I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 142
What he truly wanted to ask was what the Marquess had done at the banquet.
But Jeshuan deliberately softened his question.
He didn’t want to show an aggressive side in front of Lia.
“Hm… it wasn’t bad.”
After a moment of hesitation, Lia gave that answer.
Yes, it wasn’t bad.
Fortunately, most of the nobles attending the ball had been friendly toward her, and none had picked a fight for no reason.
Meeting the Marquess had been uncomfortable, but their conversation was ordinary. That was all.
However, she couldn’t say that it had been a good experience.
Throughout the entire ball, she had felt an unexplainable sense of unease.
But speaking about something she couldn’t even pinpoint would only cause unnecessary worry.
“Lia, I know how kind my angel baby is. So you can be honest with me.”
Cassian, seemingly unconvinced by her response, gently coaxed her to tell the truth.
If things had truly been fine, then Lia wouldn’t have left the ballroom in such a state.
No—she had been uncomfortable with the very idea of attending a banquet at the Marquess’ estate in the first place.
So from the start, her response of ‘it wasn’t bad’ didn’t quite add up.
“I understand why you’re worried, Khal, but nothing happened there. I really am fine.”
“Lia.”
Even with her firm answer, Cassian still couldn’t believe her.
Because before getting into the carriage, her condition had been far from fine.
If nothing had happened at the ball, then she shouldn’t have ended up like that.
“It’s true, Khal.”
“If nothing happened, then why did my angel baby leave the ballroom in that state?”
“It’s just that… I wasn’t feeling well…”
“But you were fine before going there, weren’t you? If you suddenly became unwell after attending the ball, there must be a reason.”
Cassian’s words were gentle but sharp, making Lia visibly uneasy.
She couldn’t blame him for being suspicious.
If she were in his position, she would have reacted the same way.
But unfortunately, nothing had actually happened.
Not just nothing significant—nothing at all.
“Lia, I agree with His Grace. If nothing had happened, there’s no way your condition would have worsened so suddenly. And you only just woke up after sleeping the entire way here.”
“I guess I was just really tired. I was quite tense throughout the whole banquet.”
“But for just being tired, you slept for a long time. And your complexion didn’t look good.”
Faced with Cassian and Jeshuan’s continued doubt, Lia once again looked troubled.
But she couldn’t let them misunderstand, so she spoke up once more.
“Nothing really happened. I was paying close attention, but I didn’t notice anything suspicious. Even my conversation with the Marquess was just normal.”
Cassian silently observed Lia, as if trying to see through her words.
But there wasn’t even the slightest trace of deception in her expression.
“…If my angel baby says so, then I’ll believe you.”
Though he said that, Cassian didn’t actually believe her.
Or rather, it wasn’t Lia’s words he doubted—it was the idea that the Marquess had done nothing at all.
There was still the possibility that he had done something without Lia realizing it.
It was hard to accept that nothing had happened, considering Lia’s condition after returning from the ball…
And, most of all, what he had seen in the Marquess’ greenhouse was extremely suspicious.
Rather than pressuring Lia further, it seemed better to investigate separately.
There were already plenty of reasons to look into the Marquess, even aside from Lia.
Seeing Cassian step back so easily made Jeshuan frown.
Just moments ago, he had been burning with hostility toward the Marquess. Yet now, he was acting far too calm.
“Then, my angel baby, get some more rest.”
Cassian stood up without hesitation.
Even though she had finally woken up, Lia still looked extremely exhausted. Her complexion was pale.
He couldn’t bring himself to disturb her rest.
At the very least, she had woken up safely, so there was no need to worry too much.
“Yes, you too, Khal. And Jeshuan, don’t worry too much about me—make sure to rest as well.”
Judging by their behavior, it seemed like they had stayed by her side until she woke up.
“…I’ll stay here. Even if you say that, I’m still worried.”
“It’s already late. Aren’t you tired, Jeshuan? You should get some sleep too.”
She had slept for so long that staying up a bit longer wouldn’t affect her. But Jeshuan was different.
“I’m fine. Staying here with you is more comforting for me.”
Even if he went back to his room, he wouldn’t be able to sleep.
He would only end up thinking about Lia, worrying about her, his mind filled entirely with her.
“If that’s the case…”
As she spoke, Lia glanced at Cassian.
Given his personality, he wouldn’t just leave Jeshuan behind.
However, for some reason, Cassian didn’t react much to Jeshuan’s words.
He merely glanced at him indifferently, as if saying, Do as you wish, before reminding Lia to rest and leaving the room.
Of course, that didn’t mean Cassian was actually fine with it.
Leaving that dangerous little brat in Lia’s room was irritating.
Still, he let it slide because having someone stay with Lia seemed better than leaving her alone.
Even if the dangerous brat tried to charm her, at least he wouldn’t put her in danger.
Of course, it would be best if he could stay with her, but there were things he needed to do.
Things he needed to think about alone.
After Cassian left, the room fell into silence.
Jeshuan kept quiet, not wanting to disturb Lia’s rest, while Lia blinked sleepily as fatigue overtook her again.
“If you’re sleepy, go ahead and sleep.”
Jeshuan spoke gently, wondering if she was holding back for his sake.
“I don’t know why, but I feel especially sleepy today.”
Even on the way back from the ball in the carriage, she had struggled to keep her eyes open.
She had barely woken up, yet she felt as if she had pulled an all-nighter.
Her body felt heavy.
When she first woke up, she had felt fine, but now exhaustion was washing over her again.
“You must be really tired from all that tension, just like you said.”
He didn’t entirely believe her words, but it was true that stress could be exhausting.
“Yeah… maybe…”
Her voice trailed off, slurred with drowsiness.
Jeshuan, noticing this, looked at her with a peculiar expression.
Something felt… off.
No matter how tired she was, she had already slept for a long time.
Yet she was still this drowsy, as if she had been awake for days.
He had never seen Lia this exhausted before.
As Jeshuan pondered, lost in thought, Lia had already fallen into a deep sleep.
He didn’t wake her.
Instead, he simply stayed by her side, watching over her with a worried expression.
Meanwhile, back in his office, Cassian immediately sent a letter to Shion.
There was something urgent he needed to confirm.
At the same time, he had to tighten surveillance on the Marquess.
Until now, his suspicions had been vague, but today, they had become much clearer.
As Cassian waited for Shion, he fell into deep thought.
His mind was filled with questions.
Was Lia really his daughter?
If so, when did she find out? How did she learn the truth?
And if she was indeed his daughter, what was his relationship with Lia’s mother?
What had happened between them?
One question led to another, an endless chain of uncertainty.
But no matter how much he thought about it, he had no answers.
His memories still hadn’t returned, and he had no way of retrieving them.
He had hoped that once the poison was neutralized, his lost memories would naturally come back.
Unfortunately, while his abilities had returned, his memories had not.
Too many things were still missing.
He was uncovering bits and pieces, but it wasn’t enough.
The most important pieces of the puzzle remained lost.
It was frustrating.
And now, after realizing that Lia might be his daughter, it was even more so.
“She definitely didn’t know from the beginning.”
He still wasn’t certain if she was really his daughter.
But even if she was, it didn’t seem likely that Lia had known from the start.
If that were the case, she wouldn’t have been so wary of him in the beginning.
She hadn’t even known who he was until he revealed his identity.
“That’s not what matters, though.”
When she found out wasn’t the most important thing.
What mattered was the possibility that she was his daughter—and if she was, what he should do next.
As Cassian was lost in thought, Shion finally arrived.
“You’re late.”
“How could I have come any faster than this?”
Shion looked at him, exasperated.
Cassian ignored his complaint.
“So, what is this about?”
If Cassian had called for him so urgently, it meant something important had come up.
And judging by past experience, every time Cassian summoned him like this, it was always to drop some sort of bombshell.
Naturally, Shion was on edge.
“There’s something I need to confirm first.”
“What is it?”
“…You’ve seen the Grand Duchess before, haven’t you?”
“Yes, I’ve met her a few times.”
“Tell me everything you know about her. And describe her appearance in detail.”
