I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 127
Jeshuan couldn’t casually broach the topic.
There were far too many details omitted from Lia’s explanation. Without understanding the situation in depth, any comments would have been too light-hearted.
Moreover… It seemed as though there was something more important that she hadn’t told him.
Lia appeared far too confused for this to simply be a matter of her suddenly finding her father and being troubled by it.
Jeshuan couldn’t press her about the things she didn’t want to talk about, even if his intent was to help her.
Still, with such limited understanding of her circumstances, his responses could only go so far.
He couldn’t offer shallow words of comfort without fully grasping her situation.
As he struggled with what to say, Jeshuan carefully opened his mouth.
“What exactly are you worried about, Lia?”
Though Lia had expressed her dilemma about whether to reveal the truth she had learned or keep it hidden, Jeshuan felt that her worries were more intricate than they seemed.
There must have been a reason why she hesitated to disclose the truth.
Likewise, there must have been a reason why she couldn’t easily decide to bury it.
Although he couldn’t directly ask about her reasons, the core of her anguish likely stemmed from them.
Thus, before making any decisions, it was necessary to examine those reasons first.
“That…”
Lia struggled to respond.
How could she put it into words?
It was too personal, too private.
Though she had decided to confide in Jeshuan out of frustration, she couldn’t reveal everything about her circumstances.
So she couldn’t properly explain the reason behind her anguish.
Her selfish desire to keep Cassian by her side while hiding secrets from him.
Her wish for him not to engage in dangerous activities.
But… it wasn’t a simple matter where she could just cling to Cassian.
“I will always be on your side, Lia. So I hope you can make a decision that feels right for you.”
That was all Jeshuan could say.
But it was also the most sincere thing he could say.
To Jeshuan, Lia’s father didn’t matter.
The person who mattered to him was Lia, not her father.
Especially since her father hadn’t properly cared for her up to this point.
Jeshuan had never heard her talk about her father until recently.
That meant her father hadn’t fulfilled his responsibilities as a parent.
If he had, Lia wouldn’t have been raised by her maternal grandfather, the former Duke of Sithran.
She wouldn’t have struggled alone to fulfill her duties as a Duke.
“…But that’s not right. That would be selfish of me.”
A choice solely for herself—it sounded so tempting.
But giving in to those words and making a choice purely for her own benefit came with too many risks.
“So what if you’re selfish for once? Everyone has selfish parts of themselves.”
No one would have the right to criticize her for making one selfish choice.
No one, absolutely no one, had the right to blame Lia.
And… Jeshuan believed in her.
Lia was not a selfish person.
She had always acted and moved for others rather than herself.
If such a person had made a choice, it was likely for someone else, no matter the reason.
Even if, to her, it felt like a selfish decision.
“But even so, I can’t do that. I wish for my father’s happiness.”
What choice would truly bring happiness to her father?
She remained confused.
However, Lia wanted to make the best choice possible.
That only made her hesitate more.
Was it right to convince her father to give up on revenge for his own safety, or should she reveal everything and help him achieve the revenge he wanted?
“Happiness isn’t something others can predict. Only the person themselves can know. That’s why your father’s happiness is something he has to find for himself, Lia. It’s not something you can decide for him.”
What could be more subjective than happiness?
No matter how much Lia pondered, she couldn’t know what happiness her father sought.
The only way to find out was to ask him directly.
“…….…”
Lia said nothing in response to Jeshuan’s words.
She simply fell into deep thought, her expression complex.
Come to think of it, this wasn’t something she could decide alone.
How could she, of all people, take away his choices?
The decision of whether to pursue revenge or not was entirely Cassian’s to make, not hers.
What choice would be best for Cassian? That, too, was something only Cassian could decide.
If it was truly for her father’s sake, for Cassian’s sake, then giving him the option to choose was the right thing to do.
As his daughter, someone who wished for his happiness, and someone who cherished him, she could try to persuade him. But she couldn’t entirely eliminate his options.
‘In the end, that means…’
She had to tell him.
To let Cassian make his own decision.
“Lia.”
“…Yes, Jeshuan.”
Even though she had made up her mind, Lia couldn’t look at him with a lighter heart. Her expression remained troubled as she stared at Jeshuan.
“It’s good to think about others, but I hope you also take care of yourself sometimes. So, Lia, do what you truly want to do. Follow your heart and make the choice you think you’ll regret the least. If you’re going to regret it either way, wouldn’t it be better to regret a little less?”
‘The choice I’ll regret the least.’
Jeshuan’s words lingered in her mind, but Lia didn’t know what that choice would be.
However, as he said, no matter what she chose, she would likely have regrets.
If she kept the truth hidden, she would feel guilt for doing so. If she revealed it, she would feel guilt for whatever consequences might follow.
Since she would regret her decision either way, she wanted to make a choice that would at least be for their sake.
That was the best she could do.
Lia steadied her resolve with this thought.
Her heart remained in turmoil. The decision she had painstakingly reached felt fragile and weak, as though it could be blown away with the slightest breeze. But she couldn’t stay stuck in indecision forever.
No matter the outcome, she had made her choice.
Now, all that was left was to stay firm and follow through.
“Thank you, Jeshuan.”
Lia spoke with a slightly lighter expression, as though the layers of her worries had eased just a little.
“I’m glad if I could help.”
Though all Jeshuan could do was offer a few words, if those words had helped Lia even a little, he felt somewhat glad.
“Thanks to you, I’ve been able to sort out my thoughts.”
Indeed, confiding in someone made her feel slightly lighter.
It was far better than struggling with her thoughts alone.
“But is that all?”
“Pardon?”
“Your expression didn’t look great, even aside from your worries.”
Her stiff posture and her clenched fists that she hadn’t even noticed—there seemed to be something else affecting her besides her dilemma.
“It’s just that… I met someone who made me feel strangely uneasy.”
Perhaps because she had already shared her biggest worry, Lia’s response to Jeshuan’s question was more straightforward.
“It doesn’t seem like just unease.”
Lia’s demeanor wasn’t that of someone merely uncomfortable.
It was closer to the tense, rigid posture of a prey animal encountering a predator.
“…Honestly, I’m not sure either. I don’t know what I feel about that person or why I react that way whenever I see them.”
“You can’t always know everything. Not knowing isn’t wrong, either. So, try not to dwell on it too much.”
“But… that person hasn’t done anything to me. And yet… I still feel uncomfortable around them.”
“Maybe it’s something you’re not consciously aware of. I trust you, Lia. There’s surely a reason you feel that way. You might just not recognize it yet.”
Lia wasn’t someone who rejected or felt uneasy about others without reason.
If she didn’t realize it herself, there had to be a deeper cause she wasn’t aware of.
“But still…”
“And what if there’s no reason? In life, you sometimes meet people you dislike for no particular reason. Not everything has to have a reason.”
Jeshuan was always on Lia’s side. Therefore, the reason she felt uneasy didn’t matter to him.
If Lia said she felt that way, then that was enough for him. That alone was reason enough.
“Somehow, that’s a little comforting.”
Her inexplicable reactions had weighed her down with guilt.
But hearing that it wasn’t her fault gave her a bit of relief.
His words lightened her burden just a little.
As Jeshuan observed Lia, he spoke carefully.
In life, there are often moments when people act or feel things they can’t fully understand.
It wasn’t unusual.
No one could always make perfect decisions or choices either.
“Lia, nobody is perfect. So don’t feel like you need to be. You’re already doing your best.”
This was something he had always wanted to tell her.
He felt sorry for her, always shouldering everything on her own.
Her constant striving, as if any mistake or flaw was unacceptable, without even taking a proper break—he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pain watching her.
Lia’s expression turned peculiar at his words.
