I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 129
Revealing the most important fact first, Lia cautiously opened her tightly closed eyes and glanced at Cassian’s reaction.
However, Cassian’s response was strangely calm.
As if he had already anticipated hearing this story.
‘What’s going on… Could it be that he’s regained his memory?’
Did he find out that she was his daughter?
But Cassian’s reaction was ambiguous, leaving Lia with a confused expression.
Cassian, who was gazing at Lia with an exceptionally warm look, slowly opened his mouth.
A smile, impossible to conceal, spread across his lips.
“Yes, I am indeed the father of my Angel Baby. So, go ahead and call me Dad.”
The voice carried an air of satisfaction, yet Lia felt something was off.
At a glance, his words made it seem like he understood what she said, but that wasn’t the case.
Apparently, Cassian had misunderstood her words and taken them in a completely different direction than she intended.
“No, what I mean is that you really are my dad.”
With a serious expression, Lia tried to correct Cassian’s misunderstanding.
“Of course, I am your real dad. Forget about that worthless beast.”
‘As expected…’
Cassian’s words left Lia stunned.
Somehow, she had a feeling this might happen.
She was frustrated, wondering how to clear up this misunderstanding.
But she couldn’t let things remain as they were, under a false impression.
Even if the conclusion remained the same, this wasn’t a situation that could end that way.
“No, Khal…”
“You need to call me Dad.”
“…Yes, Dad is Dad.”
Lia sighed and reluctantly agreed.
He wasn’t wrong, after all.
But while their conversation continued, the meaning didn’t seem to get across, leaving her flustered and unsure of what to say next.
Unaware of Lia’s inner turmoil, Cassian spoke in a brighter tone than ever, as if he was genuinely happy.
“We should make today a memorable occasion. It’s the day my Angel Baby finally acknowledged me as her dad. Oh, don’t worry about the details, my Angel Baby. If anyone disagrees, I’ll personally handle it—even if I have to cut off that emperor’s hand to force approval.”
‘No, that won’t be necessary…’
I’m really your daughter…
Lia let out a deep sigh of frustration.
All her worries seemed futile, as Cassian’s reaction was entirely unexpected.
This was a completely unforeseen situation.
All the time she spent pondering how Cassian might react upon learning the truth now felt foolish.
No, how could she properly explain or clarify things when he wasn’t even listening?
“Khal.”
Taking a deep breath, Lia called him with a serious expression.
“Yes, my Angel Baby.”
Cassian, looking as if he was willing to listen to anything she had to say, gazed at her with a benevolent expression.
“That worthless beast of a dad you mentioned earlier…”
“Don’t even mention him.”
“No, I mean that man…”
“He’s not even worth talking about.”
Once again, Cassian decisively interrupted Lia.
At this point, even Lia’s patience was wearing thin.
Couldn’t he at least let her finish what she was trying to say?
Exasperated, Lia shouted loudly.
“You damned excuse of a father! Listen to me for once, will you?”
Why do you keep interrupting me?
I’m telling you that you are the worthless beast of a father!
Why won’t you let me say it?
That’s what I need to say to sort this situation out.
“I always listen carefully to what my Angel Baby says.”
“Yes, please do, so let me… about that damned…”
“But that man is an exception. Anything about him isn’t worth listening to.”
Lia, who had briefly held onto the hope of being able to speak properly, lost her motivation at those words.
“In front of me, that man’s name is strictly forbidden. If you bring him up one more time, I’ll erase him from existence entirely.”
Though, whether or not he actually exists is uncertain.
Hearing his grim warning, Lia’s expression grew frustrated.
Why couldn’t she explain to her father that he was, in fact, the real one?
Why did she have to listen to her father threatening to erase himself from existence?
Her worries until now seemed laughable.
What was the point of deciding to reveal the truth if she couldn’t even say it?
The biggest obstacle was figuring out how to explain to Cassian that he was ‘that man’.
This was an entirely unexpected hurdle.
“Can’t you just let me say it once? Just one time, can’t you listen properly?”
Lia pleaded almost desperately now.
“No.”
“I’ll even act cute for you. I’ll do it ten or twenty times if I have to—just listen this once…”
The situation was so absurd that Lia felt like laughing.
Why did she, of all people, have to resort to such ridiculous conditions to reveal that Cassian was her real father?
“I’d welcome as much cuteness from my Angel Baby as you want to show, but what’s not allowed is still not allowed. The very existence of that man is enough to ruin my mood.”
As if to demonstrate his irritation, Cassian’s energy flared ominously.
Sigh.
Seeing Cassian’s complete unwillingness to listen, Lia sighed deeply.
From his attitude, it was clear that Cassian hadn’t regained his memories.
He didn’t even consider the possibility that he could be her father.
That’s why he could react like this.
If there had been even a slight chance that he thought he might be her father, he would have taken her words more seriously.
Well, she could understand.
While she had some knowledge of the situation from her grandfather’s diary, Cassian did not.
Before learning through her dreams that Cassian might be her father, she hadn’t considered it either.
Moreover, he had lost his memories and hadn’t recovered them yet.
There was no connection between her mother, a noble’s daughter, and Cassian, a Grand Duke. How could he possibly think he’d met her mother and fathered a child?
Even so…!
If someone is going to this extent to say something, wouldn’t you at least be curious enough to listen?
No matter how unconventional Cassian was, this was a bit much.
‘What should I do?’
Faced with an unexpected challenge, Lia was overwhelmed, wondering how to handle this situation.
But now that she’d decided to reveal the truth, she couldn’t back down.
Her determination, once as wavering as a lone candle in the wind, had solidified.
She needed to speak up. Cassian had to know the truth. But the inability to communicate was frustrating.
At this rate, she wouldn’t be able to clarify anything about her father until Cassian regained his memory.
The easiest and most straightforward solution would be for Cassian himself to remember and realize she was his daughter.
But how long could she wait for that to happen?
There was only one solution left.
If it was about being stubborn, she wouldn’t lose to anyone.
She resolved to keep bringing it up until Cassian, out of sheer exhaustion, would finally listen to her properly.
Surely, if she persisted long enough, he’d eventually pay attention, even if reluctantly.
Of course, she’d need to pick her moments carefully—such a conversation couldn’t happen in front of Jeshuan. But for now, this was the only way forward.
“For now… I’ll let it slide today. But don’t think you can keep avoiding this forever.”
At that moment, Lia was too exhausted to even think about continuing the conversation.
Especially since it was almost time for Jeshuan to arrive at the Duke’s residence.
Although the emperor said there was no need for any grand preparations, this was still the first guest to visit the Duke’s residence. How could they welcome him without preparing anything?
Moreover, Jeshuan would be staying at the residence for at least a few years.
For his sake, at the very least, the basics had to be arranged.
Cassian deliberately pretended not to hear Lia’s words.
By this point, even Cassian couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
Until now, she hadn’t shown any interest in her father. Why was she suddenly bringing him up?
He couldn’t understand why she was suddenly looking for her father or why she was trying so hard to discuss him in front of him.
Whatever the reason, Cassian didn’t like the man she called her father.
He didn’t want her to say the word ‘father’ with that sweet and adorable mouth of hers ever again.
Whatever circumstances that man had, and whoever he was, Cassian had no intention of giving up the precious treasure he had found.
He wouldn’t allow her to be taken from him, even if it was by her father.
It was that man’s fault in the first place.
How could he abandon such a lovable child, one that anyone would fall in love with?
Who wouldn’t snatch her up in the meantime?
With that, Cassian steeled his resolve once more.
He would ensure that Lia couldn’t even utter the word ‘father’ in front of him.
He was the only one Lia could call her father, and he was the only one worthy of being her father.
The man who abandoned his young daughter and didn’t bother looking for her didn’t deserve the title.
Such a person could never be recognized as Lia’s father.
***
Later that afternoon.
Jeshuan quietly arrived at the Duke’s residence in a carriage without the imperial emblem.
