I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 16
“So, what happened with that little one?”
Cassian asked with a cautious demeanor.
Simply encountering him wasn’t enough to have the strong scent of the little one stick so intensely.
Clearly, there was something more than just that.
‘Just in case…’
If that unpleasant little one dared to touch my angel baby, even if he were a crown prince, I had no intention of letting it slide.
Even if he didn’t touch her, daring to covet my angel baby, I was determined not to stand idly by.
Cassian couldn’t understand why he was so fixated on the child in front of him, but just imagining Lia leaving his embrace made him feel incredibly uncomfortable and upset.
It was just an inexplicable instinct, a thought.
The child in front of him must be protected at all costs.
That thought kept lingering.
That’s why.
Suddenly deciding to become the child’s guardian and choosing to stay at the Sithran Duke’s estate had its share of reasons, including the fact that it was a good place for the Sithran Duke to hide his identity.
Of course, the decision was influenced by the Sihtran Duke concealing his identity and it being a suitable place for him to hide.
However, separate from that, considering the current situation Lia was in, staying at the Sithran Duke’s estate would have involved getting entangled in quite troublesome matters.
So, in the midst of an already unfavorable situation, it was better to seek another place rather than getting involved in unnecessary complications.
Nevertheless, Cassian still wanted to be by the child’s side.
It seemed necessary to do so.
So, despite the inconvenience, even going so far as to involve the emperor in this matter, Cassian made that decision.
“Nothing happened, right?”
Facing Cassian’s sharp gaze, Lia casually replied as if it were nothing significant.
Well, there were indeed things that happened, but she couldn’t tell Cassian about what transpired with Jeshuan.
The prince who introduced himself as Jeshuan seemed reluctant to reveal his condition to others.
Therefore, Lia also intended to protect his secret.
“Nothing happened?”
As if he couldn’t believe it, Cassian looked at Lia with an even deeper gaze.
Feeling a slight sting in that gaze, Lia maintained a composed expression.
“Well, if the angel baby says so, let’s just overlook it for now. But remember, getting involved with that unpleasant little one won’t lead to anything good.”
Whether it was her instincts or Lia’s attitude, something seemed off, but Cassian didn’t inquire further.
In his own way, he respected Lia’s decision.
It’s not something that must be known only from Lia’s mouth.
“That’s my concern.”
“Hmm?”
“While the term ‘getting involved’ may apply, anyway, I’ll handle my relationships on my own. Even if Khal is my guardian, I can’t intervene to that extent.”
Lia’s only expectation from Cassian as a guardian was one thing.
Simply filling the role of a ‘guardian.’
She didn’t ask for anything more.
She still didn’t trust him that much, and they weren’t that close.
“It’s for the angel baby. The little one is quite dangerous.”
For both those with abilities and those without.
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
As the other party was a prince, it wasn’t a relationship she could avoid just because she didn’t want to get involved.
But if Cassian went so far as to say that, there seemed to be a reason beyond personal feelings, so Lia gave it some thought.
Sometimes, or rather quite often, he spoke nonsense and behaved inexplicably. At least she knew there was a caring heart beneath it all.
And Cassian was a Grand Duke. No matter how crazy he seemed on the surface, he couldn’t just be a madman or a fool.
With that conversation, a quiet silence hung between them until they arrived at the duke’s estate.
After a while, the carriage, making a clattering sound, came to a halt.
They had finally arrived at the duke’s estate.
As Lia stepped down from the carriage with Cassian, the butler, Sebain, greeted her.
“Has everything been resolved?”
Sebain asked cautiously with a worried expression.
“Yes, fortunately.”
Lia spoke with a smile, as if to assure that there was no need to worry now.
“I see.”
Sebain, with a small smile in response to Leia’s words, soon turned his gaze towards Cassian standing beside her.
“I’ll be counting on you from now on.”
Despite Sebain’s polite greeting, Cassian merely cast a nonchalant glance and showed no particular reaction.
From the start, Sebain was an entity of little interest to Cassian.
Even with Cassian’s disregard, Sebain wasn’t greatly offended.
Soon, Lia and Cassian followed Sebain’s guidance and entered the mansion.
Lia headed towards her room, and Cassian naturally followed behind her.
“This is my room.”
Lia, who had assumed Cassian would naturally go to his own room, looked slightly surprised to see him entering with her.
“It seems to glow here.”
Cassian, who knowingly followed Lia to her room, feigned admiration with an innocent expression.
“Do you have something to tell me?”
If not, there was no reason for him to follow her all the way to her room.
Upon reflection, achieving what he wanted seemed a bit unsatisfying if they were just going to return to their respective rooms without much interaction.
“No. It’s probably for the angel baby.”
Saying so, Cassian quietly looked at Lia, as if inviting her to speak if she had anything to say.
As if he could listen to anything she said, her words, her demands.
“I’ll be relying on you, Khal.”
Despite the transactional nature of their agreement, they were bound to spend more time together.
While it was uncertain how long that would be, she intended to make the best of it.
Regardless, the connection with the Grand Duke could be beneficial in the future.
“I’ll rely on you too. But… is that all?”
“What else should there be?”
“It’s not that I don’t trust the angel baby or Lia. The angel baby is already an excellent guardian.”
It was a vague trust.
Just believing that she could handle anything.
Even if things didn’t go perfectly, he was there by her side.
“Thank you for thinking that way.”
In truth, despite not showing it outwardly, I was quite uneasy and worried.
Resolving the guardian issue, which was the biggest hurdle, was one thing, but not everything was neatly sorted out.
Now, I had to manage things afterward and fill my grandfather’s shoes solely with my own strength.
Lia was still an heir who hadn’t completed proper successor training. There was some learning through observation and from the sidelines, but that alone was insufficient.
Nevertheless, it had to be done.
I had no other choices.
In such a situation, Cassian’s words became a small comfort for Lia.
Someone’s trust became a little motivation for her.
“I just spoke my mind. However… aside from that, fulfilling the duties of a guardian at a young age is not an easy task.”
“I understand, but it’s something I have to handle.”
The fact of being young could no longer protect her.
Instead, it might become a shackle hindering her progress.
But everything was a result of her choices. Therefore, she had to take responsibility for it all.
No one should dismiss or take advantage of her simply because she was young.
“Certainly, there will be those who, due to their ignorance, will constantly try to rise above you, citing your age.”
Like a pack of hyenas always ready to tear at anything that seemed vulnerable, regardless of how harmless it appeared.
Not only her relatives but people from various places aimed at the duke’s estate.
“If Lia wants, I can help. Even without revealing my identity, trampling over those who know nothing about such matters is not a difficult task.”
As someone who had been tasked with hunting demons until now, Cassian was as familiar and proficient in hunting as breathing.
So, if she wanted, Cassian was willing to hunt down those who posed a threat to her.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll handle it on my own. After all, what I wanted from Khal was just to be a guardian, nothing more.”
Of course, with his help, she might easily gain recognition as a guardian.
However, Lia wanted to achieve things on her own.
While she wasn’t opposed to receiving help, she wanted to do what she could do by herself.
As someone who now had to take responsibility for the family, relying on someone else wasn’t the image she wanted to portray.
“… Hmm.”
Cassian tilted his head slightly at Lia’s words, wearing a thoughtful expression.
“I said that, but there might come a time when you need Khal’s help. So, I’ll consider Khal’s assistance when that happens. I still have a lot to learn.”
While direct help from him was declined, Lia had no intention of rejecting indirect help, such as learning things she didn’t know.
Anyway, she did need someone to offer advice by her side.
Currently, there wasn’t anyone else around who could fulfill that role.
“If that’s what Lia wants, anything.”
Cassian spoke with a soft expression, one he hadn’t shown to anyone else.
