I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 117
No matter how much she pondered, Lia couldn’t find a solution, so she opted for a straightforward approach.
It was impossible to secretly obtain blood without Cassian noticing anyway. And if she got caught, it would only appear more suspicious.
Thus, she decided to go for a direct approach.
However, as soon as she opened her mouth, she regretted it a little. Her request sounded abrupt and awkward, almost as if she was demanding something like a petty bully.
Surprisingly, Cassian wasn’t flustered at all when he heard her words. Not even the slightest doubt crossed his face.
“Blood? There’s plenty of it. So, tell me. Whose blood do you need, and how much?”
Cassian asked gently, as if he would gather blood from anyone and in any amount Lia desired.
“…Well, I need… your blood.”
While saying that, Lia cautiously observed Cassian’s reaction. She was a bit nervous, unsure of how he would respond to such a peculiar request.
“Well, that makes it even easier. I can give it to you right now. So, how much do you need?”
“Uh, a lot…”
“A lot, huh? Then we’ll need a container.”
“No, when I said ‘a lot,’ I meant just a little bit. Really, just a tiny amount is enough.”
Before she could finish clarifying, Cassian drew his sword, startling Lia. Panicking, she quickly stopped him.
If she wasn’t careful, she might witness a bloodbath instead of just getting the little bit of blood she needed.
“So, just a little… about two liters?”
“…Is that ‘a little’ to you?”
Wait, wouldn’t losing two liters of blood kill someone?
Lia’s expression turned incredulous as she wondered how Cassian could possibly consider two liters ‘a little.’
However, Cassian interpreted her incredulous expression differently.
“Ah, too little? Then how about five liters?”
“That would really be fatal!”
From Lia’s perspective, even two liters seemed excessive, enough to cause serious harm. But five liters?
“Well, we can check if it’s fatal or not.”
“Do we really have to?”
“Isn’t it something worth being curious about?”
Cassian asked with an innocent face, leaving Lia dumbfounded.
Why on earth was he interpreting her words this way? She didn’t mean it out of curiosity—she meant it as a warning that such an amount could be life-threatening!
Realizing that she might end up accidentally killing someone who could be her father, Lia grew anxious.
“Just a few drops. Really, just a very small amount will do.”
Thinking her explanation was finally sufficient, Lia tried to relax. But Cassian wasn’t someone who operated on common sense.
“A hundred drops?”
“…I said a few drops.”
“Then three hundred drops?”
“…How would you even count that?”
How had her request for a few drops escalated to three hundred? And how on earth did he plan to count those drops?
“If I lose track, I can just start over.”
“………”
Lia fell silent. The sheer casualness with which Cassian dismissed the complexity of collecting hundreds of drops left her speechless.
“…Just ten drops. Ten drops will do.”
She should have been more precise from the beginning.
Lia thought that stating ‘a few drops’ would suffice for Cassian to understand, but she was mistaken.
“What’s the use of that? At least a bucket full would be necessary…”
“I only need ten drops, really. Even that’s more than enough.”
In truth, two drops would have sufficed for the blood test she had in mind. The reason she asked for ten was to allow for some loss during storage and handling.
Despite her explanation, Cassian seemed unsatisfied. He had no idea why she needed his blood, but to him, ten drops sounded far too little, almost negligible.
“Cassian, I’m telling you, ten drops is all I need. Anything more, and I refuse.”
Seeing the determination in her tone, Cassian looked as if he were reluctantly agreeing. He gave off the impression that, had she not insisted, he would have forced a whole bucket of his blood on her.
“If my dear angel says so, I have no choice but to comply.”
Although he found it a pity to give only ten drops, Cassian respected her wishes. If it turned out to be insufficient, he could always provide more later. After all, a few drops of blood were no big deal. Blood could always be replenished.
“I don’t need it immediately. You can give it to me tomorrow.”
Having unexpectedly succeeded in obtaining his agreement, Lia remained cautious and reiterated her request.
“Freshness is key, after all,”
Cassian nodded in understanding. If the blood was required tomorrow, then it made sense to draw it fresh then.
“Just to remind you again, I only need ten drops.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Despite his agreement, Lia still felt uneasy. She had an ominous feeling that when the time came, Cassian might dramatically spill far more than she requested.
“But… are you sure about this? To give me your blood, you’ll have to hurt yourself.”
“For my dear angel, that’s nothing.”
“Thank you, Cassian.”
Moved by his willingness to fulfill her unusual request, Lia expressed her gratitude with heartfelt sincerity.
“If my angel desires something, I’ll do anything to get it. So, feel free to ask anytime,”
Cassian replied with warmth that filled the room.
Lia smiled brightly, deeply touched by his words.
It was a relief. She had spent so much time agonizing over how to ask for his blood. Not only had she succeeded in obtaining it, but she also managed to avoid an awkward or difficult confrontation.
She had also worried about how to answer if Cassian asked why she needed his blood. But Cassian didn’t question her at all.
Whether it was out of consideration for her or because he trusted her that much, she didn’t know. Either way, his attitude filled her heart with gratitude. His generosity and lack of questions warmed her deeply.
***
The next day, Lia finally received the holy water from the Emperor.
Remembering her request to keep it discreet, the Emperor had placed the holy water in a small glass vial and enclosed it in a letter. The small size of the vial ensured it wasn’t noticeable in the envelope.
In total, she received three vials of holy water. Carefully tucking them into her pocket, Lia immediately went to find Cassian.
Cassian greeted Lia with a warm smile as she approached. His expression radiated joy, as though her visit was the highlight of his day.
“Cassian, are you busy?”
“I am. Busy thinking about my dear angel.”
Lia had hesitated, wondering if she should come back later, but his playful response put her mind at ease.
She was reminded once again of how Cassian always prioritized her, willingly offering his time for her sake.
Though it seemed effortless, Lia knew it was far from simple, and she deeply appreciated his constant affection.
Feeling a moment of warmth from his kindness, Lia finally spoke, cautiously.
“…Um, about the blood I asked for yesterday. Can I get it now?”
“Of course.”
“I brought a container for it.”
Concerned about wasting even a drop, Lia had thoughtfully brought a small container to collect the blood.
“It’s tiny, just like my angel,”
Cassian remarked, gazing at the container, which was less than half the size of his hand. Even the ordinary container appeared cute to him simply because Lia brought it.
“Isn’t it a bit too small?”
“Well, I only need ten drops…”
Lia worried that bringing a larger container might encourage Cassian to fill it entirely. Knowing him, he might actually do it.
Despite thinking the container was overly small, Cassian didn’t hesitate and drew his sword.
“Wait! You’re not planning to use that sword, are you?”
It wasn’t just a dagger but a longsword, its blade so sharp that even a slight cut seemed likely to cause a deep wound.
“That was my plan.”
“No, no, use this instead.”
Lia quickly handed him the small dagger she had brought just in case.
“What a tiny blade,”
Cassian murmured with mild amusement before using the dagger to cut his wrist without hesitation. The wound was deep, and blood quickly began filling the container.
The small container was filled almost instantly, much faster than Lia expected.
“…I said ten drops,”
Lia muttered, exasperated as she rushed to stop the bleeding. She hadn’t even had time to react before Cassian made the cut.
As always, he didn’t hesitate to harm himself.
“To draw blood, a cut of this depth is necessary,”
Even though he tied a handkerchief around the wound, blood seeped through almost immediately.
Cassian, however, remained indifferent, as if the injury didn’t bother him at all.
“…You could have just pricked your finger,”
Already struggling with delayed healing due to poison, Cassian’s injury only added to her worries. Her face was etched with concern.
“That would’ve been too insincere.”
“If this level of sincerity continues, I don’t think you’ll stay intact, Cassian.”
“I was never intact to begin with,”
Cassian replied nonchalantly. His calm demeanor left Lia momentarily at a loss for words.
“Don’t hurt yourself again, even if it’s for me. If I had known you’d wound yourself this severely, I wouldn’t have asked.”
“Understood,”
He said with a nod, noticing the sorrow in Lia’s voice. Seeing his dear angel upset, he couldn’t bear to repeat his actions.
“I’ll treat your wound.”
Knowing a regular physician wouldn’t be much help, Lia decided to handle it herself.
“That won’t be necessary—”
Cassian began, but before he could finish, Lia gently placed her hand on his injury.
A faint light emanated from her touch, far more than one might expect for simply treating a wrist wound.
At that moment, Cassian felt something strange.