I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 64
“Are you alright, Duke?”
Shion looked at Lia with a worried expression.
Just a moment ago, her complexion was fine, but it had worsened as soon as the Marquess left.
Her face was pale, and her body was trembling slightly.
Anyone could see that she was not in a good condition.
“…Yes, I’m alright.”
Lia forced a smile, trying to appear unfazed. However, she couldn’t completely hide the tremor in her voice.
It wasn’t just her voice that was shaking. Her slightly exposed hand was visibly trembling for anyone to notice.
Shion’s expression hardened at the sight.
Lia’s reaction was unusual. It wasn’t the kind of reaction one would show to someone they had just met.
However, there was nothing particularly special about their conversation.
Naturally, a reasonable suspicion arose.
Could it be that Lia and the Marquess had some other connection?
And at that time, was there something bad between them?
But even if that were the case, it wasn’t a problem Shion could interfere with.
Shion was merely the Grand Duke’s assistant.
This outing was also being done under Cassian’s orders.
Nevertheless, Shion couldn’t help but be concerned about Lia.
“I may not be able to help you, Duke, but… if it’s Lord Cassian, he will step forward for you no matter what.”
This was the best Shion could say in the current situation.
Unlike himself, who had no relationship with Lia, Cassian was Lia’s guardian.
So Lia would find it easier to talk to Cassian about things she couldn’t tell Shion, and Cassian could be of help to her.
Lia forced a smile at Shion’s words and said,
“It’s not like that. It’s just…”
What exactly should she say?
Lia herself couldn’t understand her reaction.
Why was she so sensitive to her meeting with the Marquess, and why did she feel this almost unpleasant sensation?
Lia couldn’t help but be on edge with every word the Marquess said.
Even if she didn’t want to be, it naturally happened.
His outwardly friendly demeanor continued to make her uncomfortable, and she found even his seemingly harmless words irritating.
The most unsettling thing for Lia was when the Marquess mentioned her grandfather and family.
It was clearly a well-intentioned, concerned comment.
The Marquess’s expression showed pure regret and concern.
However… Lia felt a dark undercurrent within it.
She felt that what was visible on the surface wasn’t all there was to it.
Moreover, the way his gaze persistently followed her gave her an uneasy feeling.
Everything about the Marquess felt like watching a predator’s staged performance.
Especially his excessive interest in her.
That interest was directed not at her as the head of the Sithran Dukedom, but at Lia herself.
“For now, I think it’s best if we head back and rest.”
Waiting for Lia’s response, Shion finally spoke when she remained silent.
Whatever her circumstances, it seemed difficult to continue the outing.
“…Indeed, that might be best.”
The reactions Lia had barely suppressed when facing the Marquess now overwhelmed her.
Even though she tried to suppress it, the trembling once started wouldn’t stop.
The best Lia could do was barely lift her trembling lips into a smile.
Reluctantly, Lia decided to end her city outing.
In any case, continuing in this state would make it impossible to concentrate.
As she stood up with that thought, Lia staggered. She lost her balance as her legs didn’t hold up.
Shion quickly reached out to support her.
“…If walking is difficult, I can carry you.”
“It’s alright, it’s not that bad. Besides, I have my dignity as a Duke to maintain.”
It was embarrassing enough to be carried by Cassian inside the Duke’s residence, let alone showing such a scene outside.
“At least let me help you walk.”
“…Thank you.”
Ordinarily, she would have refused even that, insisting she could walk alone, but Lia’s condition was worse than she thought.
Her whole body felt out of control.
Not only her legs but also her hands lacked strength, and her heart pounded as if giving a warning.
Because of this, her head felt not just blank, but dizzy.
Then Lia realized the instinctive reason hidden within her emotions.
It was fear. A fear directed towards something.
Yes, the discomfort and unease she felt when meeting the Marquess stemmed from a sense of encountering something dangerous and frightening.
‘But why…?’
Today was the first time she had seen Marquess Lathsiron. There was no reason for her to feel such emotions.
‘…It’s frustrating.’
And it was also confusing.
She couldn’t even guess why she was reacting this way.
***
That night, Cassian was listening to Shion’s report.
The report was about what had happened during their outing in the city that day.
If he wanted to know, he could hear it directly from Lia.
But he hadn’t asked because Lia looked unusually unwell when she returned from the outing.
So Cassian didn’t ask. He thought it was better to let Lia rest first, seeing how exhausted she looked.
He had postponed interrogating Shion for the same reason.
He wanted Lia to rest comfortably without worrying about anything.
That’s why he had called Shion separately after Lia had fallen asleep.
“Is that all?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Cassian frowned as if he was not satisfied with Shion’s report.
Based on Shion’s report, there didn’t seem to be anything particularly strange or suspicious.
There was no reason for Lia to return in such a state.
The only somewhat concerning aspect was the meeting with the Marquess.
“Tell me exactly what was said during the conversation with the Marquess, word for word.”
Shion, without any complaints, complied with Cassian’s order.
He detailed the conversation Lia had with the Marquess, the expressions the Marquess made, and Lia’s reactions.
“……..”
After hearing everything from Shion, Cassian was deep in thought.
The conversation he heard through Shion wasn’t particularly special.
So, was that the cause?
“It seems my angel baby was greatly shocked by seeing the Marquess’s face.”
“…Pardon?”
Shion looked dumbfounded at Cassian’s conclusion.
“Indeed, for someone as lovely as my angel baby, that face would be harmful.”
“…Not to defend the Marquess, but he is objectively handsome.”
“Is that so?”
Cassian’s expression showed disbelief as he recalled the Marquess’s face.
“…Though he might be ordinary compared to you, my lord, he is considered handsome by general standards.”
Even with Shion’s additional explanation, Cassian still seemed unconvinced.
“Anyway, that’s not the important thing. The important thing is that my angel baby finds him bothersome. So, to relieve my angel baby, I should get rid of that useless burden from the world.”
“…The Marquess is not just anyone.”
Marquess Lathsiron held power comparable to that of a Duke.
Although Cassian, as a Grand Duke, could easily eliminate him, the problem would be the aftermath.
Unlike other noble families, eliminating the Marquess would not go unnoticed.
Furthermore, Marquess Lathsiron’s family was the counterbalance to the Grand Duke’s family.
The heirs of the Grand Duke’s family were always the most skilled among the people’s with ability.
Naturally, they played the role of leaders among the people’s with ability.
In contrast, the Lathsiron Marquessate maintained its power through non-ability individuals.
Usually, at least one ability individual would be born into a family, but this wasn’t the case for the Lathsiron Marquessate, which had never produced a single ability individual.
Thus, the Lathsiron Marquessate had strong support from non-ability individuals.
In such a situation, if Grand Duke Cassian were to attack Marquess Lathsiron and it was revealed, it could escalate into a conflict between ability and non-ability individuals.
“Why should the Marquess matter?”
“If a conflict arises between the ability and non-ability, the Sithran Dukedom will be responsible for mediating it.”
Although the current and previous heads of the Sithran Dukedom were non-ability, the Dukedom had always maintained neutrality between the ability and non-ability.
The previous Duke had worked hard to mediate between the two factions, striving to establish laws that were fair to all.
Hence, the Sithran Dukedom was the only house respected by both ability and non-ability individuals.
Therefore, in the event of a problem between the ability and non-ability, it was highly likely that the Sithran Dukedom would be called upon to mediate.
In this matter, the Sithran Dukedom had more influence than even the Emperor.
“…Tsk.”
Cassian clicked his tongue in annoyance at Shion’s words.
What Shion was implying was clear.
If Grand Duke Cassian provoked the Marquess and it led to a conflict between the ability and non-ability, Lia, as the current head of the Sithran Dukedom, would have to mediate.
This was the most persuasive argument to Cassian.
Ultimately, Cassian decided to put on hold his plan to eliminate the Marquess immediately.
However, since it concerned Lia, it was not something he could completely ignore.
“I will issue a new order.”
Cassian spoke with a serious expression.
