I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 17
The next day.
For breakfast, Lia headed to the dinning room. There, Cassian was waiting for her.
Seeing him, Lia made a peculiar expression.
Since picking up Cassian and him regaining consciousness, they had been having meals together at the dinning room every day.
Perhaps because of that.
Now, his presence here felt so natural and familiar.
This fact stirred strange emotions in Lia.
After Grandfather passed away, Lia always had to eat alone.
There was no one else to share a meal with.
Every time she ate alone in the restaurant that used to be for two, Lia keenly felt her Grandfather’s empty seat.
Disliking that reminder, after Grandfather passed away, Lia often skipped meals.
Each time she truly realized her Grandfather was gone, she felt a pain and sadness squeezing her heart.
But now, she had someone to eat with again.
Someone was sitting in the always-empty seat.
This fact brought great relief and comfort to Lia.
“Don’t you like the food?”
Without sitting down, Cassian, observing Lia’s awkward stance, furrowed his brows and asked.
“Huh? No, it’s not like that.”
“No, the expression on your face clearly resembles someone who’s seen distasteful food. So if it doesn’t suit your taste, you can ask for something else as if you own the place.”
Assertively, as if he were the landlord himself, Cassian spoke.
“I told you before, it’s really not like that.”
“Is that so?”
As if paying no attention to Lia’s words, Cassian glared at the food with a threatening expression, as if to intimidate it.
Seeing that, Lia shrank back nervously.
Eventually, she sat down and began her meal in earnest.
While Lia chewed her food delicately with her small mouth like a baby bird, Cassian looked at her with an incredibly amused expression.
It was like the expression of a pioneer who had discovered a new continent.
Of course, it wasn’t the first time Cassian had seen Lia eat, but every time he watched, he found it fascinating and surprising.
With that small mouth, eating so boldly.
“Um, it’s a bit embarrassing if you stare so much.”
Even though she wanted to act like she didn’t notice, Lia paused her meal for a moment and spoke in response to Cassian’s overt and genuine gaze.
“Then, let me keep staring like that.”
“…….”
No, that’s not what I meant!
Usually, when someone says this, people understand, “Ah, they’re telling me not to stare,” right?
Of course, until now, there were only a few times Cassian correctly understood what I meant, but every time, it was embarrassing.
On the other hand, Cassian, who had been watching Lia eat as if observing something fascinating, looked puzzled when Lia stopped using her chopsticks.
“Why aren’t you eating more?”
In Cassian’s questioning face, there was a sense of disappointment.
No wonder, just watching Lia eat with her small mouth so boldly made his heart feel full.
It was such an interesting and enjoyable sight, how could there be anything more delightful?
Previously, I couldn’t understand the saying that just watching others eat could make you feel full, but today, I understood the meaning.
Certainly, just watching that adorable child eat seemed like it would satisfy your appetite.
“… I’m full now.”
Cassian’s gaze, which didn’t seem to want to leave me, was burdensome, and I was already quite full.
So, there was no need to continue the meal.
Cassian was greatly shocked by my words.
“Goodness, how can you be full just with that?”
Cassian couldn’t comprehend Lia’s claim that she was full just eating that.
At most, it was a few pieces of meat, a handful of herbs, and other small portions.
From Cassian’s perspective, it was significantly less food to consider it a proper meal.
Even accounting for differences in body size, considering Lia’s small frame, her meal seemed too meager.
“… I’m not someone who eats a lot normally, but it doesn’t seem that surprising.”
Especially today, she ate relatively more than usual.
Normally, she ate just enough to stave off hunger, as she didn’t enjoy eating alone.
However, today she ate to the point of feeling full, which by Lia’s standards might be considered overeating.
“Humans can’t feel full just eating that amount. So, maybe…”
“Angels and fairies are off-limits.”
Lia quickly interrupted the rest of Cassian’s sentence, anticipating his words.
Cassian wore an expression of mild disappointment.
It was a look reminiscent of a character from a fairy tale, like Hong Gildong who couldn’t address his father as “father.”
“Could it be that you’ll get scolded if you eat too much here?”
“No way.”
“Or perhaps, does the Duke’s household lack funds, and you have to be frugal with food?”
“… That makes even less sense.”
“But why…”
Cassian wore an expression that refused to accept the situation.
“In the first place, not everyone can eat the same amount.”
Although she questioned why she had to explain this, it seemed necessary to avoid misunderstandings.
“… Sigh. A child needs to eat a lot to grow properly.”
Cassian spoke with an unexpectedly stern voice.
Surprisingly, it was a sensible and very accurate statement.
“I’m already doomed in terms of height.”
Despite being only twelve, there was still potential for growth, but it didn’t seem likely to surpass the average.
“It’s too early to give up. You’re only eight years old now. There’s plenty of time.”
As if trying to comfort Lia, Cassian spoke with an unusually gentle tone.
However, Lia’s expression upon hearing those words was mercilessly crushed.
Despite being smaller for her age, being seen as an eight-year-old was just too much!
Even if they thought she was twelve, getting angry about being seen as eight!
Of course, considering she had never officially revealed her age!
Frustrated by unreasonable misunderstandings, Lia felt the urge to stab the man before her with the fork.
“… It seems the sword is under a serious misconception. I’m not eight; I’m twelve.”
“……”
Surprisingly, Cassian was rendered speechless.
Even when he first learned the girl before him wasn’t an angel but a human, it was shocking. But twelve years old? Could one be so small at twelve?
Recall her own past; she was never that small.
Could it be… was the Duke secretly mistreating his granddaughter?
Then again, being twelve and that small didn’t make sense.
But it wasn’t like Lia was treated badly in the Duke’s household.
Then what was the issue?
Perhaps… Even though Lia believed herself to be human, could she actually be an angel?
So, human food doesn’t suit her taste, and the air isn’t right, leading to growth problems.
“Angel baby must have gone through a lot.”
“After Grandfather passed away, there were difficulties, but…”
For some reason, the hardship Cassian mentioned seemed different from Lia’s perspective.
“You don’t need to worry from now on. I’m here.”
While he couldn’t reshape the entire world into a place suitable for an angel, at least within the space where she dwells, Cassian intended to make sure she lacked nothing.
“Well…”
Hearing the somewhat dubious words, Lia’s expression became uneasy again.
Considering her track record, thanks to Cassian, she might have suffered even more, not less.
First and foremost, Cassian’s unconventional mindset itself was endlessly difficult for Lia.
‘Well, what can I do… I have to adapt.’
With Lia’s resigned sigh, breakfast came to an end.
Rising from her chair, Lia looked at Cassian and spoke.
“Khal, if it’s okay, could we have a little conversation?”
She asked him to become her guardian as part of the deal, and although that was successfully accomplished, they hadn’t discussed the details yet.
Now that they were going to live together in the same house, it was wise to establish some rules and basics between them.
Especially considering his unpredictable personality, this was crucial.
“That seems challenging.”
“Huh?”
Perhaps expecting Cassian to refuse, Lia looked surprised.
“A short time is too brief.”
“… Ah.”
Well, yeah.
As if she finally understood, Lia nodded.
“Then, let’s just talk.”
“Sure.”
From Cassian’s perspective, regardless of the purpose, being able to spend time with Lia itself was a pleasant thing. He nodded willingly.
Although there were things he needed to attend to urgently, Lia was the more pressing matter at the moment.
Just as the two were about to begin their conversation in their own way in the office, an unwelcome guest arrived.
“… You came again.”
Lia spoke with an indifferent expression, looking at her distant relatives.
Considering the last incident, she thought they wouldn’t come for a while.
However, it seemed insufficient to keep them away.
Perhaps they came for a protest regarding that incident.
“It’s still the same. Even though the maid must have told you there’s a guest inside, you boldly open the door and come in.”
Lia’s sharp remark made the unwelcome guests flinch.
Only now did they realize Cassian’s presence and froze abruptly.
