I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 135
At Lia’s words, Jeshuan’s expression became complicated.
Hearing her speak as if she had frequently been in Cassian’s arms sparked a sense of jealousy in him. At the same time, he couldn’t stand the fact that he was the one currently being held by Cassian.
He had only pretended to be sick to get Lia’s attention, not to end up in this ridiculous situation.
What irritated him even more was Cassian’s expression—he was smirking, as if he found the whole situation amusing. It felt like he was mocking him.
This made Jeshuan feel like all his effort in faking his condition had been for nothing.
“…Now that I think about it, I might be able to walk on my own—”
“Oh no, Jeshuan.”
Before he could even finish speaking, Lia shot him a stern look, as if she already knew what he was trying to say.
“Lia, I’m really fin—”
“Don’t pretend to be fine. Just stay put and let yourself be carried. Your complexion still doesn’t look good.”
Hearing her words, Jeshuan let out an internal sigh.
If he had known things would turn out like this, he wouldn’t have faked being sick.
He was well aware that Cassian wasn’t the type to let things slide, but he never expected him to take advantage of the situation in this way.
The only reason his face looked unpleasant was because he hated being in this situation. But thanks to his earlier act, Lia was completely convinced that he was unwell.
At this point, he couldn’t possibly admit that he had been lying. In the end, Jeshuan had no choice but to stay obediently in Cassian’s arms as he was carried away.
The tension between the two men was palpable.
Cassian continued to wear a smug, irritating expression, clearly enjoying himself, while Jeshuan could do nothing but seethe in frustration.
“…Thanks to you, I had a very comfortable, very pleasant trip.”
Jeshuan said, emphasizing each word as they arrived at his room.
“If you ever feel unwell again, let me know. It’s only natural to care for a delicate prince.”
The underlying message was clear: if Jeshuan tried to pull another stunt like this, the same thing would happen again.
Jeshuan’s face twisted in irritation.
“…By the way, shouldn’t we decide on proper titles to use?”
Ignoring the tension between the two men, Lia spoke with a serious expression.
Currently, both Cassian and Jeshuan were staying at the Duke’s estate under false identities.
Because of this, they couldn’t use the titles they normally called each other.
Every time they addressed each other, they hesitated awkwardly, unsure of what to say.
It was time to settle on something once and for all.
“My angel baby is so considerate.”
Cassian, who had already felt some inconvenience due to the lack of proper titles, immediately agreed.
Jeshuan gave a small nod as well.
“What would you prefer to call each other?”
Lia asked them both.
“Oh, I have a few suggestions.”
Cassian said, as if he had been waiting for this question. Without hesitation, he listed his options.
“That bastard, that brat, little crow, shorty.”
Each name was clearly chosen out of pure personal spite.
“…None of those work for me.”
Jeshuan had no desire for Cassian to address him with any honorifics, but those suggestions were outright offensive.
Without hesitation, he rejected every single one.
“They were the most fitting titles for Your Highness.”
Cassian had actually put some thought into them.
He figured these options were still relatively mild.
Anything harsher would only earn him a scolding from Lia.
At Cassian’s confident response, Jeshuan looked at him in disbelief.
He knew Cassian was the type to say whatever he wanted, even in front of the Emperor, but still—his brazenness never failed to be impressive.
Lia wasn’t pleased with Cassian’s chosen titles either, so she quietly called him.
“…Khal.”
“Yes, my angel baby?”
Unlike his interactions with Jeshuan, Cassian turned to Lia with the gentlest expression.
“Those titles you just listed? Rejected. Try again.”
At Lia’s firm words, Cassian put on a deliberately wounded expression.
“I can’t think of anything else.”
“I didn’t expect choosing a title would be this difficult.”
Even Jeshuan looked troubled, unable to come up with a proper way to address Cassian.
“Then let’s keep it simple. Jeshuan, you call him Khal. And Khal, you call him Jeshuan.”
At Lia’s straightforward suggestion, both men frowned as if they had just heard something horrifying.
The mere thought of addressing each other by name was unpleasant enough.
Why should their precious mouths be sullied by saying the other’s name?
It was an insult to their dignity.
Cassian was the first to voice his complaint.
“‘Khal’ is a special nickname reserved only for my angel baby. I don’t want to hear it coming from anyone else’s mouth.”
Especially not from Jeshuan.
That name had been created solely for Lia to use. It existed only to be spoken by her.
He had reluctantly allowed Shion to use it, but even that grated on him. Despite his own approval, every time Shion called him “Sir Khal,” Cassian felt an urge to kill him.
“Lia, the reason I let you call me by my name is because you are special and precious to me. I have no desire to let just anyone say it.”
His voice was gentle but firm.
For once, both men were in agreement, yet the atmosphere between them remained sharp and hostile.
Faced with their strong resistance, Lia had no choice but to reconsider.
They clearly despised each other. Forcing them to use names they hated would only backfire.
But they still needed proper titles.
They were going to be together for years, and they couldn’t keep using vague or awkward forms of address.
“In that case… Since you both refuse to call each other by name, how about using ‘Uncle’ and ‘Nephew’ instead?”
Their expressions instantly soured.
The mere idea of referring to each other as family was appalling.
“There’s no way I have a nephew like him.”
“And I absolutely refuse to have an uncle like him.”
“Then what would you prefer? If you have a better suggestion, feel free to share.”
“Well…”
Despite their initial protests, neither Cassian nor Jeshuan could come up with a suitable alternative.
“If not, how about ‘honey’ or ‘darling’ instead?”
It was a remark made out of pure frustration.
Since they rejected the simplest option, why not go for something even more outrageous?
At that, their faces twisted into expressions of utter horror.
Just the mere thought of it made their stomachs turn.
They weren’t sure about anything else, but if they actually addressed each other that way, they might end up throwing up on each other out of sheer disgust.
Finally, Cassian spoke up with a serious expression.
“I’ll just call him ‘Nephew.’”
There was something subtly sarcastic about the way he pronounced it, but Lia decided to let it slide.
Jeshuan, reluctantly, responded in turn.
“…I’ll call you ‘Uncle.’”
“Good choice. I thought that was the most neutral and reasonable option.”
Satisfied that they had reached an agreement, Lia smiled.
But it didn’t last long.
“Well then, Jeshuan, please rest. I’ll take my leave now.”
Lia figured that if she stayed, she might disturb Jeshuan’s rest, so she moved to leave.
“Being with Lia is what helps me rest.”
Jeshuan quickly grabbed her hand, his expression full of regret.
After all, this was the first day they had officially started living together.
It felt too short to part ways already.
Cassian, watching this, made a face of pure irritation.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Jeshuan’s hand.
“…What do you think you’re doing?”
Jeshuan looked at their overlapping hands like he had just witnessed something repulsive.
“I thought you liked holding hands, so I decided to help. If I had known earlier that was your preference, I would have offered much sooner.”
Cassian’s voice was laced with venom, making it clear that he wasn’t actually trying to be helpful. Rather, he was telling Jeshuan to hurry up and let go of Lia’s hand.
“No matter how much I like holding hands, I still have standards.”
“In that case, allow me.”
Cassian, pretending not to understand the true meaning behind Jeshuan’s words, smoothly pried Lia’s hand out of his grip.
The moment her hand was gone, Jeshuan felt an odd sense of emptiness.
It was just her hand that had been taken away, so why did it feel like something was missing inside him?
He glared at Cassian, his expression dark.
As yet another argument between the two men began brewing, Lia could only sigh in exhaustion.
It hadn’t even been a full day yet.
And yet, she already felt like she had been putting up with them for several days.
“Cassian, go do your work. I’ll stay with Jeshuan a little longer.”
“How could I possibly leave my angel baby alone with such a dangerous nephew?”
Cassian eyed Jeshuan with deep suspicion.
Who knew what this guy might try when he wasn’t around?
“But it’s true that being with me helps Jeshuan rest. He’s also been pushing himself during training, so staying with me will be good for him.”
“I don’t feel well either. I’m sick, too.”
Refusing to concede Lia’s attention to Jeshuan, Cassian hunched over and dramatically clutched his stomach, pretending to be in pain.
