I Picked Up My Father Who Left Home 66
“What on earth is this……”
Lia’s sigh was filled with questions about the current situation.
Her body felt strangely heavy, as if something was pressing down on it.
And that feeling wasn’t just her imagination. Something heavy was actually hugging and pressing down on her.
The culprit was none other than Cassian.
Lia couldn’t understand why Cassian was there. She was definitely alone before she went to sleep…
“Khal, Khal.”
“Shhh.”
Cassian spoke in a gentle voice without a hint of annoyance as Lia shook him awake.
If it had been anyone else, he would have broken their wrist without hesitation, but even in his drowsy state, he recognized who was touching him.
“Khal, wake up.”
“My angel baby should go to bed early and wake up later on. So sleep some more.”
Cassian hugged Lia, who was squirming in his arms, tightly and gently patted her.
“I’ve had enough sleep. More importantly, why are you here, Khal?”
“Because my angel baby wanted to see me.”
“Me?”
Lia asked, looking incredulous.
“Yes.”
Cassian nodded confidently, his voice thick with drowsiness.
“But I was asleep.”
“You sent me a telepathic message.”
“…Well, okay. Let’s just say that’s true.”
Cassian wasn’t the type to easily concede even if she denied it, so it was better to just let it go than to continue a pointless argument.
Lia was good at being stubborn too, but she was no match for Cassian.
“Still, you shouldn’t come into someone else’s room without permission.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Cassian nodded obediently.
Though he ended up staying because he couldn’t leave Lia looking so distressed, it was still an intrusion.
Even if he was her guardian, it wasn’t right to enter her room and sleep there without permission.
“So, are you okay?”
“…Why wouldn’t I be? I wasn’t hurt or anything.”
Lia tried to act nonchalant.
“I thought you might have been shocked seeing the Marquess’s face.”
“His face isn’t exactly make me shocking.”
“Surely… you don’t think his face is handsome, do you?”
Cassian’s face grew serious as he asked.
If that were the case, he would think there was something wrong with his angel baby’s eyes.
“Well, I don’t remember it clearly…”
Lia answered indifferently.
It wasn’t just a lie to comfort Cassian. She truly didn’t remember the Marquess’s face clearly.
It was more that she didn’t want to remember it.
Thinking of the Marquess only made Lia feel uneasy.
“It’s good to forget things like that.”
Cassian patted Lia’s head as a compliment.
“Anyway, let’s get up now.”
Since she had skipped work yesterday, Lia had to work hard today.
She would have to take a break tomorrow to go see the Jeshuan.
So today was the only day she could work properly before the demon subjugation.
“My angel baby is so heartless.”
“It’s not heartless, it’s being diligent.”
Lia looked incredulous at why he would call her heartless in this situation.
“Whatever it is, it just highlights my angel baby’s charm.”
“Then later, when I become a misanthrope and start hitting people, will you still find me cute?”
“If someone gets hit, it’s their fault for being there. So, of course, my angel baby are still a cutie for me.”
“…Good grief.”
Lia was speechless.
Still, it wasn’t a bad feeling.
Knowing there was someone who would always be on her side and find her adorable no matter what she did was very reassuring and made her feel good.
“Anyway, get. Up. Now.”
“…Should I destroy the sun?”
Then it would never be morning, and no one would complain if he stayed in bed with his angel baby forever.
Cassian reluctantly got up, his face full of regret.
“See you in the dining room.”
Lia pushed Cassian out of bed with a bright smile as soon as she stood up.
Cassian smiled at her cheerful dismissal and quietly left the room.
***
Two days before the demon subjugation, Lia was heading to the Imperial Palace.
When she arrived, someone was waiting for her. It was an attendant sent by the Emperor to greet her.
Lia followed the attendant to the audience chamber where the Emperor was.
‘What is this…’
Usually, she would go to see Jeshuan immediately upon arriving in the Imperial Palace.
But today was different.
Did something happen to Jeshuan?
Her face darkened at that thought.
After all, wasn’t he already frail? She had seen him struggle numerous times when they spent time together.
‘No, it could be for another reason.’
For example… maybe Jeshuan didn’t want to see her face anymore?
Though she couldn’t be sure, his expression had been very confused and complicated after their last walk together.
But it didn’t seem likely that he would distance himself from her now.
So the only remaining possibility was what she had initially thought.
While she was lost in such thoughts, Lia arrived at the Emperor’s audience chamber.
The attendant knocked and announced her arrival.
She heard the permission to enter and carefully opened the door.
“Glory of the Empire, the noble sun, I greet Your Majesty, the Emperor.”
Lia greeted the Emperor respectfully, whom she had not seen in a long time.
The Emperor smiled benevolently at her.
Despite him saying there was no need to be so formal, she always greeted him with such respect, reminding him of the late Duke of Sithran.
He had told her she could treat him comfortably like a mentor, but she had never failed to show him proper etiquette.
Her upright and principled nature, inherited from her grandfather, was evident.
“Lia, I called you here because of Jeshuan.”
“…Is His Highness unwell?”
The Emperor’s face took on a peculiar expression at her cautious question filled with concern.
Had anyone ever worried about Jeshuan before?
To the Emperor, her concern meant a lot.
“…Yes, he is not in a good cindition right now.”
The Emperor’s face looked very bitter as he spoke.
“I see.”
Lia’s face darkened as she heard that Jeshuan was unwell, just as she had feared.
“I thought it would be better to tell you in advance, but he wanted to see you, so I waited.”
Hoping Jeshuan’s condition would improve, he had held off telling her.
Unfortunately, Jeshuan’s condition had not improved. It was fortunate it wasn’t getting worse.
“Sorry, but I don’t think you’ll be able to meet him today. I apologize for making you come all this way for nothing.”
“Is he that unwell?”
The Emperor responded with a bitter smile, unable to say more.
He was cautious about speaking on Jeshuan’s condition.
“…May I at least see him briefly? I have to leave for the demon subjugation the day after tomorrow, so I might not see him for a while.”
Though she could return in a week, it could take longer, possibly a month, to return from the demon subjugation.
She hadn’t even properly informed Jeshuan about her departure, so leaving without a word weighed on her mind.
“He wouldn’t want to be seen in his sick state.”
Jeshuan didn’t like showing his illness to others, not even the Emperor could stay by his side when he was ill.
“Even so, I’d like to at least ask him.”
If he still didn’t want to see her, she would leave quietly, but if he did, she wanted to see him and properly say goodbye.
The Emperor hesitated. He knew Jeshuan wouldn’t welcome even his presence when ill.
“I made a promise to him…”
“A promise?”
“Yes, I promised to stay by his side whenever he was unwell, as much as I could. If he doesn’t want me to, I’ll leave, but otherwise… I want to keep that promise.”
The Emperor’s eyes widened in surprise, as if he had heard something unexpected.
He found it hard to believe. Even his father wasn’t allowed to stay by his side when he was ill, yet Jeshuan had made such a promise with Lia?
Though he thought Lia was special to Jeshuan, this was truly unforeseen.
It made him even more curious about what Lia meant to Jeshuan.
There must be something Jeshuan hadn’t told him.
“If you made a promise, it’s only right to keep it. Do as you wish. If Jeshuan agreed to that, I won’t stop you.”
“Thank you.”
Lia bowed slightly at the Emperor’s permission and headed straight to Jeshuan’s room.
“Jeshuan, it’s me.”
She knocked and announced herself. No answer came from within.
She knocked again, calling him once more, reluctant to leave without seeing him.
“Jeshuan.”
Still silence.
Just as she was about to turn away, a faint voice came from inside.
“Come… in.”
It was the answer she had been waiting for.
