I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 141
Although it was just a very faint murmur, Cassian heard it clearly.
Being an ability user, his physical senses were already highly enhanced.
And since it was Lia speaking, there was no way he would miss even the faintest whisper from her.
Cassian’s expression grew complicated.
Hearing her call him ‘Dad’ made him happy.
For some reason, ever since he first met her, he had wished she were his daughter—that he could be her family.
Now that she had finally acknowledged him as family, he should have felt purely happy.
But something nagged at him.
It felt like he was missing something.
It wasn’t just that she had acknowledged him as her father—it was the way she said it.
It was as if she truly believed he was her real father.
“…Come to think of it.”
Lately, Lia had been bringing up her biological father in conversations more frequently.
Before, she had shown no interest in her father and barely mentioned him.
Yet now, not only did she bring him up, but she even defended him when Cassian criticized him.
“…Could it be?”
Was he really Lia’s biological father?
Was that why she kept bringing up her father?
Cassian carefully sifted through his past memories.
He recalled Lia’s expressions and words whenever she spoke about her father in front of him.
And then, it hit him—an odd sense of dissonance that had lingered in their conversations all along.
Back then, he hadn’t even considered the possibility that Lia might be his real daughter.
So, he had overlooked the inconsistencies in their conversations.
He hadn’t thought much of the strange moments that popped up now and then.
After all, Cassian had always had trouble maintaining smooth conversations with others.
‘Haah…’
Now that Cassian had opened himself up to a new possibility, he was overwhelmed by a sudden wave of confusion.
At last, the scattered pieces of his conversations with Lia began to fit together.
But he couldn’t jump to conclusions just yet.
Even as this new possibility emerged, fresh doubts arose, intertwining with unresolved questions.
Just then—
A knock echoed through the room, followed by the door opening.
Jeshuan, who had been waiting outside, stepped in.
Noticing the tense atmosphere in the room, his expression darkened.
“How is she?”
“…They said there’s nothing wrong.”
Cassian, forcing himself to push aside his tangled thoughts, responded in a low voice.
“……”
Jeshuan remained silent.
If the imperial physician had declared that nothing was wrong, then it had to be true.
But if that were the case, why hadn’t Lia woken up yet?
And why did she look so tormented, even in her sleep?
Jeshuan couldn’t bring himself to trust the physician’s words entirely.
“For now, we’ll have to wait. But if that damned Marquess has done anything to my angel baby, I won’t let him off.”
Yes, evidence didn’t matter.
If it turned out that the Marquess had harmed Lia, even in the slightest, then—
Cassian wouldn’t hesitate. He would sever the man’s head without a second thought.
Regardless of what the Marquess had done to him in the past.
“Our opponent is a Marquess. Acting recklessly will only bring trouble.”
If Cassian attacked the Marquess without just cause or solid proof, it could escalate into a full-blown war between ability users and non-ability users.
Given the recent disturbances caused by the demons, the empire was already suffering.
A conflict like this would only push it further into chaos.
It wouldn’t just be the empire that suffered, but every citizen within it.
That was why Jeshuan couldn’t support Cassian’s decision so easily.
He, too, was deeply concerned for Lia, perhaps more than anyone else.
But he couldn’t ignore the catastrophic consequences that Cassian’s actions might bring.
“That’s none of my concern. The only thing that matters to me is my angel baby.”
Everything else was irrelevant to Cassian.
He had never fulfilled his duties as an ability user out of obligation or responsibility.
He simply found it less bothersome to do them rather than ignore them.
Moreover, he needed an outlet to release his powers.
Of course, he had enough awareness of his position to fulfill his role as the head of the ducal house, but—
Nothing was more important than Lia.
“…Lia wouldn’t want that.”
Jeshuan knew that he couldn’t persuade Cassian with concerns about the empire.
Cassian was not someone who could be easily swayed by reason or duty.
The only person who could truly make him listen was Lia.
That was why he brought her up.
Because Lia would not want Cassian to act recklessly.
And if that were the case, Cassian wouldn’t rush into anything without thinking.
“…Tsk. Like father, like son. Both of them are just as infuriating.”
Cassian frowned in displeasure.
Bringing up Lia to stop him was an effective move.
The moment Jeshuan mentioned her, Cassian’s body instinctively flinched.
It seemed like both father and son knew exactly where to strike to make things difficult for him.
“I’m just as worried about Lia as you are.”
“And if the Marquess really did something to her, I have no intention of letting it slide either. But we need solid proof first.”
Jeshuan didn’t have any fondness for the Marquess either.
Even though there was no clear evidence yet, Lia’s condition had worsened after visiting the Marquess’ estate.
Naturally, he couldn’t help but suspect him.
Especially since Lia had been wary of the Marquess even before the ball.
Whatever trick the Marquess had used to escape the physician’s diagnosis, they had to uncover it.
If he had truly targeted Lia, he needed to be held accountable.
“For now, I’ll play along. Not for the empire, but for my angel baby.”
Cassian had no desire to do something that Lia would resent him for.
So, as annoying as it was, fine.
He would find that damn proof.
He would uncover the truth and deal with that bastard properly.
So that he could never lurk around Lia again.
So that he could never trouble her again.
“If you need my help, I’ll gladly assist. Not for Your Grace, but for Lia.”
“I won’t refuse.”
Cassian had no intention of accepting help from the crown prince when it came to Lia’s matters.
However, one could never predict the future.
It was best to leave all options open just in case.
Since this was for Lia, Cassian was willing to use everything at his disposal.
That Night.
Cassian and Jeshuan stayed by Lia’s side until late at night.
Although the physicians assured them there was nothing wrong, they couldn’t bring themselves to leave her.
Not until she woke up safely could they truly feel at ease.
Thus, the two of them sat quietly by her side.
However, it wasn’t as if they had gotten along from the beginning.
The two men, who didn’t like each other, had engaged in a subtle battle of nerves, each trying to drive the other away to have Lia’s side to themselves.
But it never escalated into a full-blown fight.
Neither of them could bear to quarrel in front of Lia, who looked so unwell.
So, as if they had no other choice, they both sat there with expressions that seemed to say, “I’ll let you stay this once.”
How long had they been sitting there, never leaving her side for even a moment?
In the silent room, where not a single word was spoken, there was a faint rustling sound.
Both of them instinctively turned their gazes toward Lia’s bed.
Then, as if uncomfortable, Lia shifted slightly in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes.
Her gaze was clearer than when she had briefly woken up a few hours earlier.
“Khal? Jeshuan?”
Blinking a few times to adjust to the darkness, Lia noticed the two of them staring at her with worried expressions and gave them a puzzled look.
“My angel baby, are you alright?”
Cassian, who had gently helped her sit up, asked in a soft voice.
Yet, beneath that gentleness, there was a hint of anger directed at the Marquess, who was undoubtedly the cause of all this.
“Yes, aside from feeling a little drowsy, I’m fine.”
Of course, aside from drowsiness, her body still felt somewhat heavy, but it wasn’t anything serious.
Even so, Cassian and Jeshuan’s expressions didn’t ease.
Though they were relieved that she had woken up safely, they couldn’t stop worrying since they still didn’t know what had happened at the Marquess’s estate.
Even if the Marquess hadn’t done anything to her, the mere fact that Lia had returned from that place in such a state weighed heavily on their minds.
“…Wait, is it nighttime right now?”
Noticing the dark sky outside the window, Lia asked in surprise.
“Yes, it is.”
“…Oh, I didn’t mean to sleep for this long.”
Lia looked slightly flustered, as she hadn’t expected to sleep so much.
“My angel baby, what’s the problem with sleeping? You should sleep whenever you want and wake up whenever you feel like it. Just don’t get sick.”
Cassian spoke with utmost sincerity.
Hearing his words, Lia showed a somewhat awkward expression.
All she had done was fall asleep, but she had unintentionally made them worry.
The way they were still looking at her with concern made her feel guilty.
Just as Lia was about to say something, Jeshuan spoke first.
“Lia, how was the Marquess’s ball?”
