I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 133
When Cassian said, “From today, we’ll start training,” Jeshuan wore a dissatisfied expression but obediently followed him.
Starting the training as soon as possible was beneficial for Jeshuan anyway.
It was just that the idea that this might interfere with the time he wanted to spend with Lia did not sit well with him.
Thus, Cassian and Jeshuan headed to the training ground, located deep inside the duke’s residence.
Cassian deliberately chose the innermost training ground to ensure no one else would get involved in case an accident occurred during training.
“Training begins now, so do your best.”
Facing Jeshuan, Cassian immediately gathered his energy without any further explanation.
His first plan was to observe Jeshuan’s energy through a light sparring session.
And along the way, he thought he’d use it as an excuse to tease him a little.
Jeshuan was startled by Cassian’s sudden attack but soon regained his composure and responded to the onslaught.
He opted for a defensive and cautious approach.
Cassian lunged at him ferociously as if intending to kill, all the while analyzing Jeshuan’s movements keenly.
He needed to understand Jeshuan’s energy to help him control it more effectively.
As the sparring session continued, Cassian paused his attacks momentarily.
“Now… you’ll need to start attacking too.”
“…That…”
Jeshuan hesitated at Cassian’s words.
Dodging Cassian’s attacks was challenging but possible without utilizing much of his ability.
However, launching an attack meant he’d need to use his powers.
That raised the risk of losing control again.
Reading Jeshuan’s hesitation, Cassian smirked mockingly.
“Who’s worried about who? I can handle someone of your level just fine. So, unless you want to end up with a broken bone, you’d better take this seriously. Well, not that it matters if a person with abilities like you breaks a bone or two.”
With that, Cassian resumed his attacks, now more ferocious than before.
Each strike seemed threatening enough to knock Jeshuan out with a single blow.
Initially, Jeshuan tried to dodge as before but soon found it impossible to continue.
Eventually, with no other choice, Jeshuan drew upon his energy.
He trusted Cassian.
If Cassian insisted on him using his powers despite knowing the risk of losing control, it meant Cassian was confident he could handle it.
Still, Jeshuan needed to be cautious. Even if he avoided losing control, he couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t end up severely injured.
It was unclear how long the sparring lasted.
Finally, what had felt like an eternity came to an end.
Cassian withdrew his energy and silently observed Jeshuan.
By the end of the session, Jeshuan’s body was battered and bruised.
His once tidy attire was covered in dirt and disheveled from rolling on the ground.
His breathing was ragged, and he looked as though standing was a challenge in itself.
It was the first time Jeshuan had used his powers to such an extent.
He had always suppressed his abilities out of fear of losing control.
“Well, your energy seems much more refined compared to before. After all, you’re a crown prince. You should at least be at this level.”
Cassian’s tone was ambiguous—somewhere between a compliment and sarcasm.
But Jeshuan didn’t have the energy to respond.
This was their first proper sparring session. The session itself was tough, but that wasn’t the real issue.
What concerned him was that his usually calm energy suddenly became wildly uncontrollable.
This was clearly a sign of an impending outburst.
Cassian immediately noticed Jeshuan’s condition.
Without hesitation, Cassian struck the back of Jeshuan’s neck.
It was his way of preventing the outburst.
If Jeshuan fully lost control, it would be challenging even for Cassian to handle. Therefore, knocking him unconscious was the only way to resolve the situation.
Fortunately, as Jeshuan passed out after Cassian’s strike, the chaotic energy that was on the brink of explosion temporarily calmed down.
However, there was no room for complacency.
Just because Jeshuan had lost consciousness didn’t mean the risk of an outburst was gone.
Cassian slowly approached Jeshuan and infused his energy into him.
This was to realign the chaotic energy within Jeshuan and restore balance.
Of course, this wasn’t an easy task.
For most people, such an attempt would be unthinkable.
The collision of two different energies could result in severe internal injuries.
But Cassian proceeded without hesitation.
Although this was difficult for him too, it wasn’t beyond his capability.
After all, it was something he’d have to deal with daily moving forward.
By suppressing Jeshuan’s energy in this manner and preventing it from straying off its intended path, Cassian aimed to tame the energy into submission.
This was the only way to reduce the likelihood of another outburst.
However, since this process involved forcibly manipulating someone else’s energy, it placed immense strain and pressure on Jeshuan’s body.
The body would naturally resist such external interference, causing sensations akin to the muscles and bones twisting painfully.
But this was something Jeshuan had already accepted.
Cassian had no intention of tolerating any complaints from Jeshuan.
If it became unbearable, Jeshuan could always choose to give up. Not that Cassian would withdraw his hand even if Jeshuan begged for it now.
***
Meanwhile, around the same time, Lia was searching for the two of them.
She had been focusing on work alone in the office but became uneasy when she noticed that both Cassian and Jeshuan had disappeared.
The unusually quiet atmosphere only made her more anxious.
Just as Cassian didn’t seem to like Jeshuan much, Jeshuan’s attitude toward Cassian wasn’t friendly either.
Unlike the way he interacted with her, Jeshuan’s behavior toward Cassian lacked any goodwill.
Previously, she thought Jeshuan was relatively mild and calm, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.
Because of that, Lia worried that the two might have been bickering or fighting again in her absence.
Soon, Lia arrived at the training ground.
Luckily, with the help of the maids, she was able to locate the two without any trouble.
“Khal, Jeshuan.”
Lia greeted them cheerfully when she finally found them.
Contrary to her worries, the two weren’t fighting. At least, not when Lia arrived.
However… Jeshuan didn’t look good.
His appearance was a mess, and he looked utterly exhausted.
“Lia….”
Just moments ago, Jeshuan had been glaring coldly at Cassian, but his expression brightened instantly when he saw Lia.
He resembled a puppy welcoming its owner.
Cassian couldn’t hide his disbelief at the sudden change.
“…What happened to you?”
Though Jeshuan didn’t appear to be visibly injured, he clearly wasn’t in great shape.
“I was just helping with training.”
Instead of Jeshuan, Cassian answered Lia’s question, as if feeling a bit guilty.
“What kind of training did you do for Jeshuan to end up like this?”
“I didn’t realize His Highness had a hobby of rolling on the ground. He seemed to enjoy it, judging by how much he was doing it.”
In truth, Jeshuan had been dodging Cassian’s attacks during their sparring session, which caused him to roll around repeatedly. But Cassian spoke with complete confidence.
Jeshuan’s expression was one of incredulity at Cassian’s words.
Lia, too, didn’t seem convinced.
“So, did my Angel Baby come to see me?”
Ignoring their reactions, Cassian turned to Lia with an expectant gaze.
“Well… yes? I was worried about what the two of you were doing, so I came to find you.”
“My Angel Baby is so thoughtful. Coming all this way just because you were worried about me.”
“Perhaps you should pay more attention to what people say. Lia said she was worried about ‘the two of us,’ not just you.”
Jeshuan’s words were laced with irritation, as if Cassian’s possessiveness over Lia’s concern annoyed him.
“You should try using your brain a little more. My Angel Baby only said ‘the two of us’ because she didn’t want to hurt your feelings by admitting she came for me.”
“If that’s the case, then wouldn’t those empty words be directed at someone else rather than you? You don’t exactly seem like the kind of person anyone would worry about.”
“That’s what makes it even more special, isn’t it? The fact that my Angel Baby is the only one who cares for me.”
Twisting Jeshuan’s words to his advantage, Cassian smiled smugly, clearly pleased.
“You must be thrilled to only have one person worrying about you.”
“One is enough for me. As long as it’s my Angel Baby, I don’t need anyone else.”
Cassian found the concern of others unnecessary and burdensome.
Because of this, he remained unaffected by Jeshuan’s sarcasm.
Hearing their conversation, Lia sighed heavily to herself.
Why did even trivial words turn into bickering like this?
For some reason, she had a bad feeling this dynamic would continue in the future, which made her sigh again.
But only for a moment.
“Jeshuan, are you hurt anywhere?”
“No, I’m not. And even if I were, I’d heal soon enough, so there’s no need to worry.”
Once again, Cassian answered on Jeshuan’s behalf.
This caused Jeshuan to lose another chance to speak with Lia, and he shot Cassian a displeased look.
However, his expression quickly brightened at Lia’s next words.
“I was asking Jeshuan, not you….”
