I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 126
At Jeshuan’s bright smile, Lia turned her gaze away as if she were embarrassed.
He had always been a strikingly handsome man, and every time she looked at his face, her heart would race.
Even though they had met several times and the initial shock had faded, she still found herself mesmerized when he unexpectedly ‘attacked’ her like this.
Her heart fluttered uncontrollably, almost like she was drunk.
Of course, the reason for her heart fluttering now wasn’t solely because of his exceptional appearance. His kind and gentle demeanor, which he reserved only for her, played a significant role too.
Every time she saw that gentle side of him, Lia was once again reminded of how special she was to him.
Additionally, she could feel how much he cherished her.
Whenever she realized this, her heart would race and feel warm.
The affection, the goodwill, the special treatment directed at her constantly melted her heart.
It made her fall for him helplessly.
Feeling shy for no reason, she briefly put on a bashful expression, but soon, she composed herself and opened her mouth with her usual calm demeanor.
“How about you, Jeshuan? Have you been doing well?”
There hadn’t been anything noteworthy going on with her.
She wasn’t dealing with any grave issues like Jeshuan. She was just busy with work as always.
If anyone wanted to ask how someone was doing, it was her.
Although it hadn’t been a week since she last saw Jeshuan, it still felt like quite a long time.
It had been five days since they last met.
She was worried that, during that time, he might have suffered alone or struggled.
“I’ve been doing well. For some reason, this time, the waiting felt exciting and heart-fluttering instead of boring.”
Yes, this time, the waiting was different.
It wasn’t a once-a-week meeting anymore. Now, they could spend more time together moving forward.
Of course, not forever.
There was a time limit—until she became an adult.
Even so, there were still a few years left.
Just thinking about being able to stay by her side during those years made him feel excited and thrilled.
“I’m glad to hear that you’ve been well.”
Indeed, compared to usual, he seemed more at ease.
Judging by his relaxed demeanor, it seemed his words were true.
Finally, Lia felt a bit relieved.
Although his condition hadn’t improved, and his problems still lingered, the fact that he had been doing well, even for a short time, was a good thing.
After all, there was still time left.
Lia wanted to help him somehow during that time.
She wanted to make sure he wouldn’t have to endure such hellish times again.
She wanted him to regain what he had given up on and lost.
Because of his condition, Jeshuan had to live with many losses. He had to give up on so much.
No matter how many times it happened, such losses were something one could never get used to.
Giving up only piled up more burdens, never reducing them.
Lia hoped that Jeshuan wouldn’t have to continue living like that.
“So, what brings you here?”
The cheerful smile on his face faded for a moment, replaced by worry.
Although Lia tried not to show it in front of him, Jeshuan, with his keen intuition, couldn’t be fooled.
He was sensitive to the feelings and emotions of others, perhaps more than anyone else.
“I was visiting the capital, and you came to mind, so I stopped by.”
Lia interpreted Jeshuan’s question—about why she had come to see him—in her own way and answered.
“It’s always welcome when Lia thinks about me.”
No matter how small the reason was, he was simply happy if she remembered his existence.
Nevertheless, Jeshuan asked again.
Her answer wasn’t a proper response to his original question.
“So, what is the real reason? Your expression doesn’t look good…”
It was only then that Lia realized what he truly meant by his question.
She thought she had hidden it well, but apparently, she hadn’t.
Perhaps Jeshuan was just that perceptive—or maybe, her emotions had influenced her so strongly that she couldn’t hide them.
Judging by how she failed to grasp the intent behind his question, it seemed more likely to be the latter.
“I guess I was just nervous because it was my first meeting.”
In reality, the meeting had ended smoothly, and her earlier tension now seemed irrelevant. There were no regrets, but Lia made up a vague excuse.
Even with her response, Jeshuan still wore a worried expression.
Lia’s stiff and awkward demeanor didn’t seem like something caused simply by nerves from a meeting.
It felt like something more complex and weighty was troubling her.
“Is that really all?”
As if he wanted to hear her honest answer, Jeshuan cautiously asked again.
“Yes, of course…”
“If it’s something difficult to talk about, you don’t have to say anything. Friends don’t need to know everything about each other, after all. Honestly… I’ve hidden the most important thing from you, even though I call myself your friend. I just… I just want to share your worries. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’ll always be here to listen.”
He had no intention of forcing her to answer. He didn’t have that right.
But as her friend, and as someone who cared deeply about her, he wanted to be of some help.
Just as she had been a great source of comfort and solace to him, he wanted to be the same for her.
He just hoped that she would recognize his feelings, which were conveyed in his words.
“……..”
At Jeshuan’s words, Lia remained silent and simply stared at him.
It wasn’t something easy to talk about.
The worry Lia was carrying now.
However, his heartfelt words made her think.
Maybe she could confide in him.
Maybe it was okay to open up to Jeshuan.
The burden of her worries felt too heavy to bear alone.
She needed someone to listen to her concerns and hoped someone could provide her with answers.
Unfortunately, this was a problem she couldn’t discuss with Cassian, who was her biggest source of comfort and reassurance.
Especially since Cassian harbored strong resentment toward her father. Even when she subtly tested the waters by bringing up the topic, Cassian reacted sensitively.
Because of that, she became even more hesitant to talk about it.
But eventually, she would have to say something. It wasn’t a topic she could avoid forever.
However, before that, she needed time to sort out her own thoughts.
With her current confused emotions, she couldn’t express what she truly wanted to say.
She would undoubtedly find herself stalling with excuses.
“Lia, I’ll always be on your side. To me, you’ve become someone far more special and precious than you might think.”
As if sensing her hesitation, Jeshuan spoke in a gentle voice to reassure her.
His words were filled with affection for Lia.
Hearing them gave Lia the courage to try.
“Actually… lately, I’ve been thinking about my father.”
Hearing Lia’s difficult confession, Jeshuan remained calm and simply listened to her words.
In the face of such a heavy topic, even the smallest reaction required caution and thoughtfulness.
Jeshuan waited patiently, ensuring he did not reveal his emotions, so she could speak freely without feeling pressured.
He didn’t want her to hesitate or hold back because she was worried about his feelings.
“I’ve… never met my father, not even once. So, I’ve lived my life forgetting he existed. For some reason, even my grandfather seemed reluctant to talk about him.”
There were moments when she felt a longing for her father, moments when she wanted to know who he was. But Lia had always pretended not to care.
As time passed, her resentment and anger toward her father only grew.
Those feelings intensified after her grandfather passed away.
But she suppressed them all.
He was a father who had never once shown his face.
She thought she must have been non-existent to him—just as he was to her.
So, she didn’t want to cling to him.
She didn’t feel the need to look for him or know anything about him.
She thought she could continue living as she had, treating him as if he didn’t exist.
But now, she knew.
She knew who her father was and why he had entrusted her to her grandfather.
She also knew why he hadn’t appeared before her.
Of course, the details she had uncovered weren’t enough to fully explain everything, but they were enough to soften her resentment.
And they were enough to reignite the longing she had once suppressed.
“And then… purely by chance… I discovered my father’s existence.”
She couldn’t share the specifics.
She couldn’t explain how she came to learn about him or who he was—not even to Jeshuan.
Jeshuan, for his part, didn’t push for answers.
Instead of asking questions, he simply sat quietly and listened to Lia.
“…So, I don’t know what to do now. Should I reveal everything, or should I bury it and move on?”
And if she did decide to reveal the truth, she didn’t know when or how she should do it.
Seeing the confusion and turmoil reflected in Lia’s expression, Jeshuan chose to remain silent.
