thank you,”
Although she couldn’t get the holy water immediately, she would still receive it by tomorrow.
With that holy water, Lia would be able to confirm once and for all whether Cassian was truly her father.
The problem, however, was that Cassian’s blood would be needed for the test.
Until the holy water arrived, Lia would need to figure out how to obtain his blood.
Without it, the holy water she worked so hard to acquire would be useless.
After expressing her gratitude, Lia observed the proper etiquette toward the imperial family and left the Emperor’s office.
***
At that time, Jeshuan was idly sitting in a chair, gazing out the window, passing the time in utter boredom.
His mind was teeming with countless thoughts, leaving him feeling confused and conflicted. Yet, separate from his emotions, the time itself felt unbearably dull.
It had only been a few days.
Barely half a week had passed.
Yet Jeshuan felt as though time had ground to a halt.
He felt as if everything in his life had come to a standstill.
All because… he couldn’t see Lia.
All because Lia wasn’t by his side.
“It’s truly fascinating,”
In reality, the time he spent without Lia had been far longer than the time they spent together.
Yet her presence seemed to have influenced him far more than all those other years.
Now, he couldn’t even imagine his life without her.
Perhaps that was why, over the past few days, Jeshuan had experienced an unusual calm.
The tempestuous energy that would flare up without warning had remained quiet this time, as though granting him a brief respite.
Even the intense pain that tormented him daily seemed to have subsided.
It was exactly the kind of peace Jeshuan had longed for.
And yet, he felt a lingering sense of dissatisfaction.
A part of him felt hollow, incomplete.
The yearning for Lia, the void she left behind, seemed to grow larger with each passing moment.
As a result, Jeshuan couldn’t focus on anything.
The truths he had recently uncovered and his worries about the future weighed heavily on his mind. Yet, none of it seemed to lead to any clarity or resolution.
All he could do was wait for time to pass.
In a week, he would be able to see Lia.
And as more time passed after that, he would be able to spend even more time with her.
While he was lost in thought, staring blankly out the window, Jeshuan suddenly heard a cautious knock at the door.
The sound filled him with a small spark of hope.
In this place, the only people who would come to see him were either his father or Lia.
So…
Driven by a flicker of anticipation, Jeshuan sprang to his feet. Instead of answering, he opened the door himself.
And standing there before him was the person he had been waiting so long to see.
“Lia…?”
