I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 121
“Khal, I’m hungry…”
Cassian pretended not to hear Lia’s words and ignored her, while she tried to look pitifully cute. It was her desperate attempt to change the subject.
Fortunately, her tactic worked. Seeing her hungry expression, Cassian refrained from continuing his harsh criticism of Lia’s father.
Even though he stayed silent, his eyes still held a sharp and fierce look, as if he was cursing Lia’s father in his mind.
Watching this, Lia sighed inwardly.
She already knew Cassian didn’t have a good opinion of her father, but his reaction was more severe than she had anticipated.
For both their sakes, it seemed wise to avoid discussing her father for the time being—though, as someone who knew that father was actually Cassian himself, Lia felt a deep frustration.
In the awkward silence that followed, the meal ended. Cassian looked at Lia as if he had something to say.
“Khal?”
“If you have worries, I’ll gladly help you solve them, my angel baby. I promise not to take even the smallest issue lightly.”
His words carried a deeper meaning, encompassing not just the matters Lia wanted to hide from the previous night but also any challenges that might arise in the future.
While Cassian’s affectionate words brought Lia both gratitude and joy, they also weighed heavily on her heart.
When Cassian continued, Lia’s expression grew more complicated.
She had thought the discussion was over, but clearly, it wasn’t.
“But when it comes to that so-called father, or whatever kind of scumbag he might be, it’s a different story. He’s the one who abandoned my angel baby and hasn’t shown his face to this day. Even in her most critical moments, he never showed up. Someone like that is of no help to you. It’s better to erase him from your memory entirely.”
“Well, it’s not that simple…”
“It is simple. He was never truly there, so he doesn’t exist in your life. If you need a father, I’ll gladly take on that role. I can take care of you and cherish you far better than that useless man ever could.”
‘But that father is you…’
Lia swallowed the words she couldn’t bring herself to say, sending Cassian a meaningful look.
Unfortunately, the unspoken message didn’t reach Cassian. Instead, he interpreted it differently.
“No matter how cute you look at me with those eyes, it won’t work. Oh, wait… are you asking me to adopt you because you can’t accept that man as your father?”
“…I’m busy, so I’ll be leaving now.”
Feigning ignorance, Lia brushed off Cassian’s words.
After all, where could she even start to correct him? The situation left her utterly speechless.
No matter what Lia said, unless she revealed the truth, Cassian’s attitude toward her father would never change.
Rather than dragging out a pointless argument, ignoring it was the better option, though it was not an agreeable solution for Lia.
“You’re so coldhearted.”
Even though Cassian knew Lia had deliberately tried to change the subject, he pretended not to notice, pouting and putting on a sullen expression.
“Khal, hurry and get to work.”
“Not before I get a hug from my angel baby. ”
Cassian showed no intention of leaving until he got his wish. Resigned, Lia sighed and extended her arms to hug him.
Cassian watched quietly as Lia wrapped her small arms around his waist.
Seeing her hold him with those tiny hands filled him with pride and joy.
Her embrace was so warm and comforting that he wished time would stop in that moment.
Truly, how could such an existence as Lia’s even be possible?
Just by looking at her, she made his heart ache in the best way.
In a heart that had once felt like nothing could penetrate it, Lia had made her way in, and now her presence filled it entirely.
Nothing else mattered—only Lia occupied his thoughts and his concerns, as if she were the very reason for his existence.
With overflowing affection, Cassian gently stroked Lia’s head, hoping she could feel the depth of his emotions.
After a relatively brief hug, Lia returned to her office.
Three days later, it was time for the regular meeting.
To prepare, she reviewed several years of the Duke’s family reports and documents on recent developments. Even though the meeting didn’t have a set agenda, she wanted to avoid looking unprepared.
Lia made sure to familiarize herself with critical issues and consider topics she might bring up during the discussions.
***
Finally, the day of the regular meeting arrived. Lia donned her formal attire instead of a dress as she headed to the palace.
Her uniform, consisting of trousers, a shirt, and a jacket bearing her family’s emblem, suited her perfectly. The subtle gray hue, matching her hair, seemed as though the outfit was made just for her.
Although it was her first time wearing pants, she quickly adapted despite feeling awkward at first.
Dressed this way, Lia exuded an air of dignity befitting a family head.
While her youthful age couldn’t be entirely concealed by the uniform, it did enhance her mature presence significantly.
Soon, Lia’s carriage arrived at the palace. Guided by an attendant, she made her way to the meeting room.
As she entered the room through the door held open by the attendant, she saw that many nobles were already seated.
Lia found an empty chair and made her way toward her designated seat.
However, something caught her attention from the corner of her eye.
‘Seriously, how petty can they be?’
Even at such an important meeting, some were still intent on playing childish power games.
The seating arrangement in the meeting room was typically determined by rank.
The seat at the center, naturally, belonged to the Emperor, with the highest-ranking individuals seated in descending order on either side.
The next highest-ranking position after the Emperor was held by the Grand Duke, Cassian.
However, Cassian was not expected to attend the meeting, as he still had no intention of making a public appearance. He wasn’t known for attending meetings regularly in the past either.
Even so, as a matter of protocol, his seat was left vacant out of respect for his commitment to the empire’s military campaigns.
Following the Grand Duke’s seat, the next were reserved for the Dukes, of which there were three in the empire.
While two Dukes had already arrived and taken their seats, the seat meant for the third Duke was noticeably absent.
However, there was no empty seat.
Naturally, the seats beside the dukes were occupied by the marquesses.
This left Lia, a Duke herself, with nowhere to sit other than near the Count-level nobles.
Lia stood still for a moment, waiting to see if someone would correct the oversight and vacate the appropriate seat for her.
But the nobles simply observed her reaction, hesitant and avoiding eye contact, yet making no move to relinquish their seats.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve had to deal with this nonsense,’
It had been some time since she last had to interact with other nobles. Her standing had grown enough that no one from her subordinate families dared treat her improperly anymore.
‘…What should I do?’
In the past, Lia might have chosen a subtle way to address the issue. But now, perhaps influenced by her time spent with Cassian, she felt an urge to simply deal with the situation directly—even throwing them out the window seemed tempting.
She resisted the impulse, reminding herself that she was not Cassian. Unlike him, she considered herself rational.
Moreover, causing a scene at a formal meeting would only make her the subject of unwarranted rumors.
‘Let’s solve this peacefully,’
Lia decided, breaking into a mischievous smile. She spoke in a cheerful yet sharp tone,
“Wow, I must have been promoted without realizing it. For someone to graciously leave me the Grand Duke’s seat like this…”
Her sarcastic remark made the nobles flinch.
“Or perhaps the Sithran Duke’s house has grown so influential that it now rivals the Grand Duke’s?”
“What are you implying?”
One noble dared to ask cautiously, breaking the tense silence.
“Well, since this seat was so clearly left for me, I suppose I have no choice but to sit there. I just hope the Grand Duke doesn’t misunderstand…”
“That’s not—”
“Oh, but it’s not my problem, is it? If there’s a misunderstanding, it’ll be the fault of those who created this situation. I’ll just take the empty seat provided for me. After all, as a Duke, I can’t very well sit in the corner, can I?”
“Er, well…”
“You should clarify your intentions, otherwise, it might look like the Sithran Duke’s house isn’t even qualified to attend these meetings.”
