I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 21
As Cassian walked into the study and conveyed his words, Lia’s expression tightened.
Although it was a very simple four-letter phrase, the meaning embedded within was anything but simple.
The sentence, with neither subject nor object, was straightforward.
It meant he would eliminate whatever had caused her to frown.
If she nodded here, Cassian would genuinely take care of whatever the issue was.
Hence, Lia decided to cleanly ignore Cassian’s words.
Already overwhelmed with tasks, she didn’t want to engage in unnecessary persuasion with someone with whom communication wasn’t effective.
“What’s the matter?”
Trying to shift the topic, Lia asked Cassian the reason for his visit.
“I brought a gift for our angel baby.”
“Surely that gift isn’t… a crumpled piece of paper you picked up, right?”
With anxious eyes, Lia looked at the paper – no, the letter – in Cassian’s hand.
Buried in paperwork hell, just the sight of this piece of paper made Lia feel nauseous.
“Exactly.”
“Then I’ll decline. I really want to decline.”
Lia, who had been refusing additional tasks, expressed her earnest desire.
Even though she didn’t know what was written on the paper Cassian held, it seemed ominous.
“Is it about the annoying bugs bothering our angel baby? Isn’t it unnecessary?”
Cassian wore an expression of disappointment.
It was something Cassian had prepared, considering Lia in his own way.
It seemed like they were quite bothersome to her, so he wanted to help.
ia hadn’t explicitly told Cassian how to handle them, but there was a rough guess.
According to Cassian’s thinking, it was probably the best solution, at least from Lia’s perspective.
It would be easy for her to discreetly bury them without anyone noticing, but Lia wasn’t that kind of person.
“No, I need it!”
Lia immediately changed her tune. It was too obvious who Cassian meant by “bugs.”
So, there was no reason for Lia to refuse Cassian’s gift.
Although she disliked the idea of more work, it was something that needed to be done.
In reality, rather than an increase in tasks, it had decreased.
Cassian had taken care of things she would have had to investigate herself.
Especially when it came to the information from the Ducal House, there was a high chance he had uncovered things she hadn’t.
“But didn’t you say you’d decline?”
With mischievous intent, Cassian, sensing a desire to tease Lia in her sparkling eyes, spoke with a playful expression.
“Well…”
“So, I’ll take this back.”
Amused by Lia’s rare display of hesitation, Cassian teasingly mocked her with a feigned indifference.
Unaware of this fact, Lia pondered whether Cassian might take back the paper he had brought.
Then, as a last resort, she unleashed a desperate charm offensive with pleading eyes.
“Khal… Are you really going to take it back? Really? Really? Even when Lia wants it so much?”
Mixing in a playful eye smile, Lia beamed as she tried to appeal to Cassian.
Cassian’s expression stiffened at the sight.
Whether he intended to tease the cute Lia or not, it seemed a bit too much.
For a moment, Cassian felt as if his heart had stopped.
His heart plummeted, his breath caught, and he felt numb.
‘Uh-oh. This is trouble.’
No matter how much of an angel she was, being overly adorable could lead to unforeseen consequences.
Cassian worried that if Lia continued to be this cute, everyone in the world might fall for her and try to take her away.
Or perhaps the whole world might be enchanted by Lia’s cuteness and collapse.
‘Indeed, the gods must be utterly foolish.’
If they existed, they were probably the most pathetic and foolish beings.
Sending such a dangerously adorable creature, capable of threatening lives with its mere existence, to this perilous place.
If it were him, he would have kept her in his arms for a lifetime, hidden from everyone.
“Give this to Angel Baby. There’s a condition, though.”
“A condition…?”
“Yes, from now on, make those pretty expressions only in front of me.”
“… They say men who are too possessive are not charming.”
It’s not like she never made pretty expressions… or maybe she did.
Anyway, whether she made any expressions and what kind of expressions they were shouldn’t concern him.
Sometimes, Cassian’s actions made him seem like a doting father, like he was saying, “My daughter is so beautiful that I won’t share her with anyone!”
Well, something along those lines.
“It’s a natural concern as your guardian. I have a duty to protect and watch over angel baby.”
“Just making pretty expressions in front of others won’t likely pose a danger.”
“No, it’s dangerous. In the world, there are many people who, without any sense, just want to take away anything shiny.”
“Well, I’ll be careful.”
So, if you exclude the fact that the shiny thing to be taken away is him, it’s probably a valid statement.
As there was something to receive from Cassian, it was good to quietly listen to him for now.
“Still, there’s no need to worry too much. As long as I’m here, no one can take any action against you without your consent or do anything you don’t want.”
Since becoming Lia’s guardian, Cassian had decided to protect her. Consequently, he never had any intention of causing harm to her.
“That’s quite reassuring.”
Regardless of the method, it seemed Cassian would definitely make it so.
So, it felt a bit strange.
How should I put it? It felt like having an immensely reliable shield or gaining a steadfast ally who would always be on his side.
The only ones who held such a position for Lia were her late grandfather and the butler, Sebain.
Unexpectedly, there was one more person who had unintentionally taken on that role.
Whether it was his intention or not, Cassian was filling the void left by her late grandfather.
So, Lia felt a mixture of discomfort and unfamiliarity, even though her heart tingled.
“Anyway, thank you. It helped lighten my workload.”
Lia would need to check what was written on the paper, but considering Cassian had prepared it, it would undoubtedly be a significant help.
“Our angel baby is also quite polite.”
Not forgetting to express gratitude even for ordinary matters.
Cassian, proud and dignified, softened his expression.
Soon after, Cassian approached Lia to hand over the documents.
Placing the papers on Lia’s desk, he effortlessly lifted her into his arms and settled into the chair she had occupied.
Before she could say anything, Lia found herself seated on Cassian’s lap.
Without giving Lia a chance to speak, Cassian began talking.
“So, what’s the matter?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
The words he just said seemed like something Lia would say to Cassian.
“Weren’t you just frowning a moment ago?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“If it’s nothing, just clear it away. Sweep it aside or something.”
In response to Cassian’s words, Lia impulsively bit the arm that was wrapped around her waist.
It was an action prompted by the memory of him telling her to bite him whenever she felt like it.
Since words weren’t getting through, it was her way of expressing herself through actions.
“This is a positive response.”
Lia looked at Cassian with an adorable expression, as if saying he could either let her bite him or speak.
“Isn’t it usually the opposite?”
“The opposite of positive is still positive.”
“Why is that?”
“So where should we clear it away then?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Tsk.”
Lia, why complicate things by just clearing them away? Cassian knew she had an ocean-like vastness of understanding, but to him, Lia was not just kind but overly kind.
However, as Cassian, there was nothing he could do if the angel baby didn’t want it.
Among the rules they had set, there was one that said, “Cassian does not do what Lia does not want.”
“Anyway, I want to know the reason.”
“It’s nothing much. I think I have to attend a ball soon.”
“Ah, that sounds terribly inconvenient.”
“Yes, I think so too.”
Why on earth did balls exist to make people spend their precious time and engage in annoying tasks?
Moreover, going to a ball didn’t seem like it would be a particularly pleasant experience.
Although it was supposed to be a celebration for herself, it didn’t mean everyone attending would be celebrating her.
It would be fortunate if they didn’t belittle her just because she was young.
“Shall I accompany you?”
Cassian casually pricked Lia’s cheek with a smirk, asking, “No, really, it’s okay. It might be troublesome if someone recognizes the dagger.”
Lia’s response hinted at the fact that many local nobles, who used to be quite bothersome, were either from mixed heritage or were not familiar with the Central Region. Although it was hard to recognize his face, if even one person at the ball identified Cassian, it was only a matter of time before his identity became known to others.
“The angel baby is so considerate.”
“Is it consideration for me?”
If Cassian’s true identity were exposed, it would be troublesome for Lia as well.
“Well, Lia doesn’t need to worry about others. Just think about yourself and take care of yourself. It’s okay for the angel baby.”
Cassian’s words left Lia looking embarrassed.
While hse knew Cassian spoke with pure intentions, it wasn’t the best choice of words for educating a child.
In that sense, it was fortunate that the Grand Duke had not yet married, and there were no children involved.
With such an educational policy, there was a risk that his child might grow up to be ill-mannered and rude.
