I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 40
“Rather than that… he’s just a unique person in various ways.”
Even though he’s her guardian, Lia refrained from saying anything negative about him.
Well, honestly, he’s not a bad person; let’s just call him a good person.
Others might not think the same way, but what can she do if she sees him that way?
“Yeah, in what sense?”
Jeshuan showed some interest in Lia’s expression, which seemed to have various stories behind it.
Especially, beyond the complex expression, there was a definite warmth in Lia’s gaze when thinking about her guardian. It contained affection and trust towards him.
“Maybe just his way of thinking is not conventional.”
It might not be easy to express that in simple terms, but words to clarify it didn’t readily come to mind.
“Saying that makes me curious.”
Despite that, Jeshuan noticed that Lia harbored affection for her guardian.
“It’s just that his behavior is not easily understood with common sense.”
Thanks to that, being together sometimes made even her common sense seem blurred.
“Hmm. Is that so?”
“Well, among them, what I find the hardest to understand is that even if I tell him not to, he keeps calling me angel baby.”
Lia’s cheeks turned slightly red, as if expressing embarrassment about saying such words herself.
In reality, she had somewhat given up on being called ‘angel baby,’ since he wouldn’t listen no matter how much she told him, there was nothing she could do.
It wasn’t something she could point out every time, and even if she did, Cassian didn’t stop using that title. Of course, even if he did, it still felt awkward every time she heard that address.
“It seems like the guardian cherishes Shulia a lot.”
“I admit that, but still, it would be nice if he could change the address a bit.”
For now, it might be fine, but thinking about being called ‘angl baby’ even after becoming an adult made her a bit uneasy.
It was odd that the one who used that term wasn’t bothered, but she felt embarrassed.
“But I think I can undestand with your guardian.”
“… Why?”
Lia looked at Che Shuan as if asking, ‘are you also on his side?’ with a slightly suspicious expression.
“Shulia really looks like an angel.”
“Me? Where do you even see that?”
Well, she knew she was a bit cuter than her peers. You could tell that by just looking in the mirror. But still, calling her ‘angel baby’ was a bit…
“Well, Shulia is truly lovely. It’s not just about looks but also about being affectionate and warm.”
He hadn’t known Lia for a long time. They hadn’t met frequently.
However, even with the limited time spent together, the natural aura around her conveyed how warm-hearted she was.
Especially during their first meeting, Lia willingly stepped forward to help, even though she could have pretended not to notice. Despite showing a sharp attitude to avoid revealing himself and reject her, Lia did not turn away.
Moreover, despite her own incomprehensible demans, didn’t she obediendtly take the hand he held out.
At that time, she didn’t even know who he was.
Is not just that.
Lia was worried and cared about him unfamiliar self.
Such kindness, particularly as a first for Jeshuan, left a vivid impression. But even without that, Lia’s presence would have been etched into Jeshuan’s memory.
“I’m not really that affectionate and warm…”
“In this world, there are many who pull others down for their own benefit or cause harm. Many avoid helping, even when they have the ability, just because they don’t want to endure such trouble. But Lia is different.”
Jeshuan spoke with rare sincerity.
That’s why Jeshuan wanted to be close to her.
Even if she helped him, if her intentions were dark, he wouldn’t have easily decided to keep her by his side.
Because the consequences of such a decision could be an unpredictable boomerang.
Jeshuan silently observed Lia, who seemed embarrassed by the unintentional compliment, gently fiddling with the teacup on the table.
“The bracelet is really pretty.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“Was it a gift?”
“Yes, my guardian gave it to me.”
“Seems like your guardian really cherishes you.”
To readily give something so precious as a gift.
Those seemingly ordinary ring and bracelet were undoubtedly magical artifacts.
Extremely expensive and hard to obtain, starting from the basic materials, it was beyond what most nobles could afford. Given the embedded abilities, the cost would skyrocket.
‘That as a gift from a guardian…’
How many in the empire could possess the ability to acquire such an item?
Excluding the royal family, there were only a handful.
‘To obtain something like that, one would need to be at least a high duke.’
Perhaps her mentioned guardian was a high duke.
In that case, her explanation made some sense.
Among the people Jeshuan had met so far, a high duke was the most unique and unconventional.
But soon, he shook his head.
A high duke serving as someone’s guardian didn’t make sense.
Especially someone who despised troublesome matters.
There would be no significant connection between the high duke and Lia.
Still, with a faint hope, Jeshuan asked.
A seemingly trivial question.
“Does this person called your guardian know that you come to meet me, Shueria?”
“Yes, he know. We didn’t go into details, but I felt it necessary to inform about meeting you.”
“Really? I thought your guardian wouldn’t be too pleased.”
It was understandable, considering one of the magical artifacts she wore had a protective shield function.
Giving such an item as a gift meant they were aware of Jeshuan’s existence.
Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a reason for such a gift around the time she comes to meet him.
“Not so much displeased but more concerned. Oh, it’s not because of you, Jeshuan, but my guardian tends to worry a lot.”
Worried that Jeshuan might get hurt, Lia quickly added an explanation.
While it contained a bit of falsehood, it wasn’t a complete lie.
Cassian did indeed worry a lot.
Even if she were meeting someone else, Cassian probably wouldn’t be pleased.
Wasn’t he close to his own aide?
Despite Lia’s explanation, Jeshuan, as if knowing everything, responded with a bitter expression and a fragile smile.
“That might be true, but probably not. Perhaps it’s more about my age, making them more concerned. I don’t know who Shulia’s guardian is, but if they know about me, they might not welcome Shulia getting close to me.”
In a self-deprecating tone, Lia couldn’t easily respond.
Jeshuan’s words hinted at some underlying issue, but the nature of it remained elusive.
The specific warning against getting close to Cassian and the complexity in his expression left Lia hesitant to broach the subject.
It was challenging to discuss a topic about which she knew nothing.
Considering Jeshuan’s complex and lonely expression, bringing up a subject without knowing anything seemed inappropriate.
He seemed resigned.
Rejection from others, and the boundaries set by others.
There must have been a lot of events leading to him becoming like this.
The emotions revealed on his face weren’t something that could accumulate in just a day or two.
“Regardless of how others perceive Jeshuan, it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to be manipulated. It’s my decision whom I befriend, so I’ll only believe what I see and confirm.”
At least, Jeshuan, as observed by Lia, didn’t seem bad or dangerous enough to warrant the hatred of others.
He was just an ordinary boy.
Why he chose to isolate himself and avoid interactions with people was still unclear, but it was something to discover gradually.
It didn’t matter if she never found out until the end, as long as it didn’t harm her.
Even among the closest friends, there might be one or two secrets that they wouldn’t share.
“……”
In response to Lia’s words, Jeshuan fell silent.
He couldn’t just bring up his true feelings now, as it would seem like continuing an act to gain her favor.
At the same time, he couldn’t reveal his genuine thoughts to her.
The distrust built up towards others from childhood till now couldn’t disappear with just a few meetings.
Jeshuan harbored a doubt, ‘Can she still feel this way after learning about my reputation?’ but he kept it to himself.
Revealing it wouldn’t benefit him.
‘So, I’m really curious.’
He wondered how she would react once she knew everything.
Like saying she doesn’t believe in rumors, whether she’d brush it off and still stay by his side.
Or… would she end up being viewed with the same fearful eyes as others?
And… what would her reaction be when she eventually realized that it wasn’t just a rumor but the truth?
No matter how different she claimed to be from others, she was ultimately human.
So, even she might end up distancing herself and feeling scared for her safety.
Thinking about it, a twisted feeling surged within him.
Yet, Jeshuan managed to hold it back.
The regret in their current relationship was more about him than her.
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